Naleighna Kai
- The Book Whisperer
- Literary Agent
- Publishing Consultant
- Ghostwriter & Developmental Editor
- Publisher
- International Bestselling Author
Tip: Share a Dynamic Thirty-Second Pitch
Why: Sharing a dynamic thirty-second pitch can change the trajectory of your life.
Since becoming a part of the Clubhouse world, I fine-tuned a simple thirty-second pitch that resulted in over 500 messages from people wanting to connect with me about writing their life stories.
Hereâs the pitch:
âI am Naleighna Kai, a USA Today and ESSENCEÂź Magazine international bestselling author and a literary agent who lands book deals with traditional publishing houses. They call me the âbook whispererâ because Iâm the person who can help you stop thinking of writing and publishing a book and actually do the damn thing. DM me on Instagram for a copy of Sugar Ainât So Sweet, or to finally write your book. I believe everyone has a story to tell. Iâm just one of the people who can help you tell it well. Iâd love to stay connected on Clubhouse, Instagram, and Twitter.â
This became something I did every day, several times a day. In nearly every room, no matter what type of topic or time of day it took place, all it required was thirty seconds to tell who I am, what I do, what Iâd like to do for others, and a call to action. Additionally, if they gave me sixty seconds, I had a slightly longer pitch prepared as well. This one thing initially forced me to shift from focusing on all fiction genres to including memoirs and self-help. It led to a writing challenge that helped four women from Clubhouse and Facebook finish writing their books in thirty days. They followed through with editing and beta reads, covers designed by Woodson Creative Studio, interior designs, and prepared to publish four months later. With the support of my entire writing tribe, which consists of New York Times, USA TODAY, and national bestsellers like myself, all four of those women hit #1 on Amazonâs bestsellerâs list and stayed there for four weeks. Even I hadnât stayed there for that amount of time.
Overall, my business expanded with new book coaching and consultant clients, as well as first-time writers who needed help accomplishing their dream of publishing their book. This has been very rewarding for me. Sales increased across all platforms and genres. Equally, several authors in my writing tribe became coaches to keep up with the demand.
When people didnât believe the challenge would work for them, but were still interested in writing their life story, they were able to gain free tips to get started on the journey from the Cavalcade of Authors weekly course held on Clubhouse. And those who had already published a book received free tips as well. And as a bonus, readers were able to receive a free copy of my book, Sugar Ainât So Sweet, simply to get a little taste of my writing and an introduction to other available novels.
Some of the most asked questions will be who you are, what you do, and how you would like to connect or collaborate. If you fumble through the process, if youâre not succinct, youâll lose the listener. People have short attention spans, and one of the first things youâll need to do is capture them with a hook straight out of the gate. If they want to know more, they will ask, but at least you have their attention. In one of the Clubhouse rooms, a woman made a quick pitch on starting a new business because she had to choose between staying home to take care of her children and her job. Five different women offered to connect with her to include her products in their subscription boxes. In thirty seconds, that womanâs life changed, the same as mine has.
Being flexible also helps with the process. Focus on what you have to offer and be open to shifting from your original offering. Case in point: Instagram was initially all about a manâs love for bourbon and whiskeys. He shifted his vision to what the users wanted. The rest is history.
The power of a thirty-second pitch cannot be denied, and making sure to tailor your pitch for the room youâre in is important. The next year, my pitch and focus changed because I realized that people would read my profile if they wanted to know the details of who I am. So hereâs the new pitch:
âI am Naleighna Kai, and I help others who have finally found the courage and strength to tell their truth and share their stories, whether itâs through memoirs, self-help, or fiction. I was adopted by my biological mother and the physical abuse was exponential, compounded by the fact that my father and uncle did not respect my right to say no. My literary career started twenty-three years ago when I put my pain and healing on the page, and that page became my passion and now that passion is my purpose.DM me on Instagram for a free copy of one of my books or if youâre ready to tell your truth, your way. Once again, my name is Naleighna Kai and I believe everyone has a story to tell, and Iâm just one of the people who can help you tell it well. Iâd love to stay connected to everyone here on Clubhouse, Instagram, and Twitter.â
Did you notice what changed from my original pitch to the new one? This time I started with what I do and why I do it. Whatâs in it for the listener, versus who I am and what Iâve achieved. My original pitch started with my qualifications. They can read that in the profile bio. Tell them whatâs not in the bio and your why.
Tip: Donât Be Afraid to Venture into The Unknown
Why: Fear and doubt can keep you on the bleachers, rather than getting into the game and making that dash for the finish line.
Twice, fear nearly kept me out of making new connections and landing an opportunity. During the first days on the app, I was âpingedâ to come into a room before I understood that I should have checked the room title before going in. If I had, I would not have connected with an amazing group of young men. The room was the most unlikely oneâthe Trap House. In case you donât know what that is, Trap is a brand of rap that can be pretty hardcore.
Well, I received the surprise of my life. They had brought me into the room because one of them heard my pitch in a networking space and thought that I, for some reason, would be the one to help them with their issue. Some of them had landed music deals and needed to know how to write press releases and create media kits. Wow! These young men were all about handling their business. I spent forty-five minutes in that room, and it was an amazing experience. When I was done, they mentioned that they would tell their mothers, sisters, and significant others about my books. A win that I didnât see coming.
Not to mention, doubt almost caused me to slide past the Shoot Your Shot: Pitch Your Project Room on Clubhouse. Before I could talk myself out of it, I slid into the room, raised my hand, and was brought onto the stage. A few minutes later, doubt kicked in. Everyone was pitching their projects, and they were so much more advanced in the process than I was. All I had was a book called Every Woman Needs a Wife. It is just a book, thatâs all. Well, when it was finally my turn, I started with an opening line describing who I was and then went into a brief synopsis.
âI am Naleighna Kai, an international bestselling author of Every Woman Needs a Wife, the story of a woman who walks in on the husband and the mistress and says, if youâre going to cheat, I need to get something out of it. The mistress needs to come home, clean my house, keep the kids and put some money on the bills too âŠâ
When I finished, the silence was frightening. Then it happened. The producers were wowed. Not because of any connections I had. Not because I had the backing, or other opportunities âfloatingâ around. That pitch landed me an option proposal for a movie deal. That would not have happened if I had let fear and doubt win that day.
Perfect your 15 second pitch, your 30 second pitch, and your 1-minute pitch. Trust me, youâll need them when youâre traveling along those Clubhouse streets.
New business. New connections. New outlook. A pitch connects you to the very thing youâre looking for thatâs looking for ... you!
