How do you pitch your book in a single line?

What is a logline?

A logline is one sentence that tells a stranger what your book is about and makes them want to hear more. It’s your answer when someone asks what you’re writing, and it often opens a query letter.

A strong logline says who the story is about, what they must do, what stands in the way, and what they’ll lose if they fail. Describe your character as well as naming them. “Maya” tells a listener nothing, while “a deaf piano tuner” tells them plenty. Here’s an invented example for a fictional historical novel:

A disgraced harbor clerk learns that her own sister forged the papers that ruined her, and has one winter to clear her name without sending her sister to the gallows.

For nonfiction, swap the character for the subject and the stakes for the promise. A retired beekeeper shows first-time gardeners how to keep one healthy hive in a small backyard.

A subtitle sits on the cover and describes the book. A logline is what you say aloud to make someone want it. To test yours:

• Say it aloud: if you need a breath halfway through, it’s too long.
• Try it on someone who hasn’t read the book: if they ask what happens next, it worked. If they ask what it’s about, it didn’t.
• Look for the stakes: if your character can fail without losing anything, nobody will lean in.

How is a tagline different?

A tagline is a few words that sell a feeling or a promise, while a logline explains the story. You’ll see them on covers, posters and ads, where they have a second or two to catch the eye.

A good tagline captures a tension or a mood and leaves a question hanging. Two invented examples:

• For the harbor novel above: Some debts are paid in salt.
• For a fictional fantasy about a mapmaker: Every map lies. Hers lies on purpose.

Write a dozen, put them away for a day, and keep the one that still makes you want the book. In a query, the logline matters more. A tagline earns its keep once the book is on sale.

How do you choose comp titles?

Choose two or three recent books that share your readership and sold well, and skip the rare runaway hits. Comp titles show an agent where your book would sit in a bookshop and who would buy it.

• Recent: one literary agency advises books from the last three to five years (source).
• Genuinely comparable: match genre, category and age group first, then tone, premise or readership.
• Successful, within reason: pick books your genre’s readers would recognize. Comparing yourself to a once-in-a-decade phenomenon suggests unrealistic expectations.
• No classics: they were written for a different market, and invoking them can sound presumptuous.

Find candidates on bookshop tables and in deal announcements in the trade press, and read them so you can explain each match.

In a query, one sentence is enough, placed with your word count and genre. Two common forms:

• The readalike: “Readers of [Recent Book A] and [Recent Book B] will enjoy [Your Title].”
• The mash-up: “[Book A] meets [Book B],” which works best when the pairing is unexpected.

If you use a film or series in a mash-up, pair it with a book, since a book is what the agent will be selling.

What does a subtitle do?

A subtitle tells readers what kind of book they’re holding, and in nonfiction it often does most of the selling. It names the subject and the benefit, as in the invented The Quiet Hive: How to Keep Bees in a Small Backyard.

Fiction uses subtitles sparingly. “A Novel” signals fiction when the title might not, and “A Thriller” sets expectations. A series line such as “Book Two of [Series Name]” tells readers where to start. Keep it short, and make it set your book apart.

Do endorsements help?

Yes, when they come from a name your readers recognize and trust, and one strong quote outweighs several lukewarm ones. The quotes that carry most weight come from:

• Writers in your genre: ideally ones your target readers already buy.
• Respected reviewers and publications: a line from a known outlet lends authority.
• Experts: for nonfiction, a recognized figure in the field can vouch for your accuracy.
• Prizes and shortlists: an award citation carries weight on its own.

Ask writers you have a genuine connection with. Keep the request short, say why you thought of them, offer an early copy and a realistic deadline, and make it easy to say no. If you have a publisher, talk to your editor first, so requests aren’t duplicated. Keep every endorsement on record, with its exact wording, source and date.

What are keywords and ISBNs for?

Keywords help retailers show your book to people searching for something like it. ISBNs let booksellers, libraries and distributors identify exactly which edition they’re handling.

Keywords

Keywords are search terms you supply with your book’s details. Amazon’s self-publishing service lets you add up to seven keywords or short phrases, and suggests describing setting, character types, plot themes and tone (source). It asks you to leave out words already in your title or categories, quality claims, and time-sensitive words such as “new.” Other retailers have their own rules. Choose phrases a reader would actually type, and revisit them now and then.

ISBNs

An ISBN is a unique number that identifies one edition of a book in one format. A hardback, a paperback and an ebook each need their own, and so does each language edition (source). Publishers get them from the ISBN agency where they’re based. Booksellers and libraries order and catalog by ISBN, so keep a list of yours, by format, where you can find it.