This is your chance to put your creativity to the test. How to write a winning book pitch write nonfiction now. But sometimes youll want to use a one sentence pitch for a bio, if youre into that whole brevity thing, or a one paragraph pitch for briefly describing in real life conversation when you dont want someones eyes to glaze over. Note that your pitch is a diagnostic tool that helps you determine the strong and weak points of your novel. A pitch paragraph is the entire description of the novel and the bulk of your query. That way, the next time you need to write a sales pitch, you wont have to start from scratch. As anyone whos ever tried to come up with one of those vital onesentence pitches for their book knows, getting it right can be maddening. Come give a oneminute elevator pitch to a panel of experienced editors and agents for realtime shark tankstyle feedback. Pitching your nonfiction book to an editor is the first step to getting published. Most of them will be much easier to pitch to than a real agent or publisher, because its not their job to turn you down. Jun 20, 2017 the two biggest mistakes ive seen in pitches are that they are too long in length, and not pointed or provocative enough.
She has since become a fixture and one of the best english teachers fayer has ever had. Its really not something that is going to sink or float your book. Apr 22, 2019 how to pitch your book for tv and film with dj williams. Pitch paragraph example shedworking by alex johnson. Your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, supertight yet concise description of your story, specifically the plot of your story. Dec 21, 2011 the role of the writer is to make bouillon cubes out of chicken soup. When you try and select a movie on cable, you see loglines all the time. Write a two paragraph summary when pitching agents your book, you dont have time to cover every plot twist and character. Jan 30, 2020 an elevator pitch is an overview of your business, and, as the name implies, it is delivered in the time it takes to complete your average elevator ride. The difference between a press release and a pitch you. According to mary demuth, a one sheet is a document you bring with you that serves as a conversation piece between you and an editor or agent, explaining what your current project or projects is about. Two weeks ago i signed up for the san diego writers conference and decided to pitch my book to 4 literary agents. You can then make sure everything from your emails to your web pages have a similar structure that gets to the point quickly.
A strong elevator pitch for your novel is vital to finding a literary agent or hooking a reader. Karen gives examples of how and how not to write a pitchlogline for your book. The elevator pitch is nothing more than your book distilled down to its essential hook the core premise, situation, or theme the rest of the story is built around. The role of the writer is to make bouillon cubes out of chicken soup. Oct 26, 2012 writing a pitch shouldnt be too difficult after going through the steps ive outlined previously. She explains why one is so important and even gives us a formula. Actually, its rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional. Its much clearer what stayed and what went, and easier to infer why. Once again, nathan bransford weighs in with some great advice on how to write a one sentence pitch and how to write the one sentence, one paragraph and two paragraph pitch.
Its a beginning step on your book marketing journey. Nov 11, 2014 once you perfect your book blurb, write your oneparagraph pitch, then your elevator pitch, and, finally, your twitter pitch. Jun 25, 2019 write several versions of it 15 to 20 is a good number to shoot for, then pick the best one and polish it until it shines. How to pitch your book for tv and film with dj williams. Having read it, the information on how to write the pitch is extra helpful. May 16, 2012 my first example is a nonfiction pitch, for a published book. The less is more approach will help you make your communications and writing concise and succinct. It should give publishers editors a fast, clear idea of what your story is broadly about. Having this done ahead of time makes you look prepared and professional. How to write a one sentence pitch nathan bransford. What you need for such occasions is an elevator pitch. Think of it as a one sentence calling card youre unique selling proposal or proposition.
A novel pitch example as follows, from the english teacher by lily king. Id say a written elevator pitch should be no more than one paragraph. What i find tricky is coming up with a one sentence pitch that explains the premise of my book in a way that makes people say i have to read that book. You cant have a strong pitch without a strong novel. If you know what your book is about and you know why someone should want to read your bookwhat benefits it will provide and why it is uniqueyou should be able to write something pithy in 50 words or less that describes your book perfectly.
Then we get a hint of what caused the estrangement. The start of a query, book proposal, or anytime someone asks you, whats your. Heres how to create effective pitches for literary agents and cover copy. Building the pitch paragraph part one nelson literary agency. I am again one of the editors participating in the exciting pitch to. And then what well do is well do a one paragraph summary of the story with a tag line at the top, which. You have to take your entire manuscript and boil it down to the essentials. Writing about yourself is a task that many even full time writers shy away from. How do you write a book as a top 24 ya book of 2019 so far. One of the best exercises to learn how to tell your story well is to start by communicating it in one paragraph. Hook the entire first paragraph fifteen years ago vida avery arrived alone and pregnant at elite fayer academy.
Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel jericho writers. So the way to write your elevator pitch is to ignore everything about your book. When pitching agents your book, you dont have time to cover every plot twist and character. Karen gives examples of how and how not to write a pitch logline for your book. It starts of as more of a paragraph and keeps getting whittled down. If you look at the first paragraph, we as readers need to understand that gigi and camden have an ironic perfect marriage as they live in separate countries. A combination of these things one paragraph introductionhook including genre and word count, one paragraph pitch, one paragraph author bio including contact information so we know how to get ahold of you.
Mar 22, 2018 when selecting a book to read, the first thing i read is the pitch. It can be one of the simplest yet most powerful marketing tools for a small business owner. How to write a darn good query letter ny book editors. This week the challenge was to pitch a novel in one sentence. Jul 22, 2017 a similar exercise that i like to do with all my projects is one i call one sentence, one paragraph, one page. A good pitch is not going to mean your book gets published and a bad pitch doesnt mean your. A good pitch is not going to mean your book gets published and a bad pitch doesnt mean your book wont get published. As a freelancer and writing instructor, ive written hundreds of magazine article queries and edited hundreds of others over the past seven years. A query is basically a two paragraph pitch with some queryrelated detail. My first example is a nonfiction pitch, for a published book. Shedworking by alex johnson this is book is published by frances lincoln and, as i write this paragraph, my very own shed is currently being installed in my garden, in unremitting pouring rain. Part one of the elevator pitch is the blockbuster concept. How to pitch your book for tv and film with dj williams the.
The one sentence, one paragraph, and two paragraph pitch. The one sentence pitch for your manuscript writers. Pitch your book like its a movie the one sentence synopsis. I think i wrote about twenty versions of my twitter pitch before i finally nailed the one that i used on twitter. Prepare a one paragraph pitch, one page synopsis and three page synopsis to have on hand for whenever an agent or editor asks.
Nov 30, 2010 see if you can just brainstorm a fun 30th picture book idea in 30 seconds or under. Theres one more critical part of a book pitch that new authors often overlook. When selecting a book to read, the first thing i read is the pitch. Clearly you dont want to create any fake news or overhype your pitch, which is just annoying to anyone reading it, but you do need to consider what will make it relevant. Creating an irresistible elevator pitch for your novel. What i find tricky is coming up with a one sentence pitch that explains the premise of my book in a way that makes people say i. How to write a good onesentence pitch jeans writing. These three writing exercises will help you get very clear on what you plan to do as you create knowledge in the nexus of your fields of study. That means stripping your story of all of its frills and addressing its basic elements. May 07, 2012 a combination of these things one paragraph introductionhook including genre and word count, one paragraph pitch, one paragraph author bio including contact information so we know how to get ahold of you. How not to write a darn good query letterdont go beyond one page.
Now that you have worked to articulate these ideas, you can incorporate this language into funding proposals, book proposals, and all kinds of other documenteven emails you send to network with movers and shakers in your field. Klems july 20, 2011 as anyone whos ever tried to come up with one of those vital onesentence pitches for their book knows, getting it right can be maddening. A good one makes you want to open it immediately to see what is inside. Pitch paragraphs can either focus on one of these elements to make it strong or a combination. Whether youre talking about your book to a friend or an editor, the content of your book has to be scalable.
An elevator pitch is an overview of your business, and, as the name implies, it is delivered in the time it takes to complete your average elevator ride. The tips below will help you craft a better proposal. At the same time, the one sentence pitch is the core of all the summarizing youre going to do in the future. Building the pitch paragraph part one by kristin nelson comments share this. Make sure your elevator pitch is concise, uses clear language, and has a powerful visual image. Mar 29, 2019 pitching your nonfiction book to an editor is the first step to getting published. Im talking about one lines pitches in this article. The two biggest mistakes ive seen in pitches are that they are too long in length, and not pointed or provocative enough.
Writing the howto paragraph uses the fntf formula first, next, then, finally to introduce students to basic, foursentence paragraph writing. I dont want to oversell the importance of a one sentence pitch. Lessons for creating fair and successful drug policies by glenn greenwald, gre. Lets discuss the onesentence summary, also known as a logline, a hook, or a onesentence pitch. Sep 15, 2010 the pitch, he says, should cover who the story is about, what challenges the protagonist faces, and some standout detail that makes it feel unique. I hope you saw my previous post and did the exercise about finding your niche. The creativity post one sentence, one paragraph, one page. It can be used as the first line in your query letter, to help hook the agent into reading the rest of the letter and requesting information.
Novel pitch examples the algonkian author salon a project. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi adeyemi. You can simply fill in the template with the appropriate names and details and send it along. Once youve made a few successful sales pitches, take your basic pitch outline or template and save it to your desktop.
May 14, 2018 one of the best exercises to learn how to tell your story well is to start by communicating it in one paragraph. Weve made big strides, just one last skill to upgrade and our elevator pitch will be irresistible. Building the pitch paragraph part one nelson literary. See if you can just brainstorm a fun 30th picture book idea in 30 seconds or under. One page, one paragraph, and your elevator pitch cathy mazak. Its what you build around when crafting longer pitches. Your host introduces you to a literary agent as an author. You may think that elevator pitches are only for hollywood screenwriters, but being able to summarize your book is a skill every writer must. A logline is a one sentence synopsis of your story. Mar 20, 2018 your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, supertight yet concise description of your story, specifically the plot of your story. Keep the pitch to 150200 words orally or in query letter format. This was basically just a letter introducing myself, giving a one paragraph pitch of who i was, a two paragraph pitch of the book, and a one paragraph pitch of why i. How to tell your story in one paragraph funds2orgs.
Once you perfect your book blurb, write your oneparagraph pitch, then your elevator pitch, and, finally, your twitter pitch. We recommend the following algonkian writers conference examples as models for a novel pitch session. Its the heart of your book, whittled down to one sentence. Knowing how to write a book proposal or pitch is crucial for hooking publishers interest. Its another opportunity to show your literary agent that youre the perfect person to write your book, and have enough street cred to make it happen. Its what you say when someone asks whats your book about. So the harry potter elevator pitch worked with a setting that school for wizards. Id like to think ive gotten good at writing a synopsis, not that it doesnt take me several drafts and advice from my wonderful critique partners.
There are three basic elements in a good one sentence pitch. Loglines and pitches how to reduce your book to a sentence. Elevator pitch writing for kids while raising them. I dove into that book with gusto, clarity, and passion, and was excited by the project. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi. Pitch your book like its a movie the one sentence synopsis posted on february 22. From there, students learn how to expand their paragraphs with more details. Jul 20, 2011 one simple way to sharpen your pitch by.
Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel. Writing a one sentence pitch id like to think ive gotten good at writing a synopsis, not that it doesnt take me several drafts and advice from my wonderful critique partners. You cant spend too much time on thisif you nail this part of your pitch you are virtually guaranteed to be asked to submit your manuscript. The difference between a press release and a pitch you need. So if youre preparing your pitch and want to know what worked for me, keep reading and find out how to craft pitches that make agents request your book. Loglines, i discovered, were a way of pitching movie ideas when a filmmaker only has a minute or less to pitch an idea to a producer. Here, courtesy of bestseller jon land, is one particularly sharp strategy to take your elevator pitch to new heights. To learn how to pitch a nonfiction book to an editor, you must include all of the components of a nonfiction book proposal in the package you submit such as an introduction letter, synopsis, marketing information and author biography. And then what well do is well do a oneparagraph summary of the story with a tag line at the top, which is kind of our hook. Magazine freelancers use query letters to pitch ideas to editors, and the importance of an attentiongetting query cannot be. Writing a pitch shouldnt be too difficult after going through the steps ive outlined previously.
Put the website or the beta version of your app or your manuscript aside and grab a piece of paper or open a blank word document. When i finished writing the book and wanted to think about pitching it to agents and editors, i learned i had to write one paragraph to pitch it in a query letter, or in person. This was basically just a letter introducing myself, giving a one paragraph pitch of who i was, a two paragraph pitch of the book, and a one paragraph pitch of why i was perfectly positioned to write the book. Plus get a free copy of our book, the authors publish guide to manuscript submissions. And it is especially useful for those pitch sessions at conferences or lunches. When delivering your elevator pitch, the goal is to be short and snappy to entice your wouldbe. Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel jericho. An agent will look at it differently, a producer, a director, an actor, a studio, everyones looking at it from a different point of view. May, 2010 a query is basically a two paragraph pitch with some queryrelated detail. Because that pitch is a good indicator the story inside will be more of the same. This is a great example of how back story will shape the pitch. Relevant writing experience and writing credentials. Nov 05, 2016 one page, one paragraph, one elevator speech.
You might ask why does it have to be only one sentence. It summarises, in four or five paragraphs, all the key elements that will make your show compelling. Start with your accordion mostly closed the book designer. I scoured the web for all the tips, tricks, and advice i could find and practiced my pitch like my life depended on it. You have to be able to capture the essence of it about it in a tweet, a oneparagraph pitch, a onepage query letter, and a proposal. A hook is similar, usually a oneline description of the novel that captures the twist or reason that makes it unique or compelling. The pitch, he says, should cover who the story is about, what challenges the protagonist faces, and some standout detail that makes it feel unique. A few simple steps can get an effective bio that will impress interested readers and help sell your book.
One simple way to sharpen your pitch writers digest. And it needs to be one tight paragraph at the end of your book pitch. Your hook line is your first pitch in getting someone interested in your book. Write several versions of it 15 to 20 is a good number to shoot for, then pick the best one and polish it until it shines. And off they scamper, spending the rest of the evening avoiding you. About 25 words that capture your novel, memoir, or nonfiction book. A similar exercise that i like to do with all my projects is one i call one sentence, one paragraph, one page. Before you can create a logline, you will need to understand where your book is going. Dec 19, 2019 basically, the book package that i assembled had four pieces.