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WOW! Women On Writing
Classes & Workshops
Spotlight Course: How to Get the Right Agent for Your Manuscript
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Greetings!
Pitching your story to literary agents at a conference is probably one of the scariest things beginning authors will have to do.
I was just chatting with a new writer friend online the other day about this very same subject. She recently had the opportunity of pitching her nonfiction book idea to an agent at a writers' conference. Now, I personally know this writer has a fabulous story, but the agent she pitched it to wasn't crazy about the idea. She told me she did a wonderful job discussing her ideas with the writers in line waiting to speak to the agent, but not with her pitch. It seems she wasn't sure how to present it. She knew the story like the back of her hand, but putting the idea together in a comprehensive pitch capsule was another story...the story she hadn't mastered yet. This is very common. We weren't born knowing how to sell our stories to strangers and what the proper etiquette is for pitching to agents. We have to learn it. And learning it could be the difference between getting your book idea sold or not. In the article below, former senior editor Annette Fix shares some fantastic tips for crafting your elevator pitch. It's just one of the many things you'll learn how to do in her upcoming class, How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript. The class starts next Monday, September 26, and is limited to 10 students. We've also added some new classes to our fall schedule! Be sure to check those out below. We have several starting soon, including Writing for Children (starts next Wednesday, Sept 29), Screenwriting and Playwriting (Oct 3), and a fabulous new class on Personal Essay Writing (Oct 7). Happy writing! Angela & Marcia Angela & Marcia Classroom Managers WOW! Classes & Workshops
[email protected]
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Going Up! Crafting YourElevator Pitch
By Annette Fix
"What is your story about?" It's a simple question that rarely has a simple answer. If you're like most writers, you have a tendency to go on and on, taking tangents, and often making the storyline seem convoluted and confusing. The listener's eyes glaze over before you pause for a breath, and by the end of the explanation, the listener is looking around for a way to escape and you feel like you didn't explain your story well enough to convey how fabulous it really is. That can be frustrating and embarrassing.
The idea of pitching the story to agents may seem even more overwhelming, but once you've crafted a succinct and compelling pitch, and memorized it so you can deliver it smoothly, you'll be able to pitch your story to an agent (or anyone else) in less than 30 seconds.
And when I say less than 30 seconds, I mean LESS THAN 30 SECONDS. You should have your pitch so finely tuned you can deliver it in an elevator between floors if you have to.
You may not think that's nearly enough time, but just remember: The more you talk, the more you talk the agent out of wanting to read your manuscript. Your manuscript will stand on its own merit; don't sabotage your story before the agent has the opportunity to turn the first page. Your pitch is something you need to spend some time crafting and memorizing, so you don't freeze up when an agent says, "Okay, tell me what your story is about." 4 Components of a Good Pitch: Your pitch capsule should be brief, comprehensive, engaging, and clear. - Brief: Craft your pitch with as few words as possible.
- Comprehensive: Cover the main points of your story.
- Engaging: Choose to showcase your most interesting story elements.
- Clear: Keep your sentence structure simple and word choices easy to understand and easy to articulate (so you don't trip over your words when you pitch).
In-person Pitch Format:
Start with the title and genre first.
That information immediately conveys to the agent where your story fits into the marketplace and allows her to focus on listening to your storyline instead of trying to guess what genre your story fits into.
Pitch capsule (less than 50 words is ideal)
Incorporate the character's desire and main conflict or obstacle. The conflict doesn't have to be stated directly; it can be implied by the difficulty in the character's circumstances you've highlighted. Your pitch should be no more than 1-3 sentences.
Comparison works.
In addition to your pitch, you can also reference a similar author or books with a similar theme, tone, or style, to help the agent understand the way you've written your story.
Make sure your comparison is an accurate choice and don't be boastful. Stay away from judgment language:
"My story is side-splittingly funny, entertaining, and riveting. It's just as brilliant as the books by Author X."
The agent may not think it is, and no amount of telling her you think it is will make it so.
Stick to simple statements that tell why you think your manuscript is similar in tone/style to a particular author or why it would appeal to a particular audience.
Practice Practice Practice
Once you've honed your pitch, practice it in the shower, in front of a mirror, driving in the car. Recite it to your friends, family, and moderately attentive pets. Become comfortable with your pitch, so the next time someone asks, "What is your story about?"--you have the perfect answer.
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How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript
Instructor: Annette Fix
Workshop Length: 4 Weeks Price: $299 Start Date: September 26, 2011 Limit 10 Students
Course Description: Are you looking for the perfect agent to represent your manuscript but you're not sure where to start? Have you sent out queries and received rejection letters? If you haven't had agents request a partial or full read of your manuscript, you need help targeting the right agent and honing your pitch and query letter.
This class is for writers who want to find an agent who will fall in love with their manuscript and be excited to present their work to major publishers. Querying is not a numbers game. Mass submissions = mass rejections. Without the proper approach, your manuscript will never have the opportunity to be read by an agent. By the end of this course, you will know how to target the right agent for your material and leave with a list of agents who are signing and selling in your genre. You will develop your "elevator pitch" and learn valuable in-person pitching techniques. You will complete the course with a query letter that showcases your voice and the tone of your book, and lifts your query out of the slush pile.
Visit the Classroom Page for a complete listing and what you'll be learning week by week. About the instructor: Most of you know Annette Fix as the former Senior Editor of WOW!. She is also the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir, a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's 2009 Book of the Year and was offered an option for development as a cable television series. When doing the agent query shuffle, she discovered her specific technique and was signed by a top NY agent within one month of sending her e-query. Annette speaks at writer's conferences about how to get the right agent, and provides freelance services that include editing and comprehensive manuscript analysis.
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Upcoming Classes & Workshops
Below are some classes and workshops that are starting soon. Click on the links to be taken to a full listing that includes a week-by-week curriculum, testimonials, instructor bio, and more. Keep in mind that most class sizes are limited, so the earlier you register the better.
All the classes operate online--whether through email, website, chat room, or group listserv, depending on the instructor's preferences--so you do not need to be present at any particular time (unless a phone chat is scheduled and arranged with your instructor). You can work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or email us at: [email protected] Enjoy!
September 26 How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript Next Monday! | 4 Weeks | $299 | Limit: 10 Students
September 29 Writing for Children: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers Next Wednesday! | 7 Weeks | $175 (Fall Sale! Regular price: $200) | Limit: 15 Students
September 3 Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 10 Students
Introduction to Playwriting | 6 Weeks | $175 | Limit: 10 Students
October 7 Translating a Life: The Art of Personal Essay Writing New! | 5 Weeks | $165 | Limit: 10 Students
October 10 Write From Your Soul: Memoir Workshop | 6 Weeks | $249 | Limit: 10 Students
Writing a Middle-Grade Novel | 6 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 20 Students
October 14 Get Paid to Write! Become a Freelance Writer | 8 Weeks | $150 | Limit: 15 Students
October 21 Blogging 101 | 5 Weeks | $125 | Limit: 20 Students
October 28 Intro to Book Reviewing | 4 Weeks | $100 | Limit: 16 Students
November 16 Social Networking for Writers | 4 Weeks | $100 | Limit: 20 Students
Bring Out the Story-Teller in You | 6 Weeks | $140 | Limit: 10 Students
November 30 The Unwilling Grammarian | 4 Weeks | $140 | Limit: 10 Students
Click here to see all of our upcoming workshops |
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