First: What is included?
- A couple paragraph summary of the book. This is more likely the kind of copy you'd find on the back of a book. It should be punchy, to the point, and invitational to the reader. Your goal is to woo and editor and/or agent enough to make them long to read the story.
- Another option is to write your one sentence summary of the book at the top of your one sheet before you get into the nitty gritty of the story. This is that punchy, amazing summary that nutshells your story. For great advice about creating those one-sentence pitches, go to Randy Ingerman's blog here.
- Graphics. D'Ann's designs are clean and don't detract from her story. She uses readable fonts and a simple picture.
- Bio. You'll want to highlight awards you've won (if applicable...don't make one up!), publishing credits, important affiliations.
- A picture of cute you. Please, folks, shell out the cahuna for a professional picture. Do not crop you out of your family. Don't try to be cool and photoshop yourself with impressionist dots. Get an amazing picture, preferrably taken outside, with a photographer who has a killer lens and great lighting.
- Your contact information.
No more suspense. Here are D'Ann's examples:
One Thin Ribbon of Road (contemporary women's fiction)
Monkey in the Middle (legal suspense)
Stumble It!
4 comments:
What perfect timing! I'm going to a conference soon and have been needing this exact info. Question: at a conference, is it kosher to just have your one sheet in-hand, ready to pass around, or is it more appropriate to ask if agents and editors want to see it first? I'm a newbie, so please pardon my ignorance. I'm learning all of this for the first time.
Thanks for the great work you're doing!
Grace to you,
Matt Jones
Jenks, OK
Matt,
Just have several with you (in a file or your briefcase) during the conference. They're perfect to hand to an editor during an appointment. Having something to go through together like that helps you calm down, knowing you will share what needs to be shared. Sometimes the editors will take them. Sometimes they won't.
Great information as many of us prepare for upcoming conferences! A quick question--on some example pitch sheets, I'm finding different tenses that leave me scratching my head a bit. Should the one-page pitch be present active to pull the reader in? Or, is going from present active to past active on the same sheet permissible?
It's usually best to keep things in the present tense, and keep it consistently so.
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