What is “High Concept”?

After the fifth editor said, “I am especially looking for high concept picture books. I can’t explain that, but I know it when I see it!” I’ve been researching this elusive children’s book category. A high concept book idea is so immediately engaging and plot-driven, that a pitch is a single obvious and action-packed sentence. 

1 Premise-driven

The story is about the action, with less emphasis on character, dialog, or lyric writing. The story is easily summarized in one, intriguing sentence: what if ocean trash were art?

2 Suited for a wide audience

The high concept book is as much fun for parents to read as for kids. It is highly visual to engage all ages and has strong commercial appeal by being immediately relevant or a twist on easily understood situations. 

3 Unique

As in “Wow I never thought of that before! If your premise has been done before, take a new twist and then push it further. Imagine your book ad on a poster. What if the SUPERHEROES were at the Christmas manger?

4 Immediately intriguing

There must be an obvious source of conflict that grabs the attention from the title and delivers what it promises.

The book will undoubtedly include all the expected characteristics of a children’s book: story arc, problem-solving and relatable characters, three attempts and a climax in the plot, excellent word choice, rhythmic pattern, or flawless rhyme.

The best way to find examples of high concept is to read the tag lines from hit movies. (High Concept Movies – IMDb) Groundhog Day, Jurassic Park, Tootsie, Inside Out, Sister Act, The Incredibles. Each one has a poster where one picture and a phrase tell you exactly what you are getting.

The best way to dream up a high concept is to find a relation between two unrelatable things: Vacation on Jupiter. Dining out with various Australian animals. Then push it two or three steps wilder! A really boring vacation on Jupiter. Taking my Wallaby to the Waldorf Astoria.

And the best person to ask for a high concept story idea: any 7-year-old!

Award Winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, in library story times. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again!