Mastering the Verbal Pitch, the Hook, and the Synopsis: Getting the Attention of Publishers and Agents

Agents report that they're flooded with more queries and proposals than ever before, even as publishers cut back the number of books they produce each year. How can you break thr

September 2018 1:00 PM 4:00 PM

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Mastering the Verbal Pitch, the Hook, and the Synopsis: Getting the Attention of Publishers and Agents

Agents report that they're flooded with more queries and proposals than ever before, even as publishers cut back the number of books they produce each year. How can you break thr

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About

Agents report that they’re flooded with more queries and proposals than ever before, even as publishers cut back the number of books they produce each year. How can you break through the noise and get your project noticed? This class will help you step back and see your fiction or nonfiction work through fresh eyes and a business-based perspective. We’ll identify the things that make your work unique, marketable, and irresistible to publishing gatekeepers, and then with lots of examples and time for practice and personal feedback, we’ll work on verbal “elevator pitches,” one-paragraph hooks (great for query letters), and the dreaded synopsis.

Attendees will…

Be challenged to consider their work from a fresh, detached, commercial perspective.
Learn how to condense full-length fiction and nonfiction projects into industry-appropriate 1-2 page synopses, and how to 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.

Instructor:
Beth Jusino is a publishing consultant for both traditional and self-publishing authors, with almost twenty years of experience helping writers navigate the complicated space between manuscript and final book. A former literary agent and marketing director, she’s the author of the award-winning The Author's Guide to Marketing and has ghostwritten or collaborated on half a dozen additional titles. Beth is a member of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild, a regular speaker for Seattle Public Library’s #SeattleWrites workshops, and has taught at writers’ conferences across the country. Visit her online at www.bethjusino.com or on Twitter @bethjusino.