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Pitching to Agents and Editors

Pitching to Agents and Editors. *No Spring Training Required by Elana Johnson. Leveling The Playing Field. Agent = person Editor = person You = person. We’re All People. You. “They”. Like reading books Have a dog Wear your pajamas all day Enjoy “The Office”. Like reading books

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Pitching to Agents and Editors

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  1. Pitching to Agents and Editors *No Spring Training Required by Elana Johnson

  2. Leveling The Playing Field Agent = person Editor = person You = person

  3. We’re All People You “They” • Like reading books • Have a dog • Wear your pajamas all day • Enjoy “The Office” • Like reading books • Have two cats • Wear pajamas sometimes • Watch “The Hills” religiously The point is: Find common ground.Do your research. Sign up for pitch sessions with “them” that rep/publish your genre/style, and who you think you’ll work well with.

  4. Act Like The Star Player Time to play pretend!

  5. Practice To Win • Research the agent/editor • Write your pitch • Memorize the pitch • Practice pitching to a live person, live • Practice in front of a mirror • Practice in the car • Practice, practice, practice

  6. Fake It Till You Make It • 90% of my time is spent pretending • Act confident • Act happy/friendly • Act knowledgeable • Act calm, cool, collected • Act normal • Act like you’re exactly who they want—because you are!

  7. Winding Up The Pitch Building, writing, memorizing, practicing – all done BEFORE your session.

  8. The Pitch IS IS NOT • Short • Emotionally driven • Interesting • Full of conflict • About SOMEONE • Your book in bullet points • Rambling • Every—single—plot—point • Bland • Without conflict • About 40,000 people AND the world they live in

  9. Building The Pitch – Step One • Write Down the following: • Title • Genre • Protag (WHO) • Main Conflict (WHAT) • Setting (WHERE) • Tips: • Titles matter, brainstorm them • Main conflict should be easily identified—use as few words as possible • Setting includes time period, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, dystopian worlds

  10. Building The Pitch – Step Two • For the 5 things in step one, write: • One vivid detail that makes them different “Who, What, Where and WHY SHOULD I CARE?” Why should an agent/editor care about YOUR setting, YOUR protag, YOUR main conflict? What makes them different?

  11. Building The Pitch – Step Three • Identify if your story has: • Inherent conflict • Originality • Real emotional power

  12. Building The Pitch – Step Four • Write down three “big” words – evocative words – that relate to your story

  13. Building The Pitch – Step Five • Get ready to write • Are you ready to write your pitch? • I said, Are you ready to write your pitch??

  14. Think In Bullet Points Writing a pitch using fragments

  15. Writing The Pitch – Bullet Points #1-3 • TITLE • MAIN CHARACTER • Include age (indicates genre, too) • “In A NEW CODE, Seventeen-year-old Hannah Morse…” • “In my thriller, NEWTON’S REVENGE, a young father” • “JUST A JOB starts with Leon Wilks, a wealthy corporate executive” • Tell me the unique/vivid detail that makes your character different • “In POSSESSION, Thinkers control the population and rules aren’t meant to be broken, but fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld shatters them to pieces.”

  16. How To Train Your Dragon PitchSentence #1 using Bullet Points 1-3 • HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (title) takes place on the island of Berk, where fifteen-year-old Hiccup (who) lives with his tribe of blood-thirsty Vikings—but he can’t bear to deliver the fatal blow to a dragon (something interesting/unique/vivid—also, this is conflict). • Notice: SETTING was included in most of these first sentences. Often, you can combine the setting with the title and main character.

  17. Writing The Pitch – Bullet Points #4-6 • The Main Conflict • Answer: What is the wall between the MC and what they want? • Answer: Who is the villain? What is the BIGGEST thing they’re keeping from the MC that prevents the MC from overcoming the conflict? • Answer: Does my MC have any special abilities (doesn’t have to be paranormal) that MUST be mentioned?

  18. How To Train Your Dragon PitchSentence 2-4 using Bullet Points 4-6 • Hiccup wants to impress his dad (the “wall”)—the tribe’s chief (more conflict)—with his dragon-slaying talents so he enrolls in Dragon Training (bigger “wall”). • Every morning he wields a mace and shield, while sneaking off every afternoon to play with the Nightfury he’s befriended. • Eventually his weapons are replaced with games, as he learns that dragons aren’t the monsters he’s been brought up to believe (minefield of conflict).

  19. Stop and Think • Does my story sound like it has: • 1. Inherent conflict • 2. Originality • 3. Real emotional power • Identify each in the bullet points/sentencesyou’ve written

  20. Writing The Pitch – Bullet Point #7 • Choose one “big” word from step four of “Building the Pitch” • Write a concluding, cliffhanger sentence (curveball)

  21. How To Train Your Dragon PitchSentence 5 using Bullet Point 7 • Using his quirky sense of loyalty, Hiccup has one shot to prove himself and set a new course for the future of the entire tribe.

  22. Five-Sentence Pitch • HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGONtakes place on the island of Berk, where fifteen-year-old Hiccuplives with his tribe of blood-thirsty Vikings—but he can’t bear to deliver the fatal blow to a dragon. • Hiccup wants to impress his dad—the tribe’s chief—with his dragon-slaying talents so he enrolls in Dragon Training. • Every morning he wields a mace and shield, while sneaking off every afternoon to play with the Nightfury he’s befriended. • Eventually his weapons are replaced with games, as he learns that dragons aren’t the monsters he’s been brought up to believe. • Using his quirky sense of loyalty, Hiccup has one shot to prove himself and set a new course for the future of the entire tribe.

  23. Strutting Your Stuff You’ve prepped, written, practiced. The time is now.

  24. Basics Not To Be Forgotten • Introduce yourself • Smile • Take the seconds you need to get settled • Take a deep breath • Level the playing field • Put on your Jerry Seinfeld skin • Talk slow

  25. And Lastly… • Don’t take all the time • Let them ask questions • Show gratitude • Remember: You’re not there to get page requests. You’re there to get honest feedback about your book so you can make the necessary adjustments BEFORE you query.

  26. Pitches • http://www.pitch-university.com/sample-pitches/ • Practice yours. With your tablemate. Your roommate. Me. Just someone. Tonight. Before your pitch session. In person. Out loud. • Go get ‘em!

  27. Shameless Self-Promotion elanajohnson.blogspot.comwww.possessionthebook.com www.elanajohnson.comwww.facebook.com/possessionthebook www.twitter.com/ElanaJ

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