Pitching to Agents and Editors

On July 17^th through the 20^th, I’ll be attending the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s Summer Conference in Seattle Washington. I've gone to this event faithfully every year since 2010 when I first decided to push my uncertainties aside in favor of connecting with all the various professionals within the writing industry. I remember all the fears, insecurities, and nerves that plagued me then, and to be honest, I still feel many of the same emotions as I prepare to present a workshop at the same conference just four years later.

One of the fixtures of the PNWA conference is the opportunity given to writers to pitch their stories to a large number of attending agents and editors. In addition to pitching my own stories, I've had the opportunity to work on pitches with a large number of writers in a variety of genres. After last year’s conference, I was gratified to receive several e-mails from writers who attributed their success with agents and editors to my advice on pitching. In anticipation of the coming conference, here are some of the things I was able to share with my fellow writers about pitching their stories.

Be Comfortable

Often, when I would ask a writer to tell me about their work, they would ask if I wanted their memorized pitch or if they could just tell me about it. I’d usually tell them that I wanted to hear both, and it was amazing to hear the difference between the formal, canned pitch they’d labored over and the more organic description of a story that they loved. Often, their informal description was more interesting, and they were much more relaxed. Of course, some writers will not be comfortable without that carefully prepared pitch. Just remember that you need to present your story in the way that best suits your personality. As my writer friend Tracy Shew summed up: “An ounce of confidence is worth a pound of preparation.”

Be Brief

 Most pitches are actually dialogues between the agent and writer. Keeping your pitch brief allows time for questions and an open discussion of your work. During one of the workshops I attended last year, I had a young lady come and sit next to me towards the end of the presentation. In a nervous whisper, she told me that she was struggling with her pitch, and someone had said that I could help her. We quietly left the workshop and went out into the hallway so I could look over her carefully typed, single-spaced, full-page pitch. Since she seemed to want the security of a written page to read from, we focused on pulling out the strongest statements from what she had already written. In the end, her pitch was little more than one paragraph long, but was much stronger. I was happy to have helped her, and even happier when she joyfully told me later that she had been asked for a complete manuscript by three agents.

Be Relaxed

 Remember that agents and editors are people too. While you are hoping that they can take your career to the
next level, they are hoping that you will do the same thing for them. A pitch is a two-way interview for a working partnership. So relax, be yourself, and enjoy the search for a personality that matches your own.

Good luck to everyone who will be pitching at the PNWA summer conference this year. I look forward to seeing you all there!