Making the Perfect Pitch: How To Catch a Literary Agent's Eye

by Katharine Sands

“This essential guidebook gives writers the edge they need in today’s highly competitive market. If you’re serious about getting published, this is a must-read!” – Jeff Herman, author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents. “Do read this book, which should teach you pretty much everything you’ll need to know.” – Booklist. Katharine Sands, a NYC literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency, brings together sage advice from more than 40 literary agents representing bestselling and prize-winning authors of fiction and nonfiction. Contributions from top agents at Trident Media, Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency, Jane Dystel Literary Management, Donald Maass Literary Agency, and other leading agencies will get new writers on the right track when crafting their pitches, query letters, and proposals. The book is full of sample query excerpts, pitching techniques, lists of dos and dont’s, and valuable insights into the tastes and preferences of agents representing all types of books from fiction to nonfiction, children’s books, memoir, poetry collections, and more. This book will help Identify selling points & hooks. Write an attention-grabbing pitch letter. Pitch via email or verbally at conferences. Avoid pet peeves of busy agents. Understand how to present your writing credentials or author platform. Understand the mix of business acumen and personal taste that excites an agent and encourages them to want to represent you and your work. This diverse collection highlights both the commonalities and diverse perspectives of individual literary agents. Writers will quickly learn to understand the human element involved in the literary profession, while seeing the need to communicate clearly and confidently the core business requirements needed for any book manuscript or proposal that will be successful in the marketplace. “If you’re hunting for an agent, you need to know how to pitch, and Making The Perfect Pitch gives you the ammunition to be dead on target. – Dee Power, co-author of The Making of a Bestseller. Making the Perfect Pitch will give you that special edge of insider information to help you break through the barriers to find the right literary agent for your manuscript. ABOUT THE EDITOR Katharine Sands is a New York literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She has been a popular speaker on writing and publishing topics for Poets & Writers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and for countless writer conferences from New York to Maui. Katharine has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books including fiction, memoir and nonfiction.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Travis Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're looking to get published the traditional way, i.e. through an agent, stay well away from this book. Having been rejected 24 times, I thought I best find out what agents look for when looking to represent an author. By the end of the book, I went out and bought a lottery ticket feeling I had just as much chance of getting lucky on Lotto as I do having an agent sign me up.

The author, an agent herself, interviews other agents, and the reasons for rejection can be as obscure as them suffering from a hangnail the morning they read a pitch and throw it away because they can't be bothered. The reasons are endless and many of them don't necessarily have anything to do with your story or the quality of the writing. They look for reasons to reject, not accept.

I still believe in the system and writers can find an agent to represent them and get published. But if you read this book, it will severely test your belief in that system.

[Chris Eirschele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading this book if you are a writer with a book manuscript in the works.
Though I read Making the Perfect Pitch by Katharine Sands for help in creating a pitch for my fiction manuscript, the book does include many suggestions for writers with nonfiction manuscripts, too.
It is a compilation of thoughts and recommendations from many literary agents. Making the Perfect Pitch was published by The Writer Books, an imprint of Kalmbach Trade Press.

[Evangeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lifesaver.

[Elizabeth Laborde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, a reader finds the right book at the right time, and such was the case with Making the Perfect Pitch >. Next month, I face the daunting task of pitching to agents at ThrillerFest in New York. While the opportunity to discuss my crime novel with an agent is welcome, it's also nerve-wracking, to say the least. This book helps to ease the journey. It provides writers with insider perspectives on what works and what doesn't in the world of pitching. Literally, dozens of agents share their intimate knowledge of the publishing industry with writers. What more could a writer ask for?

Some have suggested a cadre of writers possess an uncanny knack at PR and ad copy -- they live on an island far-far-away, an elite group that creates taglines and loglines and hooks on demand. For that group, this book may not fall on the required reading list. For the other writers out there, Sands' how-to book is incredibly helpful. I might even wait in line at the writing conference in July to meet this author and share how much she helped me as a writer. You never know...

[Randall Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making the Perfect Pitch by Katharine Sands is a valuable look into the minds of powerful literary agents, their thought processes, their preferences and how they make their decisions. The many interviews and articles offer insights for what many find is a frustrating and mysterious process. Helpful suggestions from agents and agency heads abound and it is clear that all are very passionate about finding that next undiscovered diamond in the rough. Among the things discussed are unsolicited submissions, conferences, referrals and which of these are likely to garner their attention and which are not. There are many points where agents agree and others where they diverge. If you're looking for a magic bullet, this isn't it but you will be more informed about the business of publishing after reading it than you were before.

[Tom M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short chapters by and interviews with agents across the publishing spectrum, collected by a writer/agent.

Although published in 2004 the overall themes are still current.

The occasional contradictory advice from agents (Start with your information; start with a hook) just shows you need to go with what works for you -- or try to do some specific research on the agent you're querying.

While there wasn't much new information here, it's well worth the read to discover the way agents think and approach different material.

[Michele Cacano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter presents an essay by or an interview with a literary agent, or editor or publisher. Much good advice is repeated throughout - all the better to sink into the reader's noggin! I feel much more confident in my attempts to query and pitch my work now. I marked several pages, and intend to continue to reference this book throughout my process, but am very glad to have read it. It is entertaining as well as informative, and each agent's voice is clear and helpful.

[A.Y. Berthiaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any writer trying to understand the industry or the ins-and-outs of pitching your project in hopes to win over an agent, this book should be on your shelf. Highlight it. Study it. Read the bios of each contributor. Flag the pages with resources. Post-it note and underline the questions you should know how to answer when talking about your manuscript (in writing or in person). Do not let this amazing resource go to waste. If ever a way to get inside several agents minds all at once and understand what they're thinking, this book has done it. It's an invaluable resource. And a more recent edition just came out this spring. Get thyself a copy and then get thyself published!

[Donna]

I recently attended a very informative webinar by the author and ordered her book for more information and inspiration. However, because it is a compendium of dozens of individual agent essays and Q&As on the same topic, the book is rife with repetition and unfortunately, some contradictory advice.
Of course, alienating literary agents by criticizing their books should be number one on the list of how not to get an agent. But somehow, it wasn't even mentioned.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful book about how to craft the "perfect pitch" for a literary agent. Also includes some excellent lessons to carry into the nonfiction book proposal. Offers a nice insider's perspective on the personalities behind some of the most successful literary agent houses today.

[Joanne Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic info on pitching with a few gems interspersed. The biggest downside of this book's advice is that it is dated. Info about SASEs and the quality of stationery really makes this book feel ancient.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these were amazing but some seemed a little pompous. Lot of repetition but I think that it was helpful overall.

[Dearwassily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad overview, with good information. Could have used a once-more-over from a proofreader.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful guide, though the information is rather dated, considering recent changes in the publishing industry.

[Carole Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of advice with an essential take-away: writers need to pitch, query, and propose before they can be published. Publishing involves a shift of focus from writing to selling—the business of writing. What is your book, why does the world need it, what is the market? Other gems: writing is solitary, publishing is collaborative; write a query an agent cannot say no to for fear of missing something special; the perfect pitch is a powerful summary of the book; what’s the idea and can the agent sell it. Agents noted individual preferences: some like a powerful hook as the first sentence; others want the category and word-count first. Quite a bit of repetition of advice, as one would expect, and chock full of insights into the business.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great practical advice although sometimes the information is contradictory or repetitive (naturally). Most agents seemed to agree on the majority of advice but differed on gift-giving, "Hollywood" pitches, e-mail queries and whether it was okay to call agents.

This would be a helpful book to add to a writer's research shelf but it only skims the basics of how to write a book proposal, synopsis, etc. so if you're aim is step-by-step instructions, you'll need something more specific.

My favorite part was learning about the pitching process for ghostwriters and children's authors, two fields outside of my genre.

[Jaycee Carolina Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this guidebook because of the varied viewpoints, thoughts and opinions. There is useful information for Fiction and Non-Fiction writers both.

Combining this book with Thinking Like Your Editor will give you a good foundation on what agents and editors are looking for in your pitches and proposals. And what they are NOT looking for as well.

This is not a step by step guide although each chapter is full of actionable steps. Making the Perfect Pitch is an opportunity inside the hearts and minds of the editors and agents that will be receiving your precious writing.

Take notes. Keep writing. Good luck!

[Matthew Harrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what a revelation. As an author with not a lot of query experience, I am so in debt to a friend for recommending that I get this book. Pages are folded on interesting nuggets, exactly where the books previous owner wrote on the pages! I swear its the literary equivalent of The Half Blood Prince's Potions Book! Granted that maybe ten years after being compiled some of the opinions are a little dated (SASE? Maybe not any more), but ALL of the information on how to write a query letter is pure gold.

[Angela Kidd Shinozaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book offers great insight into crafting the perfect pitch through the eyes of well-known agents. You get a better sense of the agents out there, too. Some examples even piqued my interest in the books! (i.e. the history of falling). I do have one critique. I'm going to take a page from an agent for a moment and say-- I would love to see a book that simply lists 100 top pitches, especially for children's books.

[Tony Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really like about this book is that it's full of advice from agents. It gave me the perspective of what agents want to see in the book proposal.
For me personally, I know I must build my platform a LOT more before contacting another agent.
Another great perspective on this book was how to pitch non-fiction as well as fiction. Any author can glean great tips and the correct outlook on how to approach an agent through this book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful anthology of thirty essays by agents or interviews with agents about pitching. A lot of varying topics are covered and different opinions given, but the collection created a pretty coherent picture of what a good query feels like. I am not sure if there is a newer edition than mine, but of course, the 2004 edition does contain some information that is probably out of date, but very little.

[Victoria Pendragon]

Excellent ideas. The idea of having so many views from so many different literary agents really makes an aspiring writer feel comforted. You can get, in a non-judgemental way, why your piece might not be the piece for just anyone and why it may strike the perfect match for you...if you learn how to place yourself.

[L.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I write primarily YA fiction, so the too-much 'non-fiction' help and odd things like poetry were unhelpful. But the few times the agents mentioned fiction, that was extremely helpful and I got a lot of good tips from it. Well worth the non-fiction slog.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful book about how to craft the "perfect pitch" for a literary agent. Also includes some excellent lessons to carry into the nonfiction book proposal. Offers a nice insider's perspective on the personalities behind some of the most successful literary agent houses today.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just about "pitching" Great info by agents and editors regarding the industry and writing query letters that will wow.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice for the aspiring writer. An agent recommended it to me and I've passed it on to friends.The variety of agents that contributed makes this a valuable tool.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide.

[Richard Cytowic · Rating 3 out of 5]

An older title, but full of useful advice. The mistakes novices make can be hilarious.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic advice was good, but since it was a collection of chapters from different agents the advice was scattered and somewhat conflicting.

[Hots Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, because it came from an actual agent, who thought deeply about what the publishers accept and reject. Written from experience!