Wednesday Wanderings – Creating an Elevator Pitch

Wednesdays are going to be days that I take to wander around the internet and stop in at those websites for writers that catch my eye. My blog feed pours out amazing wisdom every day and I could spend the whole day visiting these great sites (and not getting anything else done). On the flip side, not taking the time to scan the feed or visit the sites means I miss out on some great information and the chance to connect with fellow writers and others in the industry.

Setting aside Wednesday for visiting other websites gives me a chance to connect and also some inspiration for my content.

This week, I start my exploration over at The Steve Laube Agency. The post on elevator pitches caught my eye so I thought I’d share.

Can you boil the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea into twenty-five words or less?

Creating an elevator pitch (so named because you can deliver the pitch in amount of time it takes to ride the elevator) gives you the chance to whet the appetite of potential publishers, agents and even readers. The elevator pitch provides a short synopsis of the story that leaves the listener wanting to hear more.

Start with the main point – what does your book or your story tell the reader?

Keep it simple – limited time means the explanation of the story needs to be easy to comprehend.

Remove the fluff – Write, rewrite and rewrite again until every word that you use in the pitch makes the story more intriguing.

Have you written an elevator pitch for your book? Do you think it would be easier to write the pitch before the story or after the story?

I still have lots of work to do with my own elevator pitch, but the inspiration that I find through other sites is helping me forge my way to the ultimate elevator pitch.