Dial P for Pitch

Question: Give us your elevator pitch (a paragraph) for your latest book (or a book of your choosing), then analyze it and tell us why you think it might tempt an agent, editor, or movie producer.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about elevator pitches, it’s this: everyone says they should be short, sharp, and irresistible—and almost nobody agrees on what that actually looks like. It’s easy to confuse pitch with summary or logline.

Somewhere along the way, “elevator pitch” became shorthand for a verbal movie trailer: high concept, a couple of comps, maybe a hooky line for a poster. And that can work, if you can pull it off.

I’ve come to think of it differently. A good pitch isn’t a jingle from Don Draper. It’s a spotlight.

I don’t pretend to know what will sell, so I write for myself and hope for the best.

Here are three recent attempts, each trying to answer the same question: how do you get someone to care?

 

EYES TO DECEIT

Pitch:
In 1953, as the CIA and MI6 engineer the overthrow of Iran’s elected leader, American operative Walker is sent to Rome to help coordinate the covert operation. When the coup falters, he must choose between success and his own conscience. Surrounded by ambitious power brokers whose goals constantly shift, Walker begins to suspect he’s not there to win the Cold War—but to survive it.

Logline:
Sent to help topple a foreign government, an American operative watches the mission unravel—and must decide whether he can live with what it takes to finish the job. For readers of le Carré, Furst, Kanon, and Vidich.

Why this might tempt someone:
This pitch leans on the moral dilemma. The historical event gives it weight, but the real hook is smaller: can he live with what he’s doing? Readers respond to character first, geopolitics second. The risk is that stories brushing against real-world events can feel “too political.”

Eyes to Deceit: Company Files 4. Published November 2025. Level Best Books.

 

FOUR ON THE FLOOR

Pitch:
Boston, 1978. Heatwave. Four bodies. One is a journalist with connections powerful enough to shake the city. Vietnam vet and ex-cop Shane Cleary is pushed by politicians and mob interests to uncover the truth before tensions boil over. As he digs into corrupt cops, buried secrets, and a killer who reminds him too much of his past, Cleary realizes he’s back in a war—now fought in alleys and precincts instead of jungles.

Logline:
In a boiling Boston summer, a war-damaged ex-cop pulled into a conspiracy that feels less like a case—and more like the war he thought he’d left behind. Think the questionable morality of Gone Baby Gone with the velocity of Drive.

 

Why this might tempt someone:
This is the cleanest “elevator-y” pitch: clear setup, immediate stakes, familiar genre lane. You can see the movie. The downside is the familiarity of the PI premise—the hook isn’t the concept, it’s the execution and voice.

Four on the Floor: Shane Cleary Mystery 6. Scheduled July 2026. Level Best Books.

 

THE QUIET EAGLE

Pitch:
Cairo, 1956. As global powers maneuver during the Suez Crisis, reluctant American operative Walker is sent into a situation already slipping beyond control. Caught between rival intelligence services, shifting alliances, and two formidable women with agendas of their own, he navigates a shadow war where influence matters more than force. Walker must decide whether he’s witnessing history—or enabling it.

Logline:
Cairo, 1956. Recruited by a former lover, an American operative must navigate shifting alliances in a covert war—where one wrong move could spark an international crisis. This is The Quiet American meets Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

 

Why this might tempt someone:
This pitch sells on tone. The Suez Crisis may not be widely known today, but the story frames how a moment of overlooked history shapes events. The deeper hook is thematic: what happens when empires lose control but pretend they haven’t? It’s atmospheric and subtle—harder to sell, but potentially more memorable if it lands.

The Quiet Eagle: Company Files 5. Scheduled October 2026. Level Best Books.

If there’s a takeaway—other than trying to predict market trends—it’s this: an elevator pitch doesn’t have to do everything. It just has to do one thing clearly enough that someone leans in.

The rest is out of your hands—always was; you just notice it more after hitting send.