So you’ve written a book and now you want to get it published. You’ve heard of ‘pitching opportunities’ but just what does this mean?
Some pitching is done on-line such as the Allen and Unwin Friday Pitch or the Random House Children’s Pitch. If you are aiming at a specific pitching opportunity download their instructions and stick to them. For more pitching opportunities see my post here.
What follows is a generic outline for pitching.
This is a pitch outline for works of fiction.
Step one: Genre
Fiction — Define your genre. It it a YA fantasy, a time travel detective, steampunk or space opera? You should know your genre because you should be reading in your genre.
Step two: Short Pitch
Now you need to come up with a 25 word pitch. What is your story in a nutshell? This is where the four questions are a big help.
WHO is the story about?
WHAT do they want?
WHY can’t they achieve it?
HOW do they overcome this?
Step three: Long Pitch
This sums up your story line and includes the ending. Concentrate on CHARACTERS, CONFLICT and the CONTEXT. Don’t get lost in the world building back story or sub plots.
If the book is part of series, is it a stand alone book linked with others by a theme? Mention this briefly.
Step four: Market Strengths
What is unique about your book? Where will it fit on the shelves? What other books is it like? (There are two schools of thought on this. I have had one editor tell me it was handy to be able to say to their marketing people, this book will appeal to readers of X. I’ve heard other people say it is bad to compare your book to other books. So you will have to make a decision on this).
Step five: Research your Pitching opportunity
Start by researching the kind of publisher who publishes your books. This is why you need to be reading in your genre so you know which publishers are buying these kind of books.
If a publisher or agent announces that they are willing to take on-line pitches, then download their guidelines and make sure your pitch adheres to what they have asked for. If it says a one page synopsis don’t annoy them by sending them ten pages, or even two.
Step six: Prepare for the Pitch
Research the editor/agent. Find the editor or agent’s blog, if they have one. If you enjoyed their posts, say so. It shows that you have been doing your industry research.
Finish the book. Editors don’t buy first time authors on a partial. (Synopsis and 3 chapters).
Stick to the time limit. If the pitching opportunity happens at a convention or festival and they say you will have 5 minutes to pitch your book, then don’t go over time. You wouldn’t like your time to be cut short, so don’t do it to someone else.
Practice your initial pitch and time yourself with a friend (ideally someone who has done a pitch to an editor so they know what to ask). They can pretend to be the editor/agent. Remember the industry professional will want to ask questions, so leave time for this.
It is amazing what you can forget under stress – What did I call my book? – so prepare some prompt cards. You may not have to glance at them, but it will give you confidence to know they are there. Of course it is much better not to need them And what ever you do, don’t read from them. Remember to include your writing credits. Have you been short listed in a competition or had short stories published? Has the book been through a manuscript appraiser?
Have back up plans for other books/series in case this one isn’t what the editor/agent is looking for. Be frank about whether the other project is completed. Eg. The book isn’t ready yet. I can send you a partial and have the book finished in 6 months.
Prepare a business card for the editor/agent to take away with them. (They won’t be taking your manuscript. They will probably have flown in from interstate or overseas and won’t want to carry twenty 100,000 word manuscripts on the ‘plane!). Make sure you have your name and contact details on one side of the business card, and a teaser for the book on the other to prompt their memory.
Now, come up with the 25 word (approx) pitch and put it to us for feedback.
Really? Nobody else is coughing up with their pitch? I thought you’d be overwhelmed.
Well, to keep you from having actual time to work on your own writing (ha HA!), here’s my pitch for you to give feedback on. It may seem slightly familiar to Richard already
“Mary Douglass flees from Scotland to the fledgling colony of Sydney Cove when the husband she thought was a fisherman is killed by a rival sorcerer.”
Yeah it’s 26 words. I have word limit problems.
Thoraiya
I’ll get back to you. Just a bit busy at the moment. The 25 word pitch is a challenge. I’ll work on it.
Attaboy!
And, no, I’m not sitting here hitting the refresh button on the Varuna website over and over again to see if my manuscript got selected. I mean, “Results on 10th May” could mean now, or it could mean midnight tonight, right? There is absolutely no point *click* in eating lunch in front of the computer *click* hitting the refresh button *click* in between checking other blogs *click*
How about:
Cosmic Girl should have been the ultimate sex drone, but when her nymphoware becomes corrupted she suddenly finds herself in search of a new job.
25 on the dot.
I know, Thoraiya, I was sure we’d b inundated with pitches.
I like what you’ve got so far. How about?
“When her husband is killed by a rival sorceror, Mary Douglass flees Scotland to the fledgling colony of Sydney Cove, where ???????.”
What happens now? You’ve got me interested.
What happens now is…it’s longer than 25 words, haha!
OK, in all seriousness, here is my “short” pitch. Which 25 words would you choose out of these 250-odd?
________________________
Mary Douglass’s journey from the Western Isles of Scotland to the dry, unforgiving colony of New South Wales begins when the husband she thought was a simple fisherman is killed by a rival sorcerer.
As they flee for their lives, Mary must choose whether or not to allow her ten-year-old daughter, Hope, to follow in her father’s footsteps in a deadly feud against the Bain family.
The other side of the world seems the safest place for Hope to grow into her inherited power, but there is little peace to be found in the fledgling settlement of Sydney Cove.
The Castle Hill uprising of 1804 sees Irish political prisoners throwing off their shackles, their intended signal fire the homestead where Hope and Mary serve the aristocratic Macarthurs.
Four years later, the Governor of the colony is overthrown by the corrupt Rum Corps.
Despite the intrigue and treachery of ordinary women and men, Mary remains alert to the greater threat of Arran Bain, transported in chains but far from repentant.
If he gains mastery over the fey creatures of the new land as he did over the bogles and banshees of Britain, the Douglasses will be the first to die, but Hope is the only one who can stop him, and for that, Mary must expose her daughter to terrible danger.
Sounds interesting. I like it up to the end of this part. Then it starts to lose focus. You have the corrupt Rum Corps and a gap of four years. The very last paragraph works well because it tells you who the villain is and what the threat is.
Mary Douglass’s journey from the Western Isles of Scotland to the dry, unforgiving colony of New South Wales begins when the husband she thought was a simple fisherman is killed by a rival sorcerer.
As they flee for their lives, Mary must choose whether or not to allow her ten-year-old daughter, Hope, to follow in her father’s footsteps in a deadly feud against the Bain family.
The other side of the world seems the safest place for Hope to grow into her inherited power, but there is little peace to be found in the fledgling settlement of Sydney Cove.
Thanks Rowena. That is very important to know. I need help to stay trim
Hi Chris,
“When the ultimate sex drone, Cosmic Girl, discovers her nymphoware has been corrupted, she suddenly finds herself in search of a new job, but …”
Give me something to tease my curiosity further.
I should have said it doesn’t have to be a strict 25 words.
Here’s one I prepared earlier for Queryshark:
Cosmic Girl is the ultimate sex drone. Designed to meet the needs of Earth’s first deep space explorers, she’s a cutting edge prototype designed specifically for the mission. But a power surge during her start-up routine burns out her memory circuits. She forgets her purpose, refuses to have sex and cannot be rebooted. Worst of all, she wants to join the mission as a regular officer.
On Earth Cosmic Girl is branded a rogue drone and marked for immediate termination. But as the mission moves further from home, the crew, and particularly helmsman Mick Orbit, discover they need every crewman they can get.
After their first jump into deep space, the mission stumbles upon the Nightfighter Alliance, a vast interplanetary community ruled by a council of seemingly ageless fem fatales. The Alliance is a mature interplanetary culture and its capital, Alpha City, is a wonder of the known universe.
As Cosmic Girl, Mick Orbit, Captain Fenton and ship’s engineer Bluey McGrath soon discover however, the Nightfighters have developed a society of sociopathic celebrity worshippers. If that isn’t enough, the Nightfighters feed off their subjects in order to prolong their existence.
The Alliance has banned the development of drone technology due to their predilection with flesh and blood. When Cosmic Girl is found to be a drone, war on Earth is declared and Cosmic Girl must turn her functionality as a sex drone to her advantage if her home planet is to have any hope of survival.
Cosmic Girl in Ultrachrome is a humorous Science Fiction novel of approximately 90,000 words. Thanks for your consideration.
Even I can see it needs work. Feel free to pull apart.
Um, this wouldn’t be a satire, would it, Chris? LOL
Have you read Half Spacejock series by Simon Haynes? http://www.spacejock.com.au/
Should take a look to see what another satirist is doing with the genre and who is publishing him.
Thoraiya have you heard from Varuna?
*click* Erm…*click*…no…*click*…not yet
Sorry, somewhat delayed but here we go. I have two versions…
#1
Dora May is sure the gods have made a mistake when she is suddenly transported 3000 years back in time. The goddess Isis promises to send her home but only once Dora does something for her first. The problem is, Dora has to figure out for herself what it is she’s supposed to do.
#2
Dora May knows there must be a reason for why she is suddenly in ancient Egypt. She just doesn’t know what it is. Unfortunately she can’t go home until she figures out what the gods want from her and why.
I think the second one is somewhat better??
Hi Kylie,
I like:-
Dora May is sure the gods have made a mistake when she is suddenly transported 3000 years back to Ancient Egypt. The goddess Isis promises to send her home but only once Dora does something for her. The problem is, Dora …
‘has to figure out for herself what it is she’s supposed to do.’ This part is weak. You need to end on something snappy.
Thanks Rowena (Sorry if you get this three times – the site doesn’t seem to like me).
I am trying to think of a stronger end…
Hi Kylie, I only got this last comment. Not sure what went wrong.
You need a strong hook at the end of your pitch, to get the person motivate to read your book.
So what is your character’s problem when she gets back to Ancient Egypt? Do the priests try to sacrifice her? Does she fall in love?
Hi Rowena, she has a special task to do and part of the deal that was made to allow Dora to do this was that she would have to figure it all out by herself. That’s why my thinking is along the lines of Dora not knowing what her task is – it’s a major part of the story, her trying to figure out why she’s there.
So perhaps…
Dora May is sure the gods have made a mistake when she is suddenly transported 3000 years back in time to ancient Egypt. The goddess Isis promises to send her home but only once Dora does something for her. It’s not until Dora figres out what Isis wants that she begins to understand just how strong a mother’s love can be.
???
No, no, no.
It’s not until Dora figures out what Isis wants that she begins to understand that sometimes love really can overcome the boundaries of death.
Oooh, I like the last one, Kylie.
Me too
Thanks for your help.
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