An elevator pitch is a brief, one- or two-sentence summary of the book and a powerhouse marketing tool.
Elevator pitches entice readers, interest potential marketing partners, and may grant audiences with agents and editors. Once you have written your book's elevator pitch, you'll find it easier to answer when family members or nosy neighbors ask, "So, what's your book about?"
Writing an elevator pitch is a skill every writer must master, and it takes practice. Here are some tips to help you nail your pitch.
Write down the bare bones of your story plot in as few words as possible. Don't edit or worry about word choice--not yet, anyway. Just get something down on paper. Here are two examples that I will carry through this post:
This book is about a widow who finds her passion and herself while taking a sabbatical and interacting with Venusians in a retirement community on Venus.
This book is about a tenacious twelve-year-old who determines to save her neighborhood from annihilation using a homemade rocket.
Add some context to give your readers a sense of the world, physically or philosophically, they are entering--the period, the universe, location, etc.
This book is about a widow who finds her passion and herself while taking a sabbatical and interacting with Venusians in a retirement community on Venus when she learns to tap into her creativity and discovers the joy of painting while taking an art class to practice her Venusian language skills.
This book is about a tenacious twelve-year-old who determines to save her neighborhood from annihilation using a homemade rocket. Set in a future in which intergalactic travel is not only possible but is widely available, and folks on Earth are emigrating en masse, this is the story of a girl who dares to preserve her community despite an oncoming meteor destined to land in the only lake in town.
Tell why readers should care about the story. Include how a reader will feel after reading or what effect the book will have. The emotional connection will help you attract the right readers for your book.
This book is about a widow who finds her passion and herself while taking a sabbatical in a retirement community on Venus, where she learns to tap into her creativity and discovers the joy of painting during an art class to practice her Venusian language skills. This story proves the universality of love and hope as necessary components of self-acceptance.
This book is about a tenacious twelve-year-old who determines to save her neighborhood from annihilation using a homemade rocket. Set in a future in which intergalactic travel is not only possible but is widely available, and folks on Earth are emigrating en masse, this is the story of a girl who dares to preserve her home despite an apathetic community and an oncoming meteor destined to land in the only lake in town.
Polish your pitch by adding details and texture. Show your writing style and rhythm. Let your pitch speak for itself, and don't be afraid to get creative.
In an alternate present, the people of Earth struggle with happiness when industry and economic realities define the roles each person fills. Frustrated with her station, Pam Miller, a widow and physics professor, takes a sabbatical on Venus. She discovers her interest in painting and proves the universality of love and hope, both necessary components of self-acceptance in this character-driven story.
Earth is cluttered, polluted, and facing a catastrophic meteor collision, which forces the affluent to emigrate en masse to distant galaxies and planets searching for better lives. One impoverished, apathetic community awaits the inevitable. But a tenacious twelve-year-old with a homemade rocket shows the community how to band together and face the apocalypse ultimately creating a better life at home.
Happy writing!
♥ Fal