EDITOR
Elevator

► The Pitch
The Elevator Pitch, or Elevator Speech


If you plan to sell your book, you need to have this down. We can brainstorm on how to do it. For now, here's some help.

You're in an elevator. An agent steps in. In the time it takes to go from one floor to another, you must grab her attention so that when she steps out, she says, "I'd like to hear more."

What are you going to say? Go!

.
"Hi, I'm Brenda. I've written ten books. May I pitch my latest idea before you reach your floor?

"A peaceful and diverse community is rocked off balance in 1870. Canada just purchased their land, the US wants it, and white supremacists flood into the gap. Mary Drever and other people of privilege stand with their mixed-race neighbors. But when their Cree and French Catholic leader draws a line in the sand, he sets into motion a dark and revengeful path...on both sides. When he does the unthinkable, Mary is caught in the terrifying cross-hairs and forced to reconsider.

"A cross between Gone With The Wind and Right Gone Wrong, Lady Rebel is the story of a just cause gone wrong, a flawed hero, a plucky heroine, and fantastical love that reveals itself on the final page."

Note that in 30 - 45 seconds I did 4 things.
 
  • I cited my credentials
  • I showed respect for the agent’s time
  • I named the external (minor) conflict—political take over and resistence gone wrong
  • I named the internal (major) conflict—a tortured choice for Mary
All that in less than a minute.

There’s a second benefit to writing an elevator speech. It helps keep you focused when you write. Everything must point to, and support, your thesis and remain within the parameters of your conflict and character development. 
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Please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you.
Brenda@BrendaWilbee.com
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