Crafting Compelling Expository Pitches for Nonfiction Picture Books

Whether you choose to query agents or editors, you must know where your book will fit on a bookseller’s shelf, be able to explain why your nonfiction picture book should be published in the first place, and give a sense of who your intended reader is.  

My favorite advice on how to write a query comes from this Sub It Club post on the basic query letter breakdown. Essentially, your query (also called a cover letter) has three components, “the hook” (your pitch), “the book” (details about the book like age range, category, and word count), and “the cook” (your bio). For nonfiction picture books, it’s also critical to show your depth of research.

For narrative nonfiction, crafting your pitch is fairly straightforward; formulas used for fiction work fine. But how do you write a pitch for an expository (non-narrative) book? 

Thanks to the wonderful community over at NF Fest, I have some suggestions. Several authors submitted their pitches, which I’ve distilled into some (hopefully) helpful advice. I also received some middle grade pitches, which I’ll analyze separately. And, if you want to see what a full expository query looks like, Annette Whipple is generously sharing examples on her site.

Here’s the pitch

• “Scientists have long known about animals that hibernate, and many authors have published successful picture books about animals that sleep/rest in winter. Recently, scientists have begun to realize that many animals also estivate, or sleep/rest through summer. This research is now working its way into school curricula, and yet, there are no children’s books that focus on this fascinating topic. SUMMERTIME SLEEP fills that gap in the marketplace. SUMMERTIME SLEEP features two layers of text. The simpler main text presents general ideas and pulls readers from spread to spread. The secondary text provides details about the estivation habits of specific animals. Rich backmatter offers additional information about all the animals discussed in the book. The lyrical writing style makes the text appropriate for classroom use as well as bedtime reading.” – From Melissa Stewart’s cover letter for what became Sibert-Honor title Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate, illustrated by Sarah Brannen (Charlesbridge, 2021)
• “Find a killer asteroid, train cockroaches, and spy on talking trees in THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST a STEM series of nonfiction picture books that invite 7-11 year olds to delight in the thrill of scientific discovery. Intriguing questions pull readers into the shoes of diverse scientists to examine evidence and design investigations. Part adult handbook for science discussions and part role model for real-life science, the series combines the intimate narration of Shark Lady (Sourcebooks Explore, 2017) with the interactivity of Butt or Face (Sourcebooks Explore, 2023).” — From Emily Starr (this pitch earned her an agent offer)
• “Counting snacks. Navigating home. Telling time. These are animal activities! Like people, animals use math every day, but for them, it’s a matter of survival. Meet the mathematicians of the animal world in this awe-inspiring nonfiction picture book with a question-and-answer structure that challenges readers to predict how calculating critters use math to survive. MATHIMALS is a 1,126 word expository nonfiction picture book with a dual STEM focus – science and math. It promotes cross-curricular connections similar to MIMIC MAKERS by Kristin Nordstrom (Charlesbridge 2021) and mirrors the suspenseful guessing game format and surprising animal facts of Amy Cherrix’s ANIMAL ARCHITECTS (Beach Lane Books 2021) and ANIMAL SUPERPOWERS (Beach Lane Books 2024). This book is the first in a potential STEAM-imals series.” –From Emily Starr (this pitch earned her an entry into PB Party)
• “The haunting call. The glowing eyes. The fierce beak. You recognize an owl when you see one, but do you really know these birds? In question and answer format, WHOOO KNEW? answers 13 questions children have about owls. The completed text will be about 900 words of main text with additional humorous sidebars which provide information from the owls’ perspectives. “ — From Annette Whipple, query for Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls (Reycraft Books, 2020)

Why do these work?

Great question! Though these pitches differ in style, they all have the following elements.

A fresh approach

Each pitch highlights how the book offers a new perspective or fills a gap in the market. For example, in her Summertime Sleepers pitch, Melissa Stewart makes it clear that there are no other kids’ books on the scientific topic of estivation. It’s a clear market gap. And though there may be dozens of books about owls, Annette Whipple shows what sets hers apart – the question and answer format and humorous writing, plus her surprising facts. A good pitch must make it clear why this book should be published, especially if the topic had been done before.

A clear sense of the audience

The danger with approaches or topics that haven’t been done before is that there might be a reason for that! Maybe the topic doesn’t have enough kid appeal. That’s why a good pitch shows the agent or editor a clear audience. In Melissa Stewart’s pitch, though her specific topic is new, she mentions several books on hibernation, so we know her book will likely appeal to readers of those existing books. She also tells us that the book has more than one audience – parents who might read the book at bedtime, and teachers who could use it in the classroom. Win-win!

In her pitch for Think Like Scientist, Emily Starr mentions books by name that would have the same audience as her book. Called comp titles (short for comparable or comparison titles), mentioning similar books by name demonstrates an understanding of the market and helps agents and editors quickly grasp a book’s potential.

Engaging hooks that capture the reader’s attention

The pitches use intriguing questions, surprising facts, and vivid descriptions to engage the reader. At the same time, they turn the reader’s conventional ideas on the topic upside down. Emily Starr’s Mathimals pitch starts: “Counting snacks. Navigating home. Telling time. These are animal activities!” That’s not what I expected at all! When I read her examples, I thought she was talking about humans. You can see how a reader is inspired to keep reading and learn more.  

Similarly, in her Think Like a Scientist pitch Starr invites kids to “find a killer asteroid, train cockroaches, and spy on talking trees.” I expected her book about scientists to show them using microscopes and test tubes. She’s upending my expectations about what scientists do.

In Whooo Knew? Annettee Whipple also plays on the mysterious and captivating nature of owls by giving us a few conventional features of owls and then directly asking the reader if they really know owls. Her pitch holds the promise that we’ll learn something new and unexpected.

Appealing structure and format

The pitches highlight unique features like dual-layered text, question-and-answer formats, strong back matter, lyrical writing, and humorous sidebars that enhance the reading experience and make the books stand out. For expository books, strong structures and voice are often part of what sets a book apart, so it’s good to highlight what makes your book special when it comes to the writing. This doesn’t have to be done in the pitch paragraph itself, but could also be included in the paragraph with the details about your book, along with providing the age range, word count, etc.

Timeliness

These books are positioned to tie into current school curricula or national trends and conversations. Summertime Sleepers notes how the research is “working its way into school curricula,” while Mathimals promotes cross-curricular STEM connections, which is popular in schools right now. In Think Like a Scientist, Starr notes that her scientists are “diverse,” which ties into the trend of encouraging underrepresented groups to pursue STEM fields. If you book is part of curriculum, a national conversation or trend, it’s important to highlight that. You must tell an agent or editor not just “why this book” but also “why right now.”

Give them the same, but different

When it comes to publishing nonfiction picture books, agents and editor often want something that’s “the same, but different.” It’s critical to show how your book will appeal to an existing reader, while at the same time offering a fresh and surprising take on your topic.

Unfortunately, there aren’t necessarily hard-and-fast pitch formulas for expository nonfiction picture books as there are for fiction or narrative nonfiction. Instead, as you craft your own pitches, consider incorporating the above elements to showcase your book’s unique selling points and marketability. Remember, your pitch is a chance to get agents and editors excited about your book, so don’t be afraid to let your passion and creativity shine through!

Next up, we look at nonfiction pitches for older readers. Until then!