by Elva Cobb Martin
In Part 2 we talked about "Premise" and how it will actually help you write your pitch. Never mind pulling your hair out. You can access Parts 1-2 in my archives.
So what is a pitch (or log line) and how does it differ from a book tag?
A pitch is a one or two sentence nutshell that explains what your book is about.
Imagine
someone asking you, "What is your book about?" (Some one like an editor
or agent that you may run into at a conference and you only have a few
moments to tell them about your book).
Here are some examples of pitches:
1) Jacob
Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena Jones'
father, only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.
2) Rachel
York determines to unearth the truth about her brother's reported death
by taking a position at an historic tea plantation, only to realize the
truth may destroy her new found love and could even cost her life.
(This was my pitch for Summer of Deception which helped snag a contract and can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071L28PHH )
Want to try your hand at a pitch? Here's a simple template that has helped me:
(Your protagonist) _________MUST __________(critical plot goal) BY ______________(action or conflict)
ONLY TO REALIZE __________________(what the character learns about life that helps him change his goal during journey of book
Tags are a briefer hook, like back cover copy first line or byline in a movie. You'll need this for your book cover and tweets.
To boldly go where no man has gone. (Star Wars)
Don't go in the water (Jaws)
Collide with destiny (Titanic)
Power comes with a price (The List by Robert Whitlow)
Can love survive a summer of deception? (for my novel Summer of Deception)
Falling in love with a pirate was never part of her plan. (for my novel, In a Pirate's Debt).
My Premise for my current wip helped me write my Pitch. Of course, it's an inspirational romance.
To recap, my tweaked premise for my wip is: Love,
forgiveness, and determination can overcome the most horrifying
experiences and poor choices when God is invited into the equation.
Here's a rough draft of my pitch:
"Marisol
Valentine flees after murdering the Spanish nobleman who sexually
assaulted her only to find herself caught in a net of kidnappers for the
King's colonization of the New World which threatens to derail her
forever from love, security and decency until she discovers a God who
can work good even from evil."
How's that for a long sentence? But it gets the job done--for now. ( :
Thanks for
stopping by. Please do leave a comment and a sample pitch, if you have
one. And share this blog if it has been helpful.
Blessings,
Elva Cobb Martin
by Elva Cobb Martin
Are you
planning your first novel or trying to get started with your next one? I
give God the glory for two novels recently released by Lighthouse
Publishers of the Carolinas, Summer of Deception and In a Pirate's Debt. You can check them out on Amazon at this link: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI.
This summer
I am researching and planning my next novel which will become a series,
I hope. Here are the steps that have helped me in the past and, I
believe, will assist me again.
1) Read, Read in Your Genre --and Time Period if Historical.
I find it
very important to immerse myself in the genre I'm hoping to write. In
your genre, find the best, most successful authors you can and read and
study what makes their novel interesting to read. I often take notes and
write in the margins!
If writing an historical, find books in your time period. Since I'm planning
an historical series set in the 1700's like my pirate novel above, I am
reading novels of established authors set in this century. It's amazing
how many great ideas come to me as I soak up stories set in my chosen
time period and place. Reading a contemporary novel,or one set in the
Regency Period, or during World War II won't help keep me on target, so I
save those novels for another time. I also look for movies set in my
time period and save them in my TV groups. I take notes on setting,
dialog, dress, conflict, historical tidbits, etc.
4) Jot Down Your Initial Storyline
My basic
story idea is of a heroine, an indentured servant, who has a bad past
she's carrying like baggage, even after she becomes a Christian. (See
the "lie" she believes and the spiritual plot possibility of her
overcoming?) After a terrible incident in Spain she fled for her life to
the New World as an indentured servant. She falls in love with her
master after he becomes widowed, but she feels like soiled goods he will
never be interested in. She desires to find respect, security and love
and will go to some lengths to find them. (See the motivation and goals
unfolding?) And, of course, I will give the widowed hero problems,
conflicts, and goals to complicate the romance possibility we will
pursue from Charles Town to the Spanish Main. Of course, some of these
details will likely change as I write the story! (More on
characterization, lies, motivation, and goals in Part 2.)
3) Research and Research Some More
Having the
Internet has made research so much easier. Seldom do I have to make a
trip to the library for research. This novel will have a heroine who is
an indentured servant. Yesterday I googled "Indentured Servants in
America" and came up with great information. I printed some articles and
saved some to my computer. I already know this story will be set mainly on the Spanish Main in Cartagena so I googled that and came up with some great articles and maps.
How do you plan a new novel? I would love to hear your comments. Next time I will share Part 2 that works for me.
Blessings,
Elva Martin
