Glossary · Writing & editing
What is a logline?
Definition
Logline: A logline is a one- or two-sentence summary of a story's protagonist, goal, conflict and stakes — the core of the book in a single pitch.
A logline is the shortest possible pitch for a story: usually one sentence, sometimes two. The term comes from the film industry, but novelists use it too — for query letters, pitch events, ads, social posts and simply to keep themselves focused while drafting.
A strong logline names a specific protagonist (by description rather than name), the goal or problem that drives the story, the main obstacle or antagonist, and what will happen if they fail. Something like: "When a burned-out teacher inherits her estranged grandmother's tea estate, she has one monsoon season to save it from a developer who will stop at nothing — including digging up the family secret buried there." It should hint at genre and tone without explaining the plot.
Avoid vague abstractions ("a journey of self-discovery"), lists of subplots and twists given away. If you cannot write a clear logline, that can be a sign the story's central conflict needs work — which is why many writers draft one before outlining.
A logline is different from a tagline (a catchy slogan for the cover, such as a short phrase above the title), from the blurb (a full paragraph or more of sales copy) and from a synopsis (a complete summary including the ending).