Bring your book idea to Darien Library’s Pitchapalooza

Literary agent Arielle Eckstut and author David Henry Sterry will team up at Pitchapalooza to form a panel of judges that will critique everything from your book idea to style and potential in the marketplace.

In order for great books to make it to the page, authors have to be discovered — just like musicians need to be discovered before they hit the radio waves. On Thursday, July 12, at 7, Darien Library is hosting an “American Idol” for books: Pitchapalooza.

Literary agent Arielle Eckstut and author David Henry Sterry will team up with two guest industry insiders to form a panel of judges, which will critique everything from idea to style and potential in the marketplace.

The session is geared toward both authors who want to pitch their latest project as well as those who want to listen to publishing professionals critique the presentations. But while the event will be education and entertaining for everyone, there’s a little something extra for authors:

The winner will receive a half-hour consultation with Eckstut and Sterry, co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company dedicated to helping authors get their books published.

In addition to running their company, Eckstut and Sterry are also co-authors of “The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully.” The pair have brought their workshop all over the country, hosting sessions at Stanford University and Smith College, and have appeared in The New York Times, USA Today and on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Eckstut has been a literary agent for 18 years at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, and is the author of seven books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. Sterry is the best-selling author of 12 books, including memoir, sports, young-adult fiction and reference.

More info: 203-655-1234, DarienLibrary.org, additional evening and weekend parking is on Thorndal Circle behind Nielsen’s