Alrighty, let's move on to another part of your submission package -- the pitch. It's undoubtedly the shortest section but maybe also the trickiest because it requires you to condense your story into a one line concept - the logline.
What is a logline? A one line concept of your story, and is often used as the basis for the pitch.
What is a pitch? A brief summary (logline) of a film or book that states the central conflict of the story and the main character(s). Ideally, a pitch will have a hook to stimulate interest and will frequently include a comparison title. Sometimes the terms pitch and logline are used interchangeably, but a pitch is often verbal (think elevator pitch) and should take 20 seconds to relay. Great pitches will convince your audience the book would be a great read.
Your pitch should include the following story highlights:
* The protagonist (don't use their name, just a description — 'An alcoholic surgeon...')
* The goal of the protagonist (usually in line with the story's binding point — 'An alcoholic surgeon must fight for his job...')
* The antagonist or obstacle ('An alcoholic surgeon must fight for his job after a disgruntled patient accuses him of malpractice...')
A great book pitch should...
Be 30 words or less (for Wattpad, they recommend 155 characters, including spaces)
Be original
Be memorable
Example 1: A chaste demigoddess, unaware of her royal status, learns she is being groomed to serve the gods and impulsively flees to the underworld with Hades to escape Zeus's wrath.
Example 2: A professor of symbology unlocks codes buried in ancient works of art as he hunts for the Holy Grail.
Example 3: A brainiac biker chick who witnesses a murder seeks refuge with a childhood neighbor turned FBI agent and risks her life to help him put the criminals behind bars.
Example 4: PI Max Caldwell has always believed that rules were meant to be broken -- even if that means a whole bunch of hangovers, sex frustrations, and some guys who are just itching to kill her.
BUT THAT IS NOT ALL!!!
In recent years, pitches that were successful in contests like PitMad have included a comparison piece, also known as comp titles. Hence, for this year's submissions, you will need to include comp titles in your pitch.
What Are Comp Titles and Why Are They Useful?
Comparison ("comp") titles are books that are similar to yours compared to their content. The comps give readers a snapshot of what they can expect. Being able to say my story is "like x and y" can be one of the most effective ways to get the attention from your mentor (or agents, if you participate in contests like PitMad).
What Makes a Good Comp Title?
Here are a few things to ask yourself when determining if your selection is a good one:
1. Is the title recent? (Within the last two or three years is ideal.)
2. Does your story have a similar genre? This is relatively easy to do if the book fits neatly into a category: literary fiction, commercial women's fiction, mystery, thriller, or science fiction. It can be more complicated if a book does not fit neatly into one category: for example, if the book is both very literary and science fiction. In that case, it is ideal to find previous books that have straddled both audiences.
3. Has your comp been successful . . . to a certain degree? The book doesn't have to—and usually shouldn't—be a phenomenon, but it should at least be on the radar of your reader. If you pick comp titles of stories that no one has ever heard of, the effectiveness of the comp will fail.
So let us look at the 3rd and 4th examples above. With comps, these become:
The story has parallels to the NBC television mystery/crime drama BLINDSPOT, where the female MC, who has amnesia and is covered in mysterious tattoos, slowly regains her memory and helps the feds solve crimes.
The new Vic Warshawski with prestigious heritage baggage and a cat. PI Max Caldwell has always believed that rules were meant to be broken -- even if that means a whole bunch of hangovers, sex frustrations, and some guys who are just itching to kill her.
Another example with great comps:
THE THREE MUSKETEERS x a paranormal take on MASTERCHEF. The heat is on when British food critic Mel crosses carving knives with French chef Yvon. He's cursed with immortality. She can set him free. But then eternal love turns into a recipe for disaster.