At the Midwest Writers Workshop, an agent panel gave some wonderful, straightforward advice about how to construct your pitch. You could use this formula as part of a query letter or in a live pitch. Brilliant!
Option 1
I have a completed [word count][genre] titled [title] about [protagonist name + small description] who [conflict].
Option 2
(1) What does your character want?
(2) Why does he want it?
(3) What keeps him from getting it?
Option 3
(1) Character name/description
(2) The conflict they’re going through
(3) The choices they have to make
Other tips
- Think of your query letter to the agent/editor as the first step in the SEDUCTION process.
- Never say: “Let me start by telling you the backstory.” Your story doesn’t start in the right place if that’s necessary.
- If you must mention 4+ characters in your pitch for it to make sense, you probably have some problems with the story.
- The voice in the pitch should match the mood of the story.
- Only start querying when you’d be comfortable with your manuscript appearing as-is (and being sold) between covers on major chain bookstore shelf.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
Thanks for this, Jane. It reminds me to focus on the conflict, which I forget to do. I think in life we’re generally conflict averse, so it’s hard to remember to lead with the drama when talking about our novels.
Very helpful, thank you!
Are you a Libra? I am! 😉
[…] 101 at the Midwest Writers Workshop. And now Jane as put them all in one place — hurrah! Excellent, succinct advice here for those, like me, in the pitching/querying stages of […]
Thank you Jane:-) May I share this on FB, Twitter and my website?
On another note, I read many years back that good plotting dictates that you begin your story at the point closest to the incident that will forever change the life of the protagonist.
I’m re-editing Chapter 4 of my memoir. This chapter will include the call to adventure/my refusal to the call…i.e., the incident that forever changes my life in my memoir. If I have 20 pages per chapter and roughly 10-12 chapters total, I’m wondering if this is appropriate as I am writing chronologically!
Kindest regards,
Carina
Absolutely, please share however you like!
Regarding the plot/structure of your memoir, yes! The “inciting incident” (when everything gets turned upside down. e.g., in Star Wars, this would be when Luke leaves home when his family is killed) should typically happen within the first few chapters. There are some wonderful books that discuss the finer details of this, and one of the best is PLOT & STRUCTURE by James Scott Bell, which is for novelists, but can also be applied to memoirs. Highly recommend.
THanks Jane this is great. I love it when advice is simple and good at the same time. I followed you here from Writer Unboxed. Looking forward to more good stuff. Good luck.
Thanks so much for following me here! Much appreciated. 🙂
Great stuff, Jane!
With your permission I, too, will share this in a few places.
Absolutely!
[…] And this is why writers struggle with queries, because they can’t bridge the gap between writing to entertain (or inform or inspire) and writing to persuade. It’s a different mindset, and it requires an ability to look at one’s work as a product that has a selling point. (If you need more information on how to formulate a hook, click here.) […]
[…] The Basic Pitch Formula for Novelists. Short, sweet, and powerful. […]
[…] Identify the protagonist and what they want and why. Describe what keeps him/her from getting it. Think along these lines: SOMEBODY wants SOMETHING and has a HARD TIME GETTING IT. (via Jane Friedman) […]
Thanks for the info! Very helpful information.
[…] Identify the protagonist and what they want and why. Describe what keeps him/her from getting it. Think along these lines: SOMEBODY wants SOMETHING and has a HARD TIME GETTING IT. (via Jane Friedman) […]