In this episode, we’re going to be talking about the legendary elevator pitch and how to create the kind of elevator pitch that gets people to want to listen and hear more about your book.

Jim: I see an elevator pitch as a simple one-sentence description of what your book is about.

Thomas: I think of it as more of a paragraph—something you can share in the time it takes an elevator to go from the first floor to the third. The one-sentence version is what I’d call a high concept, while the paragraph-length version is the full elevator pitch. Everyone defines it slightly differently, but what we all agree on is that an elevator pitch is a short, compelling summary that makes people want to learn more about your book.

You really can’t make it too short as long as it’s well-crafted.

Jim: If the one-sentence version is a high concept or a hook, then a strong, well-crafted sentence can serve as the elevator pitch itself.

Thomas: A paragraph-length pitch might work better as a radio pitch since it would fit into a 30-second or one-minute slot.

Jim: In radio, we write 30- and 60-second ad spots, and the same principle applies here: You need to be able to describe your book in that time frame.

Thomas: The goal is to spark interest. If a one-sentence pitch doesn’t engage someone, adding more words won’t help. And if a paragraph doesn’t do it, a full synopsis won’t either.

Too often, I see authors rambling on about their book to someone who clearly isn’t interested. The desperation to get someone to love the book as much as they do leads them to overshare. A better approach is to refine the pitch or find a different audience.

What’s the art of creating an elevator pitch that makes someone want to stand up and hear more?

Jim: We talk a lot about uniqueness and standing out and being different. A great elevator pitch starts with a unique story. If your book is distinctive, distilling it into a strong pitch becomes much easier.

Many writers struggle to condense their 90,000-word novel into one sentence. That’s where the real craft comes in.

Why do you need a short elevator pitch?

Jim: Some writers think they only need an elevator pitch to pitch agents or editors, but that’s not true. Even indie authors need one because, for the rest of your life, people will ask, “What’s your book about?”

Your pitch isn’t just for you; it’s for your readers. If they can’t summarize your book in a sentence, they won’t be able to recommend it. And word-of-mouth recommendations are the most powerful way to sell books.

Thomas: I know authors who sell multiple copies of their books in casual conversations without even trying. When someone asks what they do, they say, “I’m an author.” That leads to, “Oh, what do you write?” They give a short, compelling pitch, and the listener pulls out their phone and buys the book on the spot.

This is the power of a great elevator pitch. Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, your goal is to make your pitch so effective that it compels someone to buy the book before the conversation ends.

Beware the Subway Pitch

Jim: I see the subway pitch far more often than a proper elevator pitch. At writing conferences, when authors introduce themselves at a table, I’ll ask for a quick description of their book. Inevitably, some will go on, dominating the conversation and losing everyone’s interest. If you ramble, you alienate potential readers, editors, and agents.

Thomas: And after all that talking, people often still don’t know what the book is about. Too many details make it hard to grasp the big picture. It’s like describing individual leaves without ever identifying the tree.

Jim: Keep it simple. You don’t need names, backstories, or setting details. You’re pitching the concept and the overall feel of the story.

For example, my novel Rooms has a pitch I’ve used since 2006: It’s the story of a young Seattle software tycoon who inherits a home on the Oregon coast that turns out to be a physical manifestation of his soul.

That’s about 25 words, and it’s short enough to deliver between the first and second floors of an elevator ride.

Thomas: The response will either be, “Cool, tell me more,” or “That’s not for me.” Both are good reactions. You want a clear yes or no.

You want to be able to identify in those first 25 words whether this is your kind of reader or not. To learn more about finding your readers, listen to our episode on How to Find Your Timothy.

If the goal of the pitch is to create curiosity, how do you pique people’s curiosity?

Thomas: How do you determine what makes people curious about your book? This can be more straightforward for a plot-driven novel where you can highlight a unique plot twist. For a fantasy book, you might emphasize the world-building.

But what if your book is a modern-day, character-driven story? How do you craft an engaging elevator pitch when the focus isn’t on a high-concept plot or an intricate world? What elements of your characters and their journey will intrigue potential readers?

Jim: The best way I’ve found for authors to learn this skill and apply it to their own novels is by studying how TV shows and movies are summarized. A movie might be two hours long, a TV drama an hour, or a sitcom just 30 minutes, yet they all have concise descriptions, known as loglines. These loglines distill the essence of a story into just a sentence or two, often with remarkable clarity.

To practice, start by looking at the loglines for movies and TV shows you already know and love. Analyze how they’ve been condensed into a single compelling sentence. Once you get a feel for the structure, try writing your own loglines for familiar movies or shows. As you build this habit, you’ll find it much easier to create a strong, concise description for your own book, and the process will feel far less daunting.

Thomas: If you’re just getting started, you can use a TV show logline as a template and swap out the original words for your own while keeping the same structure. Keep the verbs in place and replace the nouns with details from your own story. This is a classic copywriting technique where you take an existing title and create your own distinct version. The result is something substantively different, so it’s not plagiarism. It’s simply a springboard for your own creativity and innovation.

How can I refine my pitch?

Jim: Get feedback. Many writers have critique groups or critique partners, so start testing your pitch on them and see how they respond.

Even better, try it on friends who don’t know anything about your novel. Their reactions will be more telling. If they look confused, you can ask, “Did that make sense? Are you intrigued?” Hopefully, you have friends who are honest enough to say, “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” or “That doesn’t grab me.” On the other hand, if they respond with, “Wow, that’s awesome!” or “That’s really weird,” you’ve nailed it. Strong reactions, whether excitement or hesitation, mean you’ve sparked an emotional response, which is exactly what you want.

Thomas: The closer a friend is, the less likely they are to give you honest, constructive feedback about what needs fixing. So, a better way to gauge their response is by watching their actions. Do they pull out their phone to buy a copy? If the book isn’t out yet, do they ask, “When does it come out?” That kind of reaction signals a successful pitch.

Keep practicing at parties and in conversations to test different ways to present your pitch. People don’t need to know you’re refining it; you can naturally answer the same question four or five different ways to see which version resonates best.

How can I use a “what if” statement to create curiosity?

Jim: “What if” statements are a great way to introduce a high-concept idea. For my novel The Chair, I asked, “What if you were given a chair and told it was made by Jesus Christ? Would you believe it?” I’d pause and wait for the reaction. If people ask questions, I know I’ve piqued their curiosity.

Thomas: Another approach is the Twitter/X method: refine your pitch to 140 characters. The best tweets are short because they’ve been stripped down to only what matters. Your elevator pitch should go through the same process.

Start with a paragraph, but don’t stop there. Keep asking, “Do I need this sentence?” Look for ways to combine or simplify. The goal is to give just enough information to make someone ask for more.

Jim: This is show business. If you’re an author, you are in show business. And the adage of leaving the audience wanting more is absolutely true.

Thomas: The better you get at your elevator pitch and the more you practice, the more it will shape and strengthen the rest of your marketing. A clear, concise pitch in your own words leads to a clear understanding in the minds of your readers. And when your readers grasp your book’s essence in a single sentence, they can easily share it with their friends.

If you can’t distill your book into a one-sentence summary, your readers won’t be able to either. And if they can’t summarize it cleanly, they won’t be able to recommend it. A book that requires a long-winded explanation to share has no built-in virality. It won’t spread by word of mouth, which is the most powerful driver of book sales.

This isn’t just about pitching agents or editors in an elevator. It’s about equipping your readers with the language they need to talk about your book effortlessly. The easier it is for them to describe and recommend your book, the more likely it is to gain momentum and sell.

Jim: You could test your elevator pitch with a game of telephone. Gather a group of six to ten friends and whisper your pitch to the first person, who then whispers it to the next, and so on, until it comes back to you. See how much of your original message remains intact. This is a fun way to determine if your pitch is memorable and “sticky” enough to be easily repeated and shared.

Thomas: It would probably come out a little bit cleaner, too.

Did you know that Winston Churchill never actually said, “blood, sweat, and tears”?

What he really said was, “I have nothing to offer you but blood, sweat, toil, and tears.” But when repeated from person to person, toil tends to get dropped because it doesn’t quite fit. It stands out as the odd one out. Three of the words refer to bodily fluids, while toil does not.

Interestingly, the viral version is actually a more contagious and memorable adaptation of the original statement.

Listen to Your Readers

Pay attention when someone recommends your book to a friend. If I’m at a table and hear someone talking about me, I’m always curious to know how they introduce me. Out of everything they could say, what makes it into that one-sentence summary?

The same applies to you as an author. As your books reach readers, listen closely to how they describe them. Last week, we spoke with Brandilyn Collins, who shared great advice on paying attention to reader feedback, including not just what they tell you but what they say to each other. Check your book reviews, especially the five-star ones, and search for key themes or phrases that keep surfacing.

These insights can help you refine your elevator pitch for your current book and your future ones as well.