Pitching your proposal to a literary agent
If you’re ambition is to secure a traditional publishing deal and you’re considering making a literary agent pitch, we can help you hone your proposal pack, ready for you to tailor and send to your target agents.
Thinking about your proposal
Things to bear in mind when preparing your proposal pack:
- This is a showcase of your writing talent.
- Your query letter and proposal will demonstrate your unique style, grasp of grammar, original thinking, and knowledge of the marketplace.
- You are a potential business partner. An agent or publisher will appreciate a professional attitude and a business-like pitch.
- You need to put across the ‘unique selling points’ of your book.
- If you haven’t come up with a strong, genre-suitable title, strapline, or subtitle, do so before you pitch.
- Practise describing your project in a single sentence as well as a short paragraph. It’s a helpful exercise when you’re putting together your query letter.
- Your biography paragraph must be stimulating. Publishers are looking for authors with a ‘platform’ (a network of individuals interested in their ideas) and a professional or personal narrative that a PR will find feature-worthy.
- Publishers want authors who stand out from the crowd.
Your proposal pack
What’s needed in your proposal pack:
- A query letter that summarises who you are and what your project is. If you have won any competitions or have a review quote by someone with clout, include that information. Always highlight your book’s unique selling points.
- A one-page synopsis. Remember, this is not a selling blurb. It should be a clear summary of the story.
- A chapter by chapter synopsis of 5 to 12 pages.
- The first 50 pages of your manuscript.
How we can help
Here’s how our literary agent pitch service works:
- You prepare drafts of your query letter, synopsis and sample chapters.
- When all your drafts are ready, you email them to us.
- We proofread your materials and suggest light edits where appropriate.
- We send you a suggested starter list of around five literary agencies and/or agents, specialising in your genre.
- You tailor your proposal pack for each agent and start pitching!
The price for our literary agent pitch service starts from £250.
Get in touch to discuss your book and your publishing ambitions.
Note – Not all literary agents will want to see exactly the same materials; most agents state their requirements clearly on their website. Make sure you send them exactly what they’ve asked for in your proposal pack and be as succinct as you can.