One sentence pitch novel examples

Your one sentence pitch is a very condensed, supertight yet concise description of your story. Pitch your book like its a movie the one sentence synopsis. How to write a one sentence pitch nathan bransford. A logline is a one sentence synopsis of your story. Jun 02, 2010 today were going to talk about the onesentence summary, also known as a logline, a hook, or a onesentence pitch. New year, new list of mustread booksso if youre still trying to finish off last years list, get cracking, because time waits for no reader. The emerald tablet in this midgrade science fiction novel, a telepathic boy discovers that he. Once you nail your elevator pitch, you will need to expand it into the 7 essential stories charismatic leaders tell. Be sure and click on the link below and write your one sentence pitch.

But its easy to talk about what your pitch will need. The writer identifies the nature of the serious pushback and the chaos that will ensue, including the final outcome if the pushback wins. The one sentence pitch for your manuscript writing for children. And no book succeeds unless its pitchable in that way. Perfecting your one sentence pitch as a startup founder, you will pitch your business thousands of times to potential customers, partners, team members, investors, and more. Understanding premise and the onesentence story concept. Notice that in each of these examples, we have a main character, a goal, and a source of conflict. An elevator pitch for a novel is a very short summary of what makes the book. A great elevator pitch is vital for those seeking agent representation and i hope the links ive chosen will help you to write the best elevator pitch for your novel not matter what publishing route you choose. Lets discuss the onesentence summary, also known as a logline, a hook, or a onesentence pitch what. The emerald tablet in this midgrade science fiction novel, a telepathic boy.

A fifteenyear old boy discovers his dead parents are alive and living within a magical world, and must sacrifice his best friend and the girl he loves in order to find them and return home. Everything ive ever read and heard about pitch sessions says to do this, and i agree with this. Congratulations to the winners of this weeks writing contest. How to condense your novel into one sentence the pitch pal. The best elevator pitch examples, templates, and tactics. Maybe im just thickskulled but, i would love a few more examples from wellknown adult or ya fiction novels. Effective elevator pitch examples and how to write one real. Nov 14, 2017 in the following fillintheblank template, i use one sentence per point to clarify the structure of this system. As you practice your speech out loud, keep tweaking your phrasing to sound personable and precise. Mar 22, 2018 here is a onesentence pitchlogline for my wip. Then, lead with it when you sit down with the agent. Note that your pitch is a diagnostic tool that helps you determine the strong and weak points of your novel.

If you cant communicate your pitch in one short sentence, dont give up. 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. One sentence on paper isnt the same as one spoken sentence. To prepare your pitch, first write a onesentence summary of your book. Some will need a little more information, and others can get the point across in three words or less. A better pitch would have all this, but also some specifics about the plot. Yes, i know we are creating hook lines for a book, but the concept is the same, and examples of loglines are easier to find. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi. The most important part of a novel isnt the plot, the characters, or the language. At the same time, the one sentence pitch is the core of all the summarizing youre going to do in the future. Novel pitch examples the algonkian author salon a project. Because that pitch is a good indicator the story inside will be more of the same. Im still working on my one paragraph and two paragraph pitches, myself. Today were going to talk about the onesentence summary, also known as a logline, a hook, or a onesentence pitch.

Onesentence book description writing a first novel, how. Being concise means really having to know the infrastructure and outline of a story. 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. Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel. It will help keep you anchored and moving forward at the same time, helping to avoid meandering, wasteful scenes and chapters and time. A common mistake with pitches it to make it one sentence in the technical sense, but its not something you can actually say in one breath. It is important to remember that every story is different. Oct 26, 2012 writing a pitch shouldnt be too difficult after going through the steps ive outlined previously.

Its called an elevator pitchan explanation that takes less time to say than it would to ride an elevator up a floor. The contests will change from week to week, but the winners will always be published in. A novel written in a single sentence has won the 2016 goldsmiths prize, becoming the third irish winner in the fouryear history of an award set up to reward fiction that breaks the mould or. The emerald tablet in this midgrade science fiction novel, a telepathic boy discovers that he is not really human. I can write a 67word onesentence pitch i couldnt recite without a pause. Download the pitch pal today and send me a note with your perfect pitch. Apr 24, 2012 over the weekend, we hosted a fun contest from the founder institute, where entrepreneurs posted a one sentence pitch for their companies. Feel free to break this rule and create a naturalsounding elevator pitch. One simple way to sharpen your pitch writers digest. Agents use them when pitching to editors, editors use them when pitching to sales teams, sales teams use. Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel jericho. That onesentence descriptor is how you sell the book to publishers, readers, and big hollywood producers willing to shell out megabucks. The idea is to come up with a sentence or two that describes your novel in a way thats simple, clear, and irresistible. She explains why one is so important and even gives us a formula.

Magazine freelancers use query letters to pitch ideas to editors, and the importance of an attentiongetting query cannot be. Dec 30, 2011 if you had to describe your companys mission in a single sentence, what would your pitch read or sound like. Perfect your one sentence pitch using startup madlibs. The one sentence, one paragraph, and two paragraph pitch. The sales team has maybe 30 seconds per book when they present books to buyers for the bookstores. Here is the force defined, as well as the tendency toward disorder, in a clear and dramatic statement that fits perfectly with the idea as a whole. This kind of promotional text is typically the only thing readers and booksellers have to go on when purchasing new books. A strong elevator pitch for your novel is vital to finding a literary agent or hooking a reader. Over the last few weeks weve been taking a look at key moments in your novels structure. Two weeks ago i signed up for the san diego writers conference and decided to pitch my book to 4 literary agents. If youre attending a conference with opportunities to pitch to literary agents, youre probably both excited and freaked out for the chance to talk about your novel. A notsogood pitch, well, they may tune out the rest of what you have to say even if you have a great idea for a book. They have to be snappy and attention grabbing, making the other person salivate at the idea of reading your book. I like one great sentence, but that doesnt always work.

Remember, the initial pitch is only the bait to hook the agents, make them want to hear more. A pitch paragraph is the entire description of the novel and the bulk of your. You can use the blurbs on the back of movies or novels as a guide to write up a pitch of your own. In this article, we are going to discuss how to create a logline for a novel.

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 place for writers to learn about plot, picture books, novels, writing craft. In your onesentence summary, try not to pitch a theme. I dont want to oversell the importance of a one sentence pitch. Here are the winners of the onesentence pitch competition. Last week i outlined the general necessity of whittling down your plot to one sentence, one paragraph, and two paragraph pitches in order to give yourself a head start on the literally thousands of times you are going to need to summarize your work over the course of a books lifetime today i want to zero in on the one sentence pitch. If you do, shouldnt you have a simple elevator pitch just like this. One sentence book description i subscribe to various writing newsletters, and more out of procrastination than anything else i decided to go through the months and months of backlogs to see if i could find anything that would help me with my current publishing quest, namely how to find the right publisher that might want to publish my book. A hook is similar, usually a oneline description of the novel that captures the twist or reason that makes it unique or compelling. If your book pitch doesnt tick those boxes, your book is unlikely to sell. You may not have a business to explain, but i bet you have a mission. That means if youre pressed for time, you can discover 10 books youll. 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. One good way to summarize what you do and boil it down to one clear sentence, in my.

This is a great example of a pitch that uses a cliche that doesnt actually help it any. Your editor will use your onesentence summary again when the sales conference rolls around and she needs to get the sales team excited about your novel. Here, courtesy of bestseller jon land, is one particularly sharp strategy to take your elevator pitch to new heights. Write a great elevator pitch for your book or novel jericho writers. Over the weekend, we hosted a fun contest from the founder institute, where entrepreneurs posted a onesentence pitch for their companies. The premise sentence is a bit like the question on an essay exam paper you should keep referring back to it to make sure youre not wandering off the point. I really enjoy writing these onesentence blurbs, so if you download the book and still have trouble, or youd like to share yours below, id love to hear from you. An elevator pitch is the term given to any sales pitch that could, in theory, be delivered in the space of a short elevator ride. I know this, because last weekend i was feeling the same thing. The most successful businesses can tell you what they do sell in just one sentence.

Ideally, your books elevator pitch can be pared down to a single sentence. Karen gives examples of how and how not to write a pitch logline for your book. May, 2010 im still working on my one paragraph and two paragraph pitches, myself. How to write an elevator pitch for your book youtube. This handy chart automatically generates a pitch for your.

Keep the pitch to 150200 words orally or in query letter format. The one sentence pitch for your manuscript writers on the move. The blurb should provide the essence of your novel. Read the description below for more info and sources and check out this channel for more stuff like this. Theres a huge difference in pitching fiction and nonfiction. Jan 24, 2018 read the description below for more info and sources and check out this channel for more stuff like this. Single sentence novel wins goldsmiths prize for books that. How to pitch a literary agent in 5 easy steps tomi adeyemi.

As an example, ive taken a well known book by brene brown and constructed a possible. A quick piece of advice learn how to pitch your book in one sentence. Read examples from classics and bestselling novels, then get feedback on your own story opening. Fortunately, we have plenty of room to add to it, because i kept my pitch to a single sentence its actually about 100 characters, just the right size for twitter. Charismatic leaders seem to possess an effortless ability to influence, captivate, charm, and inspire people to action. If youve been following me, youve read 3 reasons every writer should go to a writers conference and youve looked up a 2016 writers conference near you if youre attending a conference with opportunities to pitch to literary agents, youre probably both excited and freaked out for the chance to talk about your novel. How to write a good onesentence pitch jeans writing. It is invaluable to get to the core of your book when you are discussing your work with. The idea is that you might find yourself in the elevator with someone important who cant, for those twenty or thirty seconds, escape or deflect your attentions so you can use that time to deliver a sales pitch so utterly compelling that that person of. One effective trick for defining one is to write a onesentence logline that will become the foundation of your story. Sometimes the language will come to you immediately, other times it might take more practice.

The one sentence pitch for your manuscript writers. We recommend the following algonkian writers conference examples as models for a novel pitch session. When you pitch, you need to grab the listeners attention quickly, and communicate all of the core elements of your idea in a clear and concise manner. Effective elevator pitch examples and how to write one. A good pitch is not going to mean your book gets published and a bad pitch doesnt mean your book wont get published. Maybe im just thickskulled but, i would love a few more examples from well known adult or ya fiction novels. I can write a 67word one sentence pitch i couldnt recite without a pause.

Real business takes a look at some reallife examples of elevator pitches, as well as how to write one that does your business justice. Jun, 2016 over the last few weeks weve been taking a look at key moments in your novels structure. A pitch paragraph is the entire description of the novel and the bulk of your query. The logline explains the who, what, when, where, how and why of your story. There are several aspects of screenwriting that are helpful in book writing, and one of those aspects is the creation of a logline. Its unlikely that the novel revolves around a detective solving a myriad of crimes. Here goes an aspiring author is thrilled when she meets a literary agent and mystery buff who agrees to become her mentor. This week, before we get into the meat of my 102030 scene builder concept, i want to make sure you have a clear understanding of premise and the onesentence story structure.

Loglines and pitches how to reduce your book to a sentence. Here are four tips to pitch your novel to literary agents at a writing conference. Every week we are going to have a contest on our facebook page. Examples of sales pitch in a sentence, how to use it. Creating an irresistible elevator pitch for your novel. The start of a query, book proposal, or anytime someone asks you. Its the heart of your book, whittled down to one sentence.

A query is basically a two paragraph pitch with some queryrelated detail. A good pitch gets them leaning forward and listening, even at the end of the afternoon. Its really not something that is going to sink or float your book. How to structure a premise for stronger stories the writer. The start of a query, book proposal, or anytime someone asks you, whats your book about. Check out examples of pitches for successful books for a better idea of what makes a decent elevator pitch. Jul 20, 2011 one simple way to sharpen your pitch by. Jun 25, 2019 the idea is to come up with a sentence or two that describes your novel in a way thats simple, clear, and irresistible. Igoni barrett march 1 many young writers have written a treatment of the central premise of kafkas metamorphosis at some point, but few do so with such a pitchperfect twist. Onesentence book description writing a first novel, how to. We received more than 450 pitches, of which 421 followed.

If product talk functioned as a statement of opinion, we could expect to see. Part two of the elevator pitch is the killer logline, one or two sentences that explain what the main characters and conflict in your novel are. Lets discuss the onesentence summary, also known as a logline, a hook, or a onesentence pitch. As a freelancer and writing instructor, ive written hundreds of magazine article queries and edited hundreds of others over the past seven years. In the following fillintheblank template, i use one sentence per point to clarify the structure of this system. The one line pitch madeleine milburn literary agency. If you had to describe your companys mission in a single sentence, what would your pitch read or sound like. A young nigerian man wakes up one morning to discover he has become a white man overnightexcept for his titular black bottom. It is invaluable to get to the core of your book when you are discussing your work with friends, writing groups and potential agents. Screenplays are extremely concise they average around one hundred pages. The art of pitching your book to a childrens book editor in just one. The logline is a tool used primarily by screenwriters, but it can be very helpful if youre writing a novel or a short story.

Jul 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. About 25 words that capture your novel, memoir, or nonfiction book. The start of a query, book proposal, or anytime someone asks you, whats your. From nathan bransford 1 three kids trade a corndog flavor of the story for a spaceship, blast off into space opening conflict, accidentally break the universe obstacle, and have to find their way back home quest. How to condense your novel into one sentence the pitch. Heres an article about how to write a great logline. Whether it is through grace, passion, or unshakable confidence. An elevator pitch is a short speech designed to create interest in a business project or concept.

Thats enough time for your onesentence summary plus a bit more. Here are a few examples of loglines from well known movies. When a roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an insane and corrupt prince, he comes to rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Rachelle gardner has a great post discussing pitches. Mar 28, 2018 the most important part of a novel isnt the plot, the characters, or the language. You cant have a strong pitch without a strong novel. This week the challenge was to pitch a novel in one sentence. It should, supposedly, take no longer than a lift ride to the top floor of a building. In fact, you can define an elevator pitch like this. Between agents, publishers, and social media, onesentence pitches are an important tool in an authors arsenal. This handy chart automatically generates a pitch for your new. I find it easier to write someone elses pitch than to write my own.