So you\u2019ve finished your manuscript and you\u2019ve made the decision to attend a Pitch Conference or a Writer\u2019s Conference which includes a Pitch session. Here are some of the basics you need to know when building your pitch for a fiction novel. The rules may be different for non-fiction where proposals come into play, but I won\u2019t speak to those differences here.<\/p>\n
Pitch opportunities are the best way to fast-track getting your work in front of an agent or a publisher to accelerate your journey to publication. Rather than having your query letter languish at the bottom of a slush pile, you can receive a direct request for your work. But there\u2019s\u00a0one very important caveat: you must be prepared. Otherwise, you could be wasting an opportunity with that particular agent or publisher.<\/p>\n
Before we begin, the two most important things you need are a complete edited manuscript, and a well-written pitch. A pitch session is not the place to float ideas. If agents \/ publishers want to see your work, they will make a request on the spot.<\/p>\n
You may already have written a query letter. Your pitch is the ‘synopsis' part of your query letter. But not to be confused with a book synopsis, which is the summary of your book including all the major plot points with the ending revealed. Agents may request this with your partial manuscript. Don\u2019t reveal the ending of your book in the pitch, only in the book synopsis.<\/b><\/p>\n
For those of you who may not have pitched before, the closest thing I can compare it to is speed dating. Time in front of the agent can vary from 3 minutes at a large conference to 10 minutes at a small one. But you should limit your pitch to 90 seconds or approximately 300 words, and leave the rest of the time for the questions. Three minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but I\u2019ve managed to do it with 30 seconds to spare after materials have been requested. It will depend on the agent.<\/p>\n
Building your pitch:<\/p>\n
Some additional tips and advice:<\/p>\n
What has been the hardest part of creating a pitch for you? What would you recommend to others?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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So you\u2019ve finished your manuscript and you\u2019ve made the decision to attend a Pitch Conference or a Writer\u2019s Conference which includes a Pitch session. Here are some of the basics you need to know when building your pitch for a fiction novel. The rules may be different for non-fiction where proposals come into play, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[19,21,23,20,22],"yoast_head":"\n