A wise mentor gave me good advice when I published my first book, and that was to practice talking about my book as often as I could muster the patience. He said that to do your book justice, to honor all of your hard work, you owe it to yourself to be able to speak effectively about your subject, your inspiration, and any number of other things people might ask you. You know your material better than anyone else. You're the resident expert on your book, and often you will have to talk about it in the most unlikely of situations.
I have found this to be absolutely true. Because inevitably you will find yourself at a book group, a party, standing in line to pick up your children at camp, or answering an unexpected call from a newspaper or a magazine editor—and he or she will ask that question, "So what is your book about?"
You have exactly 30 seconds to sum up a 365-page novel.
I remember spending weeks working on my pitch for my first book The Language of Trees. It is a natural conundrum because, of course, our books are not just about one thing.
Preparation is key. Practicing your pitches by varying lengths and in varying amounts of detail can help you immensely. Use Photo Booth on your Mac. Record your pitches into a mic. Whittle them down until they're second nature and effortless. Friends and family can be enthusiastic audiences so ask them to listen (yes, you will owe them). Ask for feedback and promise not to take it personally.
Speaking naturally about your book will come with practice. It helps to have a few key phrases in your arsenal to use as jumping off points that will lead to longer conversations. Here are 5 different types of pitches and their purposes for my new book THE SALT GOD'S DAUGHTER:
- the general pitch (key phrases can be used from the following)— "A feminist folktale set in Southern California about about love, motherhood, and the search for self-acceptance." There are other aspects of the story that are noteworthy—it's told within the crucible of a Scottish folktale (the selkie myth). If it's pertinent, I'll include the inspiration/motivation behind the story itself. In this case, I wrote the book after researching the tragedies of four young girls who were bullied at school. All these things are part of the story architecture and atmosphere.
- the comparative pitch (to folks that want a quick word)—"A magical story about three generations of women who are born with a secret that makes them different... Recently described as Jeanette Winterson meets Alice Hoffman...."
- the thematic pitch (to media for feature stories)—"Illuminates the female experience across three generations, in particular, the demonization and glorification of female sexuality in the 70s and 80s, and the plight of girls and women who were labeled and bullied." I usually describe how my characters are caught in the riptide of feminism because this is the external conflict of the book.
- the longer pitch—"Celtic myth converges with gritty realities in this feminist folktale about three generations of women who struggle to carve out a place in a world that is often hostile to those who are different. Theirs is an oceanic landscape, a magical world inhabited by the spirits of sea lions and shape-shifting men of the ocean..." You can find a more formal pitch (for bookstores and libraries) on my website.
- why this book matters/the human condition—this type of pitch focuses on the universal aspects of your story. Usually, pitches begin with the specifics and end with the universal. The Salt God's Daughter is about a girl, Ruthie, who finds the strength to move on, and the courage to love again, after a date rape. In a more general sense, the story is about embracing those parts of ourselves that make us feel different, and examines how far we'll go to save ourselves and the ones we love.
Warmly,
Ilie
Ilie Ruby is the author of The Salt God's Daughter (forthcoming from Counterpoint/Soft Skull 9-4-12) and The Language of Trees (HarperCollins 2010). She has written for the New York Times and CNN and teaches writing in Boston. You can connect with Ilie on Facebook and Twitter, or on her website: www.ilieruby.com.
Very useful advice, Ilie, shall remember it! I hadn't thought of dividing pitches in categories and your classification is spot on! I especially like the difference between the pitches for the media which tie in with current events and pitches of a philosophical nature - how the book ties in with the "human condition". Well done!
Working on my pitch, I've run the gamut from conferences to websites to books, but they've all provided different snippets of approach (and used different books to support those snippets). Seeing your one book broken down five ways is a great help. Thank you.
My book is being released on October 2nd and this has been so helpful in terms of preparing to speak about it. My co-author and I, Armen Bacon, are also presenting at the Central California Women's Conference in September, so we'll get good practice in there as well as we'll be discussing the theme of the book. Thank you, Ilie.
Catherine, that is so exciting! I'm so glad it helped and very grateful that you let me know! Carol, I agree with Teresa. It's a sinking thing to have done all this work on a book, to be so passionate about it, and then to struggle for words when given the opportunity to talk about it. For me, writing it out (only for my eyes) beforehand with a few key phrases is invaluable.That way, you can enjoy the exchange in the conversation and not worry.
Carol, I think of a blurb as something written (for back of book, press release, website, etc.) while a pitch is usually verbal. When trying to give my blurb as a verbal pitch, it sounds unnatural, so a pitch usually needs to be tweaked in order not to sound like you are reading it. A big part of creating excitement about your work has to do with your own passion about it, and that is much easier to convey verbally. Also, you want to watch for what part of your pitch piques interest. For example, I find I sometimes emphasize the historical setting and research of my novel and sometimes the fact that my central character has Asperger's Syndrome. A lot has to do with reading the person I am speaking to. But then, I have to wait until the morning and see how I feel to decide what to wear; someone who picks their clothes the night (or week) before might be happier with a more set "plan."
I struggle to differentiate between 'pitch' and 'blurb'. The one tends to segue seamlessly into the other. So am digesting this carefully.Thanks.
Thanks! I used your tips when I spoke at a literary festival last week - the spin for the interviewer, the spin for readers, the spin for festival organisers. Great stuff and very valuable!
Congratulations, Lily! Judith, I agree, the synopsis is always a sticking point. Carrie, you're welcome. I'm so glad this is helpful. Truly.
Thank you for sharing this Illie, this really helps me to start thinking of a pitch for the story I am writing. I have already been asked the question and haven't been able to answer it several times by family and friends. This gives me a great guide and example on how to effectvely pitch my story. Thank you.
Other than the query letter and dreaded synopsis, the pitch is the hardest thing to write. Thanks for the help.
Judith Marshall
Author of "Husbands May Come and go but Friends are Forever," optioned for the big screen
Since my first novel will be published later this year, I'm grateful for these suggestions. Thanks for passing them on!
Teresa, too funny, a testament to the need to be prepared! Caroline, great elevator pitch—"inspired by real events" always catches my attention. Cora, I hear you and I struggle with it, too. :)
Great advice. The pitch is something I've always struggled with. Thanks
Enticing! I'd add -- the elevator pitch? 1-2 lines to distracted audience? For my novel -- LIE -- Race. Hate. Prejudice. Love. Inspired by real events.
Good luck with new book -- you've convinced me to read!!
I engaged in intermission conversation in the restroom at a local theater with a stranger, waiting for an empty stall. . Next thing I know I am sitting in the stall and from the next one over comes THE question, "What is your book about?" It was a surreal moment. Suddenly all I could think of was scattered words--Noah, ark, wife, goddess. None of them would go together! LOL.
Great, Lisa, let me know how it goes! Deborah, such a good question. Sometimes sex scenes are the focus of a book, and if that is the intention, let it stand on its own. If the sex scenes are created to illuminate other themes, that should be recognized. Perhaps you can highlight the universal aspects, how the characters embrace feelings of lust and desire, or make peace with their own feelings of longing and fulfillment. I haven't read your book so it's hard to pin something down. My new book also contains sex scenes and I've thought about this a lot. My main character, Ruthie, experiences a date-rape, which begins her journey into a world in which women are judged and labeled. I didn't include an Author's Note at the back of my book, but if I had I would have said something like this: "My characters charged through the confluence of exotic mythology and gritty realities about female sexuality in the 70s through to the current day. Some of these girls found the strength to stand up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds to become good mothers and powerful role models. My main character, Ruthie, is such a woman. Her journey of discovery and survival, and that of her daughter, is at the heart of this story.
Great post - thank you. Do you have a suggestion as to how to pitch a romance with sex scenes? When people ask me about my book I give them the pitch then add that it has sex in it. The first question I am asked is, "Is it like the Fifty Shades of Grey books?" I can tell right away that I have to watch what I say.
I am going to study this sentence by sentence as I have a conference coming up in October where I will (hopefully) be able to pitch my novel. Thank you!
Jo, that is exactly it! I love the way you describe what this is, thank you!
Nice post! I have worked up and practiced a variety of pitch lengths, but I hadn't zeroed in on how different pitches can have different purposes...What you're doing, basically, is asking different, compelling questions of your book and then answering them.
Great Katie! Daphne, let me know how it goes! I'm hoping these posts are helpful. I'm glad to have the feedback. Sarah, thank you. It's mostly because I cannot bake. :)
You are so organized! This makes tons of sense.
Wow... I'm not sure I'm optimistic enough to start thinking of my book in this way, but I'll give it a try!
This is actually very helpful, thank you