Throwing out the first pitch--at a writers' conference, that is.

The annual ACFW conference begins tomorrow in Dallas. Alas, I am not going this year, but my agent Terry Burns has several projects of mine that are in need of a home. Anyone who's ever gone to the ACFW conference or any writing conference knows you have only a moment to make an impression on that elusive agent or editor. Hopeful writers headed for Dallas have been practicing and perfecting their elevator pitches to make the most of that moment. What is an elevator pitch? A quick, one or two sentence blurb about your book that will hook the hearer. Condensing a four-hundred page novel into one sentence is brutal. But it must be done as I'm sure you already know. Let's use Writer's Rest to practice. Even if you're not going to conference, share your best pitch for your current or latest work in progress. Those of you who are going should be able to rattle yours off in your sleep. Here's mine from a women's fiction/suspense entitled JOY REDEFINED. Joy Kessler has always felt more like a mouse than a spiritual giant. When her best friend disappears, she must turn to God to find the courage she never knew she had to save her friend and herself from a killer. Now your turn. I wish I could offer a book contract to the best one, but I'm probably a terrible judge anyway. This will be just for fun. Whether going to the conference or just throwing ideas around, we want to hear from you.