Comments on: CTW: Pitching Strikes http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/ Thu, 17 May 2012 02:45:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-240 Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy Sat, 30 May 2009 17:56:43 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-240 Hi Becke! Happy to 'see' you here also! GOOD ON YOUR CP! She is a peach for forcing you to practice that pitch! My fingers are xxed that you hear some positive news soon. And good GOOD luck at the Lori Foster event (and hope you win the Romance Bandit Basket)! I don't have a scheduled appointment at National this year either, but I will definitely be ready with a quick pitch if the opportunity arises. And MANY MANY times they do arise, so take note everyone and remember the scout motto: Be Prepared! AC Hi Becke!

Happy to ‘see’ you here also!

GOOD ON YOUR CP! She is a peach for forcing you to practice that pitch! My fingers are xxed that you hear some positive news soon. And good GOOD luck at the Lori Foster event (and hope you win the Romance Bandit Basket)!

I don’t have a scheduled appointment at National this year either, but I will definitely be ready with a quick pitch if the opportunity arises. And MANY MANY times they do arise, so take note everyone and remember the scout motto: Be Prepared!

AC

]]> By: Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-239 Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy Sat, 30 May 2009 17:51:30 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-239 Hi Kelsey! Thank you again for inviting me and doing such great interview questions! Sorry if my answers were a bit incoherent yesterday. I'm feeling much better today. I hope some of my info proves helpful to anyone pitching at National. Best of luck to all who are and though I probably don't deserve any credit, I'll happily take any I can get! ;-) Oh and there's nothing I like better than trading travel stories, so definitely look for me in the bar! AC Hi Kelsey!
Thank you again for inviting me and doing such great interview questions! Sorry if my answers were a bit incoherent yesterday. I’m feeling much better today. I hope some of my info proves helpful to anyone pitching at National. Best of luck to all who are and though I probably don’t deserve any credit, I’ll happily take any I can get! ;-)

Oh and there’s nothing I like better than trading travel stories, so definitely look for me in the bar!

AC

]]> By: Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-238 Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy Sat, 30 May 2009 17:46:22 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-238 Tracey, I think it was a real revelation for me to realize that the editors and agents are just like us! I mean, I knew it on one level but it is hard to accept when (like me) you've put these people on a pedestal for so long! But they really do need us writers, and they never know when they might be talking to the Next Bestseller! :-) And thank you for the compliment on my book cover. I can take no credit whatsoever, it was all the work of the Sourcebooks Art Department, who have done an equally fantastic job on my second cover! You can check it out on my website or blog. AC Tracey,

I think it was a real revelation for me to realize that the editors and agents are just like us! I mean, I knew it on one level but it is hard to accept when (like me) you’ve put these people on a pedestal for so long! But they really do need us writers, and they never know when they might be talking to the Next Bestseller! :-)

And thank you for the compliment on my book cover. I can take no credit whatsoever, it was all the work of the Sourcebooks Art Department, who have done an equally fantastic job on my second cover! You can check it out on my website or blog.

AC

]]> By: Becke Martin http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-237 Becke Martin Sat, 30 May 2009 15:16:02 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-237 Loucinda! I'm excited to see you here! I did my first pitch a couple of weeks ago, and it was utterly terrifying. It was a good practice pitch because the editor was visiting my RWA chapter and offered to take pitches for stories that might better suit the sister company to her company (Thomas Dunne). She said she would pass on the info to the appropriate editors if anything caught her interest. Twenty of us pitched and although she requested queries from all of us, no one has heard back yet (either way). My pitch went well, largely because one of my critique partners forced me to practice it on her, over and over, before it was my turn to pitch. I have an editor pitch scheduled at Lori Foster's event and, even though I couldn't schedule an official appointment at National, I'm hoping for a chance to do an elevator pitch. I can see I need to do more work on this -- your example helped a lot! Loucinda! I’m excited to see you here! I did my first pitch a couple of weeks ago, and it was utterly terrifying. It was a good practice pitch because the editor was visiting my RWA chapter and offered to take pitches for stories that might better suit the sister company to her company (Thomas Dunne). She said she would pass on the info to the appropriate editors if anything caught her interest. Twenty of us pitched and although she requested queries from all of us, no one has heard back yet (either way).

My pitch went well, largely because one of my critique partners forced me to practice it on her, over and over, before it was my turn to pitch.

I have an editor pitch scheduled at Lori Foster’s event and, even though I couldn’t schedule an official appointment at National, I’m hoping for a chance to do an elevator pitch. I can see I need to do more work on this — your example helped a lot!

]]> By: KelseyBrowning http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-236 KelseyBrowning Sat, 30 May 2009 11:41:36 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-236 Carrie - Please contact me at Kelsey@RomanceUniversity.org or Kelsey@KelseyBrowning.com. You've won a copyof Aunty Cindy's book! Carrie – Please contact me at Kelsey@RomanceUniversity.org or Kelsey@KelseyBrowning.com. You’ve won a copyof Aunty Cindy’s book!

]]> By: KelseyBrowning http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-234 KelseyBrowning Sat, 30 May 2009 02:04:44 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-234 Loucinda - Thanks so much for making the time to be with us today, especially after a medical procedure! Now that is dedication. Your post was wonderful, and for those of us pitching at Nationals, we'll credit you with our success if we get requests :). Thanks again and I can't wait to read The Wild Sight. Also - we need to trade travel stories sometime. Maybe over a glass of wine in DC? Kelsey Loucinda -

Thanks so much for making the time to be with us today, especially after a medical procedure! Now that is dedication. Your post was wonderful, and for those of us pitching at Nationals, we’ll credit you with our success if we get requests :) .

Thanks again and I can’t wait to read The Wild Sight.

Also – we need to trade travel stories sometime. Maybe over a glass of wine in DC?

Kelsey

]]> By: Tracey Devlyn http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-233 Tracey Devlyn Sat, 30 May 2009 00:47:58 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-233 BTW, I love, love, love your book cover!! BTW, I love, love, love your book cover!!

]]> By: Tracey Devlyn http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Tracey Devlyn Sat, 30 May 2009 00:47:01 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-232 Hi Loucinda! Thanks so much for joining us. My first-ever pitch lasted 3 out of the allotted 7 minutes. After the editor slid her biz card to me and requested a partial, I snatched the card off the table and said, "Is that it?" (Politely, of course, but with just the right amount of bewilderment) She smiled and said, "That's it." I still don't know to this day if that was a good thing, bad thing, or normal thing. Although I never heard back from her, so... Anyhoo, one of the most helpful tidbits I learned at that small conference is that the editors and agents are just as nervous as you. This came straight from an editor panel. For some reason, that info took the edge off. I was still nervous, but not crazy nervous. So, take a deep breath, Laurie, and pretend like your having a nice chat over cocktails. Good luck! Thanks, Loucinda. Loved your class!! Hi Loucinda!
Thanks so much for joining us. My first-ever pitch lasted 3 out of the allotted 7 minutes. After the editor slid her biz card to me and requested a partial, I snatched the card off the table and said, “Is that it?” (Politely, of course, but with just the right amount of bewilderment) She smiled and said, “That’s it.” I still don’t know to this day if that was a good thing, bad thing, or normal thing. Although I never heard back from her, so…

Anyhoo, one of the most helpful tidbits I learned at that small conference is that the editors and agents are just as nervous as you. This came straight from an editor panel. For some reason, that info took the edge off. I was still nervous, but not crazy nervous. So, take a deep breath, Laurie, and pretend like your having a nice chat over cocktails. Good luck!

Thanks, Loucinda. Loved your class!!

]]> By: Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy Fri, 29 May 2009 22:35:18 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-231 Hey Gillian! Great to 'see' you here! Thanx a bunch for stopping by, appreciate your support as always. HUGS! AC Hey Gillian!

Great to ‘see’ you here! Thanx a bunch for stopping by, appreciate your support as always.

HUGS!
AC

]]> By: Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/05/29/pitching-strikes/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy Fri, 29 May 2009 22:31:55 +0000 http://romanceuniversity.org/?p=386#comment-230 Hi Laurie, Gee, I wish I could lie to you and say, "Oh yeah! This pitching thing is a piece of cake, eventually." But I'm a terrible liar. :-( The truth is, that some aspects of it, like nerves, really don't get that better. However, if you practice it enough times, you will feel more confident, and diving right in truly is the best way. Also, after you've done it a few times, you'll begin to realize that editors and agents are mere mortals same as us writers. Honest, they are! ;-) GO YOU on this first round of pitching! AC Hi Laurie,

Gee, I wish I could lie to you and say, “Oh yeah! This pitching thing is a piece of cake, eventually.” But I’m a terrible liar. :-( The truth is, that some aspects of it, like nerves, really don’t get that better. However, if you practice it enough times, you will feel more confident, and diving right in truly is the best way. Also, after you’ve done it a few times, you’ll begin to realize that editors and agents are mere mortals same as us writers. Honest, they are! ;-)

GO YOU on this first round of pitching!

AC

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