The Perfect Elevator Pitch

As so many of us get ready for the LDStorymakers Conference, we're going to repost some great advice from issues past. Enjoy!

by Jenn J.R. Johansson

Every writer knows that crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch isn’t as easy as it sounds. We can write book after book, but summarizing a story down to a sentence or two that gets the point across in the way we want is so much harder. Here are a few tips that will help you be prepared when the perfect opportunity comes your way.

~ Be Clear – Speak up. Look them in the eye. Use common language that everyone understands.

~ Be Concise – The pitch should take between 30 – 60 seconds.

~ Be Visual – Paint a picture in their head with not only your word choice, but with the same voice they will find in the manuscript.

~ Tell a Story – Who is the story about? What problem are they facing? Why should we care?

~ Hook, Hook, Hook – Make sure your hook is in there. How can you word it to have the most impact?

~ Be Prepared – You never know when someone is going to ask what your book is about. Write your pitch in advance so you can be ready.

~ Save the Details – Details belong in a book, not in a pitch. Whether the protagonist wore a red hat on Sundays may be important to the story, but it isn’t important to the pitch. Use the voice and the word choice to convey meaning and leave the small details out.

~ Be Targeted – If you are preparing for a conference with an agent that likes dark themes and another who loves paranormal, write a pitch for each. Make sure to pull out and focus on the elements of the book that the target audience will love and drive those points home.

~ Show Your Passion – Don’t play it cool. Show how much you care about your work and your story. If they can see how much you feel it, they are twice as likely to feel it too.

~ Don’t Jump Ahead – The point is to grab their interest, not to close the deal. Make them want to hear more, and you’ve succeeded.

~ Practice, Practice, Practice – Have your pitch memorized and practice using it with family members and other writers. The more comfortable you can get using it, the better. Feeling tongue tied at the prime moment isn’t good for anyone.

I know it feels like a lot, but think about what it is about your story that made you want to write it. What makes you most proud about what you’ve accomplished in that particular manuscript? Start there, follow these tips, and the rest will work itself out.


(Jenn) J.R. Johansson is a member of Authors Incognito. Her debut novel, Insomnia, is coming in Spring 2013. This piece originally appeared in the April 2011 newsletter. Please visit Jenn's blog!