How the hell do you pitch a book?
I’ve pitched my book four times now, two on Zoom calls, one in real life, and once on email. So if you’re an old pro at the pitching game this article might not be for you.
But if you’re brand-spanking new to the game, here’s your chance to learn from the rookie mistakes I made starting out, so you don’t have to.
1) It’s more like dating than job hunting
Looking for an agent is like looking for a boss in a way, right?
Actually, while employers have HR guidelines to adhere to, focussing on how well you demonstrate the skills required for the job, an agent’s decision is very personal.
You could have written the best YA fantasy, so good the world would scream, ‘JK Rowling who!?’
But send it to an agent looking exclusively for thought-provoking memoirs and they simply won’t want it. You’re not their type.
So surely if you do your research, target a hyper-specific list of agents who you know for a fact have represented authors in your genre, who advertise on their website that they’re looking for a book just like yours, you’ll surely be on to a winner, right?
The truth is this game IS as brutal as dating. You could be 100% their type on paper and yet still the chemistry is missing.
You’ve got to build a thick skin, don’t take it personally, and remember…
you can be the juiciest peach in the orchard, but there’ll still be someone who doesn’t like peaches.
This takes me to my next point…
2) You’re vetting the agent too
This piece of advice came straight from the horse’s mouth when I met a wonderful agent at a networking event.
It’s natural in a competitive industry to have a scarcity mindset and think that you must jump on the first offer that comes your way.
But the truth is if your story has legs you might find yourself with multiple offers, and that’s ok!
You’re allowed to choose. Just be transparent and update the other agents when you have chosen to go with someone else. You don’t want to get a reputation in the industry for being a sneaky Sally.
The agent told me she’s shot herself in the foot many a time by telling people that they should consider all options and choose another agent if they think they’re more right for them.
But just like when dating, you’ve got to use a mix of your head, heart, and gut to make a decision
3) The agent comes before the publisher
Tempted to send your manuscript straight over to the Harper Collins bigwigs so they can make you the star you’re absolutely going to be?
Well, some publishers DO take submissions from un-agented authors, BUT it’s better for you as the author to have an agent.
Why?
Because they’re industry experts who want to cut you the best deal (because the best deal for you is the best deal for them).
An owner of a publishing house told me this in a candid talk about the realities of the industry at The International Creative Writing Industry Day at Manchester Metropolitan University.
4) Big publishers are owned by corporate conglomerates. Don’t snub indie options
I didn’t know before the same talk I attended on the publishing world, that Harper Collins is owned ultimately by Rupert Murdock. Ew.
In fact, almost all the big 5 publishing houses are corporate machines.
There are big indie publishers who are gaining more of a name for themselves, so don’t write them off even if your plan is to start at the top and work your way down.
5) Why don’t you just self-publish?
If you have a pretty hefty following on social media then self-publishing might not be a bad idea. But you need to really understand your audience and how many raving fans you truly have.
Self-publishing usually kills any chance of getting your book published by anyone else in the future.
Many people self-publish who do not understand marketing, and without good, consistent marketing, it doesn’t matter if you’ve written the best book there ever was. People aren’t going to find it by magic.
So your choice is to either get savvy on marketing and put in some hard graft to reach out to, and grow, your target audience, or find a publisher with a marketing team to put behind your book, or do both.
In this day and age, having an audience waiting to read your book is only going to put you in better favour with agents and publishers.
These are my tips, presuming you already know the bare bones of how to pitch. Need more advice on how you actually compose and present your pitch from scratch?
It’s coming.
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