Pitching Your Book on Twitter Fests
What are Twitter pitch fests?
Twitter pitch fests are limited periods of time (usually one day) during which you can post a 280-character pitch for your book.
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.
If you have a completed, agent-ready manuscript, tweet your pitch! It can’t do you any harm, and it doesn’t preclude querying agents.
Believe it or not, pitch fests actually do work. Busy 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.
A good Twitter pitches will make you want to go out and BUY the book, 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 2021 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.
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May 20, 2021
#PitDark is the first and only Twitter pitch event to highlight literature of a “darker” nature. Importantly, this is not limited to horror works; however, any pitched manuscript must contain an element of horror or darker writing. Examples of such categories include pure horror novels, dark fantasy, murder mysteries, psychological horror stories, non-fiction works about darker subjects, etc. MG, YA, NA, and adult age categories are welcome.
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May 21, August 20, November 19, 2021
#MockPit is a Twitter event where writers can practice their Twitter pitches. Authors are invited to tweet the pitch for their manuscript and encouraged to give constructive feedback to other authors. #MockPit is not associated with any other Twitter pitch contests, but authors are welcome to practice pitches they intend to use for other events.
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June 3, September 2, December 2, 2021, March 3, 2022
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. Make sure to read the contest rules carefully.
Note: You may only tweet your pitch three times during #PitMad. Read all about it HERE.
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June 22, 2021
#PitchDis was created to showcase pitches from the disabled community, which has been historically underrepresented in the publishing industry. The event is inspired by the Twitter pitch events #DVpit and #PitMad.
The first #PitchDis will take place on June 22, 2021 between 8am and 8pm EDT. During this time, unagented disabled authors may pitch their complete, polished fiction or nonfiction projects on Twitter. Agents and editors who are interested in seeing more will “like” the pitch. The author can then send the requested materials to the agent or editor.
The event is moderated by Despina Karras.
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Hosted by Mandy Yates
June 17, 2021
For picture books only.
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Hosted by Dan Koboldt
Late Summer/Fall 2021 (Date to be announced)
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 the 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).
Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.
