Putting yourself out there...

One of the things I've realized recently is that I'm not the only person who gets freaked out by the thought of a face-to-face pitch. Whether it be with an editor or an agent...you're still having to put yourself in a situation where you look someone in the eyes and try to sell yourself.

When I pitched this last weekend at my OKRWA mini-conference, I knew I'd be extremely lucky if I could sound halfway intelligent. I also knew that so many others were just as nervous and I wouldn't be the only one to walk in and stumble my way through the pitch. To be honest...the only thing I remember is that I did one thing right - I did my homework.

One of the key things I can honestly recommend is that you do a search on who it is you're pitching to. Know the line and key elements that the line or publisher is known for. The conversation became easy and relaxed when I discussed several of the authors she'd published, books I had read.

Another bit of advice...have a high concept pitch ready and practice, practice, practice. Narrow your storyline down to a basic book cover blurb. Talk about how your book fits the line but is unique. I was able to compare my writing to a favorite author in the line and the storyline was similar to a light paranormal concept similar to another author being published by the editor. But it was unique because...blah, blah, blah. And know the key turning points which highlights the relationship and how it progresses.

Remember...the romance is the selling point. The GMC of the characters is essential to the turning points and progression of the story. Know your black moment and resolution. What helped me is that I had a basic 2 page synopsis I'd studied, but I'm not sure if I was able to spit it out in a way that made sense. LOL! At least I have my first one-on-one pitch...well, two actually, under my belt and out of the way. I know what to expect now. I don't honestly know if that will make a difference next time.

Here are a couple of links that helped...

http://www.screenplaymastery.com/3MinutePitch.htm

http://writerunboxed.com/2006/09/15/interview-michael-hauge-part-1/

http://www.kathycarmichael.com/pitch.generator.html

And remember to breathe...without hyperventilating!