Recently, I
attended another workshop at Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop. This one
was titled Pitch Perfect: Sell Your Book
in a Single Sentence and was facilitated by Angie Hodapp of Nelson LiteraryAgency. While the class was geared mostly for fiction, I tried to adapt it to the
memoir I am writing. My notes from the class follow.
First write the
entire manuscript, then make certain it has a unifying factor and appeals to a
wide audience. It should have the following.
- Character introduction
- Inciting incidents
- Turning point
- Climax
- Resolution
Study books that
are comparable to yours. Look at reviews on Amazon and Goodreads to understand
what’s selling and why.
Understand your
genre and subgenres. Possible subgenres for memoir include those listed here. Google
Figure out the appropriate
word count for the genre of your book. When talking to agents and editors, tell
them the number of words in your book, not the number of pages. Pages are
determined by the printing process—size of page, type of font, layout, and whether
pictures are included. You can do an Internet search for the appropriate word
count of your book genre. My goal for memoir is approximately 80,000 words.
When talking to
someone about the book you’ve written, you will probably have about one
sentence to grab the individual’s attention. This includes agents and editors. If
you can hone the description down to one sentence, you will sound highly
competent and confident. Talk about the book in a way that makes the person say,
“Oooh, Tell me more.”
In your pitch of
fiction, include
- Character(s)
- Goal
- Motivation
- Conflict or tension
- Stakes (what your character stands to lose if he doesn’t achieve his goal)
- Beginning and end
- Reason for writing
Attend writer’s
conferences where agents and editors will be present.
- Talking with them is often included in the price of the conference.
- The people you will speak to are generally only interested in books you have completed.
- You can usually sign up for a 10-minute appointment. During that time, plan to spend about two minutes talking about your book and eight minutes interacting with the agent. Include one thing about yourself that will make you memorable. Be prepared to talk about what inspired you and what made you excited to write this book.
- While editors and agents are usually only interested in books that are finished, make an appointment even if you are not finished.
- Go with questions for the agent/editor.
- Agents and editors often hangout in the bar during down time. Approach them there as well. Be polite and ask them if you can talk with them about your book.
- Do not get upset about rejection. It is all part of the process of marketing your book.
- AgentQuery—online data base for types of agents
- Writer’sMarket—contains agent lists and other helpful information. Requires a subscription.
- Publisher’sMarket Place—agent profiles plus all the latest in the publishing industry. Requires subscription.
There are
several ways to let people know about your book. Practice all of them.
- Synopsis—A summary that is several pages long
- Pitch paragraph—Will fit on one page. It may be 2-3 paragraphs long. Looks much like a book jacket summary. This is what would be included in a query letter.
- Elevator pitch—Talk about your book in the time it would take for an elevator ride.
- Logline—What might appear on a movie poster.
Consult QueryShark for advice on writing query letters to send to agents and editors.
When writing to
an agent or editor, never attach a manuscript unless you are invited to do so.
If you are on
Twitter, you can pitch your book using the hashtags Pitman and/or Pitchwars.
Do a Google search on Twitter Pitches
to find advice on writing these.
Books to read
for more ideas:
- Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, by John Truby
- Books by James Scott Bell, who writes about the writing process
- Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published, by Susan Rabiner
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