NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2016

Read the 2016 pitches below and vote for your favorite.

Total Voters: 1,279

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758. That’s how many pitches we got from our awesome NaNoWriMo friends.  As you can see below, we got everything from future midwives to murder-solving college administrators to husband and wife pirate teams, to virtual reality transgendering all the way from Botswana.  We think it is a testament to the amazing imagination, wonderful skill, and literary daring of Wrimos the world over.  Though only 25 of the 758 pitches are critiqued below, everyone should be able to take away information from these critiques and apply it to your pitch.  If you read the critiques carefully, you will see certain commonalities.  Too much telling, not enough showing.  Too much book-report writing, not enough beautiful prose.  Hardly any comparable titles.  Not enough insight into our heroes.  Not enough details about the dastardly villains we’re dying to hate.

Now for the 411: The 25 pitches below were selected randomly.  Our comments follow each pitch. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get successfully published.  That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.

On April 1st, we will name a winner. But, in the mean time, don’t let our opinion sway you. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or, if you’re really lazy, to buy it online)? This year, we’ve made it easy for you to vote for your favorite pitch. The pitch that receives the most votes will be awarded the “Fan Favorite,” and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250).

But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. We will also be posting these pitches—a couple a day–on our Facebook page. We encourage anyone to “like” your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count towards the Fan Favorite.National Novel Writing Month logo

This year, we’re doing something new and special. We’re hosting a free webinar on Thursday, April 7th at 8PM EST. During the webinar, we’ll be teaching the art of the pitch.  A great pitch can open so many doors for you.  A terrible pitch pretty much assures that those doors will remain closed.  We will also answer any questions about pitching, publishing, writing, books, or the nature of the universe, mankind, womankind, life, love and death. Details to follow, but mark your calendars now!

Finally, through April 1st, we are still offering a free 20-minute consult (worth $100) to anyone who buys a copy of our book The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published, which was updated in July 2015! The new edition includes information on e-books, crowdfunding, social media, micro-publishing, and more. It retains all the topics covered in the earlier edition, including how to get an agent, self-publishing, and marketing. Just email us (david@thebookdoctors.com) a copy of your receipt and we’ll be in touch to set up a time to talk.

Your humble servants,

The Book Doctors

The Book Doctors, Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. You can join our newsletter to receive interviews and tips on how to get published.