Pitch Your Book so that Publishers Pay Attention

Agents are flooded with more queries and proposals than ever before, even as publishers cut back the number of books they produce each year. 
This is a chance to step back and look at your fiction or nonfiction work through fresh eyes. We’ll identify the things that make your project unique, marketable, and irresistible to publishing gatekeepers, and then, with examples and time for practice and feedback, work on verbal “elevator pitches” and query letters. 
We’ll take a look at the business of books, including the different types of publishing companies, what they offer, and how to identify which houses are good fits for you and your project. We'll dig into your work, and, after a working lunch break where you'll have quiet time to work on your own pitch, you'll have the chance to share your project and get input from the instructor and the group. 
This is also a valuable class for self-publishing writers who want to pitch their books so that readers pay attention.

You will:

• Be challenged to consider your work from a fresh, detached, commercial perspective.
• Learn how to condense full-length fiction and nonfiction projects into industry-appropriate synopses of one or two pages, and identify the compelling “hooks” that make great verbal pitches and query letter descriptions.
• Gain a realistic understanding of what publishers and agents are looking for in new authors, including author platform, compelling concept, and connection to existing popular trends.

Materials

Instructors or Guides