"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Friday, July 12, 2013

Speed Dating Pitch Session

Sitting across the table from an editor or agent and pitching an unpublished manuscript is scary enough, but to do so for a room full of those professionals can be even more daunting. More and more editors and agents are participating in conference “speed dating” pitch sessions.

You sit down with a literary agent or editor you choose, and take approximately 90 seconds to pitch your work.
You’ll immediately get about 90 seconds of constructive feedback, tips to improve your pitch or storyline, and possibly - a request to see more of your work.
Then you move on to the next agent or editor and start the process all over again. I get nervous just thinking about it!

Writer’s Digest is just one of many conferences offering this form of “speed dating pitch slam.” For a list of editors and agents participating in the September conference or to see tips on preparing for one of these sessions, read here: https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/61986/117549/

Have you ever participated in a “speed dating pitch slam”? How did it go? Would you ever consider signing up for one?

8 comments:

D.G. Hudson said...

I've never done a pitch-slam, and don't think I'd like it. I could do it, but how much value can you get from 90 seconds?? Do they charge for such a small amount of time?

The writing conference where I last pitched my scifi allowed 10-15 mins with each pitch and crit appt. If you buy a ticket, you book these ahead, if not you take your chances at getting an appt.

If you decide to do one, hope you'll share your experience.

Unknown said...

I don't think this is for me, but the right person could really make it work for her.You in?

Sylvia Ney said...

D.G. and Jan - I don't think I'll make it to the Writer's Digest one, but I'm seeing quite a few conferences offering this. If I make it to one offering this opportunity, I might try it. If nothing else, it's good practice! ;-)

Martha said...

That just sounds crazy! I'd be way too nervous to ever do it!

Erin Kane Spock said...

I was horrible during my pitch sessions last year. The agents probably thought I was on crack. I'm praying for calm confidence this year and proof that I have some English language skills.

Anonymous said...

Wow. 90 seconds doesn't seem like enough face to face time let alone pitch time. I'd be willing to give it a try though.

jan said...

I did the Writers Digest pitch-slam with my first novel: 500 writers in a single room with 50 agents. In two hours, I only pitched three of them, the lines were so long. And it was SO noisy. Other than that, I kinda liked the challenge...

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

I've never participated in a pitch slam, and the idea terrifies me. Happily, I DID find an agent for my MG mystery through querying. But I suppose a pitch slam can be productive, the way you described it.