How to Pitch to An Editor or Agent #writing conferences #how to get an agent #novel

Hi friends! I’m writing this post at SleuthFest, a terrific writers’ conference for mystery and thriller writers. As an acquiring editor, I’ve spent hours here hearing novel pitches and chatting with writers. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I love talking with fiction writers about their projects, so I enjoyed it.

Writing conferences often set up agent and editor appointments so that writers can pitch their work in person. The goal is usually to have the agent or editor say, “Yes, send me the full manuscript,” Beyond that, it’s an opportunity to learn more about an editor and agent and to make a connection.

Some writers get nervous about these appointments. It’s easy to ascribe too much importance to one pitch, as if it’s your one and only shot. The truth is, as a writer, you get hundreds of shots, as long as you keep seeking them out and taking them.

I’m writing this post with a little advice for pitching to an agent or editor to hopefully help writers feel more calm and confident if they have an appointment or opportunity like this. Most agents and editors are very nice, in my experience, but if for some reason you wind up with an unfriendly one, consider that a poor reflection on him or her, not on you.

 

how to get an agent #novel

 

Know what they publish or represent before you pitch.

Read the submission guidelines. If they don’t publish romance, for instance, there’s no point pitching a romance to them. If you really want to impress, familiarize yourself with a couple of authors they publish or represent. “I’m a big fan of your author, (name here)” is a great opener to a conversation.

 

If you don’t have an appointment, ask permission before pitching.

If you see an editor or agent on the elevator or at the hotel bar, and they don’t seem to be engrossed in work, it’s okay to go up, introduce yourself, and ask if you can pitch your novel. Hey, fortune favors the bold. (Do not approach them in the restroom, however.) If they say “Sorry, not now,” don’t push it. Not many people want to work with someone who doesn’t respect people’s boundaries.

 

If you have an appointment, say hello first.

When you first sit down with an agent or editor, you may be tempted to launch right into your pitch. Take a minute first to say hi and introduce yourself.

If you have previous publications, you’ll want to mention that. Any other information that shows you’re serious about writing is great to share here, too. This might include membership in a writing association, a degree in English literature or writing, or a blog or podcast about reading. If you have several thousand social media followers, mention that, but otherwise, don’t worry about it.

Start with your prepared short pitch.

This is often referred to as the “elevator pitch.” This can be so simple. Say the title, an adjective or two, the word count (rounded to the closest thousand), the genre, a little about the main character(s), and the conflict. Leave out other characters and subplots for your short pitch.

Here are a couple of examples.

RED LION is an action-packed 94,000-word historical novel about the fictional Thomas Beringar, an Englishman who joins Robert de Bruce’s forces in Scotland. He volunteers for a dangerous mission to prove his loyalty—but one of his fellow warriors is plotting against him.

SPEAK MY LANGUAGE is a witty, sexy 71,000-word contemporary romance between an A-list actor and his new dialogue coach, who’s helping him learn a British accent—but who’s only in Hollywood on a temporary work visa.

(Yes, I stole one of those from my book 5,000 WRITING PROMPTS. It’s been a long day and I was too tired to think of two new ones. 🙂 )

Some people also use the “X meets Y” formula as a big part of their pitch: “The Walking Dead meets Shark Tank,” “Where The Crawdads Sing meets Russian Doll,” and so on.

I’m not a huge fan, personally, because these often reference TV shows. I don’t watch much television, so the “X meets Y” often doesn’t tell me much. But lots of people love this! If you do it, just be prepared with a quick alternative if you wind up pitching to someone who isn’t familiar with the stories you’re referencing.

It’s fine to have this written down in front of you in case your mind goes blank. You may want to bring a journal to take notes, anyway, so you may as well have the short pitch written out at the top of the page.

 

After your short pitch, be prepared to either elaborate or answer questions.

The agent or editor may ask you a few questions about your story right after your short pitch. If they don’t, touch on some other plot points and talk about which books or authors are similar to yours.

 

If they say no to your project at an appointment, use the rest of your time to learn.

Here’s something that could happen: you give your short pitch, and they say, “Unfortunately, we’re not doing any more medieval stories for a while” or “Sorry, I’m not really interested.” What do you do now? Slink away?

Absolutely not. Ask them questions! Figure out ahead of time what you’d like to know—information that isn’t on their website. What are they particularly looking for right now? What are some of the main reasons they decide the quality of the writing isn’t good enough? You’ll probably learn something, and that will mean this wasn’t a waste of time for you.

 

If they invite you to send chapters or the full manuscript, say thanks and make sure you have all the details you need.

Get their card if they didn’t give it to you already. Make sure you’ve got their email. Ask them if they want a synopsis.

 

If they seem very positive but don’t invite you to send a manuscript, ask if you can.

Again, fortune favors the bold, and it’s possible that they actually forgot to say “Send me pages.” Take a “no” gracefully, however.

 

When you send your work, make sure they remember you.

Or at least, make sure they know they asked for your novel. In the subject line of the email, write something like this (unless they tell you to do something else):

REQUESTED, (writing conference name): TITLE, WORDCOUNT, ADJECTIVE, GENRE

So that it looks like this:

REQUESTED, SLEUTHFEST: POISONED IN PROVENCE, 84K CHARMING COZY MYSTERY

In your email, remember to tell them how nice it was to talk to them. Then hope for the best!

 

Have you ever pitched to an agent or editor in person? What was it like? Do you have any advice? Let us know in the comments! If you’re an agent or an editor and would like to share advice of your own, please share, too. Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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