What Is an Elevator Pitch

Glossary > Elevator Pitch

💬 Definition of Elevator Pitch:

An elevator pitch is a teaser of your book that convinces people to publish or buy it. But there’s a trick: an elevator pitch needs to be very short—no longer than the time of an elevator ride—or about 30 to 60 seconds long, hence its name. Authors get their pitch ready for agents and editors. But it’s also useful when you talk to any potential buyer about your book. People will want to hear more if your elevator pitch is interesting enough.

Related questions about an elevator pitch:

Why is an elevator pitch important for authors?

An elevator pitch is a good marketing tool to have whenever you talk about your book. It’s great for convincing people your book is worthy of publication or purchase. Say you’re invited to a podcast where you want to talk about your book without giving away too much information. An elevator pitch is perfect for that.

Why should you get your pitch ready ahead of time?

There are a few reasons why you should prepare your pitch once your book is ready:

  • Talk as if your pitch is a short and compelling ad. To do this, you need to get ready ahead of time. Otherwise, your answer may be too long, and people could lose interest.
  • Always have it on hand in case you meet potential buyers or influencers willing to create buzz around your book.
  • A good pitch will always be useful, no matter the situation. Plus, the pitch is a great starting point if you need to delve further into the book's description.

How to craft a compelling elevator pitch?

When starting to work on your pitch, ask yourself a few questions that will help you shape it:

  1. What makes my book different from the others?
  2. What makes my vision as an author different from the others?
  3. What's my book's unique value proposition?
  4. What's one thing people can find in my book that they won't find anywhere else?
  5. Who is my book for? What's the target audience?

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