Face To Face Pitching

[Shorewalker]

I have never had the chance to pitch my work face-to-face, so all of this might be nonsense, but...it is actually a sale and that IS something I know a little about.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are a number of the points you might want to hit upon...

(1) What's the USP
(2) What is your market
(3) How would you market the work?
(4) Do you know 'who dies in the end'?
(5) If unfinished, when is it likely to be finished.
(6) How quickly do you generally work?
(7) What published work is yours most closely related to.
(8) What drives you to write
(9) What is the one thing that YOU love the most about your work

There are plenty of other things that I'm sure others can add but if you can answer all of the above, you can give a publisher a very good idea of whether they could work with you and whether it would be worth their while.

You'll be understandably nervous, but try to remain clear and concise. Try to avoid side alleys of discussion that don't directly relate to your work. Above all else, come across as passionate and excited (without frothing at the mouth). If you can't get excited about what you've created, what chance the potential readership?

 

[Tirellan]

Well congratulations!
I have done a face-to-face before and I think you've already received a lot of good advice. In addition to what's been said already I think you should try to find a couple of recently published books that would serve as a comparator to yours. Also be ready to discuss further works.
This may be a prelude to them taking the full manuscript but if they don't ask for their reasons why.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

@Dan Jones - how did this go? I just got selected for a Date with an Agent in Dublin’s fair city. Any tips. I can talk. My elevator pitch is something like (i’ll never go in with a tidy line or i’d Freeze)

A fantasy thriller combining the vibe of Irish mythology with great characterisation and not a small touch of darkness.

Also:

In the dark, in the night, the Wild Hunt seeks all those who can see it - and turns them into prey.

I’m getting great feedback on this little one to date. I’d kind of like to feel like this pitch is strong so I can get the best feedback I can.

 

[EJDeBrun]

@Dan Jones - how did this go? I just got selected for a Date with an Agent in Dublin’s fair city. Any tips. I can talk. My elevator pitch is something like (i’ll never go in with a tidy line or i’d Freeze)

A fantasy thriller combining the vibe of Irish mythology with great characterisation and not a small touch of darkness.

Also:

In the dark, in the night, the Wild Hunt seeks all those who can see it - and turns them into prey.

I’m getting great feedback on this little one to date. I’d kind of like to feel like this pitch is strong so I can get the best feedback I can.

Hey Jo! Congrats on the Date with an Agent selection! I'm not Dan Jones but I did a major speed-dating session at a writer's conference in Feb and got requests for submissions (including a full manuscript) so if you'd like, I'd be happy to help. (I'd like to note, I have no actual book to sell. this was based purely on a live-pitch of 3 minutes.)

If not, no worries, and good luck!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Hey Jo! Congrats on the Date with an Agent selection! I'm not Dan Jones but I did a major speed-dating session at a writer's conference in Feb and got requests for submissions (including a full manuscript) so if you'd like, I'd be happy to help. (I'd like to note, I have no actual book to sell. this was based purely on a live-pitch of 3 minutes.)

If not, no worries, and good luck!

Well done!

I do have a book. And a good publishing history behind me plus good profile in Ireland. But unfortunately I carelessly lost an agent so back to square one!

All tips gratefully received

 

[EJDeBrun]

Well done!

I do have a book. And a good publishing history behind me plus good profile in Ireland. But unfortunately I carelessly lost an agent so back to square one!

All tips gratefully received

Thanks!

First off I have a post on my blog about this topic:

SFWC 2018 – Perfecting Your Pitch: Novels & Memoir – Lightbulb.

It's just information I got from one of the major genre fiction agents in the area. Really useful for basic information.

Out of my own experience, the thing that struck me about the whole experience was that 1) people really are interested in how well they can work with you on a personal level 2) people had a certain expectation about what you knew about the industry.

And this is on top of the fact that your idea and pitch has to be good.

They also say to really think about your comps. I had one agent absolutely reject my idea because my comps weren't from the last 5 years! I actually thought that was really unreasonable, but what can you do? (btw, I hate comps and not all agents will require them, but best to have something prepared)

I also had another agent blow me away talking about some kind of kick up in the scifi industry about racial issues over a book that was similar but definitely not the same as mine. That kind of threw me for a loop. So I definitely recommend reading up on what's currently going on in publishing cuz there's a lot. Granted probably not so much in Dublin, Ireland as here in the States, but I think any big agency that's working across both sides of the Atlantic would appreciate a writer more if they're aware of the current issues going on in publishing and I know the Big 5 are very aware of it as well, so it's good to have the knowledge.

I also found that following agents on twitter is SUPER USEFUL. There's a whole thing going on right now for the upcoming twitter #pitchwars and agents and editors are literally giving away free advice as candy.

Also in a face to face interview, I recommend starting out by saying something about the agent. Especially if you looked them up before you go. Example, one of the tougher agents I got a request from, she was pretty harsh on some other people she talked to, but I had looked her up, knew we had the same taste in books (literally, our libraries were practically the same) so when I sat down, she commented she loved my hair (it was pink at the time) and I told her: Thanks! I love your taste in books. Especially SFF.

It was a silly thing, but it set the tone for our three minutes and made it a lot easier to be conducive over our conversation. So I think if you can start off being positive and showing you know who you're talking to and what you're talking about, your chances of getting a request will go out the roof. I did this same thing to an freelance editor I talked to and she ended up telling me I would get requests and we have ended up friends out of the meeting. So I think sometimes just being nice and polite can get your farther than anything else.

I also had an agent ask me what my science background was in relation to my work. That was a good question and yeah, you have to prepared to answer it. If anyone is writing about sensitivity issues, be sure to have an answer ready to back up any decisions you made in that area. In today's area, people are going to ask and if they don't get an answer that satisfy them, you're story is likely not going to make it to the next step. (I saw this happen to a lot of people at the conference)

Lastly, I think you should go in with confidence and think of it as you're interviewing them too. For example, I'm a total n00b and when I first heard I was like, no way. I mean as a n00b you're just thinking of finding someone, anyone! But talking to some agents I realized, oh this is actually very true. In fact, there is one agent out of the three I pitched to (the only people who repped SFF at the whole conference) I definitely will not work with and I won't query her later either.

Okay, this got rather long, but I hope you find it helpful. And good luck!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks @EJDeBrun .

I think it’s important to know the business and recent comps for sure (I have those and I deliver training on the business so strong on that angle) and the interviewing back is a great point. I followed the agent today on Twitter.

This is 15 mins long so hopefully it will become a conversation as well as a pitch!

 

[EJDeBrun]

Thanks @EJDeBrun .

I think it’s important to know the business and recent comps for sure (I have those and I deliver training on the business so strong on that angle) and the interviewing back is a great point. I followed the agent today on Twitter.

This is 15 mins long so hopefully it will become a conversation as well as a pitch!

I'm sure you're going to kill it.

15 minutes IS long, and if it were me, I would prep a bunch of questions. The popular ones agents like are about what they've sold, what they liked about what they sold, what the experience is like when the book they're repping doesn't sell. That kind of thing. I only mention it because everyone always says: have questions for the agents. But no one actually tells you what kind of questions to ask!

 

[Boneman]

Good luck Jo!

 

[The Big Peat]

What's a comp?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

So a few more pointed questions:

I’ve been repped before and the project didn’t sell - do I detail the reasons I believe this happened (pitched to an incorrect market; market saturated) or leave well alone?

My sales data -

What's a comp?

comparator. Never an easy one for me to answer

 

[The Big Peat]

Ohhh.

My guess on being repped before is there's no reason to bring it up but to be well prepared if they do bring it up.

As for comparators... is this meant to be book to book, or author to author? Because author to author, I am convinced Robin Hobb is your best comparator (bonus points if you want to say your previous work was your Megan Lindholm phase but you've convinced you've got something Hobb-esque in answer to being repped), for all you're not a huge fan. But book to book... I dunno, the Northern Irish Alan Garner (if you don't mind comparing to a YA author); you write a strong sense of place and you write about ordinary people who are drawn into the extraordinary, but stay ordinary (as compared to all the UF where the ordinary person finds they are extraordinary). Perhaps Neverwhere would be a better comparison. That's assuming the latest one follows that model.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Um. Yes. My comparitor is me might not quite rock it

This book is a little different to my others (shock! Horror!) but it’s Irish based and dark but also has a mystery-thriller element.

For that reason neither Hobb nor Bujold - my most natural SO one - work.

I have:

John Connolly
Kate Mosse (Winter Dreams is pretty close)
Peadar O’Guilin (for dark Irish stuff not writing style)
Sarah Pinborough (mixing fantasy and thriller)
I also wondered about Carlos Ruiz Zafon for the sense of place element.

 

[EJDeBrun]

Comps: comparative book titles to your MS

Vague right? Actually one of the agents I follow gave a really good explanation: Comps are basically away for agents and editors to know who your audience is. And you need to give a reason. Example: For people who enjoy the worlds of Harry Potter and Narnia but are looking for a more adult perspective will love reading Lev Grossman's The Magicians.

re Jo: I don't think mentioning your previous rep is a bad thing. From what I read, your situation is actually really common. A lot of agents may love a book and think it's great but for whatever reason (usually a luck or timing thing) the book doesn't sell. That isn't a reflection of your abilities, just bum luck.

And that's the angle I would go with: I found representation before and we did this, this, this, and this, but it just didn't sell. After that, things didn't work out and we both agreed to part, kind of thing. I wouldn't say much more than that. You don't want to tell them about incorrect market or market saturation. Let them start with a blank slate and work that part out for themselves.

It's almost like talking about your ex. You had a good thing going, it didn't work out but neither party is resentful or annoying about it afterwards. And you don't want to analyze into it too much cuz then you could give your new potential agent false ideas and theyr'e so inundated with requests for rep that anything negative could blow your chances.

But being repped before is good. That means someone else believed in your work and were willing to take you on. You should just say, I got bigger and better since then and now I'm looking for someone who can work with me to pull it all together for a big win!

Hope that helps!

 

[The Big Peat]

Um. Yes. My comparitor is me might not quite rock it

This book is a little different to my others (shock! Horror!) but it’s Irish based and dark but also has a mystery-thriller element.

For that reason neither Hobb nor Bujold - my most natural SO one - work.

I have:

John Connolly
Kate Mosse (Winter Dreams is pretty close)
Peadar O’Guilin (for dark Irish stuff not writing style)
Sarah Pinborough (mixing fantasy and thriller)
I also wondered about Carlos Ruiz Zafon for the sense of place element.

Isn't it common to use a big beast as your comparator? Granted I'm no agent, but I don't know half that list.

Maybe Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London would be a good comparable for dark spec-fic/mystery-thriller with a strong sense of place? I still like the Gaiman comparison on those grounds too.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Isn't it common to use a big beast as your comparator? Granted I'm no agent, but I don't know half that list.

Maybe Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London would be a good comparable for dark spec-fic/mystery-thriller with a strong sense of place? I still like the Gaiman comparison on those grounds too.

Kate Mosse is a big beast (Labyrinth etc), John Connolly is big and Sarah Pinborough broke out with Behind Her Eyes last year and would be considered an established name (up there with. Aaronovitch, I think - although he might be a good one to add, actually and a bit of a sitter given the subject matter). Shadow of the Wind is also a huge bestseller.

I dunno - if I go for Hobb I’m pulling in an entirely different vibe than the book. Same with Bujold. Gaiman less so.

 

[The Big Peat]

Kate Mosse is a big beast (Labyrinth etc), John Connolly is big and Sarah Pinborough broke out with Behind Her Eyes last year and would be considered an established name (up there with. Aaronovitch, I think - although he might be a good one to add, actually and a bit of a sitter given the subject matter). Shadow of the Wind is also a huge bestseller.

I dunno - if I go for Hobb I’m pulling in an entirely different vibe than the book. Same with Bujold. Gaiman less so.

Fairy nuff - you know the subject matter than I do. I would happily use Gaiman's Neverwhere as a comparable for Rivers of London though so maybe it would hold for yours, for what its worth.

But yeah, Hobb wouldn't work for a book to book comparison.

 

[EJDeBrun]

Not to butt in again, but if it were me, I'd go with book titles rather than authors. Yes, I know that agents are supposed to work with you long term etc etc, but they're usually only signing up for the book you're looking to sell right now. The rest of it will come after that project. So you want to sell them on that particular project RIGHT NOW, but be sure to mention, hey I've got a ton of other things in my stock!

Which means finding something similar already in the market while putting your spin on it.

It's a tricky business. I mean, it's like agents are asking for cake and wanting to eat it too. On one hand they want something that they know is going to sell because something similar has sold before, but at the same time they want you to present something totally new.

My recommendation is to check up #pitmad on twitter. The stuff is CRAZY but you get to see a ton of short pitches AND comps and you can check out what worked for some people and didn't work for others. It's like an industry researchers dream. All the data is right there and you can see how effective things are. Now granted it leans towards YA BUT they love deep and dark thriller type things, so I think it will probably be relevant enough to help.

 

[HareBrain]

Jo, I admire you for going in for this. I don't think I ever would ever be able to face it. What depresses me about this whole modern system is thinking what Russell Hoban could possibly have given for comparatives and expected audience for Riddley Walker, or Mervyn Peake for Gormenghast, etc.

 

[EJDeBrun]

Jo, I admire you for going in for this. I don't think I ever would ever be able to face it. What depresses me about this whole modern system is thinking what Russell Hoban could possibly have given for comparatives and expected audience for Riddley Walker, or Mervyn Peake for Gormenghast, etc.

Comps are a curse. A lucrative curse, but a curse nonetheless. I feel like, how can you set trends if all you're looking at is what happened before? But from the agents and publishing side (which I'm told repeatedly is ridiculously conservative) I can see their point.

Saying that, I think this is the beauty of self-publishing because then you can screw it! Let it find it's own market. But then you get a lot of slosh that drown the good works.

It's a mess. Just proves this whole game is a bunch of smoke and mirrors and luck, when you can find it.