How to Prepare for an Esri Press Pitch Session
This blog is posted on behalf of our managing editor, Stacy Krieg, who leads our acquisitions team and will be available during the Esri User Conference for our annual book pitch sessions.
The Esri User Conference in San Diego is a great place to learn, connect, and take a deep dive into the latest advances in geographic information system (GIS) technology. Esri Press has also planned for pitch sessions to meet with prospective authors. At the UC, an editor from Esri Press will be on hand to talk with you for 15 minutes about your book idea.
What is a pitch session? In publishing, a pitch session is a chance to meet face-to-face with editors or agents and present them with your idea. We all know what an elevator pitch is; a book pitch is two to three sentences that summarize the book. The difference between the pitch and a full book proposal is that here, you should be giving enough information to gauge the excitement or viability of your idea, and that’s it. Here is a prior blog on how to submit a proposal.
I’ve been on both sides of the literary pitch, and whether you’re pitching to Esri Press or any other publisher out there, here are some tips that will make sure you get the most out of this opportunity.
Be prepared
Browse the Esri Press website. Look at our existing list. Esri Press is dedicated to producing content that shows how GIS can change the world, especially concerning the environment, climate change, business uses, social issues, human geography, urban planning, coding and programming, as well as technical workbooks for the classroom. How does your idea fit into our mission?
Be concise
A pitch session is not the time for an hour-long conversation or a vague idea. It’s also not the time for a full-blown proposal. This is an opportunity to give a clear, concise summary of your proposal. We are allowing 15 minutes per person, and a lot of publishers’ pitch sessions are even shorter. Hint: If you can’t pitch your book clearly and concisely in two to three sentences, refine it. Practice!
The pitch should include the following: What makes your idea stand out from every other book that's on the market? Why is it a topic that someone should read about now? Why is it a book, instead of a magazine article or academic paper? Who is going to buy this book and why? Why are you the best person to write this book? Editors want to come away remembering your idea and excited to get the full proposal.
Be curious
Now is the time to ask questions. How does the proposal process work? What’s the time commitment? How does Esri Press work with authors? Use this opportunity to get your questions answered. You need to feel that the publisher is a good fit for you as well.
Our editors are looking forward to meeting our users and potential authors. So be sure to stop by the Esri Press booth and sign up for a time to pitch your idea.