No really, listen. My goal for fall 2018 was to start pitching to literary agents. I have my top five list, what they are looking for and what to send them. I was on par to get things our right after Thanksgiving but what had happened was…
A wake-up call. And not just a normal “get up,” it was a “you need to wake up and put your best foot out there” type of alarm.
Here’s how it started. When you’re pitching to literary agents, there are several pieces of materials that they like to have to review your work;
- A query letter
- The first three chapters or a portion of your book, and
- A synopsis
Each piece is for different reasons. A query letter introduces your work including your word count, the genre (multiple if they fit), the audience and the pitch. The pitch is why that literary agent should even read the first line of your book; what makes your piece stand out from the million on potential authors; and how it can make money.
Submitting the first three chapters are self-explanatory but you want to ensure that they are edited and hopefully you’ve had a few beta readers to really hone in your piece.
And finally the synopsis, which is a full summary of your book — beginning to end. Usually, this is a 2-5 page document that speaks to the plot, narrative arc, and how the piece ends. Yep, you’re giving away the book but this helps agents to examine the potential of the book in depth.
The hope is after all these items are reviewed, the agent wants to read the full book…and then the real journey begins. So, in saying all this, I’m getting there and plan to start pitching in this month.
Are you in pitching mode too? Here are a few articles that I found helpful along this journey.
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