Pitch Perfect

You’ve worked hard to write your middle grade novel, and now you’re ready to sell it to a publisher. Except you’ve been told you must describe your entire 50,000 book in 30 to 150 words.

Welcome to what the writing community calls “the pitch.”

A pitch is a short description of your book that highlights what makes your story unique.

I’ve taken online classes, read articles, and listened to conference talks about how to write a pitch. When it comes to elements every pitch should contain, most presentations boil down to this: The pitch needs to identify the main character in a manner that shows their goal, the obstacles that stand in their way, and what might happen if they don’t succeed.

Let’s use the technique (protagonist, goal, obstacles, fallout) with a well-known story: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Start with the Protagonist. Bilbo is a hobbit, a race of short people living in middle earth, a land with magical creatures.

What is his goal? He will aid the dwarf king, his faithful subjects, and a wizard on a quest to reclaim the dwarves’ ancestorial home.

What are the obstacles? The company runs into trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and wood elves. Aided by Bilbo’s magic ring and a river town, the heroes kill the dragon who took over the kingdom. However, a battle between five armies breaks out over the treasure the dragon guarded.

What might happen (fallout)? If Bilbo cannot negotiate peace between the various factions, his whole company might die.

Now put the ideas together.

Bilbo is a hobbit, a race of short people living in middle earth, a land with magical creatures. He will aid the dwarf king, his faithful subjects, and a wizard on a quest to reclaim the dwarves’ ancestorial home. The company runs into trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and wood elves. Aided by Bilbo’s magic ring and a river town, the heroes kill the dragon who took over the kingdom. However, a battle between five armies breaks out over the treasure the dragon guarded. If Bilbo cannot negotiate peace between the warring factions, his whole company might die.

This pitch rings in at 97 words, which will work for most conference pitches. However, if your selected entity wants it even shorter, watch me trim the idea to 41 words and still keep the heart of the story.

Aided by Bilbo, thirteen dwarves go on a quest to reclaim their ancestral kingdom, which is guarded by a dragon. When the beast is killed, five armies converge to claim the treasure left behind. Bilbo must negotiate peace or die trying.

Sure, you say. Simple to do with a well-established story. But will it work for me? Let’s see. Using my method, here’s a 52-word pitch for my newest release, Offsides.

Danielle expected a challenging senior year with her final season of soccer, a strained friendship, and a new crush. What she didn’t expect was to uncover a human trafficking ring in her town. When an older man starts grooming her neighbor, Dani intervenes. But her actions may make her the next target.

Intrigued? That’s the power of a pitch. Good luck crafting your own. (And please, make my day and check out Offsides.)

Lori Z. Scott is known for her bestselling Meghan Rose series. Besides these humorous children’s chapter books, Lori has published over 200 articles, short stories, devotions, and poems for magazines like Brio and Focus on the Family. She has also contributed to 15 books, including Writing and Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market. In 2022, Lori introduced a new YA series. The first book, Inside the Ten-Foot Line, is a Carol Award semi-finalist, the Golden Scroll Youth Book of the Year winner, and an Illumination Book Award medalist. The second book, Offsides, promises even more action and humor. You can connect with Lori on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori