As the Northeast Texas Writers’’ Organization (NETWO) annual conference draws near, I get questions on how to approach an agent or editor in the short, one-on-one interviews. This topic is the subject of books, but let me make a few comments in today’s blog. Keep in mind that these are general comments.
Each agent, each editor, each publisher is different. (For this blog, let me just use “agent” to encompass agent, editor, or publisher.) And what works perfectly for one may turn another off in a minute. But, these are good, basic, sound things to keep in mind when approaching one of these interviews.
First, know how long your time slot is. Many are ten minutes. Some are fifteen minutes. And I’ve seen a few that were five minutes. You need to know, and keep in mind while preparing, just how much time you will have. If you are working on a fifteen minute schedule, and it turns out you only get seven minutes, you’re in trouble.
Have a well-thought-out plan.
Determine what is most important for you to convey to the person, and how best to deliver it.
Practice.
Yes, you know everything about your book. You’ve worked on it for a year. You’ve talked about it to friends and family, other writers. But, this is different. First, there’s the time factor. Second, the agent will be listening to many other writers in a short amount of time. You have to stand out. Your presentation has to be memorable.
Do not go in without rehearsing what you are going to say, in front of a mirror, and with a stop watch. There is more pressure here and it’s easy to forget some important point. After you walk out the door, it’s too late. Practice so you don’t leave out anything important, and so you present it in the best possible form. Remember all those other writers pitching this same agent this same day. They rehearsed.
Pitch only one book.
You don’t have that many shots at an agent, and you have lots of books. So, how many books can you pitch in a short one-on-one? The answer is easy. One.
Basically, you are selling yourself. Pick out the very best book that will show you off as a great writer. If you can sell the agent on you and that book, the agent will ask you for other books. But, if you start with a litany of all the books you’ve ever written, the agent is likely to see that as unfocused. And most of all, in the ten minutes, you will skim over several books, giving none proper coverage.
Research the agent before the interview.
If you give a great presentation on a sci/fi book, and this agent never ever takes on sci/fi, you’ve wasted your opportunity and the agent’s time (and she will not forget this).
Leave time for the agent to speak.
Ideally, you would like to pique the interest of the agent and get the agent to ask you questions, to ask for additional details. Now you have involved the agent. It’s no longer a monologue, it’s a dialogue. That’s what you want-a dialogue. Now there is a good chance that the agent will remember you from all the people who pass by her today.
Ideally, you’d like to describe your project in two or three, crisp, attention-grabbing sentences. Remember how Hollywood describes a “high concept” idea: you can describe it in one sentence. No, this isn’t Hollywood, but you should be able to cover the intriguing points quickly.
Intrigue her with your main character.
Leave a minute or two to describe your main character. Notice, I used the singular. Yes, you can cover two. But if you throw out a bunch of characters, the agent’s eyes will glaze over. If it’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, describe Miss White (1) and a group of dwarfs (2). Do not try to cover each of the seven dwarfs even though they are all interesting.
Additional information?
If you have other books with the same protagonist, you can say so – in one sentence. It is also permissible to give one or two sentences about yourself, such as, “My book is set in Alaska and I lived there for five years.” Or “I had another book that was published by a small press and that book sold well.” (Those take five seconds each. If the agent asks about either, that’s dialogue; that’s good.
Do NOT say, “My mother /husband/best friend likes it.” Then, most important —
Close your mouth.
Let the agent comment. You hope they will ask some questions that you can answer quickly and confidently. You should plan on your initial, prepared pitch taking only half of the time allotted to your interview, leaving time for the agent to ask questions, hear your answers, and maybe have time to ask you to send the full manuscript. Or maybe, give you a good suggestion on how to make your book (or pitch) better. And lastly,
Make a call for action.
If she does not ask for the full manuscript, it is acceptable to say something like: “May I send you the manuscript to read?” Or if she has indicated your book is not for her, perhaps “May I send you a query on another book I have written?”
And Lastly,
you must sound confident, cheerful, and excited about your book. If you aren’t
confident your book is top quality, why should she be? If you aren’t excited about it, why should she be?
Thanks Jim, great advice.
I’m saving this blog post plus all the comments for the time I get a speed-pitch opportunity at a writers’ conference. This is great stuff. I appreciate it. Re elevator pitches, I always remember the scene from Working Girl where Melanie Griffith had mere seconds to sell her idea. Phew!
Thanks, Melanie. Good to have something in mind. When the opportunity comes, you’re ready.
Jim,
Great advice. Great PRACTICAL advice! A lot of it is common sense, but as they say, sometimes that is not so common. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to be part of “agent” interviews at most of the NETWO Spring Writer’s Conferences over the past several years, and I wish I would have had those tips prior to those interviews. Thank you for taking the time to go over them in your blog.
Thanks for the comment, Mike. I guess I should have done this sooner – but then, I didn’t have a blog a year ago.
Great points Jim.
I’d like to add a few thoughts.
The goal is to leave your meeting with the agent or editor having asked to see more—a sample, a full, whatever. Once they’ve done that, it’s okay to stand up, shake their hand, say thank you and leave. This 10 minutes might net you a new BFF but that’s not what you’re there for, it’s not what the agent is there for and it’s not what the next author is there for while you’re running over into her time, getting chummy with someone who’s polite enough not to ask you to leave.
On confidence. You’ve got to have it. You have it by being prepared. And a little something more works for me. I remind myself that I don’t have to be perfect. Yes, my pitch will be perfect and I’ll be able to answer the questions that the agent will ask me about my book. But it’s okay to be nervous. It’s okay to be unsure of what to do with my hands. It’s okay to stumble over my words. Nobody likes a perfect person, so be prepared but be yourself.
My experience has been, even when the agent has already reviewed a sample, that after introductions, he or she will say something like, Tell me about your book. Or, What’s your book about? That’s your cue. That’s when you give the sentence—My book is about….. It’s one sentence that sums up your book, who the protagonist is and what’s he trying to do. Usually, that brings the questions from the agent. Sometimes not. In that case be ready with your next few sentences. They’ll ask questions and you get to talk about subjects you know best—you and your book. And if that dialog goes well, they’ll ask for more. Get the info on how they want you to send it to them. Thank them and get out—before you say something that makes them regret the invite.
Good info. Thanks for your personal experiences. It helps.
Thanks for the reminder tips~ See you at the conference! I’m excited!
Looking forwartd to seeing yhou at the conference.
Thanks for hitting all those high points we need to remember when pitching. Good article.
Thanks for the comment, Cora.
Thanks, Eileen. Hope it helps your colleagues.
Great information, Jim. Thanks for another useful and interesting blog. This one is already saved on the computer under “Agents” and will be shared with my colleagues.
Great information, Jim, and a great article!
Thanks, John.
As an acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, I’d like to add a few things to Jim’s terrific blog.
There is something we call the Elevator Pitch. This is describing your book in one sentence, or the time for an elevator to go up one floor. Start with that when the agent/editor asks “What’s your book about?”
Look at the agent or publisher’s website. Determine how your novel would fit into their line.Drop a few comparisons with what we publish, we love to hear that you did your homework. Know something about us as people and remark on what you’ve seen on our personal websites. Were you in the military too? That might give you and me an instant connection.
Look presentable. We are also judging how you will represent the house when you get on panels. Speak confidently. Relax. This is a trying experience for us as well.
Don’t hand your printed out novel for us to lug home. Everything is done via computer now and that’s how we’d like to see your material. Take a business card and when you get home send an email telling us how terrific it was to meet us. This reminds us who you are in a sea of faces. Ask if it would be appropriate to send a few chapters and your bio. It gives us time to process after we unpack and get back to our desks.
Don’t think we’re just wasting your time. My publisher and I stunned one author by giving her a contract on the spot after her pitch–without reading more than a few pages of her book. Yes, the magic can happen.
Great advice – as usual – Sunny. And from the perspective of the acquiring agent. (I was going to say straight from the horse’s mouth, but decided against it. — Oops!) And thanks for reminding us NOT to hand the agent a ream of paper.
I think that last point is crucial – be confident. If you’re terrified, then you don’t inspire confidence in yourself or your book.
William Doonan
http://www.themummiesofblogspace9.com
And now, editors and agents want to know if you can stand up sell your book. Confidence helps.
Good tips, Jim. I like your advice to practice in front of a mirror. Hopefully, practice makes perfect!
I don’t know about making it perfect, but it should certainly improve it. Thanks for the comment.
“Close your mouth” and “Leave time for the agent to speak” are my greatest challenges. I have to practice ending a sentence and then stop talking. My nerves want to fill every verbal void! Thanks for reminidng me, Jim.
I’ve had that problem since I was a child. But often, a closed mouth is the best response.
Una boca cerrada, no entran muscas!
Or feet either. Thanks.