Pitching A Book

And no, I don't mean at a wall, hoping the spine will crack, I mean to an agent or publisher.

My agent, Brian Wood is heading off to Ontario to spend two weeks meeting with all of his Eastern clients, publishers, and agents that are helping him to become a well known non-fiction agent in Canada and the U.S. He has seven books coming out and just sold another one on Monday. On this trip he will also be pitching my book to Random House, Doubleday, and John Wiley to see if any of them are going to be interested in picking it up.

Now to pitch a book you need several things. A good story, a good hook, a great chapter outline, and an even better marketing plan. If you can show the publishers that you have thought through all the marketing it only makes it easier for them to consider your piece for their publishing house.

It's not easy to sell a book- that's for sure, and in Canada it's becoming more difficult to get an agent to even look at your book. Canadians are having a much easier time across the border, and that's a shame. But as a writer you have to do what you have to do and if it means selling to a U.S company first, then you do it. We can't all have $200,000 dollar advances like Thomas Trofimuk, ( Waiting for Columbus- buy it!!) but we can do well.

Publishing traditionally is still a great idea, even though it's almost harder to get the book on the shelf and have it stay there. I am not a fan of self publishing at all, but there are certainly some books that do very well that way. If you are a good hand seller- then doing book signings and readings will take you far on consignment. Publicity can also get you far.
Whatever way you decide to publish- keep this in mind. It's a much better financial decision to have a publisher pay you to write, rather than you paying them.

So, I'm going to have faith in my agent that he will do his best to pitch my book, and I'm going to turn around and do the same thing for my clients.

Cross your fingers for all of us!!!