How to Successfully Pitch Your Book to Your Target Reader

Countdown to the release of my next children's book, some life updates, and Indie Reads

As authors, we often obsess over pitching to agents or publishers — but what about pitching to readers?

Your book might be brilliantly written, but if your target audience doesn’t understand why it’s for them, they’ll scroll right past it. Pitching to readers isn’t just about writing a snappy blurb or putting your book in the right category — it’s about connection. It’s about speaking directly to the people who are most likely to love your story and convincing them that you wrote it for them.

In this post, we’ll explore how to pitch your book in a way that grabs your ideal reader’s attention and makes them say, “That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

1. Know Your Reader Like You Know Your Main Character

Before you can pitch to your reader, you have to know who they are.

This goes beyond age range or genre preference. Ask yourself:

• What do they love most about the genre?

• What tropes do they gravitate toward?

• What emotions do they want to feel when they read?

• What other books do they love — and why?

For example, if you’re writing a fast-paced YA dystopian novel, your ideal reader might love the tension and rebellion in The Hunger Games but be tired of love triangles. They want action, grit, and agency. So when you pitch, highlight exactly that.

Example:

“A rebellion is brewing, and seventeen-year-old Maren doesn’t want to lead it — but she may not have a choice. If you love breakneck pacing, complex female protagonists, and rebellion with real consequences, this one’s for you.”

2. Lead With Emotion, Not Just Plot

Your plot gets readers in the door, but emotion keeps them reading.

A successful pitch doesn’t just tell readers what happens — it tells them how it feels. Make your readers feel something from the first line of your pitch.

Instead of:

“A girl discovers she has magical powers and must save her kingdom from an evil sorcerer.”

Try:

“She’s been silenced her entire life. Now her voice is the only thing that can save them all.”

That shift creates immediate emotional stakes. You’re pitching the experience, not just the events.

3. Use Tropes as Signals, Not Crutches

Readers often seek out familiar tropes — but they also crave fresh takes. (Which we all realize can be tricky to achieve.)

Mentioning tropes in your pitch (grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, found family, etc.) acts as a shortcut to help readers self-select. You’re essentially saying, “Hey, if you love these vibes, you’ll love this.”

But balance it with your twist.

Example:

“A cursed heir. A fake engagement. A forbidden romance that could doom them both. The Cruel Prince meets Bridgerton in this fantasy of royal secrets and deadly court games.”

This lets readers know the tropes and tone — but also gives a taste of what’s unique.

4. Write for Skimmers: Clarity Over Cleverness

We’re tempted to make our pitch sound clever and literary — but your reader is likely scrolling on their phone, deciding in seconds if your story is worth their time.

Cut fluff. Make the first line count. Make sure each sentence earns its place.

Break long blurbs into paragraphs if you’re posting online. Use bold or emojis sparingly to guide the eye.

Example:

Not a Great Pitch: “In a world governed by the tides of celestial bodies and ruled by the ancient magic of the sea, one girl must — ”
A Better Pitch: “In a world where the moon controls magic, a girl with no power is the only one who can stop a war.”

Clear. Compelling. Clean.

5. Test Your Pitch With Your Actual Audience

You don’t have to guess whether your pitch works — test it.

• Post two variations on social media and see which gets more engagement.

• Ask your newsletter subscribers which one makes them want to read more.

• Use tools like Bookfunnel or StoryOrigin to test pitches alongside reader magnets.

If you’re getting crickets, reframe your pitch. Focus more on conflict, emotion, or genre hooks. If readers are responding, you know you’re on the right track.

6. Keep the Promise of Your Pitch

Finally, your pitch is a promise. If you pitch your book as a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance and readers get a sweet slow-burn friendship instead, they’ll be disappointed — even if the writing is good.

Pitch honestly.

If your book is more character-driven than plot-heavy, lean into that. If it’s got dark themes, don’t hide them. You don’t want just any reader — you want the right reader.

Think of your pitch like a conversation between you and the reader.

You’re not selling to everyone — you’re calling out to those who crave exactly what you’re offering.

Know them. Speak to their emotions. Show them the heart of your story.

And when you do, your ideal readers won’t just buy the book — they’ll thank you for writing it.

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In My House

We are just a few days away from the release of my new children’s book paperback version, In My House, coming July 2nd and geared for ages 1- 4.

This story explores concepts such as having a space to feel you can be yourself, having people who accept you for who you are, and knowing you can do anything.

And better yet, it will get to be shown to young kiddos on my trip to UGRO Learning Center in Brownstown PA on July 25th!

Here is just a sneak peek of what is inside:

If you could tell someone you know about In My House, I would be ever so grateful!

An email will come to you on release day that you can share with others!

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Life News

Things are always a little slower this time of year, summertime. Mainly because my daughter is off school and we really make an effort to soak up as much of this time as we can.

However, I am still trying to stay active on social media and deliver new content during this time of year.

If you're new to my newsletter or have been following along for a while, here's a refresher about me.

And here is just for fun for you all.

Tonight I am honored to also be attending the Next Generation Indie Book Awards ceremony in Philadelphia PA!

I get to see my book trailer played, take two copies of my book to the awards ceremony and hopefully meet other great authors.

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Indie Reads

They say that love is predestined.

It could be true for all I know.

However, there's a tiny difference in how I see it. Love is meant to heal, not to be. Something ethereal is the root of this. You can't touch it, smell it or see it. You can only feel it.

You don't need time to love the right person. Once you see it, your heart simply does it, gradually developing until your brain is able to process the emotion. No matter how hard you love or how slowly you realize it, it's still there.

Could you imagine? We're filled with something that we are completely unaware of.

That's what Elias Madden did to me. He slowly stepped on a tough road toward my soul, buried himself there, and sent signals to my brain, which I ignored for a long time.

In a future where cows are endangered and the country has been separated in two, Doctor Leonard Zamora opened The Zamora House, a home for girls given up by their families and dying from a mysterious disease that causes them to glow like the moon. Daniella Starling, along with her best friend, Lily, have been living in this home for over seventeen years, and their isolated life has been a never-ending cycle of chores, blood tests, and a whole lot of chickens.
But after another girl’s sudden and unusual death, Lily begins to question the corrupted blood running through their veins and starts filling Dani’s days with more questions than either of them have answers for.
What will happen when these questions are finally answered and Dani learns the truth about her existence, and where will she go for safety when everything she has always believed in burns to the ground?

It wasn’t until she held his remains that she knew she was in big trouble.

Indigo Lewis is counting down the days until high school graduation. As editor of the high school newspaper, she's put in her time and hopes it's enough to get her away from her troubled family life. Her father is constantly struggling to pay the bills and her mother is locked away in a mental hospital. Even with an after school job it doesn't seem like she will ever get enough money together to go to college.

Jaxon Green is a kid of wealth and privilege —but with a secret. Used to gliding his way through life, he offers Indigo a simple deal: write a newspaper blog to help him get into college and he will use his family's wealth and connections to get her into college too. He promises it will be a no-strings attached deal to get them both what they want after high school. Always used to pushing the envelope, Jaxon uses his position of power to get Indigo caught up in increasingly uncomfortable requests and eventually black mails her.
As her deal with Jaxon spirals out of control, Indigo also learns shocking secrets about her family and begins to lose her grip with reality, and with it — her mental health.