EVENTS Industry Insiders goes online

No doubt nails were nibbled nervously as writers waited to hear their pitches and opening lines critiqued by literary agent Sallyanne Sweeney, in SCBWI-BI's first online Industry Insiders event, 11th May 2020. Frances Tosdevin reports.

Sallyanne, of MMB Creative, chose four picture books and five middle grade novels for feedback in this groundbreaking Slushpile Webinar (sadly there were were no young adult entries received for this event).

Two Q&A sessions then provided opportunities for participants to quiz Sallyanne on a range of topics – from the most common mistake she sees in submissions, to what makes her soul shrivel (or her heart sing) in an opening line.

The standard of submission for this event was extremely high, with Sallyanne declaring, 'All of these pitches would be up at the top of my inbox!'

What tips can we take away to improve our chances of catching an agent’s eye? 

When trying to grab an agent or editor’s attention, title, it seems, is key: 'A really good title is like a really good pitch for your book,' says Sallyanne. So what is she looking for in a pitch? 'I like the pitch to be a bit unexpected. Don’t be afraid to bring in sooner those exciting things that are unique to your story.'

Sallyanne, of MMB Creative, chose four picture books and five middle grade novels for feedback in this groundbreaking Slushpile Webinar

If you are writing a funny book, then Sallyanne would like to see your humour shining through. 'Try to make us laugh in the pitch, it’s nice to get a sense of voice,' she said.

Something many writers wonder is just how much of the plot should they give away in their pitch? 'Don’t give away the twist, just hint at it,' said Sallyanne. 'The whole point of a pitch is to get an agent excited to read (on).'

The pitch is also the place to up the stakes. However, it’s essential to avoid confusion. 'In a pitch, you need to be careful that it doesn’t leave more questions than answers!' said Sallyanne. One or two pitches at the webinar fell into this trap and would benefit from reworking.

What about ending your pitch with a question?

'Yes, but don’t do it for the sake of it – if it feels right, that’s fine,' said Sallyanne.

However, something we should all be doing, is referencing similar texts. 'It’s nice if you do give some comparison books, as it helps the agent to sit your book in the marketplace.'

Sallyanne also enjoys seeing the x meets y format, as deftly employed by several of the webinar’s participants. One further, important point to bear in mind is to make sure that your pitch is reflected in the opening lines.

But there IS one magic ingredient that makes Sallyanne’s heart sing: 'It’s VOICE, something that brings you into this world; the confidence of the writer'

So what makes Sallyanne’s soul shrivel or her heart sing in an opening line?

A soul-shrivelling opening might have, 'Something about the weather – or an alarm clock going off.'

But there IS one magic ingredient that makes Sallyanne’s heart sing: 'It’s VOICE, something that brings you into this world; the confidence of the writer.'

She admitted that what she enjoys most of all is, 'the thrill of the new' and that she 'just really wants to be grabbed early on' and to know 'that the writer really knows what they are doing and will take you on a journey.' However, there’s one big mistake that Sallyanne sees in her submissions inbox – and that is sending the text out too soon.

'You only have one chance to have your submission looked at with fresh eyes by an agent,' she said. 'So make sure there are no loose threads – that it’s not too raw. Only send it to an agent when there is nothing else you can see to fix. Letting it sit between edits is really important.'

Has the current coronavirus pandemic impacted on what is – or isn’t – being commissioned by editors?

'We are all looking for new talent that will see us through these dark times,' said Sallyanne. 'The conversation I’m having with editors is, what are people going to want to read after all of this (Covid-19) is over?'

Perhaps inevitably, therefore, the current crisis has impacted on Sallyanne’s own MS wishlist. 'The world is dark enough so I am wanting to avoid anything apocalyptic or dystopian right now,' she said. 'In YA I would love a sweep-me-off-my-feet love story, ideally with a clever concept! But across the board, people want funny, uplifting books.'

So, polish your pitches and hone those opening lines – you never know where their beautiful brevity might take you.

*Header image: MMB Creative

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Frances Tosdevin writes picture book texts, which she enjoys trying out on her cats, who are willing to be additional critique ‘purrtners’ in return for cheese Dreamies. She has worked as a reporter, lived in Qatar and studied archaeology, anthropology and Classics and, more recently, horticulture and picture book craft.

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Fran Price is events editor for Words & Pictures, the online magazine for SCBWI-BI. Contact her at events@britishscbwi.org.