In the third instalment in our Elevator Pitch series, we took to the elevator with writer Katherine Dixson who has published A Year of Living Musically on CompletelyNovel. The idea is you have just a couple of minutes to get over the essentials of your book and sell it to the publisher standing in the elevator next to you. Let’s see how Katherine gets on!
COMPLETELYNOVEL: Sell us your book! Can you give us a couple of sentences to sum up the plot of your book that will make us want to hear more?
KATHERINE DIXSON: A Year of Living Musically charts my midlife-enhancing attempt to cram into the choral calendar as much musical activity as possible without losing my grip on reality. If I thought juggling the notes was difficult enough, managing a bunch of people turns out be even more of a challenge, but the show must go on …
CN: Who is the main character?
KATHERINE: As it’s a memoir, the central character is by definition myself, but music in its many facets – uplifting, frustrating, entertaining, demanding, life-affirming – takes on its own characteristics as a major force to be reckoned with, which in turn shapes the author’s character development.
CN: What category would you put your book into ?
KATHERINE: Memoir, music, humour
CN: What makes your book unique?
KATHERINE: It’s a snapshot of a life, made up of individual episodes which could stand alone but which are woven seamlessly together, compelling the reader to keep turning the pages; like the best music, at times it edifies but above all it entertains.
CN: Can you name any other authors or books with an audience who would be likely to enjoy reading your book?
KATHERINE: Jasper Rees’ hilarious ‘I Found My Horn’ similarly deals with taking on an extraordinary musical challenge as a response to a midlife crisis. I hope my conversational, lighthearted style makes my book similarly accessible – it certainly isn’t necessarily for people who know a lot about music!
CN: What experience do you have when it comes to writing – is this your first book?
KATHERINE: I’ve always considered myself a wordsmith – I think language is wonderful and I love what can be achieved by using it well – but this is my first book.
CN: Have you done any marketing for your book so far?
KATHERINE: I’ve circulated details to all my featured characters, including professional musicians who will hopefully love it and use their influence to spread the word! I’ve sent review copies to the relevant music press. I’ve produced and sent flyers to numerous music groups, have taken part in a reading event at the university where I work and am organising one at my local library.
CN: Have you had any feedback from readers?
KATHERINE: All feedback so far has been complimentary, including a couple of reviews on CompletelyNovel. It’s been described as a real musical journey, and a fine example of charting a year’s events without it being a day-by-day diary approach. Friends who claim to know little about music have found it readable and funny.
CN: Anything else we should know about your book?
KATHERINE: It’s beautifully written and a lot of fun!
CN: Finally, what is your favourite book?
KATHERINE: An Equal Music by Vikram Seth – I’ve reviewed it on CN.
CN: Thanks very much Katherine! We’re thinking there should be something better than cheesy ‘Muzak’ in this lift after hearing about your book – sounds lovely.
Take a look at our previous Elevator Pitches from Alan Baker and Richard Denning.
Pitch your book on CompletelyNovel.com
If you would like to try your hand at an elevator pitch, please email anna@completelynovel.com with ‘Elevator pitch’ in the subject line and remember to include a link to your website or page on CompletelyNovel.com.
If you’re trying to get published, we’d love to hear you pitch your book!
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