Your Book: Mastering the Hook, Query, and Pitch

Get your project noticed even as agents are flooded with more queries and publishers are producing fewer books.

Meeting Times

Sat, 7/29/2023 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Sat, 7/29/2023

Closed

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About

Agents report they're getting more proposals than ever, and fewer books are being produced each year. How can you break through the noise?

This class will help you step back and see your fiction or nonfiction work through fresh eyes and a business-based perspective. We’ll identify the things that make your work unique, marketable, and irresistible to publishing gatekeepers. Then, with lots of examples and time for practice and personal feedback, we’ll work on verbal “elevator pitches,” the short hooks that also are great for query letters. We’ll cover the structure of query letters, and cover some tips and tricks for getting an agent or publisher’s attention.

This also is a valuable class for self-publishing writers who want to pitch their books so that readers pay attention.

You will:

1. Be challenged to consider your work from a fresh, detached, commercial perspective.

2. Learn how to condense full-length fiction and nonfiction projects into industry-appropriate 1- to 2-page synopses, and identify compelling “hooks” that make great verbal pitches and query letter descriptions.

3. Gain a realistic understanding of what publishers and agents are looking for in new authors, including author platforms, compelling concepts, and connections to existing popular trends

Class Policies

Ages 14 and up are welcome.

BARN Policies

View BARN's Cancellation and Refund Policy
View BARN's current COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available. Fill out the application before registering.
Makerspaces like BARN can be noisy and cluttered, smell strongly, and have bright or flickering lights. We try to make accommodations when requested; the earlier you contact us, the more likely we can help. Please email accessibility@bainbridgebarn.org to find out more or request an accommodation.
For those who might need physical assistance, learn more about BARN's Companion Program.

Instructors or Guides

Beth Jusino

Beth Jusino is a publishing consultant for both traditional and self-publishing authors, with almost 20 years of experience helping writers navigate the complicated space between manuscript and final book. A former literary agent and marketing director, she’s the author of the award-winning "The Author’s Guide to Marketing" and has ghostwritten or collaborated on half a dozen additional titles. Beth is a member of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild, a regular speaker for Seattle Public Library’s #SeattleWrites workshops, and has taught at writers’ conferences across the country. Visit her online at www.bethjusino.com or on Twitter @bethjusino.