I’ll admit, the topic of this blog is a bit of a love-hate thing. I love blurbs! Twitter? Not so much. I’ll confess, it’s not the media part of being online that I shy away from. I’m just not the most social person, so that’s the problem. (And if you know me, you’re laughing because that’s a super-understatement.) That’s why I needed to be in not one, but TWO box set collections this summer – one romance and one romantic suspense.
Told you: super social.
Still, one thing that IS great about Twitter is the fact we have to condense everything down into a finite number of characters.
Why is this good?Because it makes us better writers. Every word is typed ON PURPOSE.
Sending a tweet out that condenses your book into its simplest form is a HARD thing. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a skill we have to hone, because there’s a huge difference between my 55k word Love Inspired Suspense and the 30 words I have to give the art people that boils it all down.
And if you can be ready when that editor or agent asks for pitches on Twitter? All the better.
BUT HOW?
Sabine Fraternau, CIA agent, is on the hunt for her brother’s killer. When the Delta Force soldier she loves barges in, the mission goes from bad…to busted. Doug “MacArthur” Richardson is all military, a man of faith with no room in his life for love.
When Sabine is accused of betraying her country, Doug is the only one who believes the woman he’s falling for is innocent. But after her ex-husband’s betrayal, Sabine doesn’t believe in happily ever after. Together they have to find the killer and prove Sabine’s innocence, before the nightmare of her past comes back…to kill her.
This was my first ever LIS, a book I pitched on just these 100 words. Success! The first time an editor asked to see my whole novel!
Now let’s break it down:
Sabine Fraternau, CIA agent, is on the hunt for her brother’s killer.
The main character, her job and her GOAL.
When the Delta Force soldier she loves barges in, the mission goes from bad…to busted.
Conflict in the form of romantic interest, which fits the Love Inspired Suspense line (know who you’re pitching to and what they want). Also, a little bit of voice in the, “bad...to busted” that says my story doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Doug “MacArthur” Richardson is all military, a man of faith with no room in his life for love.
The other main character, the ‘love interest’. His job, his GOAL and his obstacle in what will become their journey to happily ever after.
When Sabine is accused of betraying her country, Doug is the only one who believes the woman he’s falling for is innocent.
Plot, the suspense and the romance all tangled up and complicated with some high stakes.
But after her ex-husband’s betrayal, Sabine doesn’t believe in happily ever after.
The obstacle to their happily ever after that’s specific to HER.
Together they have to find the killer and prove Sabine’s innocence, before the nightmare of her past comes back…to kill her.
More stakes. A little of how the situation is going to be resolved.
So you can see that it is possible to present a HUGE amount of information in only 100 words.
When we’re talking Twitter pitches, you’ll simply have to decide what is pertinent and what can be left out for now. Ask yourself – what are the HOOKS?Is it a reunion romance? Is there a single mom, a cowboy, is it Amish? What sets your book apart from other novels in a way that would peak an editor or agent’s interest?
Welcome to Sanctuary, the witness protection town that isn’t on any map. When the town’s first ever murder occurs, John’s plans to reconnect with his boy are derailed by the investigation. When conspiracy and secrets are uncovered, can John find the truth before it’s too late?
In this blurb I decided to focus on setting, since that is HUGE in this series, and less on the romance which plays a smaller role in the book. Conspiracy and secrets sound exciting, and the question at the end should draw the reader to investigate more—maybe read some reviews, check out the cover or the book’s sample. The blurb is one way to draw interest, but it certainly isn’t the only way.
It all depends on who you’re trying to hook – editor/agent or reader.
But first, let’s break down the blurb.
1. Main character #1 - who is this person in a nutshell? If their job isn’t relevant, don’t put it in. But what do they WANT?
2. Main character #2 - do the same.
3. What is going to keep them from this goal? Let your editor know this book has CONFLICT that won’t easily be resolved. Lines like Love Inspired Suspense need conflict in the plot and conflict in the relationship. Make sure it’s there.
4 and 5: How is the situation going to be resolved? How will the characters work it out? Does faith play in? What about the Antagonist (if there is one)? What’s he up to?
The last part is what changes between proposal/pitch and the back cover blurb of a book. In back cover copy, the question can be asked: Will they survive? Will he get the girl? Genre conventions make these questions easy to answer, but that’s not the point – your job as the writer is to make the reader believe that the stakes are too high, that it’s possible the hero might NOT win. Otherwise why do they need to read the book? They already know what’s going to happen. But we love the characters more the harder they have to fight for what they want.
In an editor or agent pitch, they need to know that answer not the question. They need to know what fantastic twist you added to your story. Sara’s long lost husband turns out to be ALIVE? Whaaa? Don’t hide anything from an editor or agent. If it means the difference between them asking to read the book, or not, why would you hold back? Give them two barrels full of awesomeness and hit them square between the eyes.
I DARE YOU TO PASS ON THIS BOOK.
Making the manuscript itself the best book you can make it is the most important thing. But you can achieve SO MUCH with a short pitch. Give it everything you’ve got!
How about you? Any pitch stories from social media? How about advice for condensing a story idea into a single sentence? I’ll even take embarrassing social media faux pas!
And I think the best should really get a copy of my new book HOMEFRONT DEFENDERS!
Lisa is giving away THREE copies of Homefront Defenders. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition!
PROTECTING THE PRESIDENT
Amid the idyllic scenery of Hawaii, rookie Secret Service agent Alana Preston is attacked, and a sinister plot to assassinate the president begins taking shape. But nobody seems to believe Alana, and she doesn’t know who she can trust—except Secret Service director James Locke. Now, with an assassin hiding in plain sight on the island, she and James may be the president’s last line of defense. The closer they get to cracking the case, however, the more intertwined their lives become. And they must fight to keep their hearts out of it. With the life of the commander-in-chief in their hands, falling in love could be a deadly distraction…
Lisa can be found in Idaho wearing either flip-flops or cowgirl boots, depending on the season. She leads worship with her husband at their local church. Together they have two children--a sparkly Little Princess and a Mini Daddy--and an all-black Airedale known as The Dark Lord Elevator.
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