The Four Elements

Learn the difference between loglines, elevator pitches, query pitches, and a plot synopsis to make the best first impression with literary agents

- AMY COLLINS

Logline. Elevator Pitch. Query Pitch. Plot Synopsis. The terms thrown at hopeful authors can be overwhelming. To make matters even more confusing, the definitions of these terms vary depending on whom you ask. It’s enough to make an author throw their manuscript at a wall.

And after you get your mind around the differences between these terms? How do you create them? What are the rules? What do agents and publishers want?

The good news is that there are no hard and fast rules. The bad news is that different agents often want different things. The great news is that there are steps you can take to create an appealing logline, elevator pitch, query pitch, and synopsis that will cover all your bases. They don’t have to be so mysterious.

Ask yourself, “What are you trying to achieve?” Are you trying to determine if your book would appeal to the agent? (Step One) Or are you trying to convince them to read your book? (Step Two)

Too often, authors tend to rush right to Step Two. Instead, take the time and go through the first step, determining the appeal of your book to your intended audience. Doing this can make a stronger connection with the agents you’re querying. It gives them a chance to quickly determine if they would be a good fit for your project and, in doing so, save you and the agent time and stress.

In Step One, a logline and an elevator pitch will help everyone determine if your book has the elements needed to appeal to a particular agent. The more extended query pitch and plot synopsis in Step Two are designed to convince the agent to read your book to determine for themselves the merits.

You’ll need all of these in your tool bag over time. Therefore, it’s vital to have the four elements all readily at hand.

The First Element: LOGLINE