How to use this Page

The first step to pitching your manuscript to an agent in person is to take a deep breath and relax.

https://carlywatters.com/2016/09/19/pitchagentspov/

Here are several tips to make your pitch the best it can be.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2016/09/pitch-your-novel-perfectly/

To perfect your pitch, think of it as a verbal query letter.

http://bookendsliterary.com/index.php/2016/07/14/advice-on-perfecting-your-pitch/

It's better not to simply talk rather than read a scripted pitch or recite it from memory.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2016/06/why-memorizing-or-reading-your-pitch-is.html

You never know when an agent or editor will ask what your book is about.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2015/04/transitions-between-chapters-not-just.html

We are so proud of all of you for being brave enough to enter your work and hope you've already gotten something out of the contest. But we had to pick the top 50 and here they are.

If any of the titles below are yours, please send your revised (if you choose to do so) pitch and first page (no more than 250 words, without cutting off a sentence) in the same format as you sent your initial pitch. Do so by 6PM EASTERN. You will have 12 hours to revise and send. I'm sorry our schedule is a little off, but one of our judges was ill and could not comment until today.

I will then post the top 50 pages/pitches on our contest website as soon as possible for comment.

In your pitch, you need to give the concept of your book. 

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/pitch-is-concept/

There's more to planning your pitch than figuring out what you're going to say. 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/07/pitch-ettiquette.html

Summer means Writers Conferences and pitching your story. You find yourself sitting at lunch next to a literary agent. How quickly and compellingly do you draw her into your story? How intriguing is your concept?

When friends ask what your story is about, rather than drone on about every single plot point, learn how to rattle off a pithy pitch that sends even people overhearing you begging for more.

Think of the concept and pitch as the seeds out of which grow action and characters interacting in a meaningful way.

Some writers won't write a word until they come up with a concept that renders them eager for more. Others don't tackle the task until they've finished writing and editing and are ready to query.

Wherever you are with your story, the time is never too early to ask yourself: What is your story about really? Brainstorm. Keep a notebook. Narrow down what your story is about to one or two lines and you're ready to pitch.

Concept, Logline, Pitch Workshop is the next workshop for all ages and all genres at A Path to Publishing.

Answer these eleven questions to help you craft your fiction pitch. 

http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/crafting-a-fiction-pitch/

Before you can perfect your pitch, you need to understand what your book is about. 

http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2013/02/pitching-is-like-fishing-more.html

Pitching sessions are a wonderful opportunity to talk with an agent about your manuscript, but they also have some problems. 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-problems-associated-with-face-to.html

What do agents think about when they listen to your pitch? 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-are-we-thinking-about-during-your.html

The secret to good pitches is being prepared. 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/03/getting-ready-to-pitch.html

We interrupt this regularly scheduled post to share the 25 titles that have progressed to the author round in the Pitch Plus One contest.

• Note we've added word count and the whole first page. 
• Subject line should read Pitch Plus 1 top 25 Entry: Entry #XXX Title

There are some advantages to giving your pitch in person, 

http://www.booksandsuch.biz/blog/advantages-of-a-verbal-pitch/

Here are some tips if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to pitch an agent in person. 

http://carlywatters.com/2013/05/06/how-to-pitch-an-agent/

Prepare using these dos and don'ts. 

http://forewordliterary.com/2013/04/pitching-dos-and-donts/

When you're pitching or querying, don't leave any surprises. 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2012/12/thre-can-be-no-surprises-in-pitches-and.html

Only pitch one book, your best one, in a query. 

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/12/why-you-should-pitch-a-single-book/

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Desert Baths

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends November 10, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

When you do a manuscript critique at a conference, you must be ready to push for an answer to a crucial question; and you must have a back-up plan.

I’ve been backstage at conferences, in the break room where the editors are gathering and chatting. I’ve heard them come back from a critique session and talk.

Editor: I told the writer that the story was great and the voice was great, but they just didn’t match up. This is a picture book, but the writing is like a YA novel. They just wanted to argue and tell me a long story about why they wrote the picture book. Why would they waste their time and my time that way?

Indeed. At a manuscript critique, you can expect to hear at least one good thing about your story. But then–you asked for an honest critique!–you will hear some things that are not-so-good, need-work, needs-rethinking, WILL-mean-a-total-revision. Duh. Editors are in the BUSINESS of telling writers how to revise. Do you think a critique will be any different? No.

So, when you go into a critique, expect a laundry list of things that need to be done. Do not take your ego into the critique with you. This cannot be an emotional breakdown. Take a notepad and take notes about what needs work? Ask critical questions that show you understand their opinion and would like to understand even deeper.

Close the Deal with a Crucial Question

After listening, politely ask, “If I make these revisions, would you like to see the manuscript again?” This is the REAL goal of your session, an invitation to submit this manuscript again.

If the editor responds yes, you’re done. Chat for a minute or so longer, if there’s time, but get out early if you can. You got what you wanted and needed.

What if the editor says, “No, this isn’t something I can publish.”

Back Up Plan–Pitch

Then–you pitch! A pitch to an agent is a brief distillation of your novel into a 30-second teaser. You’ll want to have pitches for 3-5 manuscripts ready to go. After listening to the editor’s presentations at the conference and talking with him/her about your mss, choose one or two of the manuscripts. And follow-up the previous question with a pitch about these stories.

And again, ask, “May I send you this manuscript (synopsis and sample chapters)?

The 10-15 minutes of private time with an editor or agent is a great opportunity to get feedback on your current story; but it’s also a great time to drum up interest in a different story. Don’t waste this precious time trying to justify some minor point in the critique. Listen, learn, sell.

One of the main goals of the New Jersey SCBWI Conference is to get you in front of as many editors and agents as possible.  

That is why you get to have lunch each day with a member of the faculty; why we have a Mix and Mingle on Friday night with the faculty; why one-on-one critiques and consultations are set up; why we have over an hour to network during the book fair; and why you are given the opportunity to pitch to two agents. 

You may laugh and say, well at least I don’t have to worry about giving a pitch, I didn’t sign up for one.

WRONG!

Now is the time to prepare a pitch, whether or not you chose to schedule yourself a 5 minute agent pitch.  Why should you prepare, when a pitch isn’t on your agenda?  Precisely because of the lunches, the Mix and Mingle, and the other networking opportunities available during the weekend.  Members of the faculty really do want to talk to you and they will ask, “What are you working on?”

If you do not have something prepared, you will stumble and ramble around trying to get to the point of your story.  Think how you work on your story and revise and revise to get the rhythm and pace down to match your story.  Think about how you pluck out unneeded words?  Remember how long you worked to get a strong hook for your story?  All those things took work and thought.  So if you don’t give some thought and work to what your answer will be if an agent or editor asks you that general question, you will ramble on trying to get to the point of your story and their eyes will glaze over.

I was on the phone this week with a writer who was registering for the conference.  I asked her what her book was about and she rambled on to the point where she said, “It really is a good story.  It just doesn’t sound like it the way I am explaining it.”

That was perfectly fine, since she was talking to me, but she would have lost all chances of enticing an editor or agent into saying they would like to read it, if she had floundered around like that.

I am pointing this out, so you will take the time to prepare.  Start with coming up with a one line pitch.

Here are some one line pitches you might recognize:

A cop comes to L.A. to visit his estranged wife and her office building is taken over by terrorist. - Die Hard

A businessman falls in love with a hooker he hires to be his date for the weekend – Pretty Woman

A newly married couple must spend Christmas Day at each of their four divorced parent’s home. – 4 Christmases

A just-hired employee goes on a company weekend and discovers someone’s try to kill him. – The Retreat

A risk-averse teacher plans on marrying his dream girl but must first accompany his overprotective future brother-in-law — a cop — on a ride along from Hell. - Ride Along

Now that you have the idea, give it a try. After you perfect your one line pitch, try it out on ten people and use the feedback you get to improve it further.

Here are some tips for your 5 minute pitch:

1. Write down what you want to say about your book.

2. Read and time it, so you leave a minute for the editor to respond.

3. Now e-mail it to a few writer friends to get their opinions.

4. Tweak your text accordingly.

5. Pr