Alan Rinzler

Consulting Editor

The blog for writers

The Book Deal

The new author pitch: Show, don’t sell

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Authors today need a whole new attitude toward the all-important pitch.

Until now, the author pitch was defined as a hard-sell verbal punch to persuade agents and editors to take on their book. It was typically brief, high-concept, often hyperbolic and was designed to convince the agent standing there that the book was fabulous and so was the author.

But as with everything else in the book business, pitching too has changed, evolving with the times into something different and actually much more interesting.

Choosing the right pitch for the job

Like all good pitchers on the mound, authors today need a few tricks up their sleeves. They need to choose the right pitch for the job, taking aim directly at readers, retailers, social networks and media. Unlike the old arm-twisting approach, the new pitch doesn’t try to persuade these folks they’re going to love your book.

Instead you let them know what you’ve written in a way that makes them want to read it. Your goal is to hear back: “Sounds interesting. How do I get a copy?”

The new approach

The new pitch isn’t a hard sell or painful duty, but rather an extension of your creative process. This is a very different approach. It’s all about using the right words to represent your work. The oldest adage about good writing also applies here: Show, don’t tell. And by extension: Show, don’t sell.

Three new developments — the etiquette of the softer sell, online connectivity and independent self-publishing — have revolutionized pitching. These have opened up a whole new world of alternative ways to craft different types of pitches, depending on your specific book and what it needs. The new pitch may be delivered or written directly to potential readers, reviewers, book bloggers, feature writers, interviewers – and it may be in person or online.

In many cases, the author has no intention of seeking either an agent or a conventional publisher. For those writers seeking a traditional book deal, however, pitches may still be directed at an agent or acquisitions editor, either in writing or at face-to-face writers conferences with blind-date or ask-the-pro sessions.

The new author pitch in action

Pitching directly to readers

Feature a short description of your book on your website. In this case, I recommend a one-paragraph straightforward description. No excessive adjectives or adverbs. Just very well-crafted essential information about the book’s story and characters, whether it’s a novel, romance, mystery, YA, memoir or nonfiction how-to book.

You can also pitch on your blog, but in a different manner. The interactive features built into blogs provide the opportunity to discuss the process of your writing, offer sample chunks or chapters, and invite feedback. You can establish a dialogue with your readers to captivate their interest and increases the potential for ultimate sales.

In both cases the reader gets to know you without your having to deliver a rapid-fire biography, including credits, education, track record, and other forms of visibility, media and otherwise. That traditional platform pitch can appear elsewhere on your website under an “author” tab, and it can be as long as necessary.

Pitching to a social network

This kind of pitch involves reaching out to comment on other websites and blogs where you can be helpful and offer a contribution. It can include tweeting, with either links or referrals, or by distilling selections of your content into 140-character haikus. It could also include creating an Instagram account, either to sell yourself as the author, the characters you’ve created, or the book itself. One approach is to pose as one of your characters, pretending to be them and creating a sense that your character is real. If you go down this route, consider heading to a site like Twicsy to buy followers – it’s an assured way to grow your following quickly.

Social networking is like entering a cafe or front-porch conversation, and adding your two cents about the topic under discussion. This is the most subtle form of pitching and requires a keen sense of online etiquette. Don’t begin by saying you’re an expert, and expect everyone to sit up and listen. Be altruistic, service- oriented, and keep yourself out of it on a personal level until you’ve established some ongoing connections.

A variation on this approach is a pitch to book bloggers who build powerful websites with dialogue that usually focuses on a particular genre. They discuss, review, interview and generally chat up a storm about a book or author they like. These days traditional publishers are courting book bloggers who have tremendous influence in a particular field. We’ve known for years, for example, that Mommy bloggers are well organized and have created many bestsellers in parenting and baby care categories. And the legendary self-publishing phenom Amanda Hocking reached her multimillion sales level only after going viral with book bloggers who specialized in YA vampire romances.

Pitching to retailers

It takes courage to walk into a bookstore and talk about your book. Reading or memorizing isn’t natural and can appear canned, so the best technique is old-fashioned sincerity. This means telling the truth – you’ve worked hard, you care about this book, you want them to read it and give it a chance on their shelves, or better yet on the front table if they will agree to a reading and author signing. It can help if it’s your neighborhood bookstore, where you browse and shop regularly. But ultimately the proof will be in the pudding: will the buyer believe in you enough to sample the content and will they like it. Bookstores will be especially interested if you can guarantee crowd of local friends who’ll fill seats and buy a stack of copies.

Pitching to the media

Local print and broadcast media are always looking for material about local authors and their work. They have space to fill with material to attract advertisers. Offering them a sample of your book or interview may be done with a carefully written press release, or, if their internal process is more informal and easily accessed, you can call them up or go into their offices. In either case, they’ll want to hear a short description of who you are, since there may be a strong local personality hook, and also what you’ve written, particularly if you’re known in the community or the content has a local angle.

Pitching to the virtual media takes less dressing up. There are many websites that feature book reviews, interviews, and samples of new books, usually self-published but occasionally from traditional houses. Here, as always, the drill is to be authentic, brief, and provide either content or service that fits their purpose.

The video pitch

In the YouTube era, your visually delivered pitch doesn’t have to be slick, heavily scripted, or shot with fancy cameras and lights. Put your digital camera on a tripod or ask a member of your family to shoot you at your desk or walking outside. Again, don’t read, just be yourself. Tell us the story, how and why you wrote the book, and why it’s important to you. Enough said. This variety of pitch can be directed at your readers, or as a link when approaching busy retailers, book bloggers, and media professionals.

What about you?

Have a few tricks up your sleeve? We look forward to hearing about your experiences in the age of the new author pitch.

Comments

  2. Alan Rinzler you are a gift to writers! Everyone of your posts inspires me and teaches me something new, as well as your readers comments. Now I just have to wrap my mind around all of the info and do something with it.

  5. It’s so heartening to see so many people here who are aware of the importance of politeness. In general, consider asking yourself: “Would I do this in person?” If not–if you can’t picture shoving your book in someone’s face while commenting on something they’ve said–then leave it alone.
    In terms of the social media, don’t forget to leverage your LinkedIn network. If you’re professional friends with them, odds are they know you’re working on a book, so use that knowledge wisely and gently.
    Great post, Alan. Thanks for sharing your insight and experience!

  6. Pete

    Thanks for sending us the link to the Anti-Spam Public Service Message. It’s brilliant and I both agree with the message and really enjoyed the style.

    Well done! Hope everyone watches it more than once.

    Alan

  7. Great post, Alan. I’ve already tweeted the link. Another point not often discussed is that it helps to enjoy the social networking, be out there and involved because it’s fun and connects us with other people. I live in the country and find the interaction a great morale boost to balance the solitude of writing. The “do as you would be done by” is also valuable advice, Carmen. And please if posting a link on Twitter, give us a clue why you’re sharing, so we have an incentive to click through.

  9. I started my blog while writing my book, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story. Since then my content has evolved as my focus changed to marketing and learning. My content and networking is directed at a specific audience concerned with PTSD awareness. I see all of my work as long term and a personal passion. I really have no idea how all of this will translate to big sales.

  10. The old adage: do unto others as you would want them to to do unto you works for me. I never liked the hard sell from salesmen. I always responded to the oblique soft sell better. So, I use the soft sell in my approach for publicity about me and my books. I offer advice about a subject and mention that I covered same in my book. And when I suggest someone check out my web site, I suggest first that they check out my writing tips page for helpful writing suggestions. Being pushy is annoying, which is a turnoff to most people. And when I’m out in public, and I see a person reading on a Kindle, I ask her/him what they’re reading, what they like to read, etc. and I mention what I like to read and we establish a reading rapport, before I mention that my books are also available on the Kindle. Another good approach, is to talk about the back story of how your book was created. Readers love to hear the story behind the story. It piques their curiosity. It never failed for me at book fairs. Readers sense when you’re sincere. You love books. They love books. You write books, and you like to talk about the germ idea creativity behind the book’s creation, and they like to hear about it. It’s a win-win situation.

  11. Great post and tips too… At this modern and competitive age, it is now becoming a challenge for authors to attract more readers, although there are more convenient ways to do so. However,all it requires is finding the right strategy to reach into your readers and making use of the right resources diligently. It may take a few more hours of your time plus added effort but it is all worth it at the end.

  12. CC

    Hawking your book when commenting on a blog won’t sell copies. My suggestion is to offer only helpful comments on a blog, in service to the topic or question.

    The place to mention your book is on your own website, blog, video, press release, tweet, FaceBook, or other technique in a way that doesn’t hard sell but offers enough information and sampling to make the reader want to pick up a copy.

  13. I’m getting ready to self-pub a book and have been totally conflicted about self-promotion. I’m hooked into many, many blogs where nearly every person who comments is hawking a book, and that has rarely compelled me to buy it. And that’s not good, considering I’m fairly easy to “sell to.” But, if writers hold back and don’t mention their book because of the flood of self-promo everywhere and all-the-time and in-your-face, how else are writers ever going to get it out there? Great article. Thanks.

  14. Andy,

    Sounds like you’re doing all the right things: Offering your work free online, providing helpful advice, making an inexpensive YouTube trailer that looks slick. You are, in fact, building your platform with this kind of polite and subtle pitching.

    Good work!

  15. My own experience is that I’m eager to pitch a book, but it’s simply difficult to get agents/editors/publishers in the traditional industry to listen to a self-published author. I’m instead focusing on three things:

    1) Give away ebooks: As a self-published author, I can’t afford to send physical books everywhere. But I can with ebooks. It costs me nothing, and hopefully I’ll get a review or advertising from the effort.

    2) Work on “passive” advertising: I participate and leave my references in forums. I don’t pitch my work directly, but try to be more polite about it, offer helpful advice, and leave links to me for anyone interested. I’ve created cheap youtube-hosted book trailers that look pretty darn slick.

    3) Joe Konrath has a good philosophy: It’s more important to offer a service, rather than to pitch your particular book of the month. This forces me to work on a platform and a long-term build of a fan base.

  17. Great post, Alan. It’s good news/bad news for reserved authors like me – the old style pitching didn’t feel natural but the new pitching requires a lot of work, staying in touch on the web. I’m just starting to get into it. I think the new pitching can be more honest because there’s a lot of emphasis on the unique personality of each author and their work.

  19. Your advice makes a lot of sense. Figuring out how to pitch has been kicking my figurative tuchas. I’ve found that it’s one thing to read up on how to do it and another thing entirely to apply it effectively to my book. I shall revise again. Thanks.

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