Pitch vs. Query

If you’ve been reading my “Thoughts and Tips on Querying,” you will notice that I often refer to the part of the query where you describe your novel as “the pitch.” I want to make it clear that this is not the same as the pitch you would make to a friend, agent, or potential book-buying person who asks you what your book is about. I am using that term in the context of a query letter just to differentiate it from the other elements in the letter, because in the context of the query letter, it serves the same purpose: to get you to want to read the book. Both types of pitch have their place, and the aspiring (and even seasoned) novelist will need to use one or the other at some point. Janet Reid posted a blog on this topic today where she cites examples of the “query” as opposed to the “pitch.” Hers is, of course, the official terminology; my use of the term “pitch” was in the context of the query letter, and was of my own making. Check out Janet’s article for clarification and education. 🙂