Lucinda Literary Challenge, Day Three: Elevator Pitch

Today marks the halfway point in our week-long challenge. To celebrate, we’re tasking you with one of the hardest things to get right: the elevator pitch. Think of the pitch as the movie trailer for your book: it has to quickly and efficiently share the content and themes of the book while keeping the reader’s interest and making them want more. 

A pitch should be 3-5 sentences (brief enough to be shared during an elevator ride—the reasoning behind the term: “elevator pitch”), and should address the following:

1. What’s your big idea? 
2. Is your book timely or poised to break out? 
3. How is it different from what’s already in the market?

Here’s a brief formula: Get to the inciting incident by sentence two, limit the number of characters you introduce, and then close with a cliffhanger. 

Perfecting your pitch not only gets you in the door, but it crystallizes—for you and your audience—the main takeaways of your book. Nail it down earlier rather than later, and the rest will follow. 

Draft your pitch—it doesn’t need to be flawless (yet!)—and share it with us on Instagram and/or Twitter. Don’t forget to tag two friends and use the hashtag #LucindaLiteraryChallenge to confirm your entry and increase your odds of winning the prize, our detailed feedback and a chance at representation. We’re eager to get a glimpse at all of your amazing projects!