What Makes a Good Pitch?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Jessica and James have returned from ThrillerFest/Pitchfest and are here to talk about what they think makes a good pitch to an literary agent or editor.
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Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds TH-cam channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds to an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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Since interning at BookEnds as an undergrad in the summer of 2015, James has (basically) never left. He's just continuously level-up-ed inside of BookEnds. Now he is the Literary Assistant and Social Media Manager for the team. He’s been a reader since his mom gave him the first A Series of Unfortunate Events book and ordered the sequels regularly through Scholastic book orders.
James is currently growing his own list and is actively seeking submissions in adult literary and upmarket fiction, mystery, thrillers, and suspense. He is also accepting submissions in all sub-genres of Young Adult fiction, and is actively looking for Picture Books that make him laugh.
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Twitter: bookendslit
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Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks
Thanks - what great advice can you give to newbies to impress agents when pitching on line and you only have like 10 minutes to get your point across on the book
A big thanks for all of these videos. As a new writer navigating the jargon and dialing more and - hopefully - more into what agents and publishers are looking for, these vids really help a lot. Polite passes let some air out; these pump some back in...
I just wanted to say how helpful your videos are! I'm about to attend the SCBWI summer conference for the first time, and all the info you guys have on your channel has been so helpful and made me feel way more prepared for the conference!
THis is so appreciated. Good luck at SCBWI
Thrillerfest was my very first ever writers conference and I don't even write thriller, but I knew pitching my literary fiction and YA books would make me stand out for sure. (It did!) I'm glad you brought that up at the start Jessica. I tell my friends that the agents who attend these conferences still represent other genres. Pitch them whatever they are interested in seeing (as long as it matches their submission guidelines) and make an impression. Be charming! Now I'm gonna sound like Gretchen Wieners, but oh well. "I can't help it that I'm popular." Ahahahahaha..ok now I'm sad.
Love this - I’m about to attend my first conference and have four pitch appointments. Am vaguely concerned I’ll be so happy to have the chat that I’ll forget about the pitch 🤣
Good luck!! Hopefully they steer you back on track if necessary 😁
I love the conversations that you have! Please keep them coming :)
We plan on it!
@@BookEndsLiterary Woohoo!
Thank you for giving so much great advice! I look forward to more of your videos!
I don't think I would be flying over to do a pitch in the US in the nearest 300 years, but it would go like this: Hi, I'm Anna Maledon. A Polish girl with a French surname living in Scotland. And I love picture books about chickens, but I'm afraid of the real ones. And I would wear a burgundy T-shirt that says "I'm not quiet. I'm plotting."
"Oh the pitch itself... I didn't prepare anything" 😂😂 I wish I lived in the U.S so I could go to these meets 😭
I wished I love closer to NYC :)
Same. Australia here. Where are you from?
@@ClintLoweTube South Africa!:)
@@eleanorthereader cool
@@eleanorthereader have u been in a great white shark cage? I'd like to one day.
As always - thank you. How I wish I could have been at the pitch fest.
Us too! It's a wonderful conference
These videos have been so helpful for me, most of all because ya'll are so realistic! I had this idea in my head where professionals in publishing are like the little person author in ELF, all business and angry. 🤦
Hahaha! Glad we can dispel that. It's one of our goals with the channel.
Wish I could have been there! Thanks as always.
Always such great advice!!
Nice audio upgrade (and video)!
Thanks! :)
Are U.S. agents put off by Australian authors?
Not at all
@@BookEndsLiterary cool
You really cannot get into a genuine conversation with 3-minutes on the clock.
Why do you demand a pitch as well as a query and a synopsis?
I'm not a performer. How many hoops does a Writer have to jump through for you to consider the value of a story, rather than the performing talent of the Writer?
I don't understand all of your demands.
Your pitch is part of your query letter. If you need to understand the necessity of a synopsis, there's another video on the channel you could watch.
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