Newsletter comparison
Pitch Your Novel vs The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Short answer: Choose Pitch Your Novel for positioning the book and choosing a publishing path. Choose The Shit No One Tells You About Writing for query execution and agent feedback. Read both when the strategy is clear but the pitch still needs to prove it.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
An independent guide. Scottie isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Pitch Your Novel and The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. Each publication owns its name, writing, and subscription terms.
A brief from both newsletters · July 31, 2026
See both newsletters in one brief
See what made the brief, what didn't, and the original links behind every included story.
In this brief: Scottie kept the selected stories separate because they added different value.
Reader priorities
A novelist preparing to query wants a clearer market position, a stronger pitch, and realistic information about agents and publishing paths.
These are illustrative priorities, not a customer’s data.
What made the brief
- Pitch Your Novel1 read · 1 included
- The Shit No One Tells You About Writing2 read · 2 included
Scottie
Scottie example brief
July 31, 2026 · Executive brief
01 / The rundown
- Defining your novel's high-concept hook and separating premise from plot helps clarify your market position before submitting query packages to literary agents.
- Realistic agent request data highlights a two percent full manuscript request rate, emphasizing the need for absolute manuscript readiness before querying.
- Studying top-selling fiction reveals that high stakes and distinct author voice outperform trying to match rapidly changing industry market trends.
02 / The briefing
01 / main
Pitching High Concept Requires Delivering on the Premise Immediately
The takeaway: Author Sarah Adler breaks down high concept in publishing, emphasizing that a compelling premise differs from plot. A standout concept only succeeds if the narrative delivers on its promise from the very first page to the last.
Concrete details
- A practical exercise helps writers generate stronger story premises by clearly separating premise from plot.
- High-concept stories require immediate execution on the central pitch from page one through the ending.
Why it matters for this reader: As you prepare your pitch, clarifying your novel's high-concept hook ensures your querying materials instantly grab an agent's interest and establish your market position.
Original sourcesThe Shit No One Tells You About Writing
02 / main
True Manuscript Readiness Beats Rushing Your Query to Agents
The takeaway: Author Catherine Ryan Howard warns against lying or rushing unfinished manuscripts to agents. True readiness means testing whether you would regret unmade edits if your dream agent read the manuscript today and rejected it.
Concrete details
- Agent Tali Shammas received 1,000 queries within her first 24 hours of opening her inbox.
- Shammas requested 47 full manuscripts out of roughly 2,000 queries, representing approximately a 2% request rate.
Why it matters for this reader: Understanding realistic agent request rates and evaluating your manuscript's true readiness saves you from burning bridge queries before your pitch is fully polished.
Original sourcesThe Shit No One Tells You About Writing
03 / main
Refining Loglines and Voice Outweighs Chasing Shifting Market Trends
The takeaway: Bestselling authors Molly Fader and Gloria Chao advise against writing to fleeting market trends. Instead, focus on perfecting your logline, honing your distinct voice, and letting agents assist with final market positioning.
Concrete details
- Author Molly Fader secured five agent offers after refining her logline and navigating an agent change.
- Writer Andromeda Romano-Lax noted that Percival Everett published 24 novels across 12 presses as a multi-genre author.
Why it matters for this reader: Grounding your query strategy in strong loglines and unique storytelling allows you to pitch confidently without worrying about rapid market shifts.
Original sourcesThe Shit No One Tells You About Writing
04 / main
Amazon Bestseller Data Reveals Key Patterns in Top-Selling Fiction
The takeaway: An analysis of Amazon's fifty top-selling books shows that punishing circumstances, high stakes, and universal themes drive commercial success across genres—from dystopian fiction and historical sagas to domestic thrillers and romantic tropes.
Concrete details
- Dystopian fiction represents the largest single genre category among the fifty top-selling books analyzed.
- Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants expanded from an initial 20,000-copy run after independent booksellers championed galleys.
Why it matters for this reader: Analyzing shared structural elements among bestsellers helps you identify where your manuscript fits on bookstore shelves and refine your market positioning.
Original sourcesPitch Your Novel
Action items
- Test your manuscript readiness by asking if you would regret any unmade revisions if an agent rejected it today.
- Refine your single-sentence logline to highlight your novel's high-concept premise before submitting queries to literary agents.
- Map your novel's primary themes against top-selling genre books to sharpen your pitch and market positioning strategy.
See every issue behind this brief
Defining High Concept in Publishing
- ✨Lying to Agents When Querying👀; & What 'High Concept' Really Means. Plus, Meet Your Dream Agent✨The Shit No One Tells You About Writing · Included
A Writing Trick That Landed Five Agent Offers
- ✨The Writing Trick That Landed Five Agent Offers. Plus, Meet the Hosts in Calgary Next Month! ✨The Shit No One Tells You About Writing · Included
Commonalities Among Bestselling Fiction
- What Do the Bestselling Novels of All Time Have in Common and What Can You Learn From Them?Pitch Your Novel · Included
The useful difference
The difference that matters
Pitch Your Novel takes a strategic view of positioning, commercial patterns, and the available publishing routes. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing supplies direct query critique and current agent-facing advice.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
What each is best for
Pitch Your Novel
Pitch Your Novel contributes analysis of publishing routes, market expectations, comparable books, and the strategic case a novelist makes for a manuscript.[1][2][3]
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing contributes query critiques, agent interviews, pitch language, and examples of what creates or loses interest.[4][5][6]
When it’s worth reading both
Together they connect market position with the actual query package. Scottie can keep broad strategy and line-level pitch feedback distinct while tying both to the same submission.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Sources and official links
- Pitch Your Novel official publication
- Should Writers Still Chase Big 5 Traditional Publishing in 2026?
- What Do the Bestselling Novels of All Time Have in Common and What Can You Learn From Them?
- The Shit No One Tells You About Writing official publication
- ✨Meet Your Dream Agent. Plus, Your Book Isn't Boring - Your Pitch Is; & Query Critiques Inside!✨
- ✨Lying to Agents When Querying👀; & What 'High Concept' Really Means. Plus, Meet Your Dream Agent✨