Practicing Your Pitch

AKA This is What I Wrote

If you have the chance to pitch your novel to an agent in person, do yourself a favor and practice.

blue brings out your eyes

First you need a pitch to practice. A pitch consists of the 1-3 sentences that sum up your novel.

How do you sum up over 80,000 words?

With multiple attempts.

With practice.

With chocolate or cake or caffeine – whatever it takes to keep you working on that pitch.

The pitch for one of my novels has been refining itself for over a year. Another novel’s pitch came out in two weeks. It’s wacky that way.

Once you have a pitch, say it out loud. Pitch to your pets or your furniture. Say your pitch every time you walk through your kitchen or at every stop light.

At first, you’ll stumble over the words. Sometimes they just don’t come out; sometimes they jumble around in your mouth and then spill out in the wrong order.

Break your pitch down into each sentence and repeat it. If you’re still running into trouble, break your sentences down into phrases and repeat and repeat and repeat. Then string everything back together.

If there is a specific place that you always screw up, try some other words.

You should be able to pitch your manuscript as if you were talking to a friend about a book you loved and want them to read.

And be sure to do all this practicing earlier than the night before you meet your potential agent.

Willow: How can you be so calm?
Oz: Long, arduous hours of practice.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “The Freshman”, 4.1

Apr 8, 2010

Tags: agent  |  pitch

Categories: agents & editors & publishing | marketing / promotion