Perfect Pitch: Chapter 5

Practicing Pitchcraft

“You need to distill your brilliance, your wisdom, and your expertise into one potent page-long brew that will leave a reader reeling from its power.” -Sheree Bykofsky

1. “The writing you do about writing is as important as the writing itself.” -Katharine Sands
   1. “For fiction I’m really just looking for good writing, I think the letter should really pique my interest in some way.” -Anna Ghosh
2. Reduce your novel to one paragraph…Show Don’t Tell
   1. Setting
   2. Protagonist
   3. Problem He/She Faces
3. Build Your Platform:  How are you already promoting your book?
   1. Interview Yourself-Create Your Pitch
   2. Practice Your Pitch in the Form of a Soundbite
      1. “Pick a set of complementary descriptive words that work well together.” -Katharine Sands
   3. Identify Your Hooks
      1. “The most exciting elements to compel your reader and propel your story.” -Katharine Sands
      2. “The best query letters have a strong hook in the first two lines.” -Sheree Bykofsky
   4. Think of Your Pitch as a Movie Trailer
      1. “Your argument for your book’s life…” -Katharine Sands
      2. “Do the descriptive words, tone, and intention match?” -Katharine Sands
   5. Communicate the Excitement

Agent:  Katharine Sands with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency