To Pitch or not to Pitch

Things are going to be changing around here, folks. I've decided that I'm going to keep the blog for announcements here and there, release information and things I've learned on my writing journey.

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I'm sharing an exclusive excerpt from Mayhem (release August 11) in my July newsletter...it's a super steamy one, folks,  you probably don't want to miss it. 

Now, on to the learning bit...To Pitch or not to Pitch...

One of my goals while at the RT Convention in Dallas was to pitch to agents/editors. That's right...a live, in person pitch to one of those supreme beings who hold all author's dreams in their grasps.

Now, I know that the general consensus among authors is that many of us would rather not do the live and in person thing...it's stressful and pitching in person allows for the opportunity to mess up...which I did...a few times. But I went in with the expectation that this would be a good learning experience at the very least. 

Here's how it went for me:

Pre-Con - I drafted a pitch...wrote it on cue cards and then practiced it with a friend. I was making a lot of mistakes here...reading mostly from the cue cards, in one case I even skipped one of them and lost a huge component of the story in the process (but was too nervous to notice). She gave me some feedback and we adjusted the pitch so that it flowed better. It read like a blurb, which is good but was very scripted...which was maybe not so good...keep reading. 

At various times, the days leading up to the departure, even on the plane, I would pull out my little cue cards and reread them a few times.

Pitch Day 1 - I had two appointments. I was nervous. I basically read from my cue cards. This was not a good idea. I could hear myself reading in an awkward way, my nerves popping out, making it seem like I really didn't know my story well, or was uncomfortable speaking in general (which is not true--I do it every day at work). My voice didn't shine, and my personality was coming across as awkward. Although I did get some good feedback and a request for pages, I knew I had to and could do better.

Pitch Day 2 - I had two appointments and I decided to wing it. Now, by wing it I mean I decided to just be myself, be comfortable and talk about my story. I also used the feedback I got on day one and rolled it into my new pitch...this proved to be an excellent idea because there were some buzz words given to me that got attention right away. So, I walked in, introduced myself, chatted for a bit and then just started talking about my story like I would an old friend that I know very well. And guess what? Day two proved to be VERY fruitful. Two full requests and a lot of enthusiasm. I considered it a major success. 

So, what I've learned from this experience is that it's good to be rehearsed and prepared but it's better to pitch with your heart and trust that your confidence about the story will get you what you want in the end. Your voice and your personalty are just as important as your written words, maybe more so.

I've got some exciting things to share in the next couple of months...and I'll be doing it first on in my newsletter...so sign up!!