Persist and Publish

Pitch and logline are basically the same. Log line is used to indicate
the one line pitch used to describe a movie or play. Pitch is the one line
used to describe a novel. Some people mistakenly call both log lines.

Carol
 

In my experience, there are two different kinds of synopses: short and
long. Some agents ask for the short synopsis as part of a submission, as
do a lot of contests. In that case, it shouldn't be more than a couple
of pages long. If you're asked to submit a partial, the agent may ask for
a synopsis, which in that context can be a bit longer--maybe 5-7 pages.
But shorter is usually better.
 
A synopsis covers the major characters, main plot, and setting. It outlines
the main events, including the ending. It can hint at subplots but shouldn't
get distracted by them.
 
The pitch, on the other hand, is a couple of paragraphs designed to intrigue
an agent and get a request for the partial or full manuscript. Unlike the
synopsis, which gives an outline of the entire novel, the pitch goes only
far enough to make the reader want to ask for more. It usually introduces
the main charatcers, sets up the conflict, and teases the reader a bit--like
a movie trailer or the back cover copy of a paperback novel.
 
I haven't read Dave's synopsis yet, so none of this is directed specifically
at what he wrote. It's just a stab at answering Rebecca's question, based
on the delightful fun I've had with synopses and pitches. :P
 
--Nancy

Gloria Kempton, who taught the novel
workshop that Carol and I were taking through Writer's Digest, recommends
http://publishersandagents.net to her students. She says the upfront price
is made up for by the savings in postage and photocopying, and she's had
quite a number of her students find reputable agents and publishers by
going this route.
 
You might check it out... She claims (I have not personally checked this
out) that it is not a "you pay them money and they pretend to be your agent"
scam, but rather an online clearinghouse for connecting writers with agents,
and the digital wave of the future.
 
I thought I'd look more closely at it when I get a ready to think about
publishing. I've still got a ways to go... I don't want to rush things
at all with my book, want to give them every chance to say yes this first
time since I believe in my story. I'll do a fourth revision if I have to
(it's actually more like a 44th, since the revision I'm completing now
isn't a second... the first write was such an iterative process, that all
the sections were worked on at least two or three times, some of them ten
or more, before I got to the end).

Gay
 

1. Use at least 12-point font.  Any smaller size fonts will strain the eyes of editors, causing them to focus more on thier need to squint than on the quality of writing in front of them.
2. Pay attention to spelling and grammar.  It may seem like old advice, but it is amazing how many manuscripts, query letters, and e-mails still have a plethora of misspellings and incorrect grammar.  Remember: spell checking and grammar cchecking computer programs do not always catch every error.
3. Limit your query letter to one page.  It may seem difficult, but that's because it is.  Spend a good amount of time on the query.  This letter will make the most lasting first impression on the editor if done correctly  (or worse, if it is done incorrectly).
4. Use heavy paper.  Twenty-pound stock works great for manuscripts and query letters.  For an editor, a flimsy piece of paper can often represent a flimsy manuscript or query.  Heavy paper is often easier to handle than lighter paper as well, which benefits the editor if he or she accepts your manuscript.
5. Double space your manuscripts.  For the same reason that editors prefer larger fonts, they also prefer double-spaced manuscripts.  For one thing, it is easier to read.  Second, it is easiery to make notes with the added space.
6. Make sure your manuscript covers the right subject for the right editor.  Publishing houses are often very specialized.  They make a good business by knowing their clients. 
   

Recommended by Raven and Nancy: Kristin Nelson's blog posts on pitching.

She's set them up in workshop format (she offers an in-person
workshop on writing pitches at writers' conferences), and she's still doing
them. Kristin Nelson's workshop on writing a good pitch. It's a
blog, so scroll down to the bottom of the page and read the posts from
the bottom up.
 
She's got a really good system for writing a pitch, as well as some good
examples. She focuses on genre novels, but emphasizes that this method
of pitching can work for anyone.
 
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2008/04/building-pitch-paragraph-part-one.html