I did my pitch yesterday and okay, it wasn't really perfect, but it was really good. I'd worried over it for about a week and a half, I'd spent lots of time writing and rewriting a blurb and really thinking about my book (which was good), and I was really sort of starting to stress. But then my husband said something to me that really clicked, and it all fell away: I was thinking more clearly, writing more smoothly, and feeling less stressed and less nervous. He's brilliant.
So yesterday, I had a few nerves and was trying to really learn my pitch so I wouldn't have to keep glancing at my cheat sheet, or worse, get stuck and be forced to read it. And then I walked in and didn't use any of it. It was all totally off the cuff, and it went great. And more than that, I feel like I can blurb my book to someone quite easily now, whereas I had trouble with that before.
She asked for the first three chapters and a synopsis, and I'm going on the assumption that that was just a courtesy that she accorded all the 'pitchers', but she did seem to find the general gist of the story interesting, so that's good. I was completely happy with the experience except for one thing. After I pitched my WIP, she told me she was interested in anything else I was working on. So, I told her that I'd had some ideas for a series of books like my current one, with a little magical element to them. And I told her I was interested in writing another Regency historical--I'd already talked about my self-published book, and she'd seemed impressed. Anyway...after all that, she didn't seem to have any reaction at all. Sort of a 'Huh.'--I just don't know what to make of that. At least I've got the chance to send my first three chapters as 'Requested'!
Wanted to thank all of you again for your advice and good wishes. It was really helpful.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
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11 comments:
Congratulations on the great pitch! It sounds like things went really well for you. I bet she was probably a bit tired after listening to all the pitches. I wouldn't read too much into it. Good luck with sending in the first three chapters!
YAY!!! WTG Alyssa, fingers crossed for a successful outcome.
Honestly, it's like info-overload, so agents can sometimes be a little brain dead after hearing a zillion pitches.
I'm sure it went wonderfully! WTG!
Congratulations - that's fabulous! It's so fun when all that work pays off and you pitch well!
Keep us posted :)
Wow that's great! I love reading about the experience! ::crosses fingers:: I can't wait to hear more!
I'm so glad to hear the pitch went well! Keeping my fingers crossed that she loves your chapters!
Great job!! It sounds like you handled it like a total pro. Congrats on the request for a partial. Re: her odd response after you told her what else you're working on...huh. That would've weirded me out too! :-D Well, at least that happened AFTER she asked for the partial, right? so basically, whatever.
And what did your husband say that clicked so well?? (I couldn't tell if it was the part about thinking more clearly, writing more smoothly, etc., that he said, or if what he said made you feel those ways.)
Congrats! I'd be so nervous, but it sounds like it went great for you!
Wow, just reading that made my tummy hurt, to really have to do it..oye. Congrats on a hard step and good luck in future ones.
Thank you everyone!
Catherine...I think what my husband said was brilliant in part because I'm sometimes a little dense. Basically he just said that I needed to focus on XXX part of my book because that was the element that really set it apart, which is exactly what I want when I'm pitching to an agent who's hearing a zillion other pitches.
I tend to get bogged down in the details. In my synopses and query letters too, but I'm trying to get better.
Good for you! Fingers crossed for good news!
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