Take the Pressure out of Pitching
The opportunity to pitch your book to an agent at a writing conference can be unnerving, even if you have done so before. In this workshop with literary agent Sorche Fairbank, learn the elements of a good pitch and more importantly, how to become fluent in your story. Becoming fluent in your story means that no matter who asks what your book is about, or when or where they ask it, you can spin a compelling and effective pitch at a moment’s notice. In the conference setting, you want to make sure you have the most important information at hand, control over your pitch, and to be ready with answers the agent may have, or even questions of your own. Even if you are not planning to pitch right now, learning what works will have you ready when the time is right. Individual practice and feedback included as time permits.
Sorche Fairbank
Sorche Fairbank’s (pronounced Sorka) Fairbank Literary Representation is happily in its eighteenth year. It is a small, selective agency and member of AAR, the Author's Guild, the Agents Round Table, PEN, and Grub Street's Literary Advisory Council. Clients range from first-time authors to international best-sellers, prize winning-journalists to professionals at the top of their fields. They can be found with all the major publishers, as well as in the New York Times, Harper’s, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Granta, Best American Short Stories, and more.
Sorche’s tastes tend toward literary and international fiction; big memoir that goes beyond the me-moir; topical or narrative non-fiction with a strong interest in women’s voices, global perspectives, and class and race issues; children's picture books & middle grade from illustrator/artists only; quality lifestyle books (food, wine, and design); pop culture; craft; and gift and humor books. She is most likely to pick up works that are of social or cultural significance, newsworthy, or that cause her to take great delight in the words, images or ideas on the page.
Above all, she looks for a fresh voice, approach, story, or idea.