Samhain Publishing

Conference season is upon us. You’ll see Samhain editors out and about at various national and regional events this year. Our executive editor, Laurie Rauch, kicks off our season at the 2010 Written in the Stars Writers’ Conference next weekend and will also make an appearance at the Desert Dreams Conference in mid-April. I’m thrilled to be participating in the Silken Sands Conference, the Spring Fling Writers’ Conference and the Capital Region RWA Conference. And you’ll find plenty of Samhain staff to interact with at the Romantic Times Convention, Lori Foster’s Reader-Author Get Together and the RWA National Conference.

We’ll be taking pitches at all of these events, so by popular request, here’s my (very) complete list of pitching dos & don’ts.

DO your homework

It’s THE most important part of pitching—pitching to the right person. The best pitch in the world won’t sell a science fiction romance to an agent who doesn’t represent science fiction, or a young adult novel to an editor who doesn’t publish young adult. Know as much as you can about the agent/editor before you pitch—what they’re acquiring (and what they’re not), who they represent/edit, what you might have in common. The more you know, the more you can target your pitch.

If you know you’re not an exact match for the person you’re pitching to, research the agency/publisher to figure out where you might fit. Many agents/editors will be willing to refer you to a colleague—especially if you’ve shown you’re a good match for their company.

Research yourself, too. Know your story backward and forward, what credentials might be worth mentioning, how you plan to proceed, what questions you want to ask. Sufficient preparation will make you successful in every part of the pitch process.

DON’T pitch an unfinished manuscript

This is a pet peeve of lots of agents/editors. The industry moves slowly enough—they don’t want to invest time in a manuscript that may not be finished for months, if at all. They consider it a waste of their time, and it’s unfair to authors with finished manuscripts who would like to pitch. You’re not ready to pitch until you have a finished, polished manuscript.

The exception to this is that if you have an almost-finished manuscript or if you really want to practice pitching—sometimes you can hang around outside the pitch area (this is common at RWA National) and fill in if there’s a no-show. Since they have to be there anyway, most are willing to meet and talk with interested authors even if the manuscript isn’t complete. But you should check this in advance with the volunteers staffing the pitch area.

If you don’t have a finished manuscript, it’s okay to network. Try to meet agents/editors at the meals or other conference events and talk to them about what they’re looking for. It may lead to an invitation to query when you’ve finished, or it may help them remember you if you do query or pitch to them in the future. But even if it doesn’t, it’s a great learning experience.

DON’T get bogged down in details

You want to know your story REALLY well, but you also need to know (and probably practice) how to talk about it to someone who doesn’t. Agents/editors won’t truly know if they’re interested in your book until they’ve read it. They can’t do this in a pitch session, so what they’re trying to do is get a sense of your concept, story and characters. To help them do this, you need to be able to see the big picture, and you need to be able to explain it in a language they can understand. High concept is great if you have one. Comparing it to other well-known books or authors is also helpful. Start with these broad comparisons, then point out how you’re different.

Don’t focus on backstory or setup. It’s no different than writing a query or your first few chapters—start with something that will hook your reader. It may be tempting to give a detailed account of your characters’ histories and motivations, but what agents/editors need is a sense of what your story is about, what conflicts and actions drive the plot. If you can’t explain a character’s reasoning succinctly, stick with their actions. Agents/editors will follow up if they need to know more.

Don’t quibble. This isn’t the time for an academic discussion of why your hero falls somewhere in between alpha and beta or whether you 1830-set British historical is a Regency. Put your book in boxes that are easy to understand, then explain why your take Is unique.

DO be confident

Pitching is a little scary, but you want to leave the editor/agent with the best possible impression. Smile. Be friendly, positive and confident. You have every reason to be so, because you have a great book to sell. Let your pride and excitement show. And remember that the more you’ve prepared the more confident you will feel.

DON’T sweat the small stuff

If you do get nervous or flustered, if you don’t know how to answer a question or haven’t answered it well, don’t let it ruin your pitch. Take a deep breath, keep smiling and keep at it. Ask if you can start over. Try asking them a question so you can regroup. Agents and editors are people, too, and for the most part they’re very nice people. They want you to feel comfortable and at ease, and they’re not going to judge you for making mistakes. Just do your best.

DO dress & act professionally

Writing is a career, so you should treat this like any other professional opportunity. Dress professionally. I would say at least business casual (and not MY working-from-home business casual, which is pajama pants! ). Even when an event is very casual—such as the Lori Foster Get Together—I still think it’s worth bringing a change of clothes to look nice for your pitch. No one’s expecting a three-piece suit, but you want to look nice, put together, and as though you place some importance on this meeting.

Acting professionally means at all times during the event, not just at your pitch session. There are numerous urban legends of people who’ve ruined their chances with an agent/editor by various rude acts. Probably some of them are just legends, but you don’t want to risk doing anything that could leave a bad impression with an industry professional. Don’t drink to excess. Don’t trash talk anyone in the industry. As Angela James wisely says, “Act in a professional manner even when you think no one is watching”.

DON’T pitch in inappropriate locations

Everyone knows the concept of the elevator pitch—that you might meet your dream agent/editor on an elevator ride and have just that long to impress them. It’s an appealing prospect—especially if you can’t get a pitch appointment—but has to be approached in the right way. If you do see your dream agent/editor during the conference, do approach them and let them know you hoped to meet them—but only if the circumstances are appropriate. Don’t pitch in bathrooms, if the editor/agent is clearly in a hurry or busy with someone else. You have to read the situation and decide whether approaching them in a professional manner would be welcome networking or an annoying interruption. Better not to meet them than to make a bad impression.

DO bring what you need

It’s fine to use note cards if they make you more comfortable. It can also be a good idea to bring a business card or other printed material if you have it. It’s also a good idea to bring a pen and paper in case you want to jot anything down. If you don’t want to do so during the pitch, have it handy so you can jot it down after, before you forget.

DON’T bring your manuscript with you

If you get a request, agents/editors don’t expect you to hand the manuscript to them on the spot. They want you to submit through the usual channels and should give you instructions on how to make sure you get out of the slush pile. With the cost of extra baggage these days, no one wants to travel with a stack of manuscripts. And you may want a chance to put a final polish on your manuscript or query letter.

DO follow submission guidelines

A request from a pitch meeting doesn’t exempt you from the normal submission guidelines. Make sure you follow their instructions—or check their website—for how to submit. Format your manuscript correctly, send it to the appropriate address, and pay attention to any special instructions they give you when making the request.

DO ask questions

It sometimes feels like the agents/editors have all the power. But you have a great product, and deserve to be with an agent/editor who loves and knows how to sell your book. A pitch session is a chance to sell the person on your book, but it’s also your chance to learn more about the agency/publisher and what it can offer you.

DON’T be afraid to take control

Again, because people feel that agents/editors are the one with all the power, they tend to cede control of the pitch appointment to them. That’s fine in most cases. The agent/editor should welcome you and put you to ease with a little small talk. They should be willing to answer questions and tell you more about their company and what they’re looking to buy. But remember that this is your chance to sell your story and the time will fly by, so if small talk has taken off, or the person is becoming long-winded in their answers, don’t be afraid to steer the discussion back to your manuscript. Your pitch session is YOUR time, so make your best use of it.

DO respect the clock

Most pitch sessions fly by and it’s not uncommon for them to run over. Someone will be there to keep time and give a warning when your time is almost up. No one’s going to cut you off mid-sentence or throw you out the moment your session ends—especially if you and the agent/editor are having a good conversation—but have respect for the agent/editor and other authors waiting to pitch by wrapping things up as quickly as you can.

DON’T get discouraged

Pitching seems a lot scarier than it is. For the most part, agents/editors are kind, friendly people who enjoy talking to authors about their work. Most sessions go well. If yours doesn’t, don’t let it get you down. No one person has the power to make or break your career, and there will always be other opportunities around the corner.

A good friend of mine pitched to an editor who made her distaste for my friend’s project vehemently clear—to the point of rudeness. It was my friend’s first time pitching, and she was understandably taken aback and upset. She had to go straight from that awful experience into a pitch with her dream agent, so she had no choice but to keep her chin up and try it again. She and her dream agent immediately clicked, had a great discussion about their favorite books that ended in a request for a full manuscript, and the agent ended up signing her. It can happen!

Phew! If you’re still sticking with me after this very thorough (aka long-winded) list, what pitching tips do you have? What have you learned from your own experience? Or what questions do you have for me? It’s Ask an Editor Day, and I’m in the hot seat.