Pitching a book to an agent

Hopefully by the end of the pitch session youve at the very least guaranteed that the literary agent will read something youve written. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. This time, its 10 steps to getting a literary agent, though i have to warn you, the most important steps are the novelwriting ones. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi. Come to this webinar and hear what to expect, how to prep, and the dos and donts of pitching your work to a literary agent. Dont get off on the wrong foot by pitching an agent a book they would never read, or sending them items they didnt ask for. Writers attend conferences for many reasons, but one of the biggest draws is the literary agent pitch sessions.

Your book, like your pitch, has to be emotionally appealing to an agent before that agent can make it appealing to a publisher. How to pitch your book to an agent the writing cooperative. Its no secret that scores of book pitches and proposals end up in a mammothsized slush pile every. If an agent passes you a publishers boilerplate contract to sign with no changes, you may be in big trouble. Read a sample literary agent query letter with hints. The new york pitch conference and writers workshop.

The number 1 thing is dont brag and say i can make you millions. Even if you get rejected, pitching is a valuable experience that can go a long way. You get to pitch your book and your sparkling personality and the agent gets to ask clarifying questions. Here are the steps to take that will ensure you have the best chance of catching the. How to pitch an agent in person carly watters, literary. Creating an irresistible elevator pitch for your novel. The details of how to do this are specific to each conference, so consult the conferences website or your registration info. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi adeyemi. A pitch is basically an oral version of a query letter.

Advice to follow when pitching literary agents in person. Writers get facetoface time with those in the industry who often appear unreachable. Using that book as a comp showed the agent that i know whats popular in my genre and that i strive to put those successful. This is the most important thing you can do before pitching a literary agent. There are no guarantees that pitching to an agent in person will land you representation. Why you should pitch a single book rachelle gardner. An agent should be ensuring the pitch or proposal is primed for success, and this almost always requires at least one round of feedback and revision. Pitch your novel to agents and publishers at a writers conference. I ended up getting a twobook deal, so then the project was to finish the revisions on the first book. You want to be in the position where you can press send as soon as an agent requests the full.

What follows is the nonfiction book query that made that happen. If i were to string these answers into a pitch, it would be. On the other hand, if you can muster the courage, pitching an agent will win you an immediate response and some bragging rights. It makes your writing stand out before the publisher has read the first word, getting them excited about your novel. These pages have information about agents clients, some of the deals theyve made, and a whole lot more. If theres one thing ive learned as an agent its that nothing panics a writer more than hearing about the frustrations of an agent. Dear agent x, make your book a movie adapting your book or story for hollywood. A pitch session is a five to ten minute period of uninterrupted time with a literary agent. Moreover,pitching in person affords both the agent and potential client a chance to get a genuine feel for one another.

If you want to see your idea on netflix and hulu, develop a pilot, or produce a few episodes, or film the movie. Perhaps he or she represents other authors you love or represents the same genre as your book. Start marketing your book early 6 steps for publishing success. When pitching agents your book, you dont have time to cover every plot twist and character. When pitching fiction, she says, include three elements. Getting a literary agent for tv or film the catch 22 is. If pitching to an agent or editor gives you the heebiejeebies, take comfort that youre not alone, and then take a deep breath and get ready to shake it off. Pitching a book before its ready bookends literary agency. I was scared to death to live pitch my book the first time, and i almost didnt. Katharine sands, agent and author of making the perfect pitch. How to pitch to a literary agent florida writers association. When youre pitching a nonfiction book to a publisher, just about everything is different.

Authors have more possibilities than ever when it comes to publishing their books, but if you want a traditional publishing deal, then its worth considering how an agent can help sell your book. In todays interview, literary agent, barbara poelle, gives tips for story craft, query letters, how to find and pitch an agent, plus what to expect. Pitching a novel to agent michael carr couldnt be easier, especially if you know what to avoid. In short, a book pitch or book proposal should capture what your book is about and why people should be interested in reading it. A pitch can be verbal or written and often a combination of both.

If youre an aspiring screenwriter in tv or film and you struggle with getting a literary agent, dont fall into the selfdefeating mindset of believing its another catch22, such as agents wont take on a new writer, and a new writer cant get their script to buyers without an agent. Anywhere an agent or publisher might devote a minute to you. These inperson pitch sessions are a great opportunity for you to sell yourself and your writing. It quickly and efficiently shows people that youre a player, not a dreamer. James scott bell offers another perspective on pitching, and says his formula can be used to create not only a pitch but content for the back cover of a bookreally not too different since there you are also pitching to get someone to buy your bookthis time a reader. One of the first decisions you must make is whether or not to use a literary agent.

If he cant, how is the agent going to describe it to an editor, who in turn has to pitch the book to his superiors and ultimately to the publishers sales force, which has to pitch the book to the buyers. For beginning writers, this will often involve facetoface meetings with an agent or publishers at a writers conference. Just before we look at it, i should say that i am a real author describing a real book this letter pretends that this book is a first novel and i have no track record in the industry. You tell the agent the basics of your book title, genre, length, what the book is about, and then a little about you. In the last post, i wrote about how i got an agent in 8 minutes, over the christmas holiday, without asking to be represented.

You can pitch an agent in person at a meeting or conference, but a pitch can also be written out in the form of a query letter. Again, its like a book, the publisher wants to see a finished manuscript. If youre like most writers, youre probably not writing just one book. If done correctly, these threetotenminute sessions can land a writer an agent and eventually a book contract.

You may have a whole 3 or 6 or 9book series planned. At the beginning of the conference, get your personal pitching schedule at the pitch rooms front desk. Youve written multiple books, possibly in different genres. Its that time, you have finished your book, done with editing and now it is time to pitch your book to a literary agent. Discover the biggest mistakes authors make when pitching their book to agents and publishers that keep them from ever selling their book. Both events involve agenteditor appointments, and few things instill such a high level of anxiety in writers as an agent pitch. I am a huge proponent of pitching your book in person to an agent, though, because its incredibly beneficial. If you get lost in the details the agent youre pitching to will probably get lost, too. Thinking about pitching your book idea to a literary agent. Youre about to sit down in front of a literary agent for a brief pitch session. Your agent must know his way around a book contract. Hopefully you can refrain from being too nervous and let your enthusiasm for your book shine through.

How to find a literary agent for your book jane friedman. Tips for pitching a literary agent at a writers conference. When i started writing the first book, i went to a literary conference, and was pitching editors the story, and they all wanted to know if this was a series, and of course, i said yes, and made up two more books on the spot. You will annoy everybody you query if your novel isnt finished. Do follow the agents special requests or directions. To learn how to pitch a nonfiction book to an editor, you must include all of the components of a nonfiction book proposal in the package you submit such as an introduction letter, synopsis, marketing information and author biography. I figured i was better with words on a page, so id just query the agents i met at conferences. Your guide to publishing a nonfiction book ny book editors. Youve got a great book idea, or maybe a completed manuscript, and are ready to get someone to represent it.

A good agent understands where to ask for more money or rights, and knows if a client is getting the best deal possible. How to pitch to a literary agent washington independent. You tell the agent the basics of your book title, genre, length, what the book is about, and then a little about. Pitching your nonfiction book to an agent or editor takes less than thirty seconds. Ask anyone you know in book publishing if they know an agent, or know someone who knows an agent. When novel writers talk about pitching, it usually means a verbal, oneonone with a publisher or agent where your novel. Agent jillian manus, who spent several years as a development executive in the movie business, knows the importance of a pitch. This is where my preparation and the confidence it inspired in me really paid off. The purpose of pitching, therefore, isnt to tell the agent about your book so much as to establish a positive personal connection to make them more amenable to your written query and possibly encourage them to read your query package faster.

If youre serious about writing a book and pitching a literary agent to help you get published, the throwthistogether approach usually doesnt work. Cathryn summerhayes, a literary agent at curtis brown, talks to us about what she looks for in a pitch from a new writer. How to submit your childrens books ideas to agencies. Each agent has a different set of expectations for queries, so be sure to read their requirements before submitting. A wellcrafted pitch tantalizes with a hook that sets the manuscript apart from the rest. How to pitch a literary agent at a writers conference. That means stripping your story of all of its frills and addressing its basic elements. You have to take your entire manuscript and boil it down to the essentials. Pitching your nonfiction book to an editor is the first step to getting published.

Get to know the different types of mystery novels before pitching your book. A few hundred words written out, or 6090 seconds in person. But if your book pitch is handpicked by a literary agent, theyll partner with a publisher to bring your book to life. My book is a 77,000 word middle grade novel titled the lion king. It also has a list of who to pitch at the company and exactly how they want to be approached. How to pitch a literary agent at a conference the write practice. Pitching agents at a writers conference can be a difficult task for the. How to pitch a book agent new hampshire public radio.

To the extent you have expertise or authority relevant to your book, do not forget to share it. How to catch a literary agent s eye, who speaks at both conferences mentioned, says a pitch should distill aspects of your work in such a way that it creates alchemy. This allimportant two or threesentence summary of your writing project has a dual purpose. On march 11th, literary agents will be turning to twitter to find their next author clients. Thoughts on pitching my novel to a literary agent a. Although pitching sounds difficult and nervewracking, it does get easier the more you do it. Heres a quick rundown of what youll need to do before. Dont hope for the agent to connect the dotsbring it up so its clear immediately.

This is a great opportunity to speak with professionals facetoface about your book, so its important to have your pitch rehearsed and ready. Ive also assumed here the agent has allowed to me to send a synopsis and opening chapters along with the query letter. Many authors like to have an agent who is an attack dog. Peggy eddleman, author of the middle grade novel sky jumpers, explains how to pitch a literary agent at a writers conference. Pitching literary agents and book editors is one of the best parts of attending a writers conference. The elevator pitch is a summary of what it is about your book, and about you, that means your book will sell. For beginning writers, this will often involve facetoface meetings with an agent or publishers at a. As someone who is in the beginning stages of shoppping for an agent, doing so is very overwhelming and scary because you want. How to query an agent when writing a trilogy or series by. Im currently finishing the first book in what i plan to be a. Without being selfserving, you must capture the essence of your book, why it will appeal to book buyers, and whats most impressive about your platform, promotion plan, and credentials. This summer, ill be speaking at the midwest writers workshop muncie, indiana and the writers digest conference new york city.

If you dont know anyone in book publishing, get to know somebody in book publishing. As a pitch and query editor at eschler editing, i know that inperson pitching can inspire fear in the most stoic of individuals even more than writing queries. Secrets of flight kerry is an intern at a nature center on a remote new england island when she meets noah, a divorced man. The most critical component of a nonfiction book proposal isnt the subject matte or your technical writing ability.