The Pitch

When I first published A Story of the West, someone else wrote the back cover synopsis. I know nothing about the person, man? woman? no idea. I just figured that if a professional wrote it, it must be good. That was a bad assumption as I later realized that person hadn't actually read the book, but had only skimmed through, read a few pages here and there and then quickly scribbled something out.

Before I ordered additional printed copies, I redid the back cover. But I didn't take what it said too seriously. More than once I've read a book and then reread the back cover and decided it wasn't a very accurate description of the book's contents. I usually read a few pages to determine whether I'm interested.

Recently I had to change the way I view back covers.

This morning I entered a writing contest. It's called the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It's open to anyone, with certain guidelines, who has written a book that's not under contract with a publisher (I self-published A Story of the West, so there is no contract). They accept five thousand entries and the first round of judging is based solely on the back cover pitch. Only one thousand entries (twenty percent) make it to round two.

The reviewers use the pitch as an indicator of the author's writing style and also to determine whether or not we actually know how to put sentences together, in three hundred words or less.

After reading advice from different authors on how to write an engaging pitch, this is what I came up with:

Pitch for A Story of the West

Matt Daly’s eyes narrowed as he faced the stranger in front of him. “I know I don’t have a quarrel with you because I don’t know you,” he growled.

“But I know you,” the menacing outlaw sneered back, clearly ready to use the Colt revolver hanging from his hip.

Only a few years earlier Matt and his father had trailed a herd of longhorns north from Texas into Montana Territory. Upon arriving, they decided to stay and raise cattle on the fertile grasslands.

Shortly after the Northern Pacific rail line was completed and it became easier for people to head west. Lavina Lavold stepped off the train in Miles City with her family and immediately caught Matt’s eye. When they fall in love, Matt’s life seems perfect.

There are unscrupulous men, however, determined to build cattle empires. A ruthless neighbor decides he wants the Daly’s claim, and he will stop at nothing to acquire their ranch. Since the entire area is undeeded land, it is up for grabs and there is no law on the rough frontier to prevent a range war. When Matt refuses to back down, his life takes a dangerous turn.

Forced to abandon his family, his travels take him down a long road of misery. An encounter with an Indian medicine man helps him to regain his sense of self, but not until after he gives in to his desperation.

A Story of the West depicts life during the open range ranching days of the Wild West. Besides plenty of action, I have added a women’s perspective to settling the American West. I researched the era to ensure historical accuracy and have written an accurate portrayal of life during this time, as well as an exciting read.

So, after reading the above, are you curious? Does it make you want to open the book and investigate further? Does it hook you?

The one thousand entries that make it to round two are then judged on an excerpt of the book. Two hundred and fifty entries are chosen for round three, where the entire manuscript is read and then a single winner is decided. The whole process takes until next June.

Even if I don't make it past round one, I've learned a good lesson in marketing my books.

I like this pitch a lot better than the one I'm using now. Let me know what you think.