Writing the Dreaded Book Jacket Summary and Pitch, Episode 42

Writers craft thousands of words to create a novel, so why is it so difficult to write a summary and pitch for books? We’ll delve into the difficulty of whittling down a novel into these necessary tasks which could make-or-break selling a novel. In addition, we’ll discuss the functions of a summary and pitch as well as how to write them.

SHOW NOTES:

Summary: a concise overview of a book with the purpose of enticing a reader

Pitch: one sentence that encapsulates story for the purpose of selling it to agents and publishers

Summary: Hook, main character(s), setting and/or theme, conflict/stakes, and a teaser

• voice

• third person (no matter the POV of the book)

• captivate your reader

• flows

• 100-200 words in length

  
  

Examples:

Where the Grass Grows Blue: Penny Crenshaw's divorce and her husband's swift remarriage to a much younger woman have been hot topics around Atlanta's social circles. After a year of enduring the cruel gossip, Penny leaps from the frying pan into the fire by heading back to Kentucky to settle her grandmother's estate.

Reluctantly, Penny travels to her hometown of Camden, knowing she will be stirring up all the ghosts from her turbulent childhood. But not all her problems stem from a dysfunctional family. One of Penny's greatest sources of pain lives just down the street: Bradley Hitchens, her childhood best friend, the keeper of her darkest secrets, and the boy who shattered her heart.

As Penny struggles with sorting through her grandmother's house and her own memories, a colorful group of friends drifts back into her life, reminding her of the unique warmth, fellowship, and romance that only the Bluegrass State can provide. Now that fate has forced Penny back, she must either let go of the scars of her past or risk losing a second chance at love. Can she learn to live an unbridled life?

Of Lies and Honey: Harper Alexander is devastated by a miscarriage even though she thought she never wanted to be a mother. Because of her husband’s determination to create a family and her inability to carry a child to term, they consider alternative options.

As the result of a secret love affair, Callie Sebastian becomes pregnant at the age of seventeen. Her socialite mother, in an attempt to impede any potential fallout to the family’s reputation, sends her to a Catholic boarding school for wayward girls.

When Raina Edwin’s third child starts school, leaving her at loose ends, she longs for another baby. However, due to money problems, her husband points her in the direction of creating a business selling honey to fill her void.

As Harper, Callie and Raina deal with their strife surrounding motherhood, their lives collide in unexpected ways. A dark secret forces them to make choices that will alter their roles as mothers and daughters forever.

Pitch (also called elevator pitch or logline):

• character descriptor

• inciting incident

• conflict/stakes

• goal

• make it memorable & concise

• 1 sentence (approximately 20-30 words)

  
  

Examples:

Where the Grass Grows Blue: Where The Grass Grows Blue is one woman's journey to either accept her troubled past by embracing the power of forgiveness, or risk losing a second chance at love in a small Kentucky town.

Of Lies and Honey: Three women, across two time periods, each struggling with motherhood, find themselves connected by one locale and a dark secret that threatens their roles as mothers and daughters.

*Note: a tagline is different & often appears on the book

Examples: 

Of Lies and Honey: Three women, two eras, one secret

SOURCES & LINKS

“How to Write a Book Pitch No One Can Resist,” Abi Wurdeman

“How to Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Novel,” Harry Bingham

DO NOW: Write a book jacket summary first, using the models provided. Then, whittle it down to a few different pitches; choose the one that is most enticing. Consider running these by your friends or writing partners to get their perspectives.

Next Episode: An interview with author J.D. Barker, author of Something I Keep Upstairs,  & you won’t want to miss his amazing GIVEAWAY

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey  https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

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