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Every time I leave a writing conference, I’m motivated, excited, and ready to take on the world. That is before life sets in, and I start to deflate and settle back into reality.
Losing the excitement of a conference can be channeled and retained, injecting our writing and motivation with the power we need to continue and improve.
A few ways to keep that “high” and a few lessons to put into practice can help all of us. Let’s start with how to make a book pitch, something we learn at conferences and use for appointments with agents or editors and, after our book is publish, when we speak in front of a group as part of a program.
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Putting a Writing Conference to Work – Giving a Pitch
Making a 3 minutes book pitch: I had an appointment with an agent, and as I prepared for that few minutes to “pitch” my book in a way that she would want to know more, to read it, maybe to represent it, I wrote notes and practiced my speech so that it flowed smoothly but still seemed spontaneous.
Know how to prepare and present a three-minute pitch should be a tool in an author’s selling kit, to be used for agents, editors, and public presentations.
1. Start with an attention-grabber. This is a must. If you lose the audience, whether one person or 100, at the beginning, you can’t get them back. Just as the first paragraph in a story, article, or novel must attract the reader, the first words out of your mouth must do the same.
I started my spiel with the statement: When life steals something important from a person, she either gives up and dies, or she finds a way to rebuild her life.
2. Don’t give a complete summary of your book. Give just enough information that the audience wants to know more. I continued my pitch by saying, “Torri had things stolen from her life over and over including her marriage destroyed by an unfaithful husband and her best friend by cancer. Each time she gathered her courage and rebuilt her life. However, when her children are taken by their biological father and not found, she didn’t know if she could continue.
I gave a bit more information from the book. For an agent or editor, the ending for the book may be required. For a presentation to a group, the ending should not be revealed.
3. If asked, be prepared to tell why you wrote the book – be sincere and who the intended readers are.
4. Rehearse so that you don’t ramble. You don’t want your speech to sound memorized, but you need to know the main points and the order to present them.
5. If the book is already released (which if the pitch is meant for an agent or editor, it will not be), be sure to let the audience know where and how they can buy your book.
6. If the presentation is for a group after the book is released, be sure to take copies of the book to sell and autograph.
Next month, I’ll discuss preparing for writing contests, information gathered by participating in contests and sessions at conferences. Then in August, we’ll cover how to keep that conference excitement.
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Words from Our Readers
Jay is studying 
So timely, Vivian! Next month, I'm heading off to the local annual SCBWI conference, where I've got an appointment with a literary agent to critique my YA book. A natural introvert, I'm going to employ some of the tips in the newsletter and the other links. Thanks!
Jay
Oh, I went to the Oklahoma SCBWI conference in March. An agent critiqued my YA novel that's coming out later this year. She really liked it. *grin* I hope yours goes well. Let us know.
Red Writing Hood <3 
Excellent insight, Viv - thank you for sharing!
katherine76
A very helpful newsletter this month Viv, you have done an excellent job with everything!
esprit
A great NL, Viv. I felt like I was there with you all. It might sound odd, but I appreciated your mentioning your rejections. Somehow, that made your Fairy Tale seem more attainable to this bystander.
Thank you, Holly, Kathy, and Esprit. Oh, yes, I've suffered , uh, received quite a few rejections in my life.
H.C.Paye - All I Need
Great topic Vivian! This allowed me to better realize what I should do to get my foot in the door with any publisher. Also, just how much connections are important to anyone's writing career! Thanks!
I'm glad I could help. Yes, connections are very important>
Thanks for joining me.
Viv
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For Authors: June 11, 2008 Issue [#2437]
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