Thank you, Kathleen and congrats on the accomplishments of your children! This post was great timing! I need to nail my pitch! And I just finished Ghost Stories. Aside from the love and grief story Siri touches on so many important topics.
I love it there. Newport is definitely my jam. My daughter was dead set on Sacred Heart University in CT, but then we toured Salve, and that was that. The campus is stunning.
Huzzah! What a fantastic piece for all of our authors at Empress, especially as we move toward Winter Sales Conference in July. Having this kind of clarity and alignment across sales, PR, marketing, and the authors themselves, with everyone able to articulate their book as a fully embodied story rather than just a pitch... that would be so rad! 😂
Great tips! Your post reminded me that I haven't put together a succinct pitch yet for my current WIP. Thanks for such a clearly articulated set of guidelines. I can do this. 💜
This is such a great complement to my post, Kathleen! Thank you. I just linked to this post in the body of my original and encouraged my readers to come over and see this! You're the best.
Thank you for this! It's so straightforward and actionable. I've been working on this very thing lately while querying my latest book, so I'll definitely give your approach a try.
I was floored by the book sales in Brooke's post. You'd think an author on Kelly Clarkson would sell so many books -- and nothing?! Thank you for the info and actionable tips. And I LOVE TV. Also watching Friends and Neighbors (I think this season is better than last). Margo's Got Money Problems surprised me in a good way. Who doesn't love Elle Fanning? I have a gemini too:) Her 21st is two weeks from today. When my daughter was a week old an old woman in the grocery store asked me her birth date and then replied, "Oh, a gemini...good luck with that." I think of that old woman often. Emily has been very difficult to parent. And also taught me more about life and myself than anyone in my life.
I did not read that someone was on Kelly Clarkson, but if they were, it would depend on the book and the kind of interview it was. Not all talk shows can sell books. You have to remember A LOT of people have given up linear TV and just watch clips on TikTok.
My 21 and 23 year-old-daughters don't watch linear TV -- ever. I want to cancel cable but I love Wheel of Fortune. I know, everyone loves to make fun of me. And I know I can get YouTube live etc but it seems like so much work to switch.
I absolutely love Elle Fanning! - but Margo is such a disappointment after THE GREAT, which was one of my top ten shows of all time. I think Margo is a waste of her.
I'm sure she nailed Margo - she's phenomenal! I just don't like the show and I can't help comparing it to The Great - which hit every one of my pleasure centers and had her in one of the most excellent leads I've ever seen for a woman.
Keep the suggestions coming. I feel like I've seen everything. I was the recipient of a surprise divorce a few years ago and love to "lose" myself in shows and movies.
"Surprise divorce" are two words that should never go together. I'm sorry about that part, but I'm sure it will be the best thing that ever happened for you. It almost always is.
The first two years were kinda rough. But I *finally* did for myself what I should have done after my 21-year-old's cancer treatment in 2010. I like myself so much better without him. I remind myself of that on the occasional day I'm sad and miss him (though I'm not sure how I can miss someone who's been pretty crappy -- humans are weird like that).
My favorite example of being recognized at a conference was when the author Sayantani Dasgupta (the Idaho professor one, not the physician one) came up to me at AWP to say that they read my essay "In Praise of Contempt" in the Best American Essays 2016 anthology as part of class, and that a male student raised his hand and said, "Are women allowed to talk like this?" (lol, exactly the point!!) My day was made. Professor Dasgupta and I had never met before and I'm grateful she saw my tag.
Love your posts, and this one is no exception. I’ve been playing with the ‘my novel is x meets y’ approach and making myself laugh. So far this one is my fave: You Could Be Happy Here is One Thousand Acres meets Lonely Planet Costa Rica. I find it helps to have other authors to help bat around ideas and tell you when you’ve totally missed the mark.
This is so helpful! I’m beginning my second draft, and being able to answer these questions will really help me as I rewrite. So many thanks!
The Tooch!
Thank you, Kathleen and congrats on the accomplishments of your children! This post was great timing! I need to nail my pitch! And I just finished Ghost Stories. Aside from the love and grief story Siri touches on so many important topics.
RHODE ISLAND IS SO GOOD!
I love it there. Newport is definitely my jam. My daughter was dead set on Sacred Heart University in CT, but then we toured Salve, and that was that. The campus is stunning.
Huzzah! What a fantastic piece for all of our authors at Empress, especially as we move toward Winter Sales Conference in July. Having this kind of clarity and alignment across sales, PR, marketing, and the authors themselves, with everyone able to articulate their book as a fully embodied story rather than just a pitch... that would be so rad! 😂
Thank you for sharing this. Really helpful.
Great tips! Your post reminded me that I haven't put together a succinct pitch yet for my current WIP. Thanks for such a clearly articulated set of guidelines. I can do this. 💜
I love a checklist. I need to stick this on my laptop so I don't forget. Perfect! Thank you.
So do I, which is why I wrote this!
This is so helpful (and validating to know I’m doing something right!). Thanks for sharing, as always.
This post is such a gift! Thank you for the strategies, context, and specifics.
This is such a great complement to my post, Kathleen! Thank you. I just linked to this post in the body of my original and encouraged my readers to come over and see this! You're the best.
Thank you!
Thank you for this! It's so straightforward and actionable. I've been working on this very thing lately while querying my latest book, so I'll definitely give your approach a try.
I was floored by the book sales in Brooke's post. You'd think an author on Kelly Clarkson would sell so many books -- and nothing?! Thank you for the info and actionable tips. And I LOVE TV. Also watching Friends and Neighbors (I think this season is better than last). Margo's Got Money Problems surprised me in a good way. Who doesn't love Elle Fanning? I have a gemini too:) Her 21st is two weeks from today. When my daughter was a week old an old woman in the grocery store asked me her birth date and then replied, "Oh, a gemini...good luck with that." I think of that old woman often. Emily has been very difficult to parent. And also taught me more about life and myself than anyone in my life.
I did not read that someone was on Kelly Clarkson, but if they were, it would depend on the book and the kind of interview it was. Not all talk shows can sell books. You have to remember A LOT of people have given up linear TV and just watch clips on TikTok.
My 21 and 23 year-old-daughters don't watch linear TV -- ever. I want to cancel cable but I love Wheel of Fortune. I know, everyone loves to make fun of me. And I know I can get YouTube live etc but it seems like so much work to switch.
I absolutely love Elle Fanning! - but Margo is such a disappointment after THE GREAT, which was one of my top ten shows of all time. I think Margo is a waste of her.
Oh I think she nailed Margo. It's not a waste at all. Last week's episode was the best yet.
I'm sure she nailed Margo - she's phenomenal! I just don't like the show and I can't help comparing it to The Great - which hit every one of my pleasure centers and had her in one of the most excellent leads I've ever seen for a woman.
I'll have to watch THE GREAT!
If you love it just half as much as my writer husband and I did, you will be delirious with joy.
Keep the suggestions coming. I feel like I've seen everything. I was the recipient of a surprise divorce a few years ago and love to "lose" myself in shows and movies.
"Surprise divorce" are two words that should never go together. I'm sorry about that part, but I'm sure it will be the best thing that ever happened for you. It almost always is.
The first two years were kinda rough. But I *finally* did for myself what I should have done after my 21-year-old's cancer treatment in 2010. I like myself so much better without him. I remind myself of that on the occasional day I'm sad and miss him (though I'm not sure how I can miss someone who's been pretty crappy -- humans are weird like that).
My favorite example of being recognized at a conference was when the author Sayantani Dasgupta (the Idaho professor one, not the physician one) came up to me at AWP to say that they read my essay "In Praise of Contempt" in the Best American Essays 2016 anthology as part of class, and that a male student raised his hand and said, "Are women allowed to talk like this?" (lol, exactly the point!!) My day was made. Professor Dasgupta and I had never met before and I'm grateful she saw my tag.
WOW!
Thank you for this. Nicely articulated and laid out.
and I should have added- So no excuse not to do!
Thank you!
Love your posts, and this one is no exception. I’ve been playing with the ‘my novel is x meets y’ approach and making myself laugh. So far this one is my fave: You Could Be Happy Here is One Thousand Acres meets Lonely Planet Costa Rica. I find it helps to have other authors to help bat around ideas and tell you when you’ve totally missed the mark.