Zarina Docken

Question:

In some conferences, authors are given the chance to pitch to agents. What should authors discuss in these pitch sessions?

Answer:

1. [If you are given 10 minutes] Keep pitch sessions short and sweet. Don't spend your entire 10 minutes doing all the talking. Your pitch should be no longer than 2 minutes. Should include title, genre, short, short description. Let the agent lead you. Does she have questions? comments? And than use the rest of the time to ask her questions. What is she looking for? What advice can she give? What's her agency like? And then ask all of those burning questions that you've been dying to know. Don't be afraid to take notes. It's natural that you're going to be nervous so take notes on any comments the agent is making. That way you will actually remember it.

2. Consider bringing a query/cover later to your pitch session. Just in case. I know agents who will offer to use at least some of that time to edit or comment on letters.

3. Take an agent to lunch (if lunches aren't provided) buy an agent a drink, offer to save the agent a spot at your dinner table. In other words, make an effort to welcome the agent to your conference and make yourself memorable.

4. Collect business cards!

5. Pay attention to what agents are saying. If there's a panel ask the question about what they are specifically looking to add to their lists right now and what they specifically represent. Than talk to each agent who represents the work you write and submit to them according to their guidelines.

6. When you submit after the conference don't just remind the agent that you met, mention where. Did you do lunch? Have a drink? Sit together at dinner? Chat in the lobby? Lounge in the pool?

Enjoy yourself and meet other people. Take the time to actually hang out after dinner events and at happy hours. Some of the best contacts I make are during the unplanned events. Some of the best contacts you can make at conferences are other writers--remember hopefully you'll all be published someday and have agents to give recommendations to.

Equally Entrenched is a literary agent who has requested to remain anonymous.