Pitching at a conference ?

csorensen · Jul 3, 2012

I've narrowed my agent list down and one of my top agents will be in my area at a conference in late October. I will be 75-80% done with revising my manuscript...almost ready for submission (I'm done with the 1st draft now and actively revising, my goal is fully complete by Christmas).

My gut tells me to not miss this opportunity to have face time with the agent (but my gut can be wrong at times). If I have a solid pitch, know the book, and am honest about where it's at..."the manuscript will be fully ready for submission at the new year"...is that okay to take to a pitch?

Thanks for the insight!

Karen Junker · Jul 3, 2012

I used to tell people who attended our writing events that they should have a completed, polished manuscript before pitching. But then I met an author whose book was pretty popular and he told me that he had pitched the idea to an agent before he had written a word. So if the agent is patient, it can work!

Best of luck to you!

csorensen · Jul 3, 2012

Karen Junker said:
I used to tell people who attended our writing events that they should have a completed, polished manuscript before pitching. But then I met an author whose book was pretty popular and he told me that he had pitched the idea to an agent before he had written a word. So if the agent is patient, it can work!

Best of luck to you!

Thanks Karen, that's what everything I have read has said - "have it perfect and ready to go" - but I have talked to a few people that said as long as you are honest and don't stretch the truth, go for it.

I didn't know what type of experiences anybody around here has had with this!?

But the point you bring up I think is the key...it depends on the agent.

Katrina S. Forest · Jul 3, 2012

I tried something like this. I had a complete project to pitch, but I was also querying at the time and ended up querying someone else at the same agency before I realized who I'd been scheduled to pitch to at the conference. I had another book in the works and decided to pitch that instead.

It didn't pan out. The agent said while the book sounded interesting, the timeline I had given her (about three months to finish) was too far ahead for her to say anything definite. Incidentally, the book was not nearly as done as I thought it was and required way more than three months, so it was all a moot point.

Personally, I've had way more luck querying than I've ever had pitching. It's a great way to get an "in" with an agent who's normally closed to unsolicited queries, but other than that, I seem to be able to express the virtues of my book in written form better than speaking form. Though I figure since I'm trying to be a writer, that's not a bad thing.

csorensen · Jul 3, 2012

Katrina S. Forest said:
Personally, I've had way more luck querying than I've ever had pitching. It's a great way to get an "in" with an agent who's normally closed to unsolicited queries, but other than that, I seem to be able to express the virtues of my book in written form better than speaking form. Though I figure since I'm trying to be a writer, that's not a bad thing.

Thanks Katrina for the insight. Makes lots of sense! The more and more I read and hear, I really need to wait before I pitch and just focus on the meet and greets in order to get to know the agent...if I get an agent that dismisses me as unprofessional, that's not what I want. "Oh, that was the guy that pitched and wasn't ready to submit."

Katrina S. Forest · Jul 3, 2012

Yeah, I don't think I closed any doors in my case, but I didn't open any either. It was just one of those things that I tried and didn't go anywhere.

stargazer11 · Jul 4, 2012

Usually, the saying goes. Fiction must be finished before you query or pitch your project to anyone. The only genre you can pitch before it is complete is nonfiction.

csorensen · Jul 5, 2012

Thanks everyone...I like that Stargazer:

"Fiction must be finished first!"

Karen Junker · Jul 5, 2012

I've put on a few writing events and I can tell you that a very large percentage of the people who pitch do *not* have completed manuscripts. I think the agents and editors are not shocked by this.

One year, I announced to the assembled writers at our conference that they should go cancel their pitch appointments if their manuscript was not finished (rather than waste the valuable time of the publishing professionals). Over 100 people got in the line to cancel. I'm not advocating that you pitch an unfinished book, but I don't think it's all that unusual.

Deleted member 42 · Jul 5, 2012

There's a Publishing FAQ: [Submitting] Pitching

Pitching at a conference ?

csorensen

YA Writer, Lover of Common Sense

Karen Junker

Live a little. Write a lot.

csorensen

YA Writer, Lover of Common Sense

Katrina S. Forest

csorensen

YA Writer, Lover of Common Sense

Katrina S. Forest

stargazer11

csorensen

YA Writer, Lover of Common Sense

Karen Junker

Live a little. Write a lot.

Deleted member 42