One of the critical marketing elements that every author needs is a 30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH … yet few do. Stumbling and bumbling along, authors ignore that the creation of who/what the book is about in a quick few sentences can make, and certainly break, a book sale.
At the Author U Extravaganza May 1-3 in Denver, CO, multi-award winning author Mary Jo Fay will walk authors step-by-step through the process of creation. In just 50 minutes, authors too will be able to describe books, and themselves in a short, succinct and catchy way!
In today’s guest blog, she asks six questions that are beginning the creation of the 30 Second Elevator Pitch.
- Who are you?
- What is your book about?
- What do you want people to do about your book?
- Do you want people to buy your book?
- Do you want people to hire you to speak or consult?
- What?
Whether you wrote your book as a means to be an expert in your field, you have a dream of penning a best seller, or maybe you envision your novel becoming a movie on the big screen, EVERY AUTHOR NEEDS A 30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH!
Why? Because regrettably, “If you build it, they will come,” is simply NOT gonna happen by itself! And if you think that the actual writing of your book was the hard part – think again. It’s kinda like birthing a baby – those 9 months of a baby developing in the womb doesn’t even come close to the 18+ years of work thereafter.
The marketing part will always include pitching you and your book to any variety of book buyers, news people, radio show hosts, and a bevy of others.
So what exactly is a 30 second elevator pitch?
It’s a way to clearly convey your author and book info into one or two very brief sentences.
The best way to describe it is to find your TV Guide and read those amazing one sentence description of the show. In the movie business they’re called “log lines,” and it should grab you instantly at the same time that it gives you a clear visual of what to expect.
For example: A man who is bitten by a genetically-altered spider soon discovers that he has unusual powers and the strength and agility of a spider. Hello Spiderman.
As writers who put thousands of words between two covers, this is sometimes our hardest task! But it’s crucial to our business! Your book business … your book success. And it’s hard!
But … If you literally can’t condense you and your book into a 30 second, passionate elevator ride then you’re losing valuable opportunities and you’re certainly not ready to be on radio or TV where sound bites and “quickie” interviews demand being succinct, accurate, and entertaining!
So join us at the Extravaganza where we’ll help you create your own amazing pitch! And bring the answers to those questions with you that are asked above.
Mary Jo Fay is the author of 5 books, founder of 3 Meetup groups, regular guest on Huffington Post Live and other radio and TV shows, and speaker of many years, Mary Jo Fay, will give you the tools to create the most important 30 second speech in your arsenal!
If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 … have your questions ready–there’s a full hour to ask and listen.
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