A writer I know had the luck recently to gain a two minute pitch spot in front of some agents. She was somewhat nervous beforehand, and somewhat emotionally exhausted afterwards, but she did pick up some tips that she wished she'd known before.
She wasn't the only author talking, and she noticed that most of them (herself included) started with the sort of small talk that you make when you introduce yourself. 'Hello, my name is Cinderella, and I've been writing a book which I want to talk to you about today'. Another author started with 'My book is about' which was much stronger, and saved a few precious seconds.
She also realised it was crucial - and this sounds obvious but it's a mistake many of us make - to know what your book really is about. If you can't encapsulate it in a few words, then how can the person you're pitching to get a sense of what you've written.
So what does an agent or editor need to know in those two minutes? They need to know something about genre - who is your target audience? They need to know the plot and how the main characters work within that plot. They need to know if there's a unique or interesting angle with your book - have you lived the life you're describing - or has any aspect of it been in the news recently. They're also getting a sense of you as a person. An agent/author relationship is based on two people, and they need to know you can be coherent and pleasant, or their work will be that much harder.
Do you have a sense of how you'd pitch your own work? If that sounds too daunting, try practicing as if you're the author of a famous classic, how would you sell it to someone who hadn't read it?
Cressida
(Editorial Consultant)
It's harder than it seems to me
NiCe :)
Thanks for the great tips.
I have been experimenting with different length of synopsis (sorry, I am not going to attempt the plural). It is a good discipline, going from 4 to 3 to 2 pages and eventually to a single sentence if possible. If I struggle to get down to a sentence or two I usually think it is because I have created a book which may be tightly plotted but which may not have a clear, compelling story. I then go back and edit the story, again.
I also think practising a mock 1 minute pitch in front of the mirror (or a friend) is a great idea. I am going to try it. I suspect it might re-energise my emotional connection with my own work, which should help the sales process.