She Writes

Alonna Shaw
Amazon Is Coming--Write Your Perfect Pitch

Amazon Is Coming--Write Your Perfect Pitch

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Alonna Shaw

December 2012

Writing

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Amazon Is Coming--Write Your Perfect Pitch!

Amazon is coming! The new year approaches, as do many writing contests including the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. I saw this post by Thomas A. Knight the other day and he nails down the basics for your submission, a pitch not a summary, in handy to-do and not-to-do lists. Always remember to follow the submission guidelines and remember your audience. As an ex-actress, I agree with the character-based foundation for the pitch. The reader needs to identify with the character and his/her obstacles or you might as well be describing a detailed location void of life. Efficient and engaging locals, a necessary plus, but the life force takes priority in my opinion. Amazon gives you 300 words, wow, luxury.

This isn't the elevator pitch where a couple of well-honed sentences flow naturally from your mouth convincing the suit in the elevator your story is his pot of gold.

Please enjoy Mr. Knight's:

Tips and Tricks – Writing the Perfect Pitch

by Thomas A. Knight

Perhaps “perfect” is the wrong word to use, but “writing the best pitch you possibly can to sell your story” was a bit too wordy. Once you've written a book, you invariably wonder what comes next. For some people, like myself, what was next was self-publishing. Others go the traditional route. In either case, selling your story will become extremely important. How do you sell your story? With a sales pitch, or a pitch for short.

That's what this is all about today, coming up with that all-important pitch. It's 250 words (or so), how hard can it possibly be? This is the deadly secret of the writing world that nobody wants you to know: writing a sales pitch for a book is the hardest 250 words you will ever write.

I have some guidelines that can make it easier. (continued... alonnashaw.com )