I was fortunate to have my agent consult (pitch) and critique back to back late Friday morning. I pitched one of my novels to Laurie McLean of the Larsen Pomada Agency. For more info about Laurie, go to www.agentsavant.com. I haven’t pitched in person very frequently and found myself more relaxed than I would have imagined. I consider the pitch successful and it was certainly a learning experience. I’ll admit it was great to talk with someone who’s excited about my story idea. As we all know, getting an agent is more than pitching a great idea. The writing must exceed the setup you’ve provided. If the story, the characters and plot are dry or poor, it doesn’t matter what incredible idea you pitch.
The first 20 pages of my 1st novel was critiqued by agent/writer Mandy Hubbard. This was eye-opening for me. Those 20 pages were the longest portion of prose I’ve ever had reviewed by an agent or published writer. Mandy was honest but considerate. I appreciated her feedback, especially the fact she pointed out some issues I was previously unaware of. She confirmed some other problems I knew existed and already am busy revising.
I don’t believe it’s possible to overstate the importance of both pitch sessions and critiques. In two weeks, I’ll have the first 5 pages of one novel critiqued by another agent. I look forward to that feedback as well. The daunting task of revision lies before me for both novels but I’m diving in with both eyes open. Let the games begin!
NEXT UP: Workshop review
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