 Fantasy: March 20, 2013 Issue [#5575] |
  Fantasy
This week: The Elevator Pitch Edited by: Storm Machine  
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| The elevator pitch begins with the premise. You must understand what your book is about in order to pitch it to someone else. |
| ASIN: B085272J6B |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 9.99
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There are several ways to figure out where to put your book on the shelves. While we say we write speculative fiction, generally we as writers are specific about fantasy or science fiction. Start with the simplest way to explain it- an elevator pitch. This is very short and (we hope) only begins a discussion about your book. It is designed to get someone hooked on what's going on within your story in the time it takes for the elevator to get to its destination.
Can you hook someone that quickly? Or do you ramble on while someone looks bored?
Try to think of your book as one sentence. It seems impossible, but the main story line has a way to be explained simply. In Hunger Games, a girl is sent into the arena to fight to the death. In Ender's Game, a boy learns to fight the war against the Buggers. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo takes a journey to destroy the one ring.
The more you can figure out how to express your book simply, the more people can figure out whether it is something they want to read. No, it won't give all of the story away, but it is easier to tease potential readers in with tidbits.
Sometimes there are major subplots that also need to be considered in the short pitch, but often the main story line is enough. Perhaps you also want to talk about the relationship aspect of Hunger Games to make it more appealing to those who want to read more romantic pieces.
Always put the best foot forward for your book. I might refer to Twilight playfully as the vampire playing with his food, but that will not have the same impact on readers, agents or editors as the potentially tragic love story between the human and the vegetarian vampire.
Remember the elevator pitch is about the plot. Your character may drive your story, your setting shows it off, and the language you use brings it to life for your book.
Practice taking your favorite books into elevator pitches, then turn those new skills on your own works. It is always good to learn how to be brief. Writers need these skills for query letters, pitches with agents, and talking to readers (and buyers of the books). If at first it feels like you're leaving too much out, keep trying until you find that one main thread that holds the book together.
More Information:
http://www.writing-world.com/publish/pitch2.shtml
http://www.sfwritersu.com/nina-amir/posts/1271-how-to-craft-a-winning-book-pitch... |
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| |  | Taking a wife (18+)
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