Here’s another helpful observation about pitching from writer Chrysanthy Balis (taken from the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Quarterly). About what makes people truly stand out when pitching, she says it is: “Eye contact, confidence in the vision and direction you’ve chosen for the story, and a real passion for the material. Producers know that the story will change in the development process. What they want to know is that a writer has a clear vision, the ability to imagine other ways to go with the project, and gets what’s vital about the story—the selling points.”
I’d add to this that the selling points are always within the story—it’s a common mistake to try to get people excited at the pitching stage about potential merchandizing, spin-offs, sequels, etc. Instead, focus on what it is about your story that will make people want to see it or read it.
One of the best ways to learn about what works is simply to go into a book store and look at the new books. Which titles grab you? Which one-line or two-line descriptions on the front cover? Also check the back covers. What points there make you want to keep reading? Look especially closely at books by previously unknown authors that are now on the best-seller lists—these are the ones selling on the basis of their content and marketing, not the familiarity of their authors.
(PS: if you lack confidence in pitching, consider downloading the 'inner critic visualization' that you'll find at my website--www.timetowrite.com. Click on the 'trances' tab on the left side of the home page to find out all about this and other trances available for download.)
