Massimo Marino's Blog: The Ramblings and the Rumblings - Posts Tagged "pitch"
Daimones
I was requested a pitch for "Daimones", my PA novel
http://www.amazon.com/Daimones-Trilog...
So, here it goes:
PA novels are often about cataclysmic events, survivors fending off dangers at every page, zombie attacks, aliens destroying everything for inscrutable reasons, or as a fulfillment of the latest religious prophecies. "Daimones" has nothing of the sort.
The novel puts a few survivors in a world having experienced a planetary culling of the human race but there is no immediate cause to be pointed at for the survivors. The Apocalypse has arrived, but why and how remains unknown in a frustrating and fearful reality for the family around which the story evolves, untill the last third of the plot.
"Daimones" explores moral and emotional issues as well as the mechanics of everyday survival for this family: all evidences point for them to be the only people left alive on Earth. The exploration of human relationships and their importance, of personalities and memories, are at the heart of the tale. Confusion, sadness, and fear start to mix into the main character's mind, Dan Amenta.
We are led to discover the disbelief, the anguish, the grief, the frantic search for other survivors through his eyes and the 1st person narration.
Finally, when Dan and his family do find other survivors...they experience the absolute terror of first contact. The ending brings some closure about the catastrophe to this family, but also lays a heavy burden and responsibility on Dan, and opens up the novel to the sequel in the trilogy.
Being a scientist at heart—and by formation—the premises and what happens in the story are very plausible and realistic, if the tale were to be true...
http://www.amazon.com/Daimones-Trilog...
So, here it goes:
PA novels are often about cataclysmic events, survivors fending off dangers at every page, zombie attacks, aliens destroying everything for inscrutable reasons, or as a fulfillment of the latest religious prophecies. "Daimones" has nothing of the sort.
The novel puts a few survivors in a world having experienced a planetary culling of the human race but there is no immediate cause to be pointed at for the survivors. The Apocalypse has arrived, but why and how remains unknown in a frustrating and fearful reality for the family around which the story evolves, untill the last third of the plot.
"Daimones" explores moral and emotional issues as well as the mechanics of everyday survival for this family: all evidences point for them to be the only people left alive on Earth. The exploration of human relationships and their importance, of personalities and memories, are at the heart of the tale. Confusion, sadness, and fear start to mix into the main character's mind, Dan Amenta.
We are led to discover the disbelief, the anguish, the grief, the frantic search for other survivors through his eyes and the 1st person narration.
Finally, when Dan and his family do find other survivors...they experience the absolute terror of first contact. The ending brings some closure about the catastrophe to this family, but also lays a heavy burden and responsibility on Dan, and opens up the novel to the sequel in the trilogy.
Being a scientist at heart—and by formation—the premises and what happens in the story are very plausible and realistic, if the tale were to be true...
Pitching your novel
In the last few days, there has been a rampage of indignation from readers in Amazon about some authors acting—willingly or naively—as car salesmen with their novel. One of the thread, rightly so, lamented the hyperbolic definition that some authors use to incense their own work.
I agree with the readers, I am totally put off when I read some of those sales b-class marketeers ramblings.
An author should only describe facts about a story, synopsis like, so that a reader will not be mislead and disappointed.
A page-turner for a reader is a dull brick for another. Never assume anything as an author. Let the readers decide what your story has been for them. So I can tell you what my novel is about, characters, a bit of the plot, maybe why it differs from others in the same genre, but never what it will be for you as a reader, that is preposterous and pretentious.
I agree with the readers, I am totally put off when I read some of those sales b-class marketeers ramblings.
An author should only describe facts about a story, synopsis like, so that a reader will not be mislead and disappointed.
A page-turner for a reader is a dull brick for another. Never assume anything as an author. Let the readers decide what your story has been for them. So I can tell you what my novel is about, characters, a bit of the plot, maybe why it differs from others in the same genre, but never what it will be for you as a reader, that is preposterous and pretentious.
