Can you boil the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea into twenty-five words or less?
This is one of the keys to creating a marketing hook that makes your idea sellable in today’s crowded market.
You have less than a minute to make that hook work. But it can take hours to craft that pitch.
It is also called creating the “elevator pitch” or the “Hollywood pitch.” The goal is get the marketing department to exclaim, “We can sell that without any problem!” And ultimately to get a consumer to say, “I want that” or “I need that” or “I know someone who should have that.”
When teaching this I’ll have the writer go to the front of the class and present their elevator pitch. The writer can say the genre (fiction or non-fiction genre) and the title. Then present the pitch in 25 words or less.
Sometimes the entire class will ooh and ahh. In that moment, we all learn what an effective pitch sounds like.
Then I ask,”What is the book about?” If the class cannot answer, then the pitch has a problem.
Care to give yours a try?
25 words or less. No fudging
Genre:
Title:
25 word pitch:
Go!
Fun Fridays – July 13, 2018
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By the way,
To all our blog readers? This exercise is a tiny picture of what the inbox of an agent looks like.
Imagine this every day of the week, all year. Different ones each day.
Steve
Cannot imagine.
I look at previously sent tags and am ‘surprised my own self’ (<– line from a Sci Fi captain). Not to mention dismayed.
rewrite and repeat.
I think my mind would become quite boggled before long with so many emails. I conveniently ignore half of mine as it is (or save them for a future date that may never come).
Thank you for taking the time to critique each of us. Especially on top of a Monday inbox!
Historical fiction
To Protect
Caught between their wealthy uncle’s espionage ring, two brothers must fight to protect each other, until lies and deceit drive them apart.
Wow, Steve! You consistently give SO much to the readers of this blog. Critiques of a bunch of elevator pitches in the comments section of a BLOG? This is why I love this blog even though I’m no longer seeking representation. You and your fellow agents are wonderful lights in the world. Blessings!
Pitch for my current WIP The Sassy Sisterhood of Pastors’ Wives.
Amidst laughter and tears, four diverse women bond as they support their husbands, help their congregations and community, and discover the depth of who they are.
Genre: Mystery
Title: NOLA
Pitch: Escaping to New Orleans, Josie’s new friends are accused of murder. Will she be able to uncover the truth between the lies, and save herself?
Genre: Fantasy / Retelling
Title: Forgotten
Asher Grey must find a way to save his would-be fiancé, Snow, from a murderous competitor in the annual Sibohán Game – before it’s too late.
(this is my first shot at writing a pitch for any of my novels, so I don’t know much about what I’m doing ;D. Hopefully I didn’t embarrass myself with that attempt!)
Title: Lovingly Broken!
An inspirational memoir with life-riveting examples to help readers find strength in God’s truth, growing from trials to triumph, and finding peace through pain.
genre: Online Marketing
Title: Kingdom Marketing
People are searching for answers that God wants you to provide. Learn online strategies that are immune to censorship so your audience can find you.
Harry, a baboon spider climbs into a suitcase and awakes in England. How will his new friends help the hapless spider find his way home.
Not easy to do! I normally use three sentences to write my blurb. The above is obviously not for a novel. It is my first chapter book. After writing Y/A novels I found it challenging writing a story under 3500 words, but was blessed to find an amazing artist who just ‘gets me’ and my descriptions, and interprets the characters using water colours which I adore.
What would we do without God creating amazing random encounters with the person, in my case the artist, after I had prayed and asked for Him to find me someone.
Forgot to mention:
Title: Harry Hirsute, The Baboon Spider
Genre: Adventure
Title: Dear George
Genre: Christian with a Twist of Sicklit Romance
Word Count: 65 000
Paige has cancer. She breaks her Godly vow and sleeps with her date. She now has cancer and is pregnant. She makes the ultimate sacrifice.
Title: The Hunter
Genre: Adventure for Y/A
Word Count: 75 000
Blurb: 21 words
Four children take on the African bush to try and save their father whose plane has been shot down by poachers.
Title: The Hunter
Genre: Adventure for Y/A
Word Count: 75 000
Blurb: 21 words
Four children take on the African bush to try and save their father whose plane has been shot down by poachers.
Genre: Christian futuristic fiction
Title: Heirs of Worlds – United to Heaven
25 word pitch:
Renato died at birth and returns after the Last Judgment. Love and family leads to space travel to prepare new worlds for others like himself.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Title: The Crucible of Kings
When Cressender’s king dies, leaving no heir, Darren Altonson, a dragon’s nursemaid, competes for the throne.
Just my opinion, but maybe less commas would help it flow better?
Like, “When Cressender’s king dies without heir, a dragon’s nursemaid (must/chooses/decides/is forced/steps up to) compete for the throne”
Thank you so much for your helpful feedback! I really appreciate it!
Genre: Fiction (fantasy)
Working Title (or not?): Mewlinshaan
24 word pitch:
Abandoned and rejected, eleven-year-old Ondrea struggles to discover who she is. Pretending to be a boy will only keep her safe for a time.
Historical Supernatural Fiction
“The Shape of Time”
The key to stopping a rogue angel’s schemes might not be in Letti’s new time-travel powers, but in the truth of her own false heart.
(25 words is so hard!)
(On the title, my original working title was “My Lady of the Locks” – but I realized recently it doesn’t convey much about the book genre or it’s themes. So “The Shape of Time” is my new working title.)
Or possibly this:
“A time-traveling regency heiress must stop a rogue angel’s schemes while confronting the truths of her own heart and soul.”
Genre: Christian Non-Fiction; Spiritual Warfare
Title: Spiritual Defense: Fight Like Jesus
Pitch: Satan attacks daily, yet many Christians remain vulnerable, being unaware or unprepared. Spiritual Defense engages the imagination as it equips believers to win as Jesus won.