Recently I attended two writers conferences: Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) in Seattle and Willamette Writers Conference (WWC) in Portland, Oregon. Both of them provided opportunities to pitch nonfiction ideas and completed fiction novels to respected literary agents and publisher’s editors from all around North America. In many cases, these people may only accept submissions from writers they meet at conferences like these. I pitched to agents and editors at both conferences and volunteered behind the scenes at PNWA. And I learned more from them than just how to pitch. I learned that preparing to pitch and listening to their responses helps me better understand my own writing, and even helps when I’m not writing. Call it life lessons. Some observations:
1) Don’t waste anyone’s time at the conference—yours or theirs. Fiction writers should have a truly complete novel, an idea of comparable tales or authors, and some notion of a marketing plan, before trying to sell to an agent or editor. If you’re not quite ready, focus on the learning sessions—how to pitch, how to write, how to market.
2) Do your due diligence in advance. Well before the conference, study the list of editors and agents who will attend. Winnow it down to a list of those who specialize in your preferred genre(s). Read their blogs. Check out their Twitter feeds. Study their Facebook pages. And definitely read through their agency or publisher websites. For your protection, check for red flags on pred-ed.com and SFWA.org’s Writer Beware page. Check out aaronline.org to find literary agents who abide by a respected code of ethics. Study publishersmarketplace.com (pay for a one-month subscription) and see if the agents (and editors) on your list have any kind of a track record in your preferred genre(s). And definitely check out Writer’s Digest (the magazine, website, and the annual Writer’s Market publication) and Jeff Herman’s annual Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents. Do you have other suggestions? Let me know and I’ll add them in.
3) Learn from your pitch. The questions that agents and editors ask you when you make your actual pitch can shine light not just on wobbly spots in the pitch itself, but also clarify what’s good or bad about your book. They want to like what you have. That’s why they came to the conference. So if they don’t understand something, that should be a warning flag—or an opportunity to clarify.
In my case, I was able to add a coda about my underlying theme—“Revenge cuts both ways”—which I hadn’t realized until I was asked. I also learned by doing practice pitching with other writers and attending training sessions that most pitches go on faaaarr too long. Your audience doesn’t want a synopsis of your book with a recital that includes every character’s name and role. Pitch sessions are like two-way job interviews: You seek representation or publication, agents and editors seek writing talent that will make them some money. Pitch sessions are hard work for the pitchers, and far harder for the agents and editors. They are awash in pitches. Make it easy for them by keeping your pitch simple. No, simpler yet. No, strip it down even more. Give a start, a finish, a motive or trigger for the action, and then shut up: “In a world where X does Y, our protagonist must Z because A. But she discovers that revenge cuts both ways, and must give up B and C to meet her goal.” Start with your name and the work’s title, do the pitch, end with a couple comparables and an explanation of why the subject interests you.
4) Taste is a personal matter. And it really matters! Neither you nor the agent (or editor) hearing your pitch should enter into any kind of agreement if either party feels personally or professionally uncomfortable with the other. Trust your instincts, and respect their need to trust their own. This may sound harsh, but the object of pitching is not to become a client of any warm body. Don't sign just because you're caught up in the romantic notion that you're going to get published. You're going to be working with that editor or agent for a long time. Why spend it with someone you don't like? Why should they? You want to find a long-term professional match with someone who is enthusiastic about you, a match that benefits both of you. So—be brave—avoid signing with anyone who sets off alarm bells in your head. And be gracious to those who say no.
5) Follow up on your promises. If you say you’ll submit something for review, do it. And follow directions. This is business. Show that you’re a professional.
6) Read the contract. If you are offered a contract by a publisher OR a literary agency, READ it. Have a lawyer check it out (Really! I've done it, and added a single clarifying word at his suggestion). Understand the contract. If you agree with the terms, AND you honestly like the impression you have of the firm offering it to you, then and only then should you consider signing. Which leads us to a broader arena:
7) Pitching is like life itself. Like work. Marriage. Politics. Whether you’re a pundit, a presenter, a parent, or a promising writer--
* know your subject inside and out.
* Be ready to expand or explain if requested.
* Tone down the hyperbole. Stick to the facts.
* Be a grown-up.
* Leave the lederhosen (!!!), the assault fragrances, and other gimmicks at home.
* Learn proper pitch etiquette. Pitch rules may vary from one conference to another. PNWA guidelines allow buttonholing, but expect you to ask your target if it's okay to pitch outside of the formal pitch sessions. WWC specifically discourages buttonholing. Attend pitch practice sessions – try out your pitches on other pitchers before you pitch to the pros.
* And here's the hard part: Learn from your failures—and your successes. Take note of each agent's or editor's comments, body language, facial expression (blank, interested, enthusiastic, disappointed). Make time, in the brief time you have, to ask for feedback on how to improve.
* And most important of all, be sure to say THANK YOU.
(And yes, these are all points I keep reminding myself I need to follow. Have advice on what’s worked for you? I’m listening.)
