If you know me much at all, you probably know that I am not a big fan of media. My dislike of such things probably has something to do with the fact that I largely have no idea how to work such things (along with the fact that I do believe it is having a negative effect on today's generations). However, I do believe that good can come from media.
For example: #pitmad.
Pitmad and other events similar to it are hosted on Twitter and run year-round at different times. I had not heard of them before this year but as I approached the end of my editing, I heard about the events, their popularity, and how they could help writers connect with agents and I decided to participate in the one closest to my finishing editing (June).
Essentially, #pitmad is an event where writers who do not have an agent can pitch their unpublished work on Twitter in search of an agent. The rules are reasonably simple:
your book should be ready to go (i.e. you could query agents without making any changes)
your pitch must fit inside a single tweet
you can only tweet 3 pitches per manuscript per event (either the same pitch 3 times or 3 different pitches)
DO NOT like anyone's #pitmad tweets. This is how agents will let the authors know they want to see more and you liking their tweets messes with this process.
When you tweet, there are a number of hashtags you can use to identify your book's genre and audience to make it easier for agents to find your pitches but no matter what, you must use the hashtag #pitmad in all of your tweets (or else agents will not be able to find you). You also can retweet other authors' pitches to support them and pin your own pitch to the top of your Twitter page.
NOTE: I say this all because I am incredibly technologically challenged and it took me most of the day to work out the kinks of the event.
You can see the official rules of the event.
Despite not truly knowing my way around Twitter beforehand, I do feel that my first go of #pitmad wasn't a terrible experience. I do think it is an excellent way for agents to find authors, authors to find agents, and authors to meet other authors. I received only one "like" on my pitches and have since received a negative response from the agent however, I still would highly recommend participating in this event if you are an author looking to get representation.
My single like was given to me by Lynette Novak who was already on my list as an agent I wanted to query. If an agent who likes your post is NOT on your list, I highly suggest researching them before querying. Anyone can participate in this event and while the rules state only agents can like your posts, nothing stops others from liking them. Don't send your manuscript to someone without checking that they are a legit agent.
Lynette Novak represents the author of Dork Diaries and wanted "rom-coms with magical elements" "witches" and "werewolves" (things I discovered on her #MSWS). While she decided my book was not for her, she also encouraged me to "keep querying" because "another agent might feel differently."
Ms. Novak liked my first pitch of the day which also happens to be my favorite of the three. I followed this pitch with one I knew might fall short (it was my least favorite of the three) and ended the day on a high note with the pitch that not only pitched The Criminal but the whole Once Upon a Tome series.
Harmony “Goldilocks” Gold is hunted by a “Charming” guard she can’t help falling for as, haunted by the tragedy and accusations of her past, she travels across the kingdoms to see the trial of her abusive father.
The abusive father in Harmony’s past begins to haunt her as she is hunted by an attractive guard she cannot beat and the infamous “Goldilocks” will have to decide: will she hold onto her past as a “criminal” or redefine her identity for the future?
A retelling of “Goldilocks” begins the story of 6 women taking back their lives and redefining their identities as they defeat a werewolf seeking revenge for the discrimination and blind killings of his kind.
Remember, though I don't have the hashtags in here now, I did have to include them for the event so that agents like Lynette Novak could find me. I used not only #pitmad but also #YA (young adult) and #FTA (fairytale retelling). If I were to do it again, I would try to use more hashtags (possibly #F - fantasy).
Overall, trying this event out was a good experience for me. It allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and work to promote my book while searching for an agent. It gave me something to work towards and pushed me to research social media and events that would help me in that realm more. Ultimately, it took me a step closer to where I need to be for being a published author. For that, I am thankful.
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