by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

In a previous blog post, I discussed the difference between low concept and high concept stories. For today, we need to remember the three elements of a high concept story:

1. It is easily explained.
2.  It is intriguing. 
3. It is event-driven.

As authors, it’s helpful to understand whether we’re writing a low concept or high concept book. It’s also important to be able to pitch our books to editors and agents so that they sit up, lean forward, and say, “Tell me more.” And that’s the power of a high concept pitch.

What is a high concept pitch?

I’m glad you asked.

First, let me say there is more than one definition of a high concept pitch. This is my definition, based on research and discussion with other authors and publishing authorities whom I respect. You’re welcome to disagree with me – but why not read the rest of the blog post first?

By utilizing the three elements a high concept story mentioned at the beginning of the post, we can distill down the definition of a high concept pitch. We take the “easily explained” and “intriguing” elements and use them to our advantage to craft a pitch. Keeping this in mind, then, the definition of a high concept pitch is:

A high-concept pitch is when you grab someone’s attention with a title or single sentence before they ever see a word of your writing.

Let’s highlight the elements of a high concept story in a high concept pitch: A high concept pitch is when you grab someone’s attention (#2 it’s intriguing) with a title or a single sentence (#1 it’s easily explained) before they see a word of your writing.

Here’s an example of how a high concept pitch works to your advantage. Several years ago, I met with my then-editors at a writers conference. We were chatting and they asked me what I was working on. I pitched a story idea to them. I had a synopsis. Chapter outline. A plan. They listened. Nodded. Smiled. And then they asked, “What else do you have?”

Okay, then.

I did have another story idea in my back pocket. But at the time, the overall idea was vague. But I did have this high concept pitch:

Can a young widow fall in love with her husband’s reflection?

My editors’ response was immediate. They went on alert and said: We want to hear more about this story.

Here’s why my off-cuff high concept pitch worked:

• It captured my editors’ attention (#2): What exactly did I mean by a young widow falling in love with “her husband’s reflection?”
• It was easily explained (#1): My story idea was vague, yes, but I knew enough so that I could tell them quickly what the story was about. I knew the basic events (event driven –#3 in the definition of a high concept book) and could give them a quick overview of the book.

Crafting a high concept pitch isn’t instantaneous. It requires taking time to mull and brainstorm – sometimes with other writer-friends. But it’s worth the effort because editors and agents are looking for high concept pitches – and because high concept pitches can make all the difference between capturing someone’s attention … or not.

If you’re working on a pitch for an upcoming conference, how could you craft a high concept pitch for your book? (My next blog post will help with that, so stay tuned!)

Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt

It’s been ten years since Payton Thatcher’s twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine—as long as she manages to hold her memories and her family at arm’s length.

But with her middle sister Jillian’s engagement, Payton’s party-planning skills are called into action. Which means working alongside her opinionated oldest sister, Johanna, who always seems ready for a fight. They can only hope that a wedding might be just the occasion to heal the resentment and jealousy that divides them . . . until a frightening diagnosis threatens Jillian’s plans and her future. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart.

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released in May 2018. Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, releases May 2019. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.