Friday, March 16, 2012

High Concept

Every where I go of late there is talk about the 'High Concept Pitch'. AN EMOTIONAL PROMISE TO THE READER.

A High Concept pitch is a quick method of delivering your pitch in one to two sentences, better still a short tag line. It's an idea in a title or tagline/logline. This means knowing your wip, knowing that you have to deliver an emotional promise to the reader. It is, What is your wip about? It has to leave the editor, agent, thinking or saying, 'Wow.' Now this has her attention. The editor/agent has to understand what your wip promises on an emotional level.

There are some fantastic examples around. Just google High Concept Pitches. You have to find a Hook, the one turning point, or unique spin in your wip.

A high Concept Pitch has to paint a picture in a few words of what the book is about. Think hook, in one sentence.

It has to be:
  • Easily understood.
  • Intrigue
  • Element of conflict
  • Unique and marketable
  • reflect the genre
Examples:
  • Shari Jones needs to get a life. Preferably someone else's.   Busted in Bollywood.
  • Jack Willis is a handsome road train driver with a secret - he has just become a top-selling romance novelist. Paperback Hero.
  • A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea. The Titanic. This evokes an emotional response.
  • Toula's family has exactly three traditional values - "Marry a Greek boy, have Greek babies, and feed everyone." When she falls in love with a sweet, but WASPy guy, Toula struggles to get her family to accept her fiancĂ©e, while she comes to terms with her own heritage. My big, fat, Greek Wedding.
I love looking at loglines, some are really witty, and they are excellent examples of how the author drew the agent/editor in, and then the reader.

I'm thinking along these lines for a tagline for one of my wips. I'm still working on it. :)
  • One woman's journey to save herself and her daughter from unrelenting terror.
  •  'Title' depicts the resilience and determination of one woman as she battles to save herself and her daughter from unrelenting terror.
  • Or perhaps incorporating, It could happen to you!
I'm still working on it. :) That's it for me at present. Off to think, rewrite, and work on loglines. :)
What do you think of my suggested tags so far? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks, Enjoy your weekend.
Suzanne :)

6 comments:

Unknown said...

perfect!

Kaye Manro said...

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Thanks for stopping in Kerri. :)

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Hi Kaye,
Thank you. Long time no see. I'll pop on over to your site, you must have some special stories out now. :)

Maria Zannini said...

I liked "It could happen to you!". I wasn't expecting it, and it automatically increased my interest to the next level.

I love reading loglines!

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Hi Maria,
Great, thanks. I like it too. :) As my stories are of the heroine and her journey likened to anyone of us...It could happen to you. :)