NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022
UPDATE: APRIL 26, 2022
THE WINNER IS…
SIMPLY THE BEST BY CATHERINE YANG
Catherine will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for Simply the Best.
Listen to the announcement.
Listen to the winning pitch and our feedback.
OUR FAN FAVORITE GOES TO…
THE POWER OF SHADOWS BY ABBY GEIGERMAN
Abby will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250).
Read the Fan Favorite winning pitch.
Congratulations, Catherine and Abby! Thank you to every writer who participated and the fans who voted.
You can watch the full NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022 below.
Twelve years. That’s how long The Book Doctors and Nano Nation have been slinging words and making beautiful music (and books) together. Writers from around the globe delivered yet another batch of pulse-pounding pitches for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022!
As ever, we were gobsmacked by the undeniable awesomeness of the writing that poured forth from Wrimos.
We can’t tell you how much we loved reading your creative, thoughtful, fascinating, funny, wondrous, original pitches.
Now for the 411
The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or to buy it online)?
The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 25, 2022 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
Here are the rules
Please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
Only poll votes from this webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022 voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- The Power Of Shadows by Abby Geigerman (36%, 532 Votes)
- PitchaPalooza by Tanisha Pereira (14%, 214 Votes)
- Untitled by K. L. Penn (11%, 166 Votes)
- The Intrepid Defenders of Long Lake Math Team by Ella Martinez Nocito (10%, 144 Votes)
- Ruby Madder’s Field Guide To Poisonous Plants by Michelle Heimburger (9%, 142 Votes)
- The Immortal by S.R. Finch (7%, 109 Votes)
- Fixer Upper by Shanna Bowie (5%, 76 Votes)
- PlusOne for Rent by Joanna Jelen (2%, 36 Votes)
- The Art Of Fucking Up by Keith Good (1%, 18 Votes)
- Game of Tao Tie by Serena Zhang (1%, 15 Votes)
- Chroma by Camille Thomas (1%, 11 Votes)
- A Dream Bewitched by Catherine Oyiliagu (1%, 11 Votes)
- Simply The Best by Catherine Yang (0%, 6 Votes)
- I Am Not A Corporate Drone by Andrew Rosenblum (0%, 5 Votes)
- Super Ballsy by Tyler Darnell (0%, 4 Votes)
- My Colonizer: A Kept Boy and his Afterlife by Dale Corvino (0%, 3 Votes)
- Again The Dimming Lights by Julian Farris (0%, 2 Votes)
- The Scholarly Banana by Karly West (0%, 1 Votes)
- Wild Life by Melanie Bosley (0%, 1 Votes)
- Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland by Lili Ryder (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,496
TWELFTH ANNUAL NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA
You wrote your 50,000 words (or close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in. Join us for our twelfth annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to learn how to catch the attention of publishers and readers.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on April 2, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group. The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consultation with us (worth $250). On April 3, 2022, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on April 25, 2022. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 26, 2022.
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER
- Beginning February 15, 2022, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com.
- Do not attach your pitch, just embed it in the email.
- You get up to 250 words to pitch your book.
- Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. These don’t count toward your 250 words.
- All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on March 15, 2022.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA SUCCESS STORIES
It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners.
Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her award-winning books have been featured on the “Best of” lists of Seventeen, Bustle, Barnes & Nobles, PopSugar, Paste Magazine, and more. American Panda received four starred trade reviews, was on the Amelia Bloomer list, and was a Junior Library Guild Selection, Indie Next Pick, and YALSA Teens’ Top 10 Pick. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
But that’s not all. Fools in Love, an anthology released December 7, 2021 (Running Press Kids/Hachette), features Gloria and fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular themes in the romance genre that are sure to steal your heart. Gloria’s work graces Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between that released last month from Viking/Penguin. And coming from Viking Penguin in Fall 2022 is When You Wish Upon a Lantern, a YA romance that sold in a heated auction! In Spring 2023, look for Freshman Orientation, a YA anthology of linked stories set on the first day at a small college, from the perspective of teens moving into their dorms, making new friends, avoiding old ones, and trying to fit in (Candlewick).
Gloria is giving back to aspiring authors by being a 2022 We Need Diverse Books YA mentor.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. In 2019, it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. The Hunting Wives launched in May 2021 with buzz from The Skimm, Cosmopolitan, SheReads, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, E! Online, Crime Reads, Book Riot, Bustle, and more. In September 2021, May announced another two-book deal with Berkley. First up, My Summer Darlings hits bookstores in May 2022: three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder.
“Having my pitch selected as the 2016 winner for Pitchapalooza was such a boost! Of course it was wonderful to win, but even more than that, having the Book Doctor’s feedback on my pitch was instrumental.”
–May Cobb
Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-eight books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. She also published three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31). And Little, Brown recently won at auction rights to publish her debut nonfiction middle grade Save the People! Halting Human Extinction, a look at our potential demise with a side of humor and a powerful remedy: scientific knowledge. In April 2022, look for Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth, and in August, Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink.
Cari Noga was one of our first NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Her winning novel, Sparrow Migrations, went on to be a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, then she received an acquisition offer from Lake Union Publishing. Her latest novel, The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing), is out now.
IMPORTANT NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA DATES
Tuesday, February 15, 2022–Pitch submission opens
Tuesday, March 15, 2022–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, April 2, 2022–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, April 3, 2022–Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com
Monday, April 25, 2022–Final day to vote for Fan Favorite
Tuesday, April 26, 2022–Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com
10 tips for pitching your novel
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch? We’ve got you covered.
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA FAQS
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for Fan Favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: Will a recording be available?
A: Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at www.thebookdoctors.com and on YouTube.
Q: Does my novel have to be finished?
A: No, you may pitch a work in progress.
Q: May I submit a pitch for a self-published novel?
A: Yes.
Q: Will the writers of the randomly selected pitches be notified ahead of the webcast?
A: The writers of the selected pitches will not be notified ahead of the event.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here.
Stockholm Writers Festival
Join us for Stockholm Writers Festival (SWF), May 28 – 30, 2021. This year’s conference will be online, opening the doors to writers anywhere in the world.
SWF is a celebration of writing where you can find your community, hone your skills and learn the intricacies of the industry! The program includes Q&As with authors, genre workshops, pitching tips from industry pros and much more.
We’ll be presenting How to Locate, Lure and Land an Agent on May 29 and hosting Pitchapalooza on May 30.
Participating authors include Sarah Waters (Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, Fingersmith, The Night Watch, The Little Stranger and The Paying Guests) and Grant Faulkner (Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Prompts to Boost Your Creative Mojo and executive director of National Novel Writing Month). Agents include Caroline Hardman (Hardman & Swainson), Ayesha Pande (Ayesha Pande Literary), and Kate Greenstreet (C&W).
Learn more and reserve your seat at stockholmwritersfestival.com.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2021
UPDATE: APRIL 1, 2021
The winner is…
ESTHER HANADA’S MEGA MANGA MIX-UP BY MARIANNE ROBIN-TANI
Marianne will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for Esther Hanada’s Mega Manga Mix-up.
Listen to the announcement.
Read the winning pitch.
Our Fan Favorite goes to…
Read the Fan Favorite winning pitch.
Congratulations, Marianne and Saanvi! Thank you to every writer who participated and the fans who voted.
You can watch the full NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2021 below.
We’re turning it up to 11!
Eleven years. That’s how long The Book Doctors and Nano Nation have been slinging words and making beautiful music (and books) together. Writers from around the globe delivered yet another batch of pulse-pounding pitches for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2021!
As ever, we were gobsmacked by the undeniable awesomeness of the writing that poured forth from Wrimos: Love among the Wichita Whippets, Tehran’s tetherball king coming of age, an ancient syndicate of mercenaries, a moon-cursed ménage, a manga mix-up, and a death-date predictor. Of course we’ve come to expect this level of excellence.
Now for the 411
The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or to buy it online)?
The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31, 2021 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on April 1, 2021.
Here are the rules
But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
We will also be posting these pitches on social media. We encourage anyone to like your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2021 voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- Tempestuous by Saanvi Agarwal (36%, 1,119 Votes)
- Dead Man Walking by Sienna Leaver (22%, 670 Votes)
- Esther Hanada’s Mega Manga Mix-up by Marianne Robin-Tani (11%, 347 Votes)
- Win, Lose, or Rain by Jackie Deskovich (11%, 338 Votes)
- It Takes Two to Tidy by Jessica Lin (8%, 236 Votes)
- American Playground by Michael Shokrian (4%, 113 Votes)
- You Treat Me to A Feast: If I Love You, I'll Feed You by Chelle A. Carter-Wilson (3%, 107 Votes)
- The Honeycomb by Jordan Donald (2%, 76 Votes)
- A Scarlet Thread by A.S. Bondi (1%, 16 Votes)
- The Tsarina of Snow by Lizzie Joy Broschat (0%, 13 Votes)
- Class of '79 by Holly L. Dutton (0%, 8 Votes)
- Three Ingredients by Emily Esterson (0%, 6 Votes)
- she becomes death by Marissa Goldstein (0%, 6 Votes)
- Something In-Between by Sofia Lourdette Santamaria-Micher (0%, 4 Votes)
- Bullets in the Water by Conor McAnally (0%, 4 Votes)
- Animal Acceptance by Beatrice Vargas (0%, 3 Votes)
- The Writing Journey by Hannah Sharpe (0%, 2 Votes)
- Patriot Girl of Mt. Rose by Peggy Ballman (0%, 1 Votes)
- Snobs & Silly Mothers by Julia Henkelmann (0%, 1 Votes)
- A Little Bit Yours by Anna McClain (0%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 3,071
Get Published …Today! Workshop
It is the greatest time in history to be a writer. The barrier to publishing has been torn down and now anyone can get published. But to get published successfully is a whole other matter. We will take you through the entire publishing process. This step-by-step, soups-to-nuts workshop will remove the smoke and mirrors from the murky world of publishing and give writers a compass and map to a successfully published book. Topics covered include:
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Choosing the right idea
-
Crafting an attention-getting pitch
-
Finding the right agent/publisher
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Self-publishing effectively without getting ripped off
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Finding your audience and building a following through social media.
The workshop will take place via Zoom. A registration link will be sent via email.
Proceeds from this workshop benefit Succeed2gether, a Montclair-based non-profit 501(c) organization that addresses unequal access to educational resources for low-income families and children from Montclair and Essex County, NJ. A portion of each $25 workshop ticket is donated to Succeed2gether.
Sign up for Get Published …Today! at Succeed2gether.
ELEVENTH ANNUAL NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA
You wrote your 50,000 words (or got pretty close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on March 13, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group.
The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
Beginning February 1, 2021, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR PITCH, JUST EMBED IT IN THE EMAIL. Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on February 28, 2021.
We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). On March 14, 2021, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on March 31, 2021. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 1, 2021.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA SUCCESS STORIES
Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. This time it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her latest thriller The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. Berkley plans its release for May 18, 2021.
“Having my pitch selected as the 2016 winner for Pitchapalooza was such a boost! Of course it was wonderful to win, but even more than that, having the Book Doctor’s feedback on my pitch was instrumental.”
–May Cobb
Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-five books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. Look for it in spring of this year. She’ll also publish three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31).
Cari Noga was one of our first NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Her winning novel, Sparrow Migrations, went on to be a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, then she received an acquisition offer from Lake Union Publishing. Her latest novel, The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing), is out now.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
IMPORTANT NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA DATES
Monday, February 1, 2021–Pitch submission opens
Sunday, February 28, 2021–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, March 13, 2021–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, March 14, 2021–Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2021–Final day to vote for Fan Favorite
Thursday, April 1, 2021–Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com
10 tips for pitching your novel
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch? We’ve got you covered.
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA FAQS
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for fan favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: Will a recording be available?
A: Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at our website.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here.
How to Write a Synopsis for Your Novel
We hate writing synopses for our novels, and we’re not the only ones. We regularly hear from writers who are stumped about the dreaded synopsis.
- How do you write a synopsis for a novel?
- What even is a synopsis?
- How long should it be?
We answer viewers’ questions about synopses in this week’s video. Keep reading for an example synopsis for a famous novel.
SUBSCRIBE and never miss a video
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS VIDEO
What happens if a literary agent asks for a synopsis? Don’t panic. Here’s a beginner’s guide to writing a synopsis.
0:23 Why is a synopsis important for querying and selling your book? Because it shows if your book has a plot and if you know how to pace a book.
1:00 What is a synopsis? It outlines the skeleton of your book, giving an overview of the plot for your entire novel, including the ending. A well-written synopsis shows that you can pace a novel to keep readers turning the page.
1:41 Arielle shares an example of how a synopsis revealed pacing mistakes in a novel.
2:12 How do you write a synopsis for a novel? Check out Arielle’s example below.
3:03 How do you start a synopsis? You start at the inciting incident.
3:49 How do you build a synopsis? You heighten stakes and show ebbs in pacing.
6:55 How long should a novel synopsis be? We recommend two to five pages long.
7:07 Include character development.
7:14 Do not be vague. Show action in concrete details. Reveal the events that drive the plot forward. Make us feel the stakes.
7:47 Show that you can write unexpected twists and turns that are satisfying for your reader and make sense. Reveal the characters’ motivations that drive these events.
8:15 To master the art of synopsis writing, try writing one for a book that’s similar to yours.
Example Synopsis
Jane Austen, grand master of plot, builds tension and unfolds events perfectly in Pride and Prejudice. Here’s what Arielle included in the editorial she spoke about in the video.
Darcy is heralded as one of the grandest people in England but is a minor jerk to Elizabeth, so she thinks he’s a snob. Then she finds out (falsely) that he’s a horrible person and robbed a young man of his fortune. Now she hates Darcy. The plot is then able to unfold against these two early impressions: Elizabeth is forced to spend several days with Darcy and gets to see both how annoying he is, but also that he is more than that. At this point, he falls in love with her without her having any idea of his love. Next he professes his love in a completely snobbish, annoying way. She rejects him violently, but is also suddenly kind of intrigued that this asshole likes her. Next she sees him in his natural setting and meets his sister who adores her brother and this makes Elizabeth even more intrigued. Then she finds out that the dude who said Darcy was the devil is actually the devil, himself. Darcy comes to the rescue of Elizabeth’s family and she falls for him fully. A few more roadblocks come about (like his horrible aunt saying Elizabeth has to refuse his hand because she is beneath him), but the deal is pretty much sealed.
RELATED VIDEOS
Check out our other videos here, or click the links below.
How to Find Comparable Titles https://youtu.be/xJN5u6sM8Rw
Book Titles & Subtitles: How to Title Your Book https://youtu.be/Bo9hmQj1LTw
How to Get a Blurb For Your Book https://youtu.be/3TsT3KWrOyk
Query Letters: How to Write a Query Letter Subject Line https://youtu.be/axEfMg6pBjY
Public Speaking Tips for Authors https://youtu.be/VPKvj3CD2Qc
How to Write an Author Bio https://youtu.be/f1JeZTbUeKE
How to Write an Elevator Pitch For Your Book https://youtu.be/u6-mft9qT-s
How to Title Your Book | Steps to a Brilliant Title
A great title and/or subtitle can land a book sale. Your title must make readers want to pick up your book, buy it, and read it. Play our Title Word Pool Game with your friends to find a brilliant title for your book.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSERTING POLLS
📊 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/help/1575289…
📊 Instagram Stories https://www.instafollowers.co/blog/ho…
📊 Instagram DM https://help.instagram.com/3242530981…
📊 Twitter https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twi…
📊 YouTube Post https://support.google.com/youtube/an…
📊 YouTube In Video https://support.google.com/youtube/an…
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS VIDEO
Titles can be metaphoric, clever, poetic, or silly. It doesn’t really matter how, but your title must make readers want to read your book. And for nonfiction, it must express clearly what your book is about. A subtitle can be just as important as a title.
0:22 A great title can sell a book, especially nonfiction. Arielle has sold a book based on the title alone. We give examples!
0:42 Introducing the Word Pool Game for finding your title
0:49 Step 1 – On a big board, write down every word you can think of related to your book.
1:10 Step 2 – Assemble a group of friends. Pro tip: get some literate and interesting friends.
1:30 Step 3 – Start mixing words to form titles that are new, catchy, and spark joy.
1:55 Step 4 – Take notes as you and your friends are throwing out titles. Think about main title and subtitle.
2:48 Step 5 – Narrow down to a short list of about six titles. Share those titles and ask for opinions. Have people rate the titles they like best. Try a poll on social media to see which title readers like best.
3:50 Rick Beyer thought his title was stupid. Arielle convinced him to share it, and that title — THE GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD — went on to be a mega-bestseller.
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How much does it cost to self-publish?
Writers ask us, “How much does it cost to self-publish?”
You can self-publish for nearly nothing or spend thousands.
Can you self-publish on the cheap? Yes.
But you could need to spend money to make money. Spend too much on the wrong thing and MAKE becomes LOSE so fast your head will spin.
Here’s how to spend money the right way and avoid scams.
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Self-publishing costs could include
- Editor/copy editor
- Proofreader
- Cover designer
- Interior book designer and formatting
- ISBN
- Lawyer
- Author photo
- Marketing
- Publicity
- Website
- Printing and shipping (print books only)
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Self-Publishing Scams or Legit Publishers?
Scam or Legit Publisher? A Literary Agent Explains How To Know The Difference
Author David Henry Sterry and literary agent Arielle Eckstut give you step-by-step instructions to spot if a “publisher” is legitimate or a scam. Don’t let scammers bilk you out of your publishing dreams.
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WHAT WE COVER
Writer beware! Unscrupulous operators prey on writers’ publishing dreams. They might promise to publish your book, but they’re really only interested in getting your money.
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Self-Publishing Scams or Legit Publishers? https://youtu.be/gG2px2KD91A
Publishing Scams to Avoid https://youtu.be/sBfYQv5EKEs