Shared at Hugo House, Seattle. November 14, 2020

3. Last year:
305,000 books traditionally
published

5. You’re applying for the same job
as 10,000 other people

7. Large Publishers
Smaller Independent Publishers

8. Use the available resources:

9. Reverse engineer:
 What are your comparative titles?
 Who published those titles?
 What are those publishers looking for?

15. Science fiction Memoir Self Help Action
Romance Poetry
History Health
Picture Fantasy
Travel Thriller
Spirituality Art
Young Adult Essay

16.  What is your genre?

17. In one sentence:
What makes this book
different?
Goal:
“Tell me MORE!”

18.  Moment of change?
 Premise?
 What’s at stake?
 Contrast?
 Solution?
 Tone?

19.  Themes
 The ending or solution
 Secondary characters or subplots

20. “Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to
the ruler of Galilee, Ana yearns for a pursuit worthy
of her life, but finds no outlet for her considerable
talents. Defying the expectations placed on
women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits
and writes secret narratives about neglected and
silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-
year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by
the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He
becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the
awakener of her heart.”
Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longing

21. “In April 2015, my husband and I, laden with
backpacks and nerves, walked out of a
cathedral in the historic village of Le Puy,
France, down a cobblestone street, and turned
west. We were bound for the Atlantic Ocean,
over a thousand miles away. Did I mention
that we didn’t speak French, and that I thought
a hike was a three mile walk around the urban
lake near my apartment?
Beth Jusino, Walking to the End of the World

22. “The case plunges Strike into a world of
multimillionaire models, rock star boyfriends,
and desperate designers, and uncovers a few
of his own hidden secrets on its way toward
the truth.”
Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo’s Calling

23. “Dirty Gourmet offers a tested set of recipes,
from snacks to meals to cocktails, all designed
to be made and enjoyed in the great outdoors.”
Mai-Yan Kwan, Emily Nielson, and Aimee
Trudeau, Dirty Gourmet

24. A novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events-a
massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman
from a ship at sea.
Vincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star lodging on the
northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. On the night she meets Jonathan Alkaitis,
a hooded figure scrawls a message on the lobby's glass wall: "Why don't you
swallow broken glass." High above Manhattan, a greater crime is committed:
Alkaitis is running an international Ponzi scheme, moving imaginary sums of
money through clients' accounts. When the financial empire collapses, it
obliterates countless fortunes and devastates lives. Vincent, who had been
posing as Jonathan's wife, walks away into the night. Years later, a victim of the
fraud is hired to investigate a strange occurrence: a woman has seemingly
vanished from the deck of a container ship between ports of call.
In this captivating story of crisis and survival, Emily St. John Mandel takes
readers through often hidden landscapes: campgrounds for the near-homeless,
underground electronica clubs, the business of international shipping, service in
luxury hotels, and life in a federal prison. Rife with unexpected beauty, The Glass
Hotel is a captivating portrait of greed and guilt, love and delusion, ghosts and
unintended consequences, and the infinite ways we search for meaning in our
lives.
Emily St. John Mandel, The Glass House

25.  Excessive back story or setup
 Scene-by-scene descriptions
 Names
 Solutions/resolutions

28.  Previous publications
 Professional credentials
 Endorsements
 Awards
 Education
 Membership
 Existing audience

29. Your Turn to Pitch! Remember the Blocks:
 Title
 Genre
 Hook
 What sets your book in motion?
 Promise
 Culture trends
 Audience size
 Why should I trust you?

30. Remember the Blocks:
• Title
• Genre
• Hook
• What sets your book in motion?
• Promise
• Culture trends
• Audience size
• Why should I trust you?

31. 1. Is it a good idea?
2. Are you the right author?
3. Is this the right time?

32. Dear Agent…

33. 1. Is it a good idea?
2. Are you the right author?
3. Is this the right time?
4. Why is this the right publisher/agent?

35. Old School Definition and Expectation:
1-2 pages, single spaced, summary of all
active events in a narrative (fiction or
nonfiction) in chronological order.
(In nonfiction, often accomplished by an
annotated chapter outline)

36. 1. The Kondeykins: Mila Kraabel is born in 1947 at the end of what Russians call The
Great Patriotic War. Her parents are Russian, but relocated with their families to
Ashkhabad during Stalin’s collectivization of agriculture in the 1930s.
2. October 6: The family experiences one of the deadliest earthquakes in 20th century
history. Mila and her parents barely survive.
3. The Aftermath: The Kondeykins sift through the earthquake rubble, trying to save
as many lives as possible. Nine of Mila’s relatives are dead, and both of her
parents are gravely injured.
4. The Day After: As the residents of Ashkhabad sort themselves out and the Soviet
army arrives for disaster relief, both of Mila’s parents are taken to distant
hospitals. The family is separated for three months.
5. The Reunion: Mila’s parents return, but Ashkhabad is still in ruins. The family
moves back to Russia, but Mila’s parents struggle with the harsh climate and
loneliness. After just a few months, they return to Ashkhabad to help rebuild.
6. The New House: The Soviet government assigns Mila’s family a plot of land and
gives them a blueprint for a new home, which Mila’s father builds around the still-
homeless squatters who live in their yard. It takes years for the government to re-
settle everyone affected by the quake.
7. They Won’t Bite You: Mila’s parents take the unusual step of forgoing typical
Soviet employment and instead make their living as beekeepers, taking advantage
of Lenin’s “Decree on the Protection of Beekeeping.” They travel 6 months of the
year with apiaries and privately sell the honey they produce.

37. More Recent (Occasional) Definition:
1-2 paragraphs capturing the essence and
overview of the work
(Basically, the pitch you already wrote!)

39. http://bethjusino.com
(Click Resources for a link to
this slideshow)
bethjusino@gmail.com
Most photos in this slideshow courtesy of
Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/