Tomorrow is #PitMad a book pitching completion held on Twitter. This Twitter contest is held four times per year. This will be my first time participating this year. I haven’t been able to participate in March’s or July’s competitions this year due to work. So tomorrow is the day! I am so stupid excited. What makes this competition so awesome you ask? Well let me give you my top ten reasons I LOVE the #PitMad contest:
1. No Query Letter (well kind of)
This contests lets you pitch directly to agents! I hate writing query letters. Someone told me that a query letter only has to work once, and then you shouldn’t have to write another one. I’ve written my fair share of them, and I hope I am getting better at getting all of those magical ingredients in there. However, keep in mind if you get a “like”, during the contest you may still need to produce a query letter.
2. Community Spirit
The Writing Community on Twitter is an amazing resource for authors! It is one big community sharing the struggles, celebrating each other successes’s and supporting each other through the process of eventually getting our work out into the world no matter the journey. I love to retweet fellow authors on PitMad days. Its about writers helping writers.
3. Its Fun!
The contest runs from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. eastern, and it is one hell of a wild ride! You can put out three pitches through out this time, and you are praying and hoping for an agent to like your pitch. This is how you know you have a “bite.” After the event is over, you will contact the agent that liked your pitch and go from there.
4. There are Success Stories
People have gotten agents and book contracts through this contest. There is a list of authors who have gotten their big break this way.
5. What is your Genre
Fiction is a big pool, no it is gargantuan! Knowing specifically what genre you write in, is critically important. Some agents only represent certain genres so make sure to include yours when you pitch. A full list can be found on the PitchWars Website. For example I fall into the #A (Adult) #R (Romance) and #RS (Romantic Suspense) categories.
6. Make Friends
I have met some great people with amazing pitches through this completion. We celebrate each other’s successes and support each other, when that elusive like isn’t gained.
7. You’d better be Ready
Last year, I broke the cardinal rule of #PitMad. On a whim I pitched a finished manuscript that wasn’t quite ready. The story was finished, and had been developmentally edited but it had not been copy edited. I put it out there and didn’t expect much. Just my luck, and to my joy and horror, I got a few legitimate likes from agents. In between jumping up and down and adversely feeling like I wanted to vomit, I put in a panicked call to my copyeditor practically begging for the fastest turn around ever! Learn from me folks- DON’T DO THIS.
8. It can be one hell of a confidence boost
When your pitch gets a like, it is the best feeling in the whole world. For me, I’ve participated a few times and not gotten a single like from an agent. Rather than feel deflated, I’ve channeled these feelings into ambition reminding myself that my writing is worth putting in the hard work. I get back to work, writing, editing and querying. There are no shortcuts to success… most of the time.
9. You’re Putting Your Work Out There
Just like a query letter, the right pitch only has to work once. At the end of the day, it’s all about putting your work out there.
10. Know what your book is really about
Twitter gives you 280 characters to pitch your book, and you’d better leave a few of those to include the #pitmad hashtag, and your genre. Nothing will help you truly know what your book is about like this!
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