Secrets of a Great Pitch

Posted on Jul 14th, 2011 | 62 comments home title

Now that Writers’ Conference season has arrived, I wanted to go over (once again) some tips for pitching to agents and editors. We can probably all agree on the “don’ts” of pitching your project. Don’t pitch in the bathroom. Don’t pitch a novel that’s incomplete. Don’t pitch with your mouth full. What are some positive tips we can all use?

I think the secret to making a great pitch is to start with a bit of context or background, then tell me about your book. It doesn’t have to be in-depth, considering your time restraints. But take a moment to introduce yourself and your project before pitching.

Too often, people sit down and nervously launch into some kind of story and I find myself dizzy with confusion. I sit there like a deer in the headlights and then I say something like, “Let’s back up. What’s your name? And is this fiction or nonfiction?”

To me, the best pitches include the following information without me having to ask for it:

My name is _____ and I wanted to meet with you because _____.

I’m writing ______ (what genre).

My publishing history includes _____(number of books, genres).

Today I want to tell you about my book called _____ .

Then, launch into your pitch. This should be 2 to 3 minutes long, max, allowing time for the agent or editor to ask questions. Have a 1-minute pitch prepared, too, in case of mealtime or elevator pitches.

Here are some guidelines:

→ Don’t try to tell the whole story. Start with the plot catalyst, the event that gets the story started.

→ Then give the set-up, i.e. what happens in the first 30 to 50 pages that drives the reader into the rest of the book. Include the pressing story question or the major story conflict.

→ Fill out your pitch with any of the following: plot elements, character information, setting, backstory, or theme. You want to include just enough information to really intrigue your listener. Note that your pitch doesn’t have to be all “plot.” If your story is more character driven, then fill out your pitch with interesting character details. If the setting is an important element, talk about that. If the backstory plays heavily, round out your pitch with that. Be intentional in how you structure your pitch.

→ Finish by giving an idea of the climactic scenes and the story resolution.

→ Try not to tell too much of the story in the pitch. The pitch is supposed to get somebody interested, not tell the whole story. Stick to the high points, but be sure to tell enough that you don’t leave your listener confused.

→ Include only a couple of characters.

→ Include one plot thread, or two if they’re closely intertwined. You can hint at the existence of other characters and plot lines.

Be prepared to answer questions that could include things like:
→ How does your story end?
→ What published author’s style would you compare your writing to?
→ Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
→ Is this a series? And if so, what are the subsequent books about?
→ Have you worked with a critique group or a professional editor?
→ Have you pitched this to publishers in the past? If so, what was the response?

Important: Know all the key points of your pitch, but don’t memorize your pitch verbatim. You want to be ready to speak it aloud and sound natural, whether during a planned meeting, a meal, in an elevator or a random encounter. Having your pitches prepared ahead of time (and adjusting them as necessary if you learn new things in workshops) will raise your confidence level.

And most important: To help raise your confidence and lower the nervousness, realize that agents and editors are regular people just like you. We clean our toilets, we change our kids’ poopy diapers, we stress over what to wear and whether we’re having a bad hair day. Also, we REALLY like chocolate. How much more normal could we be?

Q4U: Have you had any mortifying experiences pitching at conferences? Any great experiences? If you haven’t pitched verbally before, what’s your biggest fear?

P.S. Conferences I’ll be attending in the next couple of months:

She Speaks (Charlotte, NC) July 21-24
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (Denver) September 8-11
ACFW (St. Louis) September 21-25

Be Sociable, Share!

[ Next Post → ] [ ← Previous Post ]

http://joannaroddy.com Joanna

Rachelle, this is a godsend! I’ve been working on my pitch for a conference in August and it has come out very driven by plot-summary. I needed to hear that I can hook without fully summarizing. I also love the helpful questions to prep for and introduction basics. Thank you!
http://fallingleaflets.blogspot.com Jess Lawson

Thanks for the wonderful advice!

I had a great experience pitching to an agent last year, mainly because I made a point to introduce myself the day before (during a pre-dinner schmooze session). She recognized me at the pitch desk, and it really put me at ease. It felt much more like a conversation than a pitch, and the eight-chapter request I got turned into a full. Ultimately, she declined, but it was a very personalized email referencing things we’d talked about at the conference.

I’ll be at Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers this year and hope to find you and say hello
http://www.melissajagears.com Melissa Jagears

I’m surprised that you didn’t have any questions about Character Motivations in the “Be Prepared to Answer” List, Rachelle. When I pitched to you last year, you drilled me on those. I’m going to try to sound a little more put together this time on the new book.

The other questions to be prepared to answer if you write historical and you are using an interesting premise is to be ready to sound intellegent on your sources. I got drilled by a different agent on that (And I’m using “drilled” in a nice way).

Pitching isn’t that hard if you simply stick with your story’s interesting specifics. The amount of vague pitches I heard like, “She learns to forgive herself” or “He grows to understand that life isn’t all about him” made me snooze, so I feel sorry for the editors and agents that have to hear that over and over.

Which also makes me say, be considerate to the people you are pitching to, esp. later in the conference schedule. All of the people I pitched to asked for submissions, but the last one was very confusing. She gave me her address info, read some of my work, and then stared at me. A little disconcerting! I told her if she’d changed her mind after reading my stuff she shouldn’t worry about my feelings and just say never mind. All she said was, “No, send it to me. But I shouldn’t say anything more. I’m just too tired.” Obviously I wanted to know what she was thinking! But, I just imagined my fatigue (I was prego at the time) and could definitely understand hers. So, take that into consideration, I bet nice easy relaxed conversation with the people you pitch to is just as important as your pitch.
http://www.supamomthoughts.blogspot.com Angie Dicken

Last year at ACFW, I pitched perfectly to an editor at lunch, and then fell short during my agent appointment. My most difficult thing about pitching is not sounding too rehearsed or over-dramatic, but then I want it to convey the high stakes of what I’m writing. Very tricky. Wish I could just hand my pitch written down on a piece of paper! HA! Already practicing for September’s conference!
http://calliekingston.blogspot.com Callie Kingston

Thanks for this great post. I’m scheduled to pitch to a couple of agents at the Willamette Writers conference in August and the nerves are chewing at me already.
http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/ Pen and Ink

Thank you for the excellent advice. (which we are going to share on our Facebook pages. Since you like Chocolate, please stop by our blog for some chocolate recipes and books. This is our second annual chocolate post. http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-annual-chocolate-day-again-july-7.html
Will you be at the SCBWI Conference?
http://abookagirlajourney.blogspot.com Jennie Bennett

Wow, I am so glad I found you. It is so helpful to have a step-by-step guide like this. I’m not ready to pitch yet, but I think thins will help me get into the right mindset when the time comes.
http://keligwyn.wordpress.com Keli Gwyn

My first pitch appointment took place at RWA Nationals. I was a florescent green newbie who had no business taking up an editor’s time, and deep inside I knew it.

My nerves were tighter than a violin’s strings, but when my group was called I searched for the editor. I found him, plunked myself in the chair, and in one minute flat knew he wasn’t the slightest bit interested in my story. Trouble was, I had nine minutes to go and didn’t want to bolt from the room, admitting to everyone how quickly I’d blown my pitch opportunity.

I summoned my courage and asked a question that helped me greatly: “What are you interested in?” He told me he wanted gripping stories with high stakes, and I filed that information away. I heeded his advice, working to add more punch to my stories, and my subsequent pitches were far more pleasant–or at least less painful. =)
http://www.wizardofotin.blogspot.com otini

Great info! I’m only three hours from Charlotte. Maybe I can get there.
http://ibischild.blogspot.com marion

Some very useful specifics.

I’m glad you mentioned that agents are just people, after all.

We writers are just people, too.

The pitch isn’t just about conveying information, it’s about making a personal connection. Sort of like speed dating (which I never did!)

In spite of your nervousness & fumbling, sometimes the two of you “connect”. And sometimes there’s just nothing there.
http://www.kathleenbasi.com Kathleen

Oh, how I wish I’d had this before I pitched this spring! Now I know where to go the next time around.
http://www.sueharrison.com Sue Harrison

Thank you, Rachelle, for all your wisdom! Although I’ve presented and keynoted at writers’ conferences, I’ve never pitched a project, so my opportunity to pitch at the ACFW conference this year will be a new experience. The advice in your post makes this process seem much less formidable!
http://www.fallible.com Katy McKenna

I spent one entire 4-day conference mortified. My back was completely out. I could walk (gingerly) but I couldn’t get myself into a sitting position without anguish and involuntary squealing. I went ahead and kept my appointments with editors, but upon meeting them, I’d say, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Katy. Do you mind if I stand?” I didn’t even have to rehearse my opening line. It just came out naturally! Yes, those were my most painful pitch sessions ever.
- http://www.naomirawlings.com Naomi Rawlings
  
  Ouch! That sounds terrible. I hope your back will be much better at the next conference you attend.
http://heathersunseri.blogspot.com Heather Sunseri

This should go without saying, but based on experience, I learned that writers should most definitely practice, practice, practice their pitches. Practice their one-minute pitch, their three-miute pitch, and practice sharing all of the plot points they might be asked to tell. It is so much easier to share these words with agents and editors when you’re actually said the words out loud to someone before.
http://reflectionsbykrista.blogspot.com Krista Phillips

Yes, and Yes!

Great Experience. The more I talked about my book, the more the agent smiled. She asked for a full at the conference. (Okay, so she turned me down 6 months later, but the experience of her liking me THEN was a great boost and made me more confident going into my other pitches, too!)

Terrible Experience. Said, uh, person, sat in their chair like a Queen on her throne barely disguising the roll of her eyes. I fumbled through the whole thing because of it, stumbling over pretty much every word I said. Then, they tossed the sell-sheet I’d handed them onto the table after I pitched and said, “Uh, yeah, that will never sell.” I SERIOUSLY felt about two-inches tall, and whereas I’m REALLY REALLY nervous pitching verbally, I have a pretty decent sized back-bone and can handle tough critique. Meanness, however, is a different story.

Things I learned:

*Not everyone will like you, and THAT IS OK
*Some people have cruddy days and it shows
*Some people are just mean, and really, I wouldn’t want to work someone like that anyway!
*I survived a horrible pitch! The next year I was MUCH less nervous for my 2 pitches, and got a partial and a full-request on the same book!

So bad pitches are GREAT learning opportunities!
- http://www.melissajagears.com Melissa Jagears
  
  That’s terrible, but I get at the same time how it’s empowering.
  
  I said that about my children–if I could live through my first who screamed all the time for the first 8 monhts, my next child couldn’t be be any worse–no sweat.
- http://www.banterwithbeth.blogspot.com Beth
  
  I pitched for the first time last year. My first-ever pitch must have been with the same agent as the writer above who described her as a queen sitting on a throne barely disguising the rolling of her eyes. This woman obviously hated the Midwest, hated the crummy, rain-soaked weather we were having, and couldn’t wait to get back to NYC. Everyone at the conference commented about how rude she was.
  
  That same day, however, I later pitched to a male agent and he loved my premise, took tons of notes, and even told the timekeeper we needed more time! I was thrilled. He asked for a partial but later declined since his agency was getting into television???
  
  Also, I broke out in hives beforehand. I wasn’t covered like the measles but a couple of hives on my cheek. I’d suggest a calming glass of wine the night before.
  
  As always, thanks for the great tips.
http://www.naomirawlings.com Naomi Rawlings

That’s really helpful information, Rachelle. Thank you so much for this post. I will be going to my first ever writers conference in September. And I’m very thankful I already have a contract, so I don’t feel like my pitch is “do or die.”

Is that normal? If you have a good agent who can pitch your novel to a publisher at anytime, does pitching at conference take a back seat? I feel like just meeting agents, editors, and other writers is more important than pitching my next story idea.
http://thoughtsthatmove.blogspot.com/ Wendy

I had fantastic pitch sessions with an agent and an editor last year at ACFW. No spinach in my teeth and I established a strong connection.

Good, good times!

(Hi from Lakeside, OH…on vacation.)

~ Wendy
http://rmabry.com Richard Mabry

Mortifying experience? Let me count the ways. One that sticks in my mind happened at one of my first writing conferences, back in the days when the earth’s crust was cooling. A well-known editor (who later became a friend) was waiting with me for our bagels to toast. He asked, “What are you writing?” I was totally unprepared, and stumbled around until the bagels dropped into the tray and I was saved. He laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get better. Send me a proposal anyway.”

PS, I sent the proposal, and he very rightly rejected it, but it taught me that writers, like Christians, should always be ready to speak up and witness.
Lance Albury

Great information!

I do have to say I hate the question “What published author’s style would you compare your writing to?” It’s a two-edged sword at best. Awful, awful question.
- Rachelle Gardner
  
  Lance, I understand it feels awful to have to answer that question, but it’s NOT an awful question from the agent/editors point of view. It’s actually one of the most helpful questions you can answer for us.
  
  It gives us important information about the potential audience for the book. It tells us whether you know your own genre (important for an author). It helps us place your book “in context” in our minds – we can picture where it sits on the shelf (digital or physical shelves). Also, sometimes authors have trouble describing their book so that, in a quick pitch, the agent can wrap their minds around the kind of book it is. Talking about other, somewhat similar authors and books is a shorthand way to quickly convey something about the type of book you’re writing.
  
  It’s tempting to say & think that your book is totally unique. If you say that, all it means to the agent/editor is that (1) you have no clue what already exists out there in your genre, and/or (2) there’s probably no audience for it.
http://davidatodd.com David Todd

“…mortifying experiences pitching…?”

Glorietta, 2006. In the building where the pitch room was, they had a power failure just as I was going to start the first of two pitches, with a 15 minute gap in between. I did the first pitch in the dark (only ambient light from open doors). It went okay, but that editor wasn’t my most desired editor.

By the time my second appointment came the lights were back on, but everyone was kind of giddy. So I went into that appointment, with the one editor I really wanted to pitch to, and decided to go unconventional. I said, “My novel is too long, in a dead genre, and the wrong voice, but it’s a compelling story.” The editor wasn’t amused, either by my opening or the power failure. I went into the main part of my pitch. About five minutes in the editor laughed and said, “Who writes a book like that.” I should have walked out right then, but was slow to recognize an insult as an insult, so finished out my appointment.

So my mortifying pitch experience in summary: An editor laughed at me and my book.

Lesson learned: Don’t try to be creative when pitching.
- Rachelle Gardner
  
  Yikes. I apologize on behalf of all agents or editors who have ever been mean, rude or insulting in a pitch meeting. That’s just terrible. I’m so sorry!
  
  Full disclosure: I have made writers cry in pitch meetings. But I truly was trying to be constructive, not mean. That was in the first couple years I was an editor taking pitches at conferences.
  
  After that I made it my goal: Never make an author cry. Unfortunately that sometimes means soft-peddling the truth, but you just can have it both ways — be totally truthful AND avoid making people cry or think you’re mean. *sigh*
http://www.lacienezbeth.blogspot.com Lacie Nezbeth

Great tips, Rachelle. Thanks for the information.

I’ve never pitched before. ACFW will be my first conference…ever! I’m like Keli, florescent green. The thing about pitching that has me the most nervous is being unable to answer an unexpected question. Or tripping and falling on my face. That would be bad too!

Not sure if I’ll be pitching in Sept. but would still love to meet you and say hi!
Susanne

My first pitch was with an editor who bordered on just plain mean-spirited with a sneer. I was appalled. The next appointment was with an agent, and I was so ticked off at the editor, that I sat down, and basically rattled off my pitch, and when she asked me what else I had, I rattled them off too. Much to my amazement, I got requests on all (they were eventually turned down and rightly so). I learned that it’s important to separate experiences and just be as professional as I can be with appointments, and not to drag the last experience with me.

Thanks for the pitching tips Rachel. Very helpful.

Susanne
http://kathrynpackerroberts.blogpsot.com Kathryn Roberts

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read pitch posts so many times that I become more and more confident each time, or if it’s just that you really clarified things for me this time around. It helps that I’m not on my very first book any more. I feel I have a clearer vision of how to pitch this novel. Thanks for your advice. I always love to read your posts!
http://karendalycook.com Karen Cook

Perfect timing as I head off to She Speaks next week. As I newbie to writing this is really helpful. Thanks so much for sharing this info and for demystifying what it is that agents & editors are looking for.
http://www.anitasaxena.com Anita

I hope to go to some conferences next year and now I at least know how to start creating my pitch. Thank you!
http://www.sandraardoin.com Sandra Ardoin

This information on pitching was very helpful. My biggest fear is knowing what I’d like to say and still stumbling my way through it, or forgetting an important point.

By the time I found out about the She Speaks Conference, they were full. I’m only a few miles up the road and it would have been nice to be there to meet you and my fellow ACFW authors.
http://oneblessingaday.blogspot.com/ tianyu

Your post is so short and concise, it is a good example in itself on practicing what you preach. In this world of short attention spans, packing information into a tight package has become a key skill.
http://www.sarahanneloudinthomas.wordpress.com Sarah Thomas

I’ve pitched to several editors and had positive experiences. Only one of them was the sit down across the table and jump in kind of pitch. Another was a group pitch where the editor basically told us she wouldn’t take any proposals and then gave us a tutorial on what she was looking for. She gave us each the chance to do a one-minute pitch–I figured it was just practice anyway so tension dropped a notch. She liked the idea and we had a good exchange that didn’t result in a contract, but improved my work. Last one was an elevator pitch.

NONE of them really asked me very many follow-up questions, so I’m glad for your suggestions about what to be prepared to answer. It’s like getting a copy of the test ahead of time. See you at She Speaks!
http://megevonne.blogspot.com Meg E Dobson

My first pitch was scheduled as a trial run. Literally. I had a completed YA, but I wanted to find out what a pitch was all about. I started with, “I’m here to find out what you look for in a pitch.” After he got back into his chair, we talked. It was my first one on one with an agent.

What did I find out? That this well known agent’s website was out of date, that his personal views seemed negative to YA, in fact he despised what he professed to want and which he represents. Bottom line, I learned that this was NOT the agent for me ever. As much research as I had done prior, he was not what I expected, wanted, needed. Since then I’ve pitched two times, one to my #1 agent and both were positive wonderful experiences, however I walk into them with the definite stance that not only do I want to sell my books, but maybe, more importantly, that I want to get to know THIS agent. Would this agent be a good match for ME? It isn’t the one way street I thought initially.

Since then I’ve heard many agents bemoan the ‘one that got away’–for some of those authors it might have been a god send.
http://www.catherinejwest.com Cathy West

Ah, my favorite thing, pitching. NOT. Although I can be quite prolific online, and seem very outgoing, I’m not. Sitting down in front of a complete stranger and ‘selling’ something, because really, that’s the goal, is just so not me. Before I was agented or published, I also put great stock in the ‘what if’ factor of the whole thing. What if they love it? What if this is it? I figured the other what if was a given so I tried to be positive. Instead I ended up with grandiose ideas of coming away from conferences with a contract, lost a lot of sleep and really had no fun. Thankfully I have learned a lot since my first conference! I still don’t like to pitch but I do make sure I go in with a succinct short synopsis that I know like the back of my hand, and a stunning one sheet. Say what you will about one sheets but if you have a good one, it’s a conversation starter. And if you get tongue-tied and flustered like I so often do, you need one of those!
http://mrthompsonsguide.blogspot.com/ I Thompson

I get nervous enough even hitting send on the email for a e-query. Makes me thankful my little book is still in first revisions. Yikes!
http://www.chattykelly.com Kelly Combs

Mortifying pitch experience: At Write His Answer, I took a pre-pitch class and they said don’t have your proposal out, but have it ready in case it is asked for.

So first pitch, I give my 2 minute pitch, and she says, “Do you have anything for me to look at?” As I reach into my bag for the proposal, the woman berates me for “wasting 2 minutes” of her time pulling my proposal out. I was mortified!

So at my next agent meeting, I had in hand, and guess what! The publisher says, “We have no need for that, just tell me about your book.”

I left my pub meetings shell shocked and feeling like I’d been beaten up.

The bottom line is all agents have a style they like, and hopefully you meet their expectations. Glad for an agent like you who makes their expectations CLEAR.
http://calliejamesbooks.com Callie James

Wonderful post, Rachelle! Thank you.

Worst pitch ever?

I had taken a class on pitching weeks before a conference (this was years ago). We learned several methods and I practiced all of them.

At the conference, I pitched to the first editor. She was very nice and asked for a partial. By the time I sat in front of the next editor, the room was so crammed with people I could barely make out a word. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, and attempted polite conversation as I took a seat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear anything she said and had to keep leaning over the table to ask her to repeat her questions. Meanwhile, someone from the conference kept walking behind her, holding up three fingers, then two, indicating my time was running out. Two minutes left? Really? The editor asked me another question. I thought she asked me to explain my book, so I launched into the pitch, much as you’ve outlined in this blog. It was brief, barely a minute, but her eyes kept getting larger as I continued, until I could no longer pretend she wasn’t frowning at me. I stopped mid-sentence when I realized my mistake. Awkward silence followed and my eyes began to water. She told me I had a lot to learn about pitching, and that I should always start my pitch with, “My book is *movie/book* meets *movie/book*” and that I should never continue with the pitch unless asked by the agent/editor. She said it was clear I had no idea what I was doing and I should educate myself better on the etiquette of speaking to an editor before I decide to pitch again.

I was so upset I could barely smile during the awards banquet that night when I learned I’d placed first in the chapter’s contest (judged by someone else with that editor’s publishing house).

In fact, the experience was so deflating I have never pitched again, although I did focus on learning to create a solid query letter.

I’ve heard the editor left publishing shortly after that conference, and I suspect maybe there was a personal issue going on or she was just unhappy with her job. Or maybe my pitch was just THAT terrible.
http://www.kristyblogs.com Kristy K

I hope to run into you at She Speaks! I won’t be pitching a book, but I would like to thank you in person for all your great advice!
http://www.peaceforthejourney.com elaine @ peace for the journey

Thanks, again, for these great tips. I hope for the chance to say at least a “hello” next week; if not, at least a wave. I’ll be the short-haired, handing-out-chocolate woman in case you get a hankering.

Safe travel to you.

peace~elaine
http://www.marshasmusings.com Marsha Harwood

Very helpful information, thank you. To say I’ve been stressing over this is an understatement. Next week at She Speaks will be my first time on the “pitcher’s mound.”

It helped me to hear the reminder that you all are human, everyday people, too.

I have no visions of grandeur. I know I’m still wet behind the ears. I’ve been told She Speaks is a great place to start because the spirit of everyone there is to help each of us promote and honor the Lord.

I’m 58 years old and that’s all I want to do, bring honor and glory to His name not mine. He created me, I’m His poema. His poetry beating to the rhythm of His heart.
http://madeleinerex.com Madeleine

This post is priceless. Having the basics compiled is wonderful.

I haven’t had a chance to pitch before (I’m still revising my novel), but there are a couple reasons I’m already feeling apprehensive.

1) I’m 15. Luckily, I *look* older, but I can’t help but fear people won’t take me seriously. Perhaps the facts that I showed up at all and have clearly prepared a decent pitch (hopefully) will overshadow my age.

2) Stage-fright mania! I have so much trouble talking when I’ve prepared something, even if it’s only the pointers. What if I freeze up and start babbling?

I’m hoping my confidence is boosted once I’ve polished my manuscript and feel that it’s really worthy of an agent’s attention… but do you have any advice anyway?

Thank you!

-Madeleine
http://www.leliachealey.com Lelia Chealey

Thank you so much for this timely post. I learned so much. I look forward to meeting you at She Speaks. Have a great weekend, Lelia
Reba J. Hoffman

This is one of the best articles I’ve read regarding how to pitch. I appreciate you sharing your perspective. It helps me prepare my presentation to be what the agent/editor wants rather than what I want.
Awesome Rachelle!
Thanks.
Alison

Having just finished my first manuscript, I haven’t pitched a darn thing yet. And truthfully, the thought of doing so scares the crap out of me!

When the time comes (and it will) to pitch my book, I’ll be forearmed with the information you’ve shared with us here.

So glad I found your blog.

Thanks!
http://tobyspeed.blogspot.com Toby Speed

I’ve printed this out to go on my bulletin board. My first pitch experience is coming up in November at the New England Crime Bake. Reading about everyone’s experiences makes me realize how open I have to be to whatever happens, and to just be prepared and do the best I can.

Your blog is always helpful and one of my very favorites. I’m always combing through here and coming up with something useful.
http://www.rachellerea.com Rachelle

I’ll be attending your session at She Speaks. Thank you for all of your informative posts on this blog!

Happy conference-ing!

~Rachelle
http://blogs.news24.com/ikeobidike Ike Obidike

I might sound naive but I don’t feel hassled about pitching to an agent. I believe this stems from confidence than anything. Confidence gets fed by conviction in your work which is compulsory. If you don’t trust your work, how could you expect a ‘stranger’ to buy into it. Your lack of confidence would even give you away before you get started.
I think one should note the key elements of a good pitch and launch into it once the opportunity presents itself. It’s not rocket science!
http://www.heidicave.com heidi

This is really helpful. Thanks!
http://alexisbasswrites.blogspot.com Alexis

I spent an hour on your site white crafting my query letter and pitch – this is one of the greatest resources out there. Thank you!
http://undergodsmightyhand.blogspot.com Caroline

I just wanted to briefly thank you for all of these posts on verbal pitches this week. They come at a very apt time. I appreciate your willingness to help and encourage!
http://lisabuske.weebly.com Lisa Buske

Rachelle,

Thank you for another informative and helpful blog. I will be applying these strategies for the first time next week at the Write His Answer conference in Philadelphia. I also enjoyed reading everyone’s follow-up posts. I am nervous yet this blog has helped to ease some of the questions racing through my head.

Lisa Buske
Cameron Johnson.

I love you. Hallelujah, this is a godsend. I’m a 17 year old writer going into his pitch in… four hours… and who decided to pitch about… 4 hours ago. Not the smartest way to start, but by God, this is just exactly what I needed. You are just about freaking incredible. Thanks!
http://www.libertyigloo.co.uk sell your home quickly

Very nice, thanks for the information.
sell your home quickly
http://www.sieders.com/blog/ Dana

This is FABULOUS! I’m attending my first conference in two days and had no idea how do a live pitch – I’m soooo glad I found this post through my Google search, and I’ll be taking the advice and use the opening you suggested as my template.

I’ll also be making dear hubby and my grad students listen as I practice.

Here’s hoping I won’t encounter any “Queen on the Throne” types – but I doubt they could be any worse than my day job grant reviewers or my 5th grade teacher.

Thanks once more for the post!

Dana
http://www.libertyigloo.co.uk sell your house fast

Love this blog, keep up the great work wish you all the best…..

sell your house fast
http://clancytales.blogspot.com Charmaine Clancy

I’m so happy I found this post, I’m pitching my novel, MY ZOMBIE DOG, in person to a publisher this weekend and had no idea what they might ask.
Thanks!
http://www.seeknotebook.com/the-reason-why-you-may-hate-gaming-dota-2-beta-gaming Leah

I am not rattling wonderful with English but I find this very easygoing to translate.
http://www.scoretoscore.com/blog/archives.aspx?article=the-strive-to-be-the-best-match-making-sites personal ads

I’ve reach your site a pair times & this really is grown upon me & i’ll have to say it’s pretty awesome. With thanks check me out on http://scoretoscore.com name JackieFree
http://goodfinance-blog.com KathySims27

Some time before, I needed to buy a good car for my corporation but I did not have enough cash and couldn’t order anything. Thank goodness my brother adviced to try to take the personal loans from reliable creditors. Hence, I did that and was happy with my car loan.
Pingback: Capture an Agent and/or Editor’s Attention AND Calm Your pre-conference Nerves « Mount Hermon Christian Camps & Conference Center
http://www.drummerconnection.com/forums/profile/?u=33835 buy neopoints

Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.
http://www.cjvermote.com CJ Vermote

I have my first conference in September. It is all so foreign and a bit scary. As awful as this might sound, it’s reassuring to read about the nerves and experiences. At least I’ll go with a more realistic view.
I am so grateful to have found your website Rachelle, it’s been a tremendous help and hopefully will keep me from falling flat on my face…lol.
Thanks so much…see you at the Rocky Mountain conference in Denver.
Pingback: Pitch Perfect? Oh, That Ain’t Easy! | valerie r lawson