tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post1472218498976412733..comments2024-02-17T09:53:06.168+00:00Comments on Notes from the Slushpile: Maureen says, 'OMG I'm Pitching!'Candy Gourlayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-86626483465587339082012-10-23T17:14:53.389+01:002012-10-23T17:14:53.389+01:00Me too.
Me too. <br />Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-45619813115593804272012-10-23T17:13:56.471+01:002012-10-23T17:13:56.471+01:00Memorising it is my problem too, but last year a f...Memorising it is my problem too, but last year a friend took cards with her pitch on one side and her contact details on the other - and it worked, she was asked to send her book. Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-74692317663992172892012-10-23T17:11:57.153+01:002012-10-23T17:11:57.153+01:00Excellent Debbie, you'll be ready for anything...Excellent Debbie, you'll be ready for anything. Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-39115639074852577852012-10-23T17:11:15.434+01:002012-10-23T17:11:15.434+01:00Thanks Kathryn. I bet we could pitch and sell at t...Thanks Kathryn. I bet we could pitch and sell at the same time? Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-4903816534947844692012-10-23T10:03:40.874+01:002012-10-23T10:03:40.874+01:00This is a great and really helpful post. Thanks fo...This is a great and really helpful post. Thanks for sharing! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871239587214383387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-31275113551432316132012-10-23T09:24:05.658+01:002012-10-23T09:24:05.658+01:00Thanks, Maureen. I've often used pitches when ...Thanks, Maureen. I've often used pitches when *sending* something (so a one-line/two line pitch in a covering letter, and a hook underneath the title on the title page -if there's a really good one) but I'm always wary of something sounding un-conversation-like when meeting someone in person. I've really valued the genuine conversations I've had with authors, illustrators, editors, agents at conferences like this... You're right that you should know your own work and what's special about it (its unique selling point) and it's great to practise talking with other people about your book. But I'd be wary about anything sounding UN-speechlike, even if it is a pitch... Good luck to everyone going to the conference -and ENJOY it! It's a fantastic opportunity to be around other people who do what you do, and learn loads from people who've been doing it for a long time and have been very successful, and meeting lots of editors and agents. Thanks, Maureen, Clare.<br /><br />Juliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-49776998728906218592012-10-23T09:16:13.598+01:002012-10-23T09:16:13.598+01:00Great post, thank you! I've never thought abou...Great post, thank you! I've never thought about breaking a pitch down verbally before. I usually do it on paper. But a verbal version is fantastically useful. I remember a horrible attempt at explaining a book to an editor which was doomed before the first line had left my lips because I'd started in the middle and had to backtrack... I will try to improve on the verbal front!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-39580981437157844042012-10-22T18:41:25.747+01:002012-10-22T18:41:25.747+01:00Gosh! The Pressure!
Good luck, pitchers! I've ...Gosh! The Pressure!<br />Good luck, pitchers! I've always said I don't think I would have got that first publishing contract without the November conferences, and even though I didn't pitch at them, I did learn loads. :)Paula Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01455380645038090414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-26158219122638958592012-10-22T18:29:54.078+01:002012-10-22T18:29:54.078+01:00Confessions of a Wimpy Writer, part 3:
On the othe...Confessions of a Wimpy Writer, part 3:<br />On the other hand.... for me, the value of conferences like the coming SCBWI one in November - especially the first year or two that I want - were all about learning stuff, having fun, meeting fellow writers and/or illustrators as the case may be. Feeling part of it all. <br />I never prepared a pitch before I went. If someone had told me I should before I went to the first SCBWI conference, I'd probably have fainted &/or found something that urgently needed doing the same weekend...<br />Teri Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13641477543947472370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-27882567496592882342012-10-22T14:11:58.140+01:002012-10-22T14:11:58.140+01:00Tomorrow I shall mostly be writing pitches :-)Tomorrow I shall mostly be writing pitches :-)George Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12231075417385235147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-6666592388357881082012-10-22T11:36:42.092+01:002012-10-22T11:36:42.092+01:00I especially like the bit about - making sure you ...I especially like the bit about - making sure you didn't tell the pitchee why he/she should say no.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-76441719678445374062012-10-22T11:35:15.606+01:002012-10-22T11:35:15.606+01:00That cake theme will run and run ...
Seth Godin b...That cake theme will run and run ...<br /><br />Seth Godin blogged about the so-called elevator pitch today in a piece titled <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/10/no-one-ever-bought-anything-on-an-elevator.html" rel="nofollow">Noone Ever bought anything on an elevator</a>. He wasn't just focusing on pitching for writers but offered some brilliant food (cake) for thought:<br /><br /><strong>If your elevator pitch is a hyper-compressed two-minute overview of your hopes, dreams and the thing you've been building for the last three years, you're doing everyone a disservice. I'll never be able to see the future through your eyes this quickly, and worse, if you've told me what I need to know to be able to easily say no, I'll say no.<br /><br />The best elevator pitch doesn't pitch your project. It pitches the meeting about your project. The best elevator pitch is true, stunning, brief and it leaves the listener eager (no, desperate) to hear the rest of it. It's not a practiced, polished turd of prose that pleases everyone on the board and your marketing team, it's a little fractal of the entire story, something real.<br /><br />"I quit my job as an Emmy-winning actress to do this because..." or "Our company is profitable and has grown 10% per week, every week, since July," or "The King of Spain called me last week about the new project we just launched."<br /><br />More conversations and fewer announcements.</strong>.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-8742336368149781652012-10-22T11:33:08.092+01:002012-10-22T11:33:08.092+01:00Brilliant post Maureen. I recently splashed out on...Brilliant post Maureen. I recently splashed out on Nicola Morgan's booklet about writing a synopsis and she says pretty much the same thing. So I for one now have my hook: ET meets Battlestar Galactica (I kid you not!), a one sentence pitch, a three sentence one and a one page synopsis. Just got to learn the buggers off by heart now.Jeannette Toweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02549517044119318384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-67888835383384337032012-10-22T11:25:16.650+01:002012-10-22T11:25:16.650+01:00Will start practising soon for the conference.Will start practising soon for the conference.Julie Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10370540030678282595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-87036240927074428082012-10-22T10:49:20.613+01:002012-10-22T10:49:20.613+01:00Thanks for the tips and the link. I hadn't tho...Thanks for the tips and the link. I hadn't thought about this for the conference!A. Colleen Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626402785266163594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-83426640958627087922012-10-22T08:50:14.074+01:002012-10-22T08:50:14.074+01:00Thanks, Maureen. I completely forgot about sorting...Thanks, Maureen. I completely forgot about sorting out a pitch - still doing the covering letter and synopsis. This is great and I should now come completely armed ready for any agent encounter!Debbie Edwardshttp://www.purpleraypublishing.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-18511346713871776762012-10-22T07:46:17.894+01:002012-10-22T07:46:17.894+01:00What fabulous post! I'm going to practise, I ...What fabulous post! I'm going to practise, I am I am....Exhausted author must pitch perfectly to get Uber Editor to read her book. <br /><br />Then she's just got to follow it up with a cracker of a story...Kathryn Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16439670363289229014noreply@blogger.com