An elevator pitch is a key component to selling your art, whether it's a novel, a play, or other written concept. Crafting an elevator pitch requires you to think critically about your message and distill it to its core elements. This process helps you gain clarity on your goals, values, and what makes you or your offering unique.

You may not be ready to make a formal pitch to agents and publishers, but you should always be ready to talk about your book with clarity and confidence. You never know who you will meet. The time to practice your pitch is before you find yourself sitting on the plane next to a publisher. This special two-part event will get you ready! 

Session A: Create Your Elevator Pitch. Thurs, Feb 8, 6 - 7:30 pm. Pitch-O-Rama and veteran publisher Brenda Knight will coach us through the basics of a great elevator pitch: what do publishers and agents want to hear? What will turn them off, and what will pull them in? 

Session B: Now, Practice It! Thurs, Feb 15, 6 - 7:30 pm. Stand up before a friendly, informal audience and deliver your 3-minute pitch. If you wish, the audience can provide feedback. CWC Marin President Daniel Bacon will be the moderator.

About the Coach: Brenda Knight is a twenty-year publishing veteran, starting at HarperCollins.  She authored American Book Award-winning Women of the Beat Generation, Rituals for Life and Wild Women and Books. She is the President of the Women’s National Book Association, which hosts the annual Pitch-O-Rama. Knight has worked with many bestselling authors including Mark Nepo, Phil Cousineau, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, and Paolo Coehlo. She is founding editor of Viva Editions, a division of Cleis Press.

This program is presented in collaboration with the California Writers Club of Marin.