6 pitfalls to avoid when pitching your novel

Writing a pitch for your novel can be daunting. The pitch is often the first thing an agent will see when looking at a submission, and it could make the difference between the agent opening your manuscript straight away and adding it to the end of a very long reading list. But how do you condense three hundred pages into one pithy sentence? What if your story doesn’t have a clear hook, or the structure is too complex to explain without a timeline?

If you’re looking for help, here are some common pitfalls to avoid.

Don’t make it too long. You should be aiming for one or two sentences that convey what’s at the heart of your novel. It can be a good idea to focus on your main character and what’s at stake for them. What sort of challenge, dilemma or conflict are they facing? What does their journey look like?
Don’t include too many events or characters. You have a limited space in which to capture an agent’s interest, so don’t worry about including every plot twist or outlining the full cast of characters. You’ll be submitting a synopsis separately which will cover the detail of the story. Your goal is to make the agent curious and want to read on.
But don’t be too vague! I find pitches that gloss over the specifics of the story or characters a bit dull. Say, for example, you’re writing a pitch with a ‘victim’ and ‘three suspects’ – far better to reveal that the suspects are sisters, and the victim is their wealthy father who was about to remarry.
Don’t use cliches. It can be tempting, especially when pitching novels that fall into popular genres, such as romance or crime fiction, to reach for tried-and-tested tropes, for example ‘the maverick loner’ or ‘tortured soul’. But agents will be most excited by a fresh take or new idea so do focus on what makes your novel original and exciting. One trick to add an element of surprise is to use an interesting verb, for example ‘blossoms’ instead of ‘grows’ or ‘splinters’ instead of ‘breaks’ – something that carries an emotional charge. (Do restrict yourself to one though, or your pitch could become florid!)
Don’t give everything away. It’s best to avoid revealing what happens at the end of your novel. Ideally, you want to leave the agent with questions – questions that can only be answered by reading the novel.
And when it’s time to submit, don’t pitch to agents at random. Do your research and tailor your submission to those agents whose taste you share and who are looking for the kind of book you’re writing. Check out agency websites, Twitter profiles and interviews for guidance, and pay attention to submission criteria too – would the agent like to see the first three chapters or 10,000 words? By following the guidelines, you’ll give yourself the best chance.