Pitch Template 1
Fiction: [Protagonist] must [goal] when [distinctive problem], or [stakes].
8 Pitch Templates
Start with structure, then replace every placeholder with information that is true, relevant, and natural for your context. These templates are intentionally skeletal so your final writing does not sound mass-produced.
Use the framework
How to personalize a template
A strong book pitch lets an agent, editor, bookseller, collaborator, or reader understand what the book is and why it is worth another question. It adapts emphasis to the listener, stays brief enough for the setting, and does not confuse a flexible presentation with a full synopsis, a one-sentence logline, or a marketing tagline.
- 1Choose the template closest to your actual purpose.
- 2Replace every bracketed field with specific information.
- 3Delete any sentence that does not belong in your situation.
- 4Read the result aloud for unnatural transitions or repeated phrasing.
- 5Verify names, dates, links, facts, and promises before sending or publishing.
Pitch Template 2
Nonfiction: A [format] for [audience] who need [outcome], using [distinctive method].
Pitch Template 3
Memoir: A story of [specific experience] that explores [larger question] through [distinctive frame].
Pitch Template 4
Conversation close: If that sounds relevant, I can tell you more about [story arc/method/audience].
Pitch Template 5
Core book pitch: [TITLE] is a [category] about/for [protagonist or reader] who [central situation/problem]. The distinctive pressure/approach is [specific angle], which means [stakes/benefit].
Pitch Template 6
Spoken 20-second version: It is a [genre/type] where [premise/problem]. [One distinctive complication, method, or reader outcome].
Pitch Template 7
Fiction expansion: [Logline]. It is a [genre/tone/audience] story focused on [distinct emotional or thematic frame] rather than [easy misclassification].
Pitch Template 8
Nonfiction expansion: [Audience] struggles with [specific problem]. The book helps them [bounded outcome] through [method/evidence/frame], especially [distinct use case].