What are twitter pitch fests?
Twitter pitch fests are limited periods of time (usually one day) in which you can post a 140-character pitch for your book. Pitch contests can be a little more complicated. Some pitch contests span months, and have stages in which you hone your work, preparing it for an agent. Others simply allow you to tweet your pitch, cold. Agents are on the alert at these times, and they have the option of "liking" your pitch, and then asking for a full or partial.
Should you take part in a twitter fest?
If you have a completed, agent-ready manuscript, by all means, tweet your pitch! It can't do you any harm, and it doesn't preclude querying agents by any means!
Believe it or not, pitch fests actually do work. Busy, overwhelmed agents are often more likely to read and respond to an interesting twitter pitch than they are to a query. It takes less time and a lot less effort.
However, it will not take less effort on your part. Boiling your novel down to a short sentence is loaded with pitfalls. It's surprisingly easy to turn your exciting novel into a one-sentence summary that would bore an elephant to tears. So, I would suggest that you read What's Your Book About? How to Make a Pitch before attempting one of these contests.
It is also immensely helpful to read some twitter pitches first. You can get onto twitter right now and type #PitchCB into a search to read some excellent pitches. (Go ahead, do it now. I'll wait.) Some of those pitches will make you want to BUY those books, which is precisely what the pitch is intended for. Contrary to what you may think, a pitch is not really about the meaning, theme, or inherent quality of your book. It is a sales tool. So, think about what would make you want to read a book, and convey that in your pitch. (A hint: Pitches, like queries, follow the story arc of your main character.)
Here is a list of 2016 pitch fests. Like twitter itself, pitch fests are constantly changing and evolving. There are probably a few that I've missed. And, some of these may vanish by next year, but that is the nature of publishing. It's a volatile industry.
_______________________________________
#PitchCB
Hosted by Curtis Brown and Conville &Walsh
Curtis Brown, an international literary agency, holds a pitch contest on the last Friday of every month.
____________________
#AdPit
Online writing conference for authors of Adult and New Adult works.
#KidPit
#KidPit is for COMPLETE AND POLISHED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. Children's literature.
Both are held on April 1, 2016
____________________
#PitchWars
#PitchMadness
#PitMad
3 events hosted by Brenda Drake, author of Thief of Lies
See schedule HERE.
Brenda Drake has done more to popularize twitter pitch contests than anyone else. Her contests are well organized, and attract many industry professionals as well as published authors eager to help aspiring writers. Agents keep an eye on her contests, and have signed on writers through their initial pitches.
__________________
#FicFest
Hosted by author and editor Tiffany Hoffman
April 24, 2016 (see site for schedule)
FicFest is a brand new contest launching in 2016 that will help put manuscripts in front of agents. FicFest is unique in that this contest covers the five major categories of writing: Children’s Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult. The chances for each category to get agent requests is equal. Unlike most writing contests, an equal number of finalists will be chosen for each category so that one does not overpower the other. FicFest creators also ensure that there will be a plethora of agents wanting each of these categories. Our goal is to help writers of all books get out there, get great feedback, and have the opportunity to get partial/full requests from agents.
Read more HERE.
____________________
#DVPit
Hosted by literary agent, Beth Phelan
April 19, 2016 - 8:00AM EST – 8:00PM EST
#DVpit is a Twitter event created to showcase pitches about and especially by marginalized voices. This includes (but is not limited to): Native peoples and people of color; people living and/or born/raised in underrepresented cultures and countries; disabled persons; people with illness; people on marginalized ends of the socioeconomic, cultural and/or religious spectrum; people identifying as LGBTQIA+; and more.
____________________
#SFFpit
Hosted by Dan Koboldt
June (Date TBA)
This contest is for completed, unpublished novels of fantasy or science fiction. Complete means that it’s proofed, polished, and ready for submission. Unpublished means you haven’t self-published it online, on Amazon, or in print. Fantasy or science fiction means speculative fiction: epic fantasy, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, space opera.
The contest will happen on Twitter under a common hashtag (#SFFpit). During a 10-hour window on the chosen day, authors with completed manuscripts who are seeking representation or publication can tweet a pitch for their books (at most, once per hour).
____________________
#pg70pit
Hosted by Lara Willard
July 1-7, 2016
This is a very interesting contest and pitching opportunity for writers with complete, polished novels (Middle Grade, YA, or NA/Adult) in any genre except erotica. Instead of pitching your book via 140 characters, or a synopsis, or even a first page, you submit your 70th page via a form. The idea is that by page 70 your book should be in full swing. Take a look at the submission form HERE.
____________________
#WritePit
August 5, 2016
This Twitter pitch party is open to all genres and readerships. That includes picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, new adult, and adult readerships.
Twitter pitch fests are limited periods of time (usually one day) in which you can post a 140-character pitch for your book. Pitch contests can be a little more complicated. Some pitch contests span months, and have stages in which you hone your work, preparing it for an agent. Others simply allow you to tweet your pitch, cold. Agents are on the alert at these times, and they have the option of "liking" your pitch, and then asking for a full or partial.
Should you take part in a twitter fest?
If you have a completed, agent-ready manuscript, by all means, tweet your pitch! It can't do you any harm, and it doesn't preclude querying agents by any means!
Believe it or not, pitch fests actually do work. Busy, overwhelmed agents are often more likely to read and respond to an interesting twitter pitch than they are to a query. It takes less time and a lot less effort.
However, it will not take less effort on your part. Boiling your novel down to a short sentence is loaded with pitfalls. It's surprisingly easy to turn your exciting novel into a one-sentence summary that would bore an elephant to tears. So, I would suggest that you read What's Your Book About? How to Make a Pitch before attempting one of these contests.
It is also immensely helpful to read some twitter pitches first. You can get onto twitter right now and type #PitchCB into a search to read some excellent pitches. (Go ahead, do it now. I'll wait.) Some of those pitches will make you want to BUY those books, which is precisely what the pitch is intended for. Contrary to what you may think, a pitch is not really about the meaning, theme, or inherent quality of your book. It is a sales tool. So, think about what would make you want to read a book, and convey that in your pitch. (A hint: Pitches, like queries, follow the story arc of your main character.)
Here is a list of 2016 pitch fests. Like twitter itself, pitch fests are constantly changing and evolving. There are probably a few that I've missed. And, some of these may vanish by next year, but that is the nature of publishing. It's a volatile industry.
_______________________________________
#PitchCB
Hosted by Curtis Brown and Conville &Walsh
Curtis Brown, an international literary agency, holds a pitch contest on the last Friday of every month.
____________________
#AdPit
Online writing conference for authors of Adult and New Adult works.
#KidPit
#KidPit is for COMPLETE AND POLISHED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. Children's literature.
Both are held on April 1, 2016
____________________
#PitchWars
#PitchMadness
#PitMad
3 events hosted by Brenda Drake, author of Thief of Lies
See schedule HERE.
Brenda Drake has done more to popularize twitter pitch contests than anyone else. Her contests are well organized, and attract many industry professionals as well as published authors eager to help aspiring writers. Agents keep an eye on her contests, and have signed on writers through their initial pitches.
__________________
#FicFest
Hosted by author and editor Tiffany Hoffman
April 24, 2016 (see site for schedule)
FicFest is a brand new contest launching in 2016 that will help put manuscripts in front of agents. FicFest is unique in that this contest covers the five major categories of writing: Children’s Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult. The chances for each category to get agent requests is equal. Unlike most writing contests, an equal number of finalists will be chosen for each category so that one does not overpower the other. FicFest creators also ensure that there will be a plethora of agents wanting each of these categories. Our goal is to help writers of all books get out there, get great feedback, and have the opportunity to get partial/full requests from agents.
Read more HERE.
____________________
#DVPit
Hosted by literary agent, Beth Phelan
April 19, 2016 - 8:00AM EST – 8:00PM EST
#DVpit is a Twitter event created to showcase pitches about and especially by marginalized voices. This includes (but is not limited to): Native peoples and people of color; people living and/or born/raised in underrepresented cultures and countries; disabled persons; people with illness; people on marginalized ends of the socioeconomic, cultural and/or religious spectrum; people identifying as LGBTQIA+; and more.
____________________
#SFFpit
Hosted by Dan Koboldt
June (Date TBA)
This contest is for completed, unpublished novels of fantasy or science fiction. Complete means that it’s proofed, polished, and ready for submission. Unpublished means you haven’t self-published it online, on Amazon, or in print. Fantasy or science fiction means speculative fiction: epic fantasy, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, space opera.
The contest will happen on Twitter under a common hashtag (#SFFpit). During a 10-hour window on the chosen day, authors with completed manuscripts who are seeking representation or publication can tweet a pitch for their books (at most, once per hour).
____________________
#pg70pit
Hosted by Lara Willard
July 1-7, 2016
This is a very interesting contest and pitching opportunity for writers with complete, polished novels (Middle Grade, YA, or NA/Adult) in any genre except erotica. Instead of pitching your book via 140 characters, or a synopsis, or even a first page, you submit your 70th page via a form. The idea is that by page 70 your book should be in full swing. Take a look at the submission form HERE.
____________________
#WritePit
August 5, 2016
This Twitter pitch party is open to all genres and readerships. That includes picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, new adult, and adult readerships.
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