Pitch Session Information
We are planning Pitch Sessions for 2018. Please check back for additional information!
- Find a publisher who best matches the work you are pitching. The number one reason a book is rejected is because it is not a good fit for a publisher. To find the right publisher, you must read the publishers’ writers guidelines which we’ve provided below.
- Write up an elevator pitch for your book. This is a 150-word (or so) summary of your book. This is what you’ll tell the publisher first when you meet with him or her.
- Create a proposal or summary of your book that you can give to the publisher.
- Attend the pitch instruction session and bring your questions!
- Only paid Guild attendees are allowed to pitch at the conference. CMN passholders may sign up for a pitch with a $20 registration fee. Please contact us for more details.
- One more thing to note:
- If you are a writer who has never been published and are pitching fiction (a novel) you must have the manuscript complete. You’ll also need a proposal.
- If you are a writer who has never been published and you are pitching a non-fiction book, try to have three chapters done. The publisher will want a proposal.
- If you have been published before and are either pitching non-fiction or fiction, you need not have the manuscript finished, but you should have a proposal completed.
Pitch Prep
Acquisition editors from two Catholic publishing houses give tips and advice on the daunting process of pitching a book. Learn the mechanics of a pitch, how to talk about your book, what editors like to see, and what you need to prepare. If you think you'll ever want to submit a manuscript proposal one of these days, the Pitch Prep session will be worth your time.
This session is mandatory for everyone signed up for a pitch session on Thursday morning.