Pitching Practice

Can I just say again how awesome the people behind National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) are? They really are fantastic. The primary goal is to give struggling writers that kick in the pants they need to actually write a complete novel, and they do quite well at that. It certainly works for me.

But if you follow their blog, you can see that they also keep trying to encourage writers throughout the year. More than a few published authors got their start by participating in NaNoWriMo, and the people behind the program are tickled to acknowledge that fact. They are also going beyond the event itself and working with people in the publishing industry to give us would-be professionals an extra leg up.

Enter Pitchapalooza.

Any interested Wrimo can submit a 200 word pitch of their Nano novel for a chance at an introduction to an agent or publisher. Twenty-five pitches will be selected at random and sent to writing consultants The Book Doctors, who will then choose a pitch and introduce that author to an agent or publisher that fits their manuscript. That is a huge foot in the door, because without an agent, it is extremely hard to get your book even looked at by publishers in this day and age. Self-publication is certainly an option, of course, but it is not without its own perils.

So, I went ahead and submitted a pitch this weekend. Here it is, for those who are interested (and curious as to the subject of my recent novel, Choices, which I will be posting here before the year is out).

In the city-state of Pelos, the will of the high society is the rule of law. Power lies within the control of the noble Houses, and every Head of House schemes to make sure his House sits on top of the pyramid of influence. 

To Laren of Jade, a once powerful House now flagging in prominence due to financial woes, none of this has ever been worth paying any attention to. She wants nothing more than to be left alone with her books and art, to continue the mostly peaceful existence she has known all of her life. Such is not her fate.

Laren hadn't given up on searching for love, she had just never bothered to go looking for it. When her father announces that she is to be married to the heir of one of the most prominent Houses in Pelos, she finds herself thrown into a new life, suddenly embroiled in the political intrigues of Pelos she had so long avoided. 

Just when she thinks she has learned to navigate these new waters, the unthinkable happens and Laren's life takes a turn she could never have expected.

So, my hat has been tossed into the ring, and my fingers are crossed. The announcement of the twenty-five finalists comes next week, on March 5. That's actually my wedding anniversary, and it's our seventh, which is a lucky number in itself, so, maybe that will play in my favor? One can hope, at least. Wish me luck!