Tuesday, October 5, 2010

TUESDAY TIDBITS: What's Your Best Pitch?

I know that for many of you, the question above is colored by MLB's "Hunt for October." Images of Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez (pictured below) come to mind. I certainly understand... 'tis the season, after all!


But, I am not talking about heaters, sliders, change-ups,  breaking balls, or knuckle balls. I am talking about Pitching Your Story to an agent or editor. It's likely more nerve wracking than standing on the mound as Albert Pujols walks to the plate with 2 outs. An MLB pitcher has a stable of pitches at his disposal, not to mention three strikes to get you out.

When you pitch to an agent or editor you have ONE (1) chance to make an impression. Sound daunting...? It is!

Never fear, though, I have found three very sound posts that helped me distill my pitch. Hopefully they can help you as well.

How To Write A One Sentence Pitch

How To Write The One Sentence, One Paragraph, and Two Paragraph Pitch

11 Questions For Crafting A Pitch

I am participating in a pitch contest over at Market My Words and here is my 2 sentence pitch:

"When a prince in ancient Greece is forced by his father to compete in the games that already claimed his brothers' lives, he tangles with a brash competitor who'll stop at nothing to win. The prince's biggest test comes when he falls for a mysterious local girl at the games who spirals him toward a fight-to-the-death for her hand."

That's what I'm entering, so any comments you all have would be appreciated. By all means, tell me what you think.

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