The Surprisingly Hard Question: What’s Your Book About?

One of the most surprising challenges of publishing a novel isn’t writing the book—it’s figuring out how to describe it.

As I prepare to release Destination Bordello, I’ve discovered there isn’t just one answer to the question, “What’s your book about?”

How many ways can you talk about your book?

Elevator Pitch

This is what I’d tell you if we were in an elevator and you asked, “What’s your book about?” It’s the essence of the story. Years ago, when I pitched to an agent, we were instructed to stop at 25 words. The goal was to provide just enough information to spark questions.

If there are three other people in the elevator or only one floor to go. Here are two short versions of Destination Bordello I might pitch.

When massage therapist Laney Baynes inherits a former bordello, she partners with attorney Carlton Jarvis to save her business, risking her heart.

22 words — romance focus

When massage therapist Laney Baynes inherits a former bordello, she and attorney Carlton Jarvis transform it into a fantasy destination to save her business.

24 words — business focus

If I get to ride up to the top floor, here are the longer versions.

When massage therapist Laney Baynes inherits a crumbling former bordello from a mysterious ancestor, she partners with attorney Carlton Jarvis and a team of friends to transform it into a destination fantasy experience—only to discover her past, future, and heart are at stake.

44 words — business + romance focus

When massage therapist Laney Baynes inherits a crumbling historical house -once a bordello-from a mysterious ancestor, she must partner with attorney Carlton Jarvis and an eclectic team of friends to transform it into a destination fantasy experience—only to discover that her past, future, and heart are on the line.

50 words — business + romance focus

Notice that each pitch emphasizes something a little different. One might focus on the romance. Another highlights the business challenge or the inherited property (like in my last blog post). And then maybe the themes of found family or the exploration of fantasy and desire. None of the descriptions is wrong. Stories have layers, and different readers connect with different aspects of a story.

Which leads to the next challenge: What genre is Destination Bordello?

Destination Bordello: Genre, Trope, and Elements

These three words haunt me. It’s a storytelling shorthand. I feel like I’m trying to stick my story into a specific slot.

I remind myself that genre tells readers what kind of experience they’re getting.

Tropes tell readers what relationship dynamics or story patterns they’ll encounter. It’s a storytelling shorthand that serves as the narrative framework for a love story.

Elements describe additional ingredients that shape the story.

The story falls into the contemporary romance genre. You could say it has strong erotic romance elements, or it is really steamy or spicy. But what does that mean exactly in your definitions? We don’t have a standard.

The book’s primary romance tropes include:

• Forced Proximity
• Opposites Attract
• Slow Burn
• Friends-to-Lovers Vibes
• He Falls First
• Found Family

But I write specifically with a sex-positive bent in all my stories. Is there a sex-positive exploration trope?

Other elements include:

• LGBTQ+ Representation
• Magical Realism
• Small Business/Entrepreneur Fiction
• Family Saga
• Historical Echoes/Ancestral Connection

Content Notes

The final question authors often face is how to discuss content considerations with readers.

My background as a therapist shaped how I think about this concern. Rather than creating a long list of warnings, I prefer to provide readers with enough information to make informed choices about whether a story is a good fit for them.

If I were describing the content of Destination Bordello, I would tell readers:

• All sexual activity is consensual.
• The story is sex-positive and affirming.
• BDSM, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and fantasy exploration are discussed and depicted.
• A sex club appears as part of the story’s research and educational framework.
• Story themes include grief, parental loss, betrayal, trust concerns, anxiety, and healing.
• The story contains mild magical realism.

We live in a world where many people have experienced negative judgment around sexual behaviors and sexual identity. Shame and fear about being who we are cause us emotional pain.

In my stories, the characters learn and grow through their life experiences. They make mistakes, face challenges, navigate grief, desire, trust, and vulnerability, and ultimately move toward healing. They also receive pleasure because it is important for the quality of life.

In Conclusion

The more I work on Destination Bordello, the more I realize that describing a book is almost its own creative exercise.

An elevator pitch captures the premise. Genre signals the reading experience. Tropes highlight relationship dynamics. Elements reveal the story’s unique ingredients. Content notes help readers decide whether the book is a good fit for them.

None of these descriptions tells the entire story by itself. Together, they create a roadmap that helps readers find the books they’re most likely to love.

And perhaps that’s the real challenge for authors—not figuring out what a book is, but deciding which part of it to talk about first.

Depending on which description you encounter first, Destination Bordello might sound like a romance, a business adventure, a family mystery, a story of sexual exploration, or a tale of healing. It’s all of those things.

What did you think?

Which parts of the description pulled you in and made you want to know more?