The Three-Eight Pitch

by Susan Vaughan

A few years ago, literary agent Linda Hyatt presented a workshop for MERWA on the 3-8 pitch. With Linda’s permission, here is a summary of her presentation and handout.

The 3-8 pitch begins with three sentences intended to sell the book idea to an agent or editor in a brief appointment. Once that much is formulated, the basic three can be expanded to eight sentences with more information.

Do you recognize the following stories?

1. He is a white man raised by Indians. During the crown’s invasion, he falls in love with a British maiden who is already betrothed to an officer. While protecting her and her sister, he is also driven to protect his people and the traditions of his people (the Indians) until all have been massacred.

2. She is an orphan who finds love and the family she has always longed for while working for a tormented gentleman of fortune. While caring for his illegitimate daughter, she falls in love with him, having no idea he keeps his mad wife in an attic room until the day they are to be wed. Heartbroken, she leaves him, never to return until she learns about a devastating fire that nearly claimed his life and did claim the life of the first, mad wife.

3. She is a writer who lives alone and lives vicariously through her romances until she receives a desperate call for help from her sister. He is an opportunist and a sworn bachelor who is collecting exotic birds for export in Colombia, S.A., until his life literally collides with hers. Together they engage in an adventure that tests their physical endurance as well as their pledges to live independently.

You see, each of these paragraphs is only three carefully worded sentences, but enough to encapsulate the plot of each book and to jog your memory so you recognize The Last of the Mohicans, Jane Eyre, and Romancing the Stone.

We know that romance editors want romances. While they usually “say” they want to see different work, what do they really mean?

Usually they want a story that works, and works well. They want to know if there is conflict, sensuality, and emotional motivation in the story. And, since they won’t know how wonderful a writer you really are until they see the work, you’ll have to convince them to ask for your work. That’s why you need the 3-8 pitch.

Many of us have been the sole audience of boring topics at times. We tend to tune out if someone talks for more than a minute or two about their book. Why? Probably because the person explaining has no organization of thought about the project, but rather a patchy sketch of what the entire book entails. By organizing your thoughts ahead of time, you will be able to communicate your plot to an agent or editor when you are standing face to face, talking via phone, or sending a query letter.

The 3-8 pitch is actually a variation of the 3-8 paragraph, used in journal writing. There is nothing unique about the concept, except that it works. It is a successful way to organize your ideas and pitch your story in a way that will be remembered.

When constructing your first three sentences, remember the following: be clear; be concise; believe in your work.

Here are questions your three sentences should answer:

• Who is the heroine, and what does she want?
• Who is the hero, and what does he want?
• What happens to keep them apart, and what finally brings them together?

Answering these questions should allow you to complete the briefest of synopses.

Next, take a few minutes to revise your three sentences. Take out unimportant words. Add necessary “action” words: driven, longed, heartbroken, collides, engages, etc. Rewrite your three sentences on a 3 X 5 card.

In order to expand the three to eight, here are additional questions:

• Write your first sentence. Who is the heroine, and what does she want?
• Add one sentence that will strengthen her character or the motivation--better yet, both.
• Who is the hero, and what does he want?
• Add one sentence that will strengthen his character or the motivation--better yet, both.
• What happens to keep them apart, and what finally brings them together?
• Finally add three carefully crafted sentences that highlight a) the turning point, b) the dark moment, and c) the resolution.

When you do meet the right editor, your pitch should roll right off your tongue with confidence. Memorize the long pitch, too, if possible, before you go into the meeting with the editor. Or, jot down the sentences on the 3 X 5 card. The editor will see this as a sign of organization. If after your 3-sentence pitch, she asks for more information, you are prepared with your additional sentences, but don’t ramble past the 3-8, when discussing your work.

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