How to Write an Effective Pitch: Q&A with Leah Paulos

This is an excerpt of Leah Paulos’s presentation for this Authors Guild Launchpad Q&A session. In these meetings, authors discuss the topic with a publicist and engage in live Q&A.

“What is your book about?” and “Why is it important to read–or cover–now?”  are two questions you must be able to answer comfortably, confidently, and concisely. Leah Paulos of Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School gives tips on capturing the value and genius of your work with a perfectly crafted elevator pitch, and explains how to tailor your message to different audiences. This one-hour session is devoted to laying out best practices for writing a pitch rather than workshopping everyone’s materials, but the Q&A portion will allow for personalized advice.

Presenter

Leah Paulos is the founder and director of publicity at Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School, and has worked at the intersection of publishing and media for over 25 years. Twice named a top PR firm by the Observer, Press Shop PR has worked on #1 bestsellers including March by Rep. John Lewis and On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, and titles by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil deGrasse Tyson, James Kirchick, and Pulitzer-finalists Samuel Freedman and Louise Aronson. Leah leads the workshops at Book Publicity School, which offers virtual classes and coaching on book promotion. She graduated from Cornell University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.