Agent Pitch Sessions

AGENT PITCH SESSIONS

This page updated 7/22/06 to include: YES, your confirmation FROM THE REGISTRAR (not your PayPal receipt) must be sent with your manuscript! We can't accept one without the other.

Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency will take a limited number of pitches of approximately 10 minutes each on Saturday and Sunday. Pitches will be filled on a first come/first served basis. Please indicate your first and second preference for Saturday or Sunday for your pitch session on the Agent Pitch Session Request Form. Participants attending both Saturday and Sunday sessions increase their chance of getting a pitch appointment. There is no additional charge for a pitch session.

Check out the Agent Pitch FAQ for more info.

To sign up for an Agent Pitch Session, send the following to the Critique Coordinator:

A completed AGENT PITCH SESSION REQUEST FORM.
Proof of conference registration from the registrar (copy of email confirmation, postcard) Note that your PayPal confirmation is NOT proof--this must go to the Registrar and she will send you confirmation of your registration– Pitch request will not be considered without this.

Cheryl Reifsnyder, Manuscript Critique Coordinator
1019 Vivian Circle Boulder, CO 80303

IMPORTANT: If you sign up for the Critique Clinique and are selected for an editorial critique and receive an agent pitch session, you must choose EITHER the editorial critique OR the agent pitch session-you cannot do both. Please indicate your preference on the AGENT PITCH SESSION REQUEST FORM.

Questions about the Agent Pitch Session? Contact Cheryl Reifsnyder at nai@bytehenge.com.

Please note that even if you do not receive a pitch, the agent will accept submissions after the Conference from attendees and is happy to visit with you during the Conference.

AGENT PITCH SESSION FAQ

What is a pitch?

A pitch is a chance for you to quickly describe your picture book or novel to an agent in a way that makes him or her to want to see the whole manuscript. You should also be prepared to answer questions about other projects and your career goals. Some things to think about as you prepare your pitch:

You should be able to summarize your book or books in one to two sentences. If you can't, it's possible you aren't sure what your story is about and the manuscript may not be ready to submit to an agent, let alone publishers.
Prepare a slightly more detailed summary (like blurbs on the inside cover of a book jacket), something you could use in an elevator between floors if someone asked, "So what's your book about?"
Have a sense of the potential market for the book and what other books are out there (or not) that are similar, as well as what makes yours unique.
Prepare your pitch ahead of time and practice it so you can optimize your time with the agent.
Be professional, courteous, and aware of others waiting their turn with the agent.

For more advice on pitching, see "The Perfect Pitch: Pitching to Agents at a Writing Conference" by Sue Fagalde Lick http://www.writing-world.com/publish/pitch.shtml

How do you select who receives an agent pitch?

Pitches are assigned on a first come, first served basis. You must have registered and paid for the conference to be eligible to receive a pitch.

I received an agent pitch for Sunday. Can I just attend Sunday and have my pitch?

No. You must have registered and paid for Saturday and Sunday to receive your agent pitch on Sunday.

I can only attend on Saturday. Can I still put Sunday as my second choice for a pitch session?

No. If you are unable to attend Sunday's sessions, just indicate Saturday as your choice for your pitch session.

I want to have an agent pitch if I don't get an editorial critique but I won't know about the editorial critique before all of the pitch sessions are taken. What do I do?

Register for the Conference, register for the Critique Clinique per Clinique instructions, and submit an Agent Pitch Session Request Form per the Pitch instructions. Make sure you make the August 5 RECEIVED BY deadline! Finally, make sure you indicate which appointment you would prefer on the AGENT PITCH SESSION REQUEST FORM in the event that you get both an agent pitch and an editorial critique so we can fill as many spots for both as possible.