Many authors find pitching scary, whether they’re talking to editors and agents or to readers. Sometimes, this fear (or nerves, if you prefer) is responsible for the pitch running far too long and becoming convoluted. Often, authors think they need to read the pitch off a card or “cheat sheet,” to keep themselves from forgetting critical elements. Nervousness, the “need to read” and stress-induced over-complication of pitches are symptoms of the same problem, and today we’ll talk about how to overcome it. Tip #1: Write a Strong, SHORT, Pitch That Can Be Delivered in a Single Sentence. If the pitch is too long, too complex,
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Tips for Effective “Elevator Pitches”
In the publishing world, an “elevator pitch” is the one-sentence (or at least under one minute) pitch an author offers an agent or editor in an attempt to prompt interest in the author’s book. I’ve heard a lot of these over the years, and helped many authors write them (in conference settings and otherwise). While the content of the pitch will vary, depending on the setting and the nature of the author’s work, there are some constants common to effective book pitches. For today, we’re focusing on the short “elevator pitch” designed to open a conversation. Many, though not all, of these
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