Pitchapalooza Praise from Booksellers

 

We’ve been lucky enough to do our Pitchapalooza at some of the best bookstores in America.  Here’s what they’re saying about us.

I can’t thank you guys enough for coming our way for Pitchapalooza, something that I hope will be an annual event for Anderson’s Bookshops.  You were brilliant and so generous with your expertise and words.  Attendees were hanging on every word you said, writing furiously in their notebooks.  This book will continue to be our bible to give to prospective writers; I can’t tell you how long we have been waiting for such a book.  One to hand someone and say read this first!  It really makes it easy for us to help all of those fledgling writer customers who come in and want help. Congratulations!  I hope you had as much fun as we did, our panelists, and all of those soon to be published authors! – Becky Anderson, President of American Booksellers Association, & Owner, Anderson’s Bookshops, Naperville, IL

How much fun is Pitchapalooza? Ask the 350+ people who braved a cold night to experience it in Kansas City. Even weeks later, we’re still getting thank yous and new customers from the event. Pitchapalooza is a great way to energize the writers in your market, and get the public at large excited about books. It’s also streamlined the way we handle unsolicited inquiries about how to get a book published. We’ve made purchasing and reading The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published a requirement for all would-be writers. – Geoffrey B. Jennings, Corporate Counsel, Rainy Day Books, Inc. Kansas City, KS

 

The Pitchapalooza is the only event we’ve hosted that customers keep asking us to repeat. We’ve had two packed Pitchapaloozas, and we’ll do them as often as David and Arielle are willing to return. – Heather Lyon, owner of Lyon Books, Chico, CA

 

David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut are pros at so much, but their advice, suggestions, enthusiasm, and reality checks evident in their Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published  are utterly wonderful, real, heartfelt, and the best. Please pay attention to them. – Melissa Mytinger, events coordinator Booksmith, San Francisco, CA

Changing Hands loved having Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry and their Pitchapalooza at the store so much that we can’t wait to have them come back. While Arielle and David gave a brief explanation of how the Pitchapalooza worked, you could feel the energy in the room rise.  People that were in the store but not planning to attend the event pulled up chairs. Twenty people pitched some very interesting books with passion and excitement and with the hope of an opportunity to spend an hour working with “The Book Doctors”.  Arielle and David’s criticism was both kind and insightful in helping the participants get their books published.  I recommend David and Arielle’s book The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published all the time. Their clear, concise language and understanding of the publishing industry and steps to position and market is just what is needed for neophytes to make the best decisions for the publication of their book. – Shelly Segal, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe Arizona

After I heard first-hand their astute constructive criticism and heartfelt encouragement, I know they are making a difference in people’s lives. I bought two more copies of their book myself, I was so inspired by their presentation. The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published and its nationwide Pitchapalooza events are bringing dreams to fruition. By demystifying the publishing process, David and Arielle help great stories get told. As a bookseller, being a part of Pitchapalooza made me excited about the future of publishing. As a writer, Pitchapalooza helped me hone my pitch and write a query that got me an agent!  —Tegan Tigani, Event Coordinator at Queen Anne Books, Seattle

 

I want to thank you and David so so very much for participating in the writer’s conference at the trade show. The two of you really MADE the conference, and I am so grateful to you. And of course it was so great to meet the delightful Olive. What a punkin! All the best to the three of you… – Lisa D. Knudsen, Executive Director, Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association

You two are amazing!  We sold a ton of books. I nominated it for Booksense when it first came out, but think I will do it again, maybe under a pseudonym.  Thanks again for a great book and a great presentation.  You’re the best! —Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Books

When Michael, our Workman liaison, mentioned the Pitchapalooza concept in his newsletter, I thought it sounded intriguing, but as the date drew closer, I was getting nervous about how it would actually work.  I should have trusted your reassurance that you had done it “dozens of times.” Pitchapalooza ranks right up there as one of my favorite programs ever.  It was great to hear the pitches, the buzz of excitement and nerves and the support the authors gave one another.  You were all amazing panel members – you offered great tips that could be applied to most pitches – and you were kind and funny.  I can’t thank you enough for making Groton one of your stops. – Betty Anne Reiter, Groton (CT) Public Library

Thanks again for a terrific Pitchapalooza event at {Pages} earlier this month. We are continuing to get great feedback.    The concept of 2nd Annual Pitchapalooza @ {Pages} has such a nice ring to it.   We and the many aspiring authors in our community would love to have you  – Linda McLoughlin Figel, co-owner of Pages: a Bookstore, Manhattan Beach, CA