Late to the pitch party but loving this podcast so far. Pitches ARE the worst! I'm a bookseller and a writer, and sometimes I find I can pitch a book I like so much easier than pitching a story of my own.
Thanks, Amber! That's so true: I have a much easier time pitching a friend's book than my own. I think we're so caught up in everything our story is that it's hard for us to boil it down to its pitch-y essence.
I think both pitches are fabulous! I can't wait for 2023! And it was so helpful to hear you two break down your thought process because pitches are THE WORST! I always say that it took me 80k words to tell the story, how can you expect me to summarize it in ten?! But it's a very useful tool to have in your belt.
I only have one thing that is super nit-picky because your pitches are so good. For Nightbirds I'd recommend cutting the words "on you" just to keep the pitch as concise as possible. "Can bestow magic with a kiss" I think still conveys the intended meaning.
An awesome episode! Really enjoyed hearing about your friendship and your amazing books. Magic given through a kiss! Gimme, gimme!
I loved hearing the pitch putting together process too! You're books both sound so intriguing and it's particularly cool seeing why certain pitches did or didn't work!
With Amie's- I wonder if there is a way of getting the gangster thing in there- that was something in the discussion that really peaked my interest.
I love the Great Gatsby vibe in Kate's! One thing that came up in the discussion that I really liked was the term "sisterhood". I wonder if you said "" An underground sisterhood of girl who can..." instead of 'crew' whether that might give a hint of the feminist vibes? Maybe?
Can't wait for the next episode. Love hearing about where authors get their ideas and how they come together!
Really excited about this podcast series. Based on your pitches, I'd definitely pick up both books! During the podcast, you talked about a pitch being 'x meets y', so I wondered why you decided to settle on longer pitch 'sentences' instead?
Good question, Jenny. It's because sometimes it's really tough to do x meets y in a way that truly works - that pitches the book in a way lots of people will understand and get excited about. Something like "Wizard of Oz with zombies" totally works, as you understand what's being pitched there. But as you heard us grappling with in the episode, we haven't been able to come up with two comp titles that really, truly NAIL it re: our books, so we opted for longer sentences to try and paint a fuller picture.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I've only seen/heard the x meets y format discussed elsewhere, so it's incredibly helpful to know that a longer sentence is also a viable option for a pitch. (Also, someone really should write Wizard of Oz with zombies!)
Super excited about both these books and this podcast! I’m especially excited about Nightbirds. I have an idea for a similar kind of story but it’s so hard to find good fantasy books with that kind of setting to help me figure out how to do it!!
I'm so happy to hear that, Sylvia! There just aren't enough books out there with rich worldbuilding and magical girl gangs, IMO, and I am thrilled to be putting one out there. I'd love to hear more about your story as it develops.
Guys, basically I just need both books STAT!! *GIMME HANDS*
Also, you both were absolutely adorable as wee babies!! 😍🥰😻
Aw, thanks, Pili!
Late to the pitch party but loving this podcast so far. Pitches ARE the worst! I'm a bookseller and a writer, and sometimes I find I can pitch a book I like so much easier than pitching a story of my own.
Also, you were both so adorable!
Thanks, Amber! That's so true: I have a much easier time pitching a friend's book than my own. I think we're so caught up in everything our story is that it's hard for us to boil it down to its pitch-y essence.
I think both pitches are fabulous! I can't wait for 2023! And it was so helpful to hear you two break down your thought process because pitches are THE WORST! I always say that it took me 80k words to tell the story, how can you expect me to summarize it in ten?! But it's a very useful tool to have in your belt.
I only have one thing that is super nit-picky because your pitches are so good. For Nightbirds I'd recommend cutting the words "on you" just to keep the pitch as concise as possible. "Can bestow magic with a kiss" I think still conveys the intended meaning.
Great point, Megan! Thanks for weighing in.
An awesome episode! Really enjoyed hearing about your friendship and your amazing books. Magic given through a kiss! Gimme, gimme!
I loved hearing the pitch putting together process too! You're books both sound so intriguing and it's particularly cool seeing why certain pitches did or didn't work!
With Amie's- I wonder if there is a way of getting the gangster thing in there- that was something in the discussion that really peaked my interest.
I love the Great Gatsby vibe in Kate's! One thing that came up in the discussion that I really liked was the term "sisterhood". I wonder if you said "" An underground sisterhood of girl who can..." instead of 'crew' whether that might give a hint of the feminist vibes? Maybe?
Can't wait for the next episode. Love hearing about where authors get their ideas and how they come together!
Belinda, that's SUCH a good point about sisterhood vs. crew. I'm definitely taking it on board!
Really excited about this podcast series. Based on your pitches, I'd definitely pick up both books! During the podcast, you talked about a pitch being 'x meets y', so I wondered why you decided to settle on longer pitch 'sentences' instead?
Good question, Jenny. It's because sometimes it's really tough to do x meets y in a way that truly works - that pitches the book in a way lots of people will understand and get excited about. Something like "Wizard of Oz with zombies" totally works, as you understand what's being pitched there. But as you heard us grappling with in the episode, we haven't been able to come up with two comp titles that really, truly NAIL it re: our books, so we opted for longer sentences to try and paint a fuller picture.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I've only seen/heard the x meets y format discussed elsewhere, so it's incredibly helpful to know that a longer sentence is also a viable option for a pitch. (Also, someone really should write Wizard of Oz with zombies!)
Super excited about both these books and this podcast! I’m especially excited about Nightbirds. I have an idea for a similar kind of story but it’s so hard to find good fantasy books with that kind of setting to help me figure out how to do it!!
I'm so happy to hear that, Sylvia! There just aren't enough books out there with rich worldbuilding and magical girl gangs, IMO, and I am thrilled to be putting one out there. I'd love to hear more about your story as it develops.