Imagine you’re in a lift with a potential agent or publisher. They ask what you’re writing. You have 30 seconds to answer in less than 100 words. It’s your elevator pitch.
Intrigued, they ask you to send them a synopsis of the book, just one page (500 words), nothing more.
Could you respond in this scenario?
A pitch and a synopsis won’t get you a publishing deal alone, yet both are vital first steps for wrangling your rambling ideas into a clear and single-minded book concept.
Both are must-haves, not just to promote your project to others, but to keep you anchored and focused on getting to the finish line of your first draft.
So where do you start with your pitch and synopsis?
Start with the foundations for your project by answering the why, what, who, and how questions. Chapters 17 and 18 of Brave Women Write explore these questions in much more detail, but here’s a snapshot.
Why are you writing your book? What’s your personal purpose and the universal purpose beyond yourself for your project?
What are you writing? What is your book about? What is the problem you are solving for your reader? What is the transformational idea?
Who are you writing for, your audience? Who would most love reading your book? What is the genre?
How are you going to write the book? What is the structure or chapter outline? Who is telling the story, and more?
These questions require deep consideration, research and reflection before you gain clarity and can write a succinct pitch and synopsis.
If you’re stuck and need some inspiration, reach out and I’ll share my pitch and synopsis for the novel I’m writing, A Woman Like Elsie.
We’ll be discussing these ideas and more at the Brave Women Writers’ Dinners held each month in Melbourne. Please join me. I’d love to hear your pitch.
With love
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Join the next Brave Women Writers’ Circle
Are you a woman who yearns to share your story with the world? Do you often suppress your inner voice and wait for that perfect day to write? Or perhaps you’ve begun writing and are feeling stuck? If so, the Brave Women Writers’ Circle is the right place for you.
Carolyn Tate is an experienced author and educator and is the facilitator of the Brave Women Writers’ Circle. The 12-week course guides you to bring your writing project to life while connecting you to a courageous community of other women writers.
