by Bethany Jett @BetJett

I practiced my pitch several times but the moment I sat in front of an editor at my first writers conference appointment my mind went blank. I managed to smile, shake hands, state my name, and awkwardly hold out my one-sheet.

He took the paper and started reading, which gave me time to take a couple of quiet deep breaths. Honestly, my first one-sheet was a hot mess. Check it out in all its tragic glory, but it got the job done. The conversation that followed stemmed from the information from the one-sheet, and the appointment moved smoothly.

Lesson learned: always have something tangible to give to the editor.

Often times your one-sheet will be handed back to you after at the close of your appointment. This is normal. Agents and editors see many people at conferences and don’t want to pack all the paperwork when they can have it emailed to them if they’re interested. In the rare case an agent or editor keeps your one-sheet, you’ll want all of the information to look professional and dynamic and cover all the necessary details about your book.

I thoroughly love and appreciate what literary agent Chip MacGregor says about one-sheets:

“I’m not sure there is such a thing as a ‘killer’ one-sheet. That is, they don’t land you a deal, they just help you take the next step… if they’re good, they will encourage the editor to look at the formal proposal. The best one-sheets are the ones that make the story sound interesting enough they get me to take the next step.”

Google “how to write a one-sheet” and you’ll find several sites with varying degrees of what’s important and how to create a great one-sheet. The important thing is to take your time and make it as great as you can, but don’t get over-stressed about it. Here is a great starting point:

Spark Interest with your One-Sheet at a #Writing Conference

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What to Include in your One-Sheet

Contact information

Realistically, all you need is your name, email, and website. For safety reasons, keep your address off entirely (that includes business cards, too), and honestly, your phone number isn’t that important, either. If you’re represented by an agent, include his or her contact information as well.

Headshot and Short Bio

Keep the headshot professional and small. You have a lot of information to include and your headshot doesn’t need to take up half the space. The same goes for your biography. Include relevant detail and provide a call-to-action for people to check out your website or a specific social media platform.

Book Title and Blurb

Think of this as back cover copy or a short synopsis. You’ll need a great hook as well as details about how the book progresses. Fiction and nonfiction one-sheets vary slightly. You can find more details on one-sheet blurbs from Rachelle Gardner’s blog, Edie Melson, and Andy Lee.

Book Statistics

A small section of the one-sheet will include your approximate final word count, genre, audience, and how long it will take to complete. If you have endorsements, include a couple here, as well.

Relevant Photo

My first one-sheet did not include a photo and I admit, it would have helped things tremendously. Your one-sheet should look beautiful. Make sure the image is relevant to your topic, though. If you write historical romance, a picture of an alien space ship makes no sense.

Keep the aesthetic of your one-sheet clean and don’t be afraid of white space or color. The purpose of the one-sheet is to be “skimmable” and spark interest in the person you’re pitching to (or “to whom you are pitching”).

Here are some sample one-sheets:

fiction: Alone
fiction: When Sparrow Falls
nonfiction: Serving, but not Subordinate

[reminder]What questions do you have about one-sheets? What else do you include in yours?[/reminder]