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Writers Pitch Book

geminirising

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Hi,

Newbie here - I look forward to "meeting" everyone!

To jump right in . . . what are your thoughts on the Writers Pitch Book? (http://writerspitchbook.com/) I was researching a writers conference in Jacksonville, FL, and came across it.

Basically, the business model is that you pay $50 for this company to publish a "logline" summary of your manuscript into a "pitch book" that goes out to selected agents, editors, and film producers. (The company approaches these agents, editors, and producers ahead of time, so the book doesn't come to them unsolicited.) The client list includes some pretty impressive agencies (for example, Andrea Brown) and editors.

I don't think it's a scam, per se - they're upfront in saying that you don't NEED this service to get published - but I'm wondering, is it worth it? Has anyone dealt with this company before? It's a relatively new business (founded in 2010/2011), and I can't find much info.

Thank you!
 

Stacia Kane

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My thoughts?

Total waste of time and money. That "pitch book" will end up in the trash can of every agent and editor it's sent to, without them even skimming the pages or, most likely, even knowing it arrived; their assistants will just toss it. I know the site says a few (a very few) agents etc. actually requested the book but I wonder in what context and under what terms, and either way, you can give those agents etc. more info on the book by writing a free query letter.

No, probably not a scam, just a waste of time and money.
 

FalconMage

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So this would be like an agent... to get an agent?

No thanks. I don't see anything deceptive. Neither do I see a value.
 

victoriastrauss

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This is a really old scheme--it's been around for ages, in one form or another. At worst, it's a way for unscrupulous people to extract money from writers. At best, it's a waste of writers' cash--agents and editors really don't give attention to this sort of thing. This is a re-invention of a very tired third wheel.

- Victoria
 

Sharon Y. Cobb

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Scoop on Writers Pitch Book

I understand some members' skepticism about Writers Pitch Book. But here’s the scoop. It was born in 2009 to solve a problem for writers attending the University of North Florida Writers Conference. I was director that year and we didn’t have the budget to bring agents from New York or LA to network with writers. So it occurred to us to bring the writers to the agents, in the form of pitches. Writers Pitch Book was born.

Fast forward to 2012 and I began opening the Pitch Book for writers’ submissions twice a year, spring and fall. Then after I receive pitches from writers, I research agents mostly likely to respond positively to their work. Then I email those agents and ask if they’d like to receive the new Pitch Book. Not all agents, editors or producers respond, of course. And I do invite some of the same agents back since they’ve been interested in reading writers’ work in the past.

I’m always searching for new reps and buyers to get the Pitch Book, but here are our numbers up until today:

2009 through Spring 2012
• 277 fiction, non-fiction and screenplay pitches
• 47 agents, editors and Hollywood producers that asked to receive the Pitch Books
• 111 requests from agents, editors and producers for work from writers who submitted pitches

If you, or any writers on Absolute Write, have suggestions about how I can do a better job with helping writers connect with agents, editors and producers, please let me know.
 

CaoPaux

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Assorted business and family matters precluded Fall '13 and Spring '14 editions. No word yet on Fall '14.
 

frimble3

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Assorted business and family matters precluded Fall '13 and Spring '14 editions. No word yet on Fall '14.
'Business and family matters', eh? One person operation, then? Not a good sign. At least she's only dealing in pitches or loglines or whatever, and no-body's actual book is tied up.
 

CaoPaux

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Is still taking a break.