The Hitchless-Pitch

I'M A WRITER (1)
Authors pitch their book orally all the time! To editors, to B&N workers who make decisions about book-signings, to school-teachers, to friends and family, to people at signings, to co-workers, and, yes, specifically to readers!

We at #50FirstChapters have noticed the stress-posts on Facebook as people contemplate getting the very thing they want: the ear of an agent or editor with the power to help a book get to market.

Fear not! There’s help! We have videos! We have a handout! We have personal experience!

We also have full confidence that pitching a book is something YOU can do, and something ALL AUTHORS do, even if many writers start out a little clumsy. 

Fine, you convinced me. I won’t cancel my pitch next week! But I’m so nervous! Now what?!?

Well, get a feel for how a pitch is done, of course! We have an overview of how to pitch plus three mock pitch-sessions for you to view. The more familiar you are with the format and the more you know what to expect, the better time you’ll have and more successful you’ll be.

Here’s a rundown of all the links:

A big thank you to Amber, Gina, and Scott! Please let them know what a great job they did by leaving a comment to them on the video.

T H E  L O W - D O W N

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Pitch Critiques with #50FirstChapters

Pitching is like Public Speaking

More People Fear it than Death

firghtenedguy

We at #50FirstChapters are going to tackle in-person pitches the same way we tackle first chapters. We’re going to gather a handful practice pitches and critique them, all via the lovely internet. If you’d like to be considered:

  1. You must believe, deep in your soul, that when I say, “I want you to tell me more clearly and more succinctly what your main character values,” you will not take that to mean, “I hate you, personally. Plus, did I mention you will never publish?”
  2. You have to have Google Hangout functioning on your computer.
  3. You have to be available for a 10 minute interview online between April 25-27, where you are allowed to have lettuce in your teeth, but it’s not advised. You do not have to be “prepared” for a pitch, but you are certainly welcome to be.
  4. You are encourage to watch me critique your pitch. This will be a video that comes out after April 27, but before May 5.
  5. You cannot pull your pitch after we’ve recorded it based on hating your hair, shirt, b-face, that one cry-fest at minute 8, or writing-as-a-profession. Or anything else.
  6. TO ENTER THE LOTTERY FOR PITCHING with #50FirstChapters, please sign up for the newsletter.

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Happy pitching to all!

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