3.05.2011

Now for something really scary!!

You know that erica and christy will meet for the first time face-to-face in Madison, WI on April 8th, 2011, right?

Yep. Madison. Us. April 8th.

Here.

This is us, simply thinking about meeting our soul mate blog partner for the first time:



Then, we realize we're going to a conference, and it's more than just meeting each other. It's about networking and socializing and learning and perfecting our craft and . . .we look like this:



Then - and this is where it gets really scary - we realize that we're pitching to real-live agents. For eight minutes. Eight. Ocho. Huit. 8. At which time we look more like this:



Seriously, have you thought of all the things you can do in eight minutes? 'Cuz we have. Let us share:




okay, this is christy. hehe. she won't be happy.

So, anyhow, we will be heavily looking into tips for face-to-face pitching in the next few weeks. Plus ways to get through an 8-minute monologue. What would you like to know about it? We'll share what we know/find out!!!!! (and also, um, 8 minutes? any tips?)

18 comments:

  1. hehe...that's TOTALLY what i SHOULD look like right now. cuz i was supposed to meet a friend at the Y to run 8, 6 or even 4 miles (um, i RUN an 8.5 minute mile), but instead i cuddled my kids and am now preparing to make bacon.

    YES! i was laying/lying in bed thinking about my logline and about how we need to post them SOON for feeback! biting my nails over here! christy (great post!)

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  2. Have fun meeting up with each other. And I've never had to do a live pitch. I've met with agents for a query crit but that's not quite the same thing. I imagine it's pretty nerve wracking. i've seen posts out there on how to do it.

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  3. I think it is so cool that you are meeting up with each other! I have blog friends that I have known for a couple of years and never actually seen in person, so I am envious.

    As for the pitch...well...good luck!!

    Shelley

    P.S. from one teacher to another, pitching to an agent can't possibly be any harder than teaching a group of unruly kids!

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  4. Ooh ooh I'm meeting up with 3 bloggie friends on Tuesday it's so exciting!
    Love the pics, made me smile.

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  5. Christy - it just takes you longer to run/walk because your legs are so short. I can't quite do it in 8 minutes either, but I do walk faster than some people jog. How long it takes me to write a logline, on the other hand...

    Laura - I've seen posts, too, but skipped over them not thinking they really applied to me - now I need to go find them!

    Shelley - good point, thanks. :)

    Madeleine - how fun, have a great time!!

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  6. Bahahaha! Hilarious! You guys will do great!! Plenty of time to prepare and get confident!

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  7. Go out there and pitch like Zach Greinke, network like Mark Zuckerberg, and party like Charlie Sheen.

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  8. Seriously, I want to see this person who can walk a mile in 8 minutes. Is his name Usain Bolt?

    (BTW, I can maybe do a 9-minute mile if I'm running downhill with the wind behind me.)

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  9. Looking forward to that! Carole.

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  10. The Writers' Institute? I had been contemplating on going to that. It is five hours from me.

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  11. YAY! Erica and Christy finally meeting! I am so happy for you girls!

    YAY! I get to meet Christy in a couple of weeks... In Florida where the heat meets... LOL

    LOOK Erica, elipses!

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  12. Oh I loved your visual additions to this post! I would be so excited to meet some of my CP's and bloggy friends too - you guys share a blog and have never met? Sounds like a movie in the making. :)

    I just a great post on pitches from an agent's blog (unfortunately I read too many agent blogs to remember which one). I think it was Janet Reid. Anyway she said she likes the writer to share their 1) title 2) genre 3) wordcount 4) logline and then just stop. She likes to use the rest of the time to ask questions. Anyway, I will definitely be back to hear deets from you guys! Please share! I haven't pitched yet, curious. -Margo (from your crusader group)

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  13. I will be looking forward to this. I can't imagine having only 8 min to pitch my novel to an agent. o.O
    So I wish good luck to the both of you :)

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  14. LOL! Great post.

    So, I know we already starting talking about this since I am going to my first conference in less than two weeks (holy crap). I've been obsessively researching pitches today and found some great links, in addition to the awesome advice people posted. Pitchpalooza continues tomorrow morning at my blog! The three of us will be the dear guinea pigs in this lovely venture :)

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  15. I'll be tackling the pitch sessions later this year, so look forward to seeing what you learn and hearing how you go at yours. At least you'll have each other's support. :)

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  16. Oh wow, cool! I hadn't realized/known you two had never met. That is so neat that you'll be able to meet in person. Good luck with the pitching! (offhand, I don't have any tips, except to practice!)

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  17. erica found lots of great links to help me and all of you! we'll post them soon! i just reread this post and am laughing all over again (which hurts, btw, due to an ab workout i did way back on friday). erica, when i finish these chapters tonight, i will be googling images to get you back. hehe. :0)christy

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  18. Listen to the links you found, not me. But I've heard that it's best if you can avoid making it a monologue, like if it can be a conversation.
    bethfred.com

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