Work That Pitch! How to Pitch Your Novel in 250 Words or Less

Work That Pitch! How to Pitch Your Novel in 250 Words or Less

Do you dread pitching, marketing, or self-promotion for your novel? Then this workshop is for you!

By Karen A. Parker

Date and time

Friday, June 21 · 1 - 2:30pm PDT

Location

Online

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 1 day before event
Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

Agenda

1:00 PM - 1:05 PM

Welcome and Introductions

Karen A. Parker

Ashley Granillo

1:05 PM - 1:20 PM

The Art of the Logline

Karen A. Parker

1:20 PM - 1:35 PM

The Art of the Verbal Pitch

Karen A. Parker

1:35 PM - 1:45 PM

Break

1:45 PM - 2:05 PM

The Art of Back Cover Copy

Karen A. Parker

2:05 PM - 2:25 PM

The Art of the Query Letter with Ashley Granillo

Karen A. Parker

Ashley Granillo

2:25 PM - 2:30 PM

Q&A and Closing

Karen A. Parker

Ashley Granillo

About this event

  • 1 hour 30 minutes

Work That Pitch! How to Pitch Your Novel in 250 Words or Less

Hosted by Karen A. Parker with Guest Speaker Ashley Granillo!

"So, what's your book about?"

It's the question that every writer gets asked by well-meaning friends, colleagues, and strangers, and nearly every writer I know dreads to be asked it.

And why wouldn't they? Writing a novel is hard, and having to reduce it to one sentence, a paragraph, or even a single page for a query letter is hair-raising.

But pitching doesn't have to be scary or hair-raising at all.

In fact, it should be fun and empowering.

And in just an hour and a half, I'll show you how in Work That Pitch!

During the workshop, you'll learn the tools you need to pitch your story to your family, your friends, your ideal readers, and your dream literary agents. Through targeted workshops and activities centered around craft, you'll be able to:

  • distill your story vision in one powerful, exhilirating sentence
  • give just enough detail about your story so that potential readers and listeners want more
  • understand the power of stakes, conflict, and thematic resonance in your work.

Best of all, you'll get to have fun with other writers looking to level up like you are.

Never dread pitching, marketing, or self-promotion ever again! Hope to see you soon!

Open to beginner and intermediate writers who have a story idea, a work-in-progress, or a completed novel. Students are also encouraged to bring a copy of their favorite book to study its back cover copy.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ashley Granillo?

Ashley Granillo is a Mexican American author. She has many degrees, including a BA and MA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction and an MFA in Fiction and a minor in Screenwriting from UCR Palm Desert. CRUZITA AND THE MARIACHEROS (Lerner 2024) is her debut middle-grade novel.

Who is Karen A. Parker?

Karen A. Parker is a Black, bi, nonbinary author and editor of speculative fiction. Their remastered short story collection, THE ART OF CAPTURING PHANTOMS: DEFINITIVE EDITION, has received critical acclaim. They graduate with an MFA in Fiction from UCR Palm Desert in June 2024.

What experience does Karen have with pitching?

Karen has sold out of multiple copies of their book through in-person sales at local independent bookstores. They'll also be pitching their novel's first fifty pages to two literary agents and one senior editor at a Big Five publisher at the last residency in UC Riverside's Palm Desert MFA program.

What experience does Karen have with writing, editing, publishing, etc.?

Karen is graduate of the Sourcebooks BIPOC Editorial Training Program, a freelance copyeditor and developmental editor for Tessera Editorial, an editorial sensitivity reader for Salt & Sage Books, and an Associate-level member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.

Do you offer discounts for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and disabled writers?

Yes! Please send an email to hello@karenaparker.com with the subject line "Work That Pitch Promo Codes" to request the promo code(s) that best reflect your identities.

I can't make it to the workshop. Do you have any free or low-cost resources that you recommend?

Sure! Scribophile.com, Inked Voices, and other writing group websites can help you find critique partners for your manuscript or query letter. You can also check out Karen's favorite writing craft books here: https://bookshop.org/shop/captured_phantoms

Tags

Organized by

Karen A. Parker

Karen A. Parker is a Black, bi, nonbinary author and editor of speculative fiction, a Secular Buddhist, and an intrepid entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California. After graduating cum laude from UC Irvine with a BA in English, a Creative Writing Emphasis in Fiction, and a minor in Japanese Language and Literature, they taught English in Gifu, Japan, for three years as an Assistant Language Teacher. Graduating from UC Riverside’s Palm Desert MFA Program, they have extensively researched Esoteric Buddhism, African oral storytelling tradition, and Black liberation for their second-world romantasy novel, the early pages of which will serve as their creative thesis.

Their remastered short story collection, The Art of Capturing Phantoms: Definitive Edition, has received critical acclaim from Readers' Favorite, Indies Today, and Independent Book Review. Other short fiction and nonfiction of theirs has been published in The Drabble, Visual Verse, 101 Words, and The Coachella Review. As the former editor of Voice to Books for The Coachella Review, an Associate member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, a member of the Codex Writers Group, and an Impact Fellowship Recipient of Author Accelerator, they continuously strive to uplift fellow BIPOC and QUILTBAG+ writers of speculative fiction. When they’re not writing, they enjoy cooking, cartomancy, composing music, critting in Dungeons & Dragons, and completing their video game collection.

$100