Tips for Developing Your Book's Elevator Pitch - article

An elevator pitch conveys the essence of your book in a way that is credible, concise and compelling. The objective is to pique the interest of the listener in a way that will make them take action to learn more. This listener may be a literary agent, book buyer, potential reader, or other important decision-maker, so it's critical to always be prepared and consistent with this message.

Anatomy of an Elevator Pitch

The best elevator pitches for books begin with a single killer sentence, also known as the hook or log line. This can be followed by one or two sentences that concisely and convincingly support the log line. As the central idea of your book, the log line will be used every time you pitch your book. 

A fictional log line has four components:

• - The main character's name
• - Time period and location
• - The core conflict of the story and important subplots
• - Explanation of what makes your book different from others of its genre
• - Action (core excitement)

Elements of a nonfiction log line are:

• -Genre (health, business, biography, etc.)
• -Differentiation (How is your book better than the competition?)
• -Key problem being addressed (What is the pain point solved by your book?)
• -Promise (How does your book solve the pain point addressed?)

What Not to Do

• -Be careful not to get side tracked by the process you went through in writing your book. It will lengthen and detract from your presentation.
• -Don't dive immediately into your pitch, rather segue into the pitch as a natural part of your conversation.
• -Don't talk too much.
• -Once you hear a request to send more information or schedule an appointment, say thank you and end the conversation. Mission accomplished.