"What's your book about?"

If anyone knows that you are an aspiring writer, you have probably heard this question. It can come at awkward times - when another parent sees you typing away on the soccer field sidelines, or across the Thanksgiving table from a distant cousin. Or you can hear it at a writer's conference, when you find yourself in an elevator with the editor or agent who would be a perfect match for your Work In Progress.

So what do you say? You have spent months - even years - writing tens of thousands of words. You have agonized over the physical details of your characters or just the right anecdotes to help your readers understand your message. How can you possibly summarize it in the time it takes Uncle George to pass the gravy, or in time it takes your dream publishing partner to reach the twenty-second floor?

These are the dilemmas - and the opportunities-of what we call the elevator pitch. You have 30 seconds-maybe 100 words-to either entice or bore your listener. As writers, it's often hard to talk about our work. Not only is it difficult to summarize, it can also be nerve-wracking, like letting your child walk onto an empty stage in front of a panel of Simon Cowells.

One of the best ways to get past the intimidation factor is to practice. Think about what you're writing and how you would describe it. Write it down. Practice saying it out loud. Then, the next time someone says "what's your book about?" you will be able to meet their eyes and say clearly:

"I'm writing a mystery novel called Your Chariot Awaits, about a middle-aged woman who loses her job and inherits a limousine on the same day. She decides to open her own limo service. But first, she has to find out why she found a dead body in the trunk."

"I am writing a travel memoir about the summer I spent tracing Jane Austen across southern England. My journey uncovered details of Jane's life and also brought up comparisons to my own experience as a single, modern American woman. I weave romances - Jane's and my own - into the journey and leave the reader to discover whether they turned out unbelievably well, like those in Austen's books, or semi-tragically, like most of those in real life. It is like Eat Pray Love for women who dream of English country manors and appreciate the drama of the everyday."

"I am writing a fun series of young adult novels set in an amusement park. Think Sweet Valley High meets Glee. In the first book, Summer of Cotton Candy, my main character, Candace, thinks her summer vacation is ruined when her father tells her she has to get a job, and she ends up selling cotton candy at the local theme park. But a boy in character costumes catches her interest, and they set off on a series of adventures in the park that define Candace's senior year of high school."

Get the idea? Here are a few tips for creating your own elevator pitch:

• Keep it short - less than 100 words, if possible. If someone wants to know more, they'll ask.

• Know your genre. This gives your listener an immediate reference point - "ah, you're writing a romance novel" or "oh, you're a health writer."

• Keep it simple. Long descriptions with too much detail are hard to remember, both for you (especially if you get nervous) and your listener. Save the statistics for your book proposal and rely instead on telling a compelling story.

• Don't overpromise. While it helps sometimes to reference other well-known titles, like above with Eat Pray Love, don't act like that means your book is also ready for a movie deal with Julia Roberts.

• Keep it casual. Remember, this is a conversation, not a presentation. Don't create an elevator pitch that sounds unnaturally formal.

• Share your passion! I assume you love your book - otherwise you wouldn't be putting so many hours into writing it. So share that excitement. Deny the temptation to be unnecessarily modest ("It's nothing much") or insecure ("I don't know if it's any good..."). Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, so the best way to interest that publisher in the elevator is to believe that your book is interesting.

• Practice, practice, practice, starting now! Share your elevator pitch (100 words or fewer) in the comments on The Editorial Department's Facebook page, and I will share any thoughts and feedback to help you hone it.

Happy pitching!

(* The verbal pitches up there are examples I made up, but they do reference books that were published in the past few years: Lorena McCourtney's Your Chariot Awaits; Lori Smith's A Walk With Jane Austen, and Debbie Viguie's The Summer of Cotton Candy. All three are great titles with strong hooks.)

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Beth Jusino joined The Editorial Department earlier this month and brings with her a wealth of experience in pitching, promoting, and putting your best work forward.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Gideon Tsang