Question about Queries -- the 10 minute pitch.

MarkPettus · Sep 16, 2005

Does anyone here have experience pitching an agent at a writers conference? Is it effective, and if so, is there a recommended technique?

A 10 minute pitch only costs $20, so I've decided to give it a shot, but I'm not sure how to approach the pitch. I've read scores of books on query letters -- nothing on a live pitch. I could use some help.

Aconite · Sep 16, 2005

MarkPettus said:
A 10 minute pitch only costs $20, so I've decided to give it a shot, but I'm not sure how to approach the pitch. I've read scores of books on query letters -- nothing on a live pitch. I could use some help.

Uhhhh...this sounds fishy. Who's charging, and for what, exactly?

MarkPettus · Sep 16, 2005

Oddly enough... this is a common feature of writers conferences. Publishers and agents who are participating in the conference are available for one on one pitch meetings with writers, in exchange for a fee. The revenue supports the conference, and in this case, the agents are reputable, as are most of the publishers (i.e. Random House/Ballantine).

I've done my homework on the agents I want to pitch, and I'm good in the living room (a la Jerry McGuire), but I'm not sure how to structure the presentation, or if a live pitch has a chance of succeeding. I keep picturing myself as a screenwriter in the old Showtime television series Beggars and Choosers...

"It's sort of a Prince of Tides meets Cidar House Rules story, set in a Lonesome Dove kind of town..."

Cathy C · Sep 17, 2005

Oddly enough... this is a common feature of writers conferences

Ummm, this is new to me, and I've attended several. Usually it's part of the conference fee, but on a first-come, first-served basis. If they're reputable editors, then probably what you want to do is to write a "thumbnail" about the book on a 3x5 index card and either memorize it or read it (no, the editors don't expect you to be articulate. They expect that you'll be flustered, and most of the ones I've spoken to had actually WISHED that the author would have written stuff down.)

See, by having the index card right there with you, the rest of your time with the editor (after you're done reading/reciting) can be used for answering questions that the editor might have about the plot or characters. The "high concept" that you mentioned is fine, but you should have a brief thumbnail of each character (description, background) and the plot. Ignore subplots unless it's critical to the main plot concluding, and make sure that you give the resolution.

Good luck!

Jamesaritchie · Sep 17, 2005

Pitching

MarkPettus said:
Oddly enough... this is a common feature of writers conferences. Publishers and agents who are participating in the conference are available for one on one pitch meetings with writers, in exchange for a fee. The revenue supports the conference, and in this case, the agents are reputable, as are most of the publishers (i.e. Random House/Ballantine).

I've done my homework on the agents I want to pitch, and I'm good in the living room (a la Jerry McGuire), but I'm not sure how to structure the presentation, or if a live pitch has a chance of succeeding. I keep picturing myself as a screenwriter in the old Showtime television series Beggars and Choosers...

"It's sort of a Prince of Tides meets Cidar House Rules story, set in a Lonesome Dove kind of town..."

It's getting to be pretty common, but I'm not at all sure how helpful it is to the writer. What you say isn't important. What you write is, and in a recent poll I saw not many agent or editors find writers this way, even when they do this at conferences.

What seems to work best at conferences is having a manuscript partial, and agents and editors there who will take it and read it.

MarkPettus · Sep 17, 2005

Thanks, Cathy and James. I intuited the thumbnail/partial combo. I may jot my query letter (the story pitch part, at least) onto a 3x5 card, and take along synopses and first-threes as leave-behinds.

BTW, I'm a professional skeptic -- a journalist -- but I can't hold a candle to this crowd. It's a shame so many writers have been burned, and in so many different ways.

I've been to conferences before where a single fee paid for the entire conference, and the pitch sessions were included. Then, I didn't have a finished manuscript and wasn't ready to pitch anyone. The conference I'm plannng to attend is actually a festival -- open to the general public -- and the workshops for writers are offered a la carte. $40 buys an all day workshop on Friday, $20 buys 10 minutes alone with an agent or a publisher. Only one person on the list, a POD/e-book publisher, is not a top-tier contact, but even she is straight forward about the service she provides.

This may not be the best way to land an agent, but, on the other hand, it only costs $20. I'll spend more on gas and lunch than I will on the workshop and pitch.

inexperiencedinker · Sep 17, 2005

where is this located at? That is, if you don't mind me asking. I'm more interested in the workshops if it's local.
Good luck btw!

Jamesaritchie · Sep 17, 2005

MarkPettus said:
Thanks, Cathy and James. I intuited the thumbnail/partial combo. I may jot my query letter (the story pitch part, at least) onto a 3x5 card, and take along synopses and first-threes as leave-behinds.

BTW, I'm a professional skeptic -- a journalist -- but I can't hold a candle to this crowd. It's a shame so many writers have been burned, and in so many different ways.

I've been to conferences before where a single fee paid for the entire conference, and the pitch sessions were included. Then, I didn't have a finished manuscript and wasn't ready to pitch anyone. The conference I'm plannng to attend is actually a festival -- open to the general public -- and the workshops for writers are offered a la carte. $40 buys an all day workshop on Friday, $20 buys 10 minutes alone with an agent or a publisher. Only one person on the list, a POD/e-book publisher, is not a top-tier contact, but even she is straight forward about the service she provides.

This may not be the best way to land an agent, but, on the other hand, it only costs $20. I'll spend more on gas and lunch than I will on the workshop and pitch.

Yep, for twenty dollars it's hard to go wrong. I spent $60 on the family at Bob Evans yesterday. I would say that even if the pitch doesn't land an agent, you should at least have some contacts to use in the future. Sounds like a good conference.

MarkPettus · Sep 18, 2005

inexperiencedinker,

This festival is in the southeastern U.S. If you are nearby, drop me a private message and I'll send you some details.

LightShadow · Sep 18, 2005

Uh, howabout the elevator pitch which can only be 15 seconds long? Got one of those? It's all about getting your novel completely told including the ending in basically 6 printed lines/15 seconds. Tough to do, but it can be done. Ask Mario Acevedo (The Nymphos of Rocky Flats/Harper Collins/coming March 2006), he picked up his agent in an elevator at a conference with a 15 second pitch, and wound up with a juicy deal once his agent found him a publisher.

MarkPettus · Sep 18, 2005

Now, see, that's the kind of news I like to hear.

Thanks.

Question about Queries -- the 10 minute pitch.

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor

Aconite

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

Jamesaritchie

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor

inexperiencedinker

Jamesaritchie

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor

LightShadow

defender of the blahs!

MarkPettus

Writer and Editor