The Pitch

In the wanna-be author world, there are three things of utmost importance:

1. Great writing
2. A growing platform
3. A fantastic pitch.

I'm working on #s 1 and 2 daily, but #3 is one that only gets used when you actually have the opportunity to meet with Agents and Publishers. Since my last meeting with anyone in the publishing world was at She Speaks nearly a year ago, my pitch has gotten a little rusty.

Thankfully, Brooke McGlothin is having a little big contest that's making me brush-up my elevator pitch! (An elevator pitch is the short version of your pitch - about 1-2 minutes in length - that you can use when you bump into an Agent, Editor, or Publisher in public. Except not in the bathroom. That is a big no-no!) And how handy is it that Rachelle Gardner outlined a good pitch for us in her blog today?!

Imagine the put-together me standing next to you as we ride an elevator to the 15th floor, with one or two stops along the way. Here I am...

(Cue music to Aerosmith's Love in an Elevator, because that's the song in my head as I write this.)

Hi, my name is Tyler Rowan, and I am so glad I bumped into you because I am seeking an agent to represent me.

I'm writing a Christian non-fiction book that I'd love to tell you about. Do you mind if I walk with you for just a minute?

My book is called Mommy, Why Are You Angry?: Breaking Free From Anger, One Mother To Another.

By transparently sharing my own battle as a (former) angry mother to five, I hope to convey two truths every woman needs to hear: “You are not alone!” and “You can have victory over your anger!” With a Christ-centred and practical approach, Mommy, Why Are You Angry? will provide women with both spiritual and hands-on strategies to help them find freedom from their anger and become the mothers God intended them to be.

I've been blogging since 2008 and have a steadily growing platform that I'm very committed to. One of my articles was recently published in P31 Woman magazine, I have a number of articles pending with other magazines (including MOMSense, a MOPS publication), and my writing is being regularly featured on Family Life Canada's website (a division of Power to Change). I was also published in a psychological journal while pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in University.

May I leave you a copy of my one-sheet?

Thank you for taking the time to hear me. I hope that I've caught your interest and will hear from you in the near future!

Tell me what you think - really, honestly, tell me! Does it catch your interest? Do you want to hear more? Is there anything you'd change/delete/add? (To answer your unspoken question - yes, the book title really does appear in red, even when I'm speaking.)

And just in case you happen to know someone in the publishing industry, please be assured that you are more than welcome to pass my elevator pitch along! In fact, I encourage it. There may even be chocolate or wine in it for you...