How to Write a Book Pitch That Sells

When diving into self publishing, understanding tropes is crucial for both readers and writers. As a reader, we often gravitate towards a particular genre because of the common tropes within the story. Whether it’s the predictable plotlines or specific character archetypes, each story draws us in through familiar elements. For writers, knowing which tropes are popular in your chosen genres can make or break your book’s appeal.

Researching Amazon Categories can help you determine which tropes are trending and how they can apply to your book. It’s essential to strike the balance between incorporating well-loved tropes and offering a fresh spin to captivate both your preferred readers and those seeking something new. By aligning with broad terms like these, you set your novel up for success, ensuring it resonates with the right audience and stands out in a crowded marketplace.

Tropes: Good or Bad for Writing?

Tropes are often criticized and viewed as something to be avoided, but in reality, they serve a purpose because people naturally respond to them. As a writer, the key is not to mindlessly use any trope, but to craft stories that remain unique while still being recognizable within their genre.

Tropes evolve over time, and this is a positive thing, as long as writers are willing to experiment and present these familiar themes in fresh ways or create new tropes that readers love. Tropes themselves aren’t inherently good or bad it’s the way you incorporate them that counts. While some genres, like romance, may have a wealth of tropes, the real challenge is in how you put your own spin on them to captivate your audience.

What Impact Do Tropes Have on Book Sales?

Tropes play a significant role in book sales because many readers actively search for familiar tropes when choosing their next read. If your book includes a trope that is widely enjoyed, like “Magical Creatures” or “Enemies to Lovers,” it increases the likelihood of your story being discovered. Readers often type these specific tropes into search engines, especially on platforms like Amazon.

Knowing which tropes are currently trending can significantly boost your book’s visibility. By doing a little research into which tropes are popular in your genre, you can ensure your book appears more frequently in search results, making it easier for readers to find. High-quality books that include sought-after tropes have a better chance of ranking higher, making them more likely to attract readers. For instance, in the romance genre, you can use the search results for common tropes to estimate which ones are the most in demand.

The Full List of Book Tropes

Now that we have discussed what tropes are and their role in storytelling, it’s time to explore some of the most common tropes across different genres. This list brings together the beloved devices I’ve encountered in hundreds of books. They range from timeless archetypes to genre-specific conventions and unexpected plot twists, covering the full spectrum of what makes stories captivating and memorable. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, this list is a great resource for discovering or employing tropes that can enhance your storytelling.

Action-Adventure Tropes

In Action-Adventure, tropes drive the heart-pounding excitement of the story. One key trope is The Quest, where the hero embarks on a journey, often for a magical artifact or to complete a vital task. The Task Force is another classic, featuring a ragtag group that bands together for a dangerous mission, like in The Dirty Dozen or The Fellowship of the Ring.

Then there’s the MacGuffin, a much-sought-after object that propels the plot, such as The Maltese Falcon. Non-Stop Action is a crucial trope, where the hero must survive relentless battles, chases, explosions, and fights—a hallmark of Indiana Jones’ thrilling escapades. Finally, The Chosen One trope features a hero who learns they’ve been chosen by destiny to confront a great evil, as exemplified by Neo in The Matrix.

Children’s Book Tropes

Children’s books are filled with timeless tropes that shape young minds and entertain at the same time. Anthropomorphic Characters are common, where animals, objects, or imaginary creatures take on human traits and impart life lessons, like in Winnie the Pooh or The Secret Garden. The Triumph of the Underdog is another heartwarming trope, where a small, weak, or disadvantaged protagonist defeats a larger threat with courage and wit, as seen in The Borrowers.

The Power of Friendship is a core trope in many children’s stories, with loyal friends supporting each other through obstacles, a key theme in Harry Potter. The Fish out of Water trope features characters like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, who are thrust into unfamiliar worlds, or British children sent to the countryside during wartime. Lastly, The Precocious Child trope highlights characters who are wise beyond their years, like Matilda, who challenges the norms with her quirky brilliance.

Urban and Contemporary Tropes

In urban/contemporary stories, tropes often reflect real-world struggles and growth. Overcoming Hardships is a common trope where characters face trauma like poverty, illness, grief, abuse, war, or discrimination, leading to personal growth, particularly in literary fiction. Stuck in a Small Town is another popular trope, where a restless character, having outgrown their provincial hometown, seeks to escape rural boredom and find their destiny in the big city, a theme found in many coming-of-age tales.

Fish Out of Water is often seen in urban settings, where characters feel like outsiders, as in Legally Blonde, bringing humor and insightful observations about both their old and new environments. Defying Expectations is a powerful trope in which characters rebel against societal expectations tied to their gender, race, or class and find empowerment by forging their own path, as exemplified in The House on Mango Street.

Fantasy Tropes

In fantasy novels, the tropes are as magical and legendary as the worlds they inhabit. The Hero’s Journey is perhaps the most iconic, where a hero steps out of the ordinary world, faces trials, endures a supreme ordeal, and returns home transformed, just as Joseph Campbell described.

The Dark Lord is another defining trope, featuring an evil overlord seeking dominion and requiring the hero to rise up and overthrow them, like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. The Magic Mentor trope presents a wise wizard or witch who helps the hero develop their magical abilities, a role famously filled by Gandalf. A Prophecy Foretold is often seen in fantasy, where a divined prediction marks the hero as the chosen one destined to face the evil, as with Harry Potter. The Magic Weapon, such as swords, staffs, and wands, imbued with magical power, often aids the hero on their quest, like the One Ring or Gandalf’s staff.

Historical Fiction Tropes

In historical fiction, tropes often paint a vivid picture of the past, making history feel alive. Sweeping Sagas depict epic tales that stretch across generations, following a central family through significant historical events, such as The Thorn Birds or Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series.

The Ill-Fated Romance focuses on lovers separated by class differences, familial obligations, or cultural customs, capturing the tragic essence of stories like Romeo and Juliet. Everyday Life in the Past takes readers into the intimate details of life during bygone eras, often with rich period detail, as seen in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Surviving Adversity is a central theme in historical fiction, with characters overcoming major hardships like war, slavery, or religious persecution while showing courage and resilience, often featured in Holocaust stories.

Finally, Royals Behaving Badly showcases the scandalous antics of aristocrats, offering juicy drama and social commentary, with shows like The Tudors serving as a prime example.

Horror Tropes

In horror, certain tropes have stood the test of time, fueling our fear and fascination. The Haunted House trope involves peculiar and unexplained occurrences inside a foreboding domicile, often hinting at otherworldly inhabitants, like in The Amityville Horror. The Intrepid Scholar is an academic—be it a professor, researcher, or scientist—who arrogantly delves into mysterious phenomena, often unlocking terrifying horrors, as seen in Frankenstein or H.P. Lovecraft tales.

The Ancient Evil trope introduces a demon, curse, or malevolent entity that resurfaces in the modern world after being buried for centuries. Stephen King uses this frequently, as in Pet Sematary. Gore Galore is a staple, delivering generous helpings of blood, gore, dismemberment, and torture, with movies like Saw and Hostel providing the most gruesome examples. Lastly, The Sweet but Sinister Child demonstrates how children can be more terrifying than adult monsters due to their inherent innocence, used powerfully in films like The Omen and The Exorcist.

Mystery Tropes

In mystery novels, several tropes shape the narrative and heighten suspense. The Closed Circle confines suspects to a limited location, often trapping characters in isolated settings such as mansions or trains, a hallmark of Agatha Christie. The Red Herring is a misleading clue that distracts both the investigators and readers from the truth, a tactic Christie used frequently in her complex plots.

The Detective’s Confidant is a sidekick, like Sherlock Holmes’ Watson, who acts as a foil to the detective, encouraging them to explain their reasoning aloud. The Private Eye trope features a hardboiled detective who operates independently, like Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. Finally, The Amateur Sleuth involves an unlikely hero, often an ordinary person like Nancy Drew, who becomes entangled in a mystery and takes it upon themselves to investigate.

Romance Tropes

In romance novels, tropes are the beating heart that keeps readers hooked. “Enemies to Lovers” shows how adversaries, through time, realize the thin line between love and hate, creating delicious tension. Pride and Prejudice and You’ve Got Mail embody this friction-filled trope. Star-Crossed Lovers face external obstacles like feuding families or societal expectations, preventing the love between two people.

The Fault in Our Stars gives this trope a devastating twist. Forbidden Love deals with relationships deemed taboo by society, such as teacher/student or priest/parishioner, raising the stakes and exploring powerful emotions. V.C. Andrews made a name by leaning into this trope. Fake Relationship follows characters who pretend to date, only to develop real feelings, like in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, where vulnerability emerges naturally. Lastly, Love Triangles fuel drama as a protagonist is caught between two love interests, as seen in The Hunger Games and Twilight.

Science Fiction Tropes

Science fiction often explores the boundaries of reality and imagination through iconic tropes. Alien Invasion is a classic, where extraterrestrials attack Earth, serving as metaphors for immigration, colonization, and the concept of “otherness”. H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds set the tone for this trope. AI Run Amok shows how scientists, driven by hubris, give computers too much autonomous reasoning, leading to dangerous actions when the AI prioritizes self-preservation. Movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Terminator dive deep into this.

Space Opera provides thrilling adventures across space, with dogfights, swashbuckling heroes, and an expansive, immersive scope. Franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek are prime examples. Time Travel Paradoxes often feature characters who influence the past, creating logical paradoxes that threaten the fabric of reality. Theories on time travel serve as rich material for mind-bending stories. Lastly, Generation Starships follow civilizations on long journeys between distant stars, where entire generations live and die before reaching their destination, as seen in Robert Heinlein’s Orphans of the Sky.

Thriller & Suspense Tropes

Thriller and suspense novels thrive on high tension and unexpected twists. The Chased Hero trope features an ordinary person who must escape relentless pursuers, a theme solidified by Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Another classic is The Race Against Time, where characters must defuse a deadly device, find a cure, or complete some urgent task under extreme pressure—think of the premise of 24.

The Wrongly Accused Hero sees an innocent person framed for crimes they didn’t commit and must clear their name before time runs out, as explored in The Fugitive. Going on the Run raises the stakes, with characters being hunted relentlessly, whether they are fugitives or pursuers seeking to expose the real villain, as exemplified in The Shawshank Redemption. Finally, the MacGuffin trope is a coveted object that motivates the characters and drives the plot forward, such as Maltese Falcons, briefcases of cash, or secret documents, all of which have been staples in action and suspense stories.

Young Adult Fiction Tropes

Young adult fiction often explores themes of self-discovery, rebellion, and navigating complex relationships. One of the most common tropes is The Misfit Protagonist, an outsider who feels alienated from their peers. This trope was popularized by Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. The Absent Parent trope is another recurring theme, where removed parents unlock adolescent independence and form bonds with surrogate caregivers, as seen with Harry Potter.

The Love Triangle, a hugely popular trope in YA, injects romantic drama into the narrative, like the Edward-Bella-Jacob triangle in Twilight or Katniss-Peeta-Gale in The Hunger Games. The Mean Girl trope involves cruel bullies who serve as antagonists, representing the dark side of high school politics, with Carrie laying the foundation for this dynamic. Lastly, Coming of Age in a Harsh World reflects teens maturing quickly while overcoming tragedies and external threats, as demonstrated in The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Character Tropes

Beyond genre-specific conventions, general archetypes serve as molds for memorable characters. Some of the most common include:

• The Underdog – A determined, overlooked protagonist who exceeds expectations and triumphs through perseverance. Rudy from Rudy is a prime example.
• The Chosen One – A character destined for greatness, burdened with saving the world. Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter fit this mold.
• The Antihero – An unconventional protagonist lacking traditional heroic qualities but living by their own code. Rorschach from Watchmen typifies this trope.
• The Heart – The emotional core of a group, providing warmth and conscience to keep the team together.
• The Brain – The intellect who guides the team with knowledge and clever plans. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter is a classic example.
• The Muscle – A character whose raw power and toughness come in handy when brute force is needed, like Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy.
• The Rogue – A rugged, independent character who often has a shady past but proves invaluable. Han Solo in Star Wars embodies this.
• The Matchmaker – A meddler who tries to set up relationships between other characters, like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City.
• The Mean Girl – A spiteful antagonist who bullies others and stirs up drama. Regina George from Mean Girls is the quintessential example.
• The Mentor – The wise elder who imparts knowledge and guidance, such as Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter.
• The Mad Scientist – A character whose rationality gives way to obsession, like Victor Frankenstein.
• The Girl Next Door – An approachable, friendly beauty with humble roots. Betty Cooper from Riverdale embodies this trope.
• The Damsel in Distress – A helpless female character needing rescue by a hero. Though dated, this trope still appears in some franchises.

Setting Tropes

Certain settings instantly convey particular moods, genres, and story possibilities. Here are some of the most archetypal examples:

• The Haunted House – A creepy estate brimming with ghosts and secrets, a staple of horror tales. Hill House from The Haunting of Hill House is one of literature’s most infamous haunted houses.
• The Dying Small Town – A rural town with deserted streets and boarded-up shops, symbolizing economic decline and nostalgia for the past. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King exemplifies this setting.
• The Peaceful Village – A quaint, remote village disconnected from the modern world, evoking pastoral tranquility and folksy charm. The Shire in The Lord of the Rings epitomizes this trope.
• The Abandoned Warehouse – A shadowy, rundown industrial building on the wrong side of town, perfect for illicit activities, criminal dealings, or final showdowns. Batman’s Gotham City often features this setting.
• The Futuristic Megalopolis – A densely packed ultramodern city filled with flying cars, towering skyscrapers, and technological marvels, often juxtaposing sleek innovation with societal decay. Metropolis (1927) was a pioneering vision of this setting.
• The Hallowed Halls – Prestigious institutions such as Ivy League universities, grand libraries, or historical courts, symbolizing knowledge, tradition, and power.
• The Open Road – A long, winding highway stretching into the horizon, symbolizing freedom, escape, and new beginnings. Jack Kerouac’s On the Road mythologized this setting.

Theme Tropes

All stories grapple with core aspects of the human experience. Recurring themes provide the foundation upon which drama unfolds:

• Good vs. Evil – Morality tales featuring characters wrestling with temptation, sin, and redemption. The eternal battle between light and darkness is a staple in myths, fantasy, and religious allegories.
• Nature vs. Nurture – A thematic exploration of whether people are shaped more by their innate traits or by their environment and experiences. What truly determines identity?
• Order vs. Chaos – The struggle between stability and unpredictability, often reflected in tensions like freedom vs. security, tradition vs. progress, or individual vs. society. How much chaos can order withstand before it crumbles?
• Appearance vs. Reality – A theme that subtly undermines assumed truths, challenging what is real versus what is merely perception. Often used in psychological thrillers, mysteries, and philosophical fiction.
• Technology as Friend or Foe – A deeply ambivalent theme exploring whether technological progress benefits humanity or leads to dehumanization and destruction. Often serves as a cautionary tale about playing god.
• Overcoming Adversity – Stories of perseverance through hardship, where characters emerge stronger after enduring personal or external struggles. A celebration of the indomitable human spirit.
• The Journey of Self-Discovery – Characters embark on transformative journeys, both physical and emotional, to uncover their true identity and purpose in life. Classic in coming-of-age stories.
• Love Conquers All – The idea that love transcends all obstacles—social class, war, time, even death—serving as the ultimate force of redemption and change. A staple in romance and epic storytelling.