Last week, we took a look at the elements of a winning logline-style elevator pitch. Today, we’re looking more closely at how to apply them and craft the pitch itself. To recap, the elements you’re looking for are your novel’s protagonist, active antagonist, stakes, and high concept. And remember: the high concept might or might not make it into your pitch, but you need to keep it in mind. Remember, also, that a logline pitch is merely the start of a conversation with an editor, agent, or reader. For that reason, it shouldn’t be long – a single sentence, or a single
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Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch (Part 1)
An “elevator pitch” is a hook, high concept, and/or logline-style pitch for a novel (or other creative project) which a writer presents to an editor, agent, or other unsuspecting victim who ends up trapped in an elevator (or other awkward social situation) with the author. Good pitches are short, distinctive, and make the listener want to know more. The pitch is the way you persuade someone to read your manuscript or novel. Authors need a solid pitch for every project (and series), whether the work is published, unpublished, or in progress. Also, the pitch must be deliverable in less than a minute, preferably in a single breath–regardless of the genre or complexity of the work. A
Read moreTips for Effective “Elevator Pitches”
In the publishing world, an “elevator pitch” is the one-sentence (or at least under one minute) pitch an author offers an agent or editor in an attempt to prompt interest in the author’s book. I’ve heard a lot of these over the years, and helped many authors write them (in conference settings and otherwise). While the content of the pitch will vary, depending on the setting and the nature of the author’s work, there are some constants common to effective book pitches. For today, we’re focusing on the short “elevator pitch” designed to open a conversation. Many, though not all, of these
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