Harlequin Love Inspired is hosting something like a Matchmaker event for pitches to all their lines. In leading up to the event, they’ve been posting many suggestions on their blog, and as a result of keeping up with this, I’ve found quite possibly the best blog on pitching that I’ve ever read before.
The blogger’s name is Lisa Phillips, and she sold a book to Love Inspired Suspense based on her 100 word pitch. I’m not sure if she picked this up naturally, but she came up with a pretty fool-proof formula for writing pitches. Here’s what she said to include (paraphrased in some places for ease of reading).
1. The main character and her GOAL.
2. Conflict (in the form of romantic interest, which fits the Love Inspired Suspense line); also, a little bit of voice
3. The other main character, the ‘love interest’. His job, his GOAL, and his obstacle in what will become their journey to happily ever after.
4. (A sentence on the) plot, the suspense and the romance all tangled up and complicated.
5. The obstacle to their happily ever after that’s specific to HER.
6. The stakes.
So I’m working on my pitch. Doing version after version. Trying to get it perfected. But this formula is working well for me.
What about you? Do you have a formula you use? Or a tool? Remember, the pitch has to be under 100 words. How would you go about writing a 100 word pitch?
