The Art of Pitching – The Pitch Sheet

One of the best ways to get ready to verbally pitch your manuscript is to develop a pitch sheet. You can use it as a reference when practicing your pitch. Also, if an editor or agent is interested in your manuscript, you can give it to them as you leave.

Make the heading on your pitch sheet the title of your book in bold, capital letters. Underneath your title, list the genre, then your byline followed by the heading Short Synopsis. When typing your pitch sheet use the same font and margins as your manuscript. It can be double or single spaced but no longer than one page. The purpose of the pitch sheet is to get all the information you need on a single sheet of paper.

Questions

Think about the following questions when writing your pitch sheet: What is the “hook” in your story? What about your story will intrigue your readers and will capture their attention? What are the obstacles preventing your main character from achieving his/her goal? How does your story end? What makes your book different from other books like yours? How could a teacher use your book in the classroom? Why did you write your book?

Show Your Enthusiasm

Answering the question, why you wrote the book gives you a place to show your passion for your work. Enthusiasm is contagious. Your want the editor or agent to catch it!

Sample Pitch Sheet

THOMAS NAST: POLITICAL CARTOONIST

Biography

By Lynda Pflueger

Short Synopsis

Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, believed that right was right and wrong was wrong. He took it upon himself to bring down the notoriously corrupt “Boss” William Tweed, who ran New York City after the Civil War. His drawings unnerved Tweed and he wanted the damn pictures stopped. Tweed tried to bribe, threaten and scarce Nast. But nothing worked. Nast was determined to put him behind bars. And he did.

Eventually, Nast became a folk hero. Many people waited to see what his drawings had to say before they took their stand on an issue. Nast loved Santa Claus and refined Santa’s image to the one we recognize today. He also created the political symbols of Republican Elephant and the Democratic Donkey. (Share drawing.)

Nast’s biography could be used by teachers of social studies, United States history and art from 4th to 12th grade while teaching the following topics: biography, civil war, art history, editorial or political cartoons, drawing caricatures, political corruption, immigration, propaganda, and symbolism.

I discovered Thomas Nast while researching an article on collecting at my local library. A book fell from the shelf above and hit me on the head. It was about a man who collected political cartoons. His favorite cartoonist was Thomas Nast. I was intrigued by Nast’s story and his sense of humor. He often drew caricatures of himself. (Share drawing.)

I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and have published several nonfiction articles for children in Magazines. Would you be interested in seeing a proposal for my biography of Thomas Nast?

Contact Information: Lynda Pflueger, www.lyndapflueger.com, ldkpflueger@att.net

Last Tip

My final tip is always be ready for this question – What else do you have? The editor or agent may be impressed with your pitch but aren’t interested in your topic. So, be ready to pitch another project. No editor or agent wants “a one book client.”