NOOK Press will be in London next week for the London Book Fair, and we’re  excited to meet more independent authors and publishers in the UK.

If you’re planning on attending, please stop by our booth in the Digital Zone: U640/U650 to  ask your self-publishing questions, or let us know about your upcoming projects.

And don’t miss the cocktail party! Join us  in the booth on  Tuesday, April 8th at4:30pm!

It’s always great to meet independent authors in person and hear  about their  projects. But for first-time authors, it can be a little overwhelming to strike up a conversation at a conference or festival about projects that represent years (decades, even!) of work and dedication. That’s where an elevator pitch can be extremely useful–practiced, short and to the point. Here are a few key things to keep in mind as you start talking about your book:

1. Know your genre:  In starting to market your book, you’ve probably thought about how you might categorize your book. For someone hearing about your work for the first time, it’s helpful to identify your book with a specific  genre (literary fiction, contemporary romance, narrative nonfiction.) This way your listener can start to place your work in the broader context of the marketplace.

2.  Don’t go too Hollywood:  While it can be fun to mix and match books and movies to describe your book (“It’s Jaws meets Sex and the City!”), those reference points can actually confuse your listener. If you do want to make a cultural reference, keep it simple by including one competitive title or project in your discussion.

3. Keep it short and leave some suspense:  Just like a book description for potential  readers, your elevator pitch should offer a  condensed overview of the plot but still leave the listener in suspense, eager to find out how your story ends. Your goal with the elevator pitch is to get your listener engaged and excited about your project.