I’m not an expert on pitching, but I am one of the few people who kind of loves it.
So, I was hoping this post could be informational but also share my love of pitching.
First, the reasons I love pitching (in conferences):
– It’s face-to-face, so you can get a feel of the agent/editor and their reaction to your story.
– It’s an organic conversation, it gives agents/editors a chance to ask questions that they wouldn’t otherwise. It means you get a chance to really sell your story in a more natural setting.
– It’s a chance for YOU to ask questions of the agent/editor you’re talking to. It’s great because even if they don’t request your MS you can ask them about future projects or about the industry in general. Almost every agent and editor I’ve pitched has been willing to take extra time to talk to me about small questions at the end. It has been a great chance to educate myself.
The reasons I love pitching (on Twitter):
– It’s low commitment. You can just post your pitch and step away (if you want).
– It costs you nothing (except maybe a bit of your sanity that day).
– You’re usually allowed to pitch more than once so you get multiple chances to make an impression on dozens of agents and editors that are taking part.
Some things to keep in mind:
– Pitching doesn’t give a full picture of your story, that’s what your query letter is for, so make sure it’s ready to go.
– Don’t pitch (on Twitter) unless you’ve got a completed MS. There is an expectation that you will send requested materials soon (often within a few weeks).
(NOTE: This is different for conferences. You have more time, but I’d also tell the agent/editor what stage the MS is on when you have the pitch appointment)
Basic elements of a pitch:
– Concept/World
– Character – their motivations, their flaw.
– Conflict – the inciting incident. The reason they can’t stay in their comfort zone anymore.
Do NOT try to include everything about your story in your pitch. There’s no way you can tell all elements of your story in a pitch whether it’s a 5 minute convo at a conference or a 140 character Twitter Pitch.
For a conference (in person) pitch, you can just include one great detail for each of the three bullet points above. Then if you have more time expand on the thing that makes your story interesting.
For a Twitter pitch, you can make one 140 character pitch for each individual bullet point.
Also, SPECIFICITY! My main advice when I critique pitches is to ask for specifics. “She’s a monster” is a bit vague. However, specifying the type of monster makes it more unique: “She’s a gumiho, a 9-tailed fox.” If you can give concrete reasons or examples for why your story is unique, then use them. Making your story stand out among the crowd is the key to a successful pitch.
Additional things you can add (if you have them):
– Great comps that give IMMEDIATE idea of your story (These Broken Stars was often pitched as Titanic in Space. That gives an immediate concept of the story. Don’t just use 2 comps and think it’ll give an idea of the story immediately, that’s not always the case so be aware of your story’s strengths)
– High concept hook (this is similar to including good comps). For example, “Cinder is Futuristic retelling of Cinderella with cyborgs and spaceships.” That kind of tweet would make me want to read IMMEDIATELY.
– Something that the story is based on that is cool and unexpected. I said that my story was based on Korean Myth which is (unfortunately) not common in YA right now. So it caught the eye of a few agents and it helped my pitch get interest.
Some things to try for Twitter Pitches (with examples):
Try making a pitch based on Plot Line.
– Say you’re pitching Hunger Games. You’d pitch the plot by saying, “A teen girl is forced into a televised game that makes 24 kids fight to the death for sport. Only 1 can survive.”
Try making a pitch based on Character Arc.
– Again, for Hunger Games. “Katniss will do anything to save her little sister, including taking her place in the deadly Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.”
Try making a pitch based on World Inspiration.
– Hunger Games pitch with World inspiration. “Panem is all that’s left of North America. The capital keeps the 12 districts in line by demanding 2 teen tributes each year to fight to the death for sport.”
(I also made a video for tips on writing a Twitter Pitch)
✍Pitching your novel: Let’s write a Twitter Pitch!✍ I got my agent through a Twitter pitch event. So I thought I’d go over how to write three types of pitches for Twitter pitch events such as #DVPit or #Pitmad (with examples) using the 3 C’s: Concept, Character, Conflict.
And Finally, be positive. Even if the first, second, and tenth agent don’t show much interest then keep trying! You worked hard on your book and you should be proud of that. And if all else fails, you can still slush query.
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