Craft Chat Actually useful tips about Pitching

[Pamela Jo]

​ [td]Dear PJ, Last weekend, at a large book event, a celebrity kept describing her book with "I don't want to give away too much." The thing is, she didn't give away anything. My friend and I looked at each other utterly confused. The audience shifted in their seats, and many left. The balance between saying too much (killing the tension) and too little (losing everyone) is genuinely difficult — even for someone with an undeniably amazing career. Not five minutes later, an indie author at a booth stepped forward to pitch his work. It had complicated concepts, a gorgeous setting, a surprise ending. I could picture everything — and my friend bought a copy on the spot. "He explained that better in five minutes than [the celebrity] did in an hour," my friend said. ​ Perfect timing? Yes. But also clarity. If an author on his first book can do better than a celebrity with decades of experience in the spotlight, you can learn pitching too. ​ Avoid the mistakes below, and you'll be in good shape. For extra credit, practice this weekend with our 1:1 Pitch Practice event on Saturday. Classes come with replays, and meetings can be next week too. (We know you're busy!) Join 1:1 Pitch Practice → As always, we're here if you have any questions. All best, Jessica & Julie

Leading With Theme Alone​ If you lead with themes, you need to give them a container. Consider the two following examples: 1. It's about safety and danger. 2. It's about safety and danger in a world where marriage is mandatory for women. The difference? The second is specific enough that we can guess tone, conflict, stakes, and even imagery.*

​

Too Much Worldbuilding​ [FONT=georgia, times, times new roman, serif]Fantasy writers, we're looking at you. We know it feelslike the world is what sets you apart--but it's usually character + stakes + world, not world alone. Fast comprehension is much easier if you start with an extremely relatable emotional situation (crushes, bullies, jealousy, etc.) we understand in our world--and thendescribe yours.

Starting with process.​ We know it feels like you're starting at the beginning--a very good place to start. But we promise you don't need to tell us how you got the idea or why you started writing--unless it's a truly unique story. Start with the work itself.

​ GENERIC STAKES ​ "They must survive" is not nearly as strong as "She'll sacrifice anyone--including herself--to save her baby brother." Specificity wins over "Her world will turn upside down" or "She'll need to question everything" or "Everything may fall apart" every time. They sound important--but tell us very little.

​ Hiding The Hook​ [FONT=georgia, times, times new roman, serif]The best hooks combine unique (or uniquely vivid) situations, compelling characters, and question that will stay in the reader's mind like clickbait. You have just a few seconds to capture attention. Put your strongest material first.