Literary Agent Shares Tips for How to Write A Book Synopsis That Stops Readers In Their Tracks

I have an experiment for you. Tell me what your book is about in a couple lines, as if you had just met me in an elevator and you only had a minute to spare. This, of course, is the derivation of the term “elevator pitch”, and it’s a major factor in your query letter.

Try to get that elevator pitch right in the first paragraph of your query letter. While you may not know it, the elevator pitch is present on every book retailer’s page. It was probably what compelled you to buy your last purchase on Amazon. It’s the sneaky device that just kicked a standard book description up about 10 levels. You can use this device to a winning advantage in your query letter—no matter what an agency’s guidelines tell you. 

As I see it, playing by the rules can be a losing proposition. (You’re not filling out a job application or a tax form online!) Strict guidelines can dampen your creativity and dim your star potential. So even if you’re asked to include only a synopsis, find a way to remodel it with a stunning elevator pitch. Why not follow the current method that works with actual book buyers?  

The more distilled you can make what executive editor at Viking Rick Kot calls a “payoff” for the reader, the better. Try to include just one, two, or three words that capture the promise of your book. I know—it’s hard! Agents look for the quick, catchy, indelible phrase that a reader can’t forget.

When you try your elevator pitch on friends, watch for facial movement. That’s a good sign they’re intrigued (unless you’re receiving an outright frown!). Do they appear confused and compelled to ask a clarifying question? The way you say your pitch out loud is how agents and publishers will hear it in their heads.

After you’ve improved your verbal pitch to the best of your abilities, e-mail it to a friend whose taste you admire and will give it to you straight. Write, revise, pitch, and revise again—your pitch and your material can work hand in hand. Take the time to get this right. An elevator pitch you can write with confidence is vital to your query letter.

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