I get scores of pitches from publicists, asking me to review their books. (I must get at least 5-10 solicitations most days.) Sometimes these pitches are effective, making me interested in the book. More often, though, they're not.
In the past week or so I've gotten two that take the form of the clichéd Hollywood style of pitching. (I don't know that anyone in Hollywood actually does this... I should ask Guyot. But I suspect they don't.)
Try these on for size:
- First book: A new international thriller is like "Thomas Harris meets Dan Brown." What does that mean exactly? A psychopath eats the Mona Lisa?
- Second book: "It's like CSI meets Medium on Survivor!"
I don't know about you, but neither of those pitches made me even remotely interested in reading the book. I would not watch Medium and I certainly wouldn't watch Survivor, so why on earth would I be interested in reading a book that was like them in any way? (The first pitch, at least, didn't put me off as much as it bored me.)
How about you? Does that grab your attention?
I got the first pitch this afternoon, too - but since I already had a copy of the book (and, in fact, read it and liked it more than I expected) pitching me at that point wasn't relevant.
Posted by: Sarah | January 30, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Funny. I thought those sorts of pitches were well-established cliches, only to be used as jokes!
Posted by: Deborah | January 30, 2007 at 06:29 PM
That's often the case with me, too: by the time the pitch arrives, I've already made a decision one way or the other about the book. And they're unlikely to change my mind.
However, considering how often books do slip through the cracks, I occasionally receive pitches that are actually valuable to me. Not really to sell me on a book, but just to let me know that it's available.
Posted by: David J. Montgomery | January 30, 2007 at 07:27 PM
A crime scene psychic gets kicked off an island in... (puts on glasses David Caruso style) I FORESEE THE WATER.
Posted by: Dave White | January 31, 2007 at 05:02 PM
I wouldn't want to read either of those books, but I think the one about the psychopath eating the Mona Lisa has definite potential.... You made me laugh with that!
Posted by: Cornelia Read | February 06, 2007 at 05:06 PM
As far as I know (from actual producer friends), yes, that is really how you do a pitch. And obviously, it works.
Posted by: Gina | February 06, 2007 at 06:18 PM
I cracked up over the psychopath eats the Mona Lisa line too and would buy that book.
Posted by: MJ | February 10, 2007 at 09:10 AM