By Cynthia Ruchti
Few writers find the idea of pitching their project to an editor or agent easy. Or natural. Or enjoyable. But it can be.
(That probably sounded like a too-good-to-be-true sales pitch.)
Whether in a face-to-face appointment at an in-person conference, during a virtual conference, or through a Zoom appointment, most writers will need to develop at least modest mastery of the art of the pitch. If you’re already reaching for your “nerve pills,” relax. Oh. That’s the first point.
- RELAX. To the agent or editor, the appointment is a conversation.
- REALIZE the agent or editor, however well behaved in public, may be just as much of an introvert as you are.
- RECOGNIZE the power of a deep breath before you begin. The eight seconds that takes out of your pitch time will be well worth it. People speak more freely when they’re not in AFib.
- RELY on one key truth—no one knows your book project as well as you do.
- REST in preparedness. You may want to tell the whole story, the whole plot, and introduce all the characters and their interactions. You need to say a couple of sentences that are clear and concise, and then allow the agent or editor to ask questions. See more tips after the bullet points.
- RESIST defensiveness and instead listen well.
- REGARD every opportunity to pitch as a gift, not as a make-or-break-your-career pressure tank.
In many pitch situations, you’ll have ten or fifteen minutes max to present your work. Some authors ramble fast and furious, anxiety driving them, and that short segment of time is up before they got to the point or the agent/editor had any room to insert a question, comment, or piece of advice.
Practice your pitch. Time it. If you can, trim your initial pitch to thirty seconds to allow for actual conversation about your book.
“I’m Jane Doe. I’ve written a WW2 historical novel about two American best friends whose fighter plane crashes deep behind enemy lines. They hide in a cave, sneaking out at night to forage from the French forest and nearby farm. But without communication capabilities, they are unaware when the war ends. Their only hope of returning to their families is to risk trusting a stranger. They’re heroes living as prisoners of war, but the chains are their own fears.”
That was a thirty second pitch.
What remains is at least nine to fourteen minutes for the editor or agent to ask questions. “How long have you been writing? Is this your first book? Is it complete? Would you send me a proposal when it’s ready?”
Pitch perfect!
Cynthia Ruchti has published more than 40 books—fiction and nonfiction, including the recent award-winning novel Facing the Dawn and the upcoming Love’s a Mystery in Embarrass, WI (Guideposts). She is also the author of the nonfiction Spouse in the House: Rearranging Our Attitudes to Make Room for Each Other and has contributed to Mornings with Jesus for 10 years. A senior literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management, she was named Agent of the Year in 2020 and 2022 by American Christian Fiction Writers. Her tagline is “I can’t unravel. I’m hemmed in Hope.”
Cynthia will keynote at the upcoming 2024 Cascade Christian Writers Fall Conference, October 12 in Tualatin, Oregon. Cynthia will also meet with conferees for pitching purposes. More information about the conference here.
