In the past year Twitter pitch contests are everywhere. There’s #PitchMas and #PitMad (which is next Tuesday: Sept 9th!) and many others for specific genres. I’ve done one with the Women’s Fiction Writing Association with the hashtag #WFpitch. Some writers are seasoned at it and it comes naturally. Others think: “140 characters? How could I possibly pitch my book in that little space?”
The good news is you can do it with a little help.
Here’s a guide to answer your burning questions about Twitter pitch contests.
Should you enter?
This is the big question! Ask yourself these questions below:
If you answered yes to these questions, you’re in!
But…
If you answer yes to these questions, you’re out.
My big advice is that if your book isn’t done, don’t jump in. There are many Twitter Pitch Contests every year so don’t feel like you have to be involved in every one. Wait until your book is ready. You only have one chance to impress an agent.
How do I craft my Tweets?
Samples: How to pitch in 140 characters
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
When escaping WWII 4 children go to magical, tyrannical land through wardrobe to fulfill prophecy & save both worlds. #PitMad #SFF
The Three Little Pigs
Brothers devoured by a killer known as Big Bad Wolf, third pig fights for his life with a pile of bricks between him & death #PitMad #A
Alice in Wonderland
Girl abducted by rabbit from family picnic to fight war in magical dimension. When put on trial for her life, will she wake up? #PitMad #YA
How do I send my material to those who requested?
Agents will be looking at these Twitter feeds all day. Some early in the day and some later in the day. Patience is key. Once they star your tweet here’s what to do.
Twitter Pitch Contest Etiquette
How do agents feel about Twitter Pitch Contests?
Rest assured, some agents definitely make time for these contests. But not all agents. And remember, we end up seeing a lot of the books that were pitched to us in the slush pile too. Twitter pitch contests are a great way to get your project in front of people’s eyes who you’re not aware of. But if you have a specific agent you want to target make sure you query them.
Personally, I haven’t signed a client from a #PitMad or #PitchMas, but I have signed clients from #MSWL and Brenda Drake’s Pitch Madness.
That said, I still keep an eye out and star Tweets whenever there is a Twitter pitch contest. I’m always looking for great new talent.
It’s not a deal breaker if you can’t write a 140 character pitch, but it sure does impress agents that you can boil your hook down like that.
Remember: A Twitter Pitch Contest is not a substitute for a query.
Now, are you ready for a contest? What’s your experience been with twitter pitch parties? What advice can you share with those jumping in for the first time?
Here are the dates for our upcoming #PitMad events:
#PitMad starts at 8AM and ends at 8PM EST
About Carly
Carly Watters began her publishing career in London, England at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency and Bloomsbury. She completed her MA in Publishing Studies at City University London with a thesis on the social, political and economic impact of literary prizes on trade publishing. Now a VP and Senior Literary Agent at the P.S. Literary Agency she is actively building her list and looking for new writers. Never without a book on hand, she reads across categories which is reflected in the genres she represents: women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, YA, literary thrillers and select non fiction. She has placed books at Penguin Group, Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Adams Media and more for her growing list of authors. Find her online at www.carlywatters.com and on Twitter @carlywatters.
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I'll be there on the 9th. Thanks for the heads-up.
Great opportunity. Wish these had been around when I was seeking an agent!
Oh, I just see one on Twitter, but I didn't understand this is for finding an agent NOW. I've just completed the last deep revision of my novel, but I know I need at least another revison, plus a polishing at the very least. So I'm not ready, right?
Ah, well, I'll wait for the next opportunity. Thanks so much for the post. I didnt' even know something like this existed.
These twitter pitch opportunities come up often. I've also seen individual agents announce that they'll be taking twitter pitches at a set time. Follow the agents you're targeting - you never know when an opportunity will pop up. 🙂
A helpful prep tool: online character counter: http://www.lettercount.com/
Thanks for the link, Carolee.
All great points and a contest will tell you if your pitch is getting noticed or if you need to go back and redo it. Thanks for tips.
Carly, I'd never even heard of Twitter pitches before reading this--what a useful guide you've given us! I have a contract for the next book (whew), but I'll definitely try this if I need to pitch a book next time! You sound like an amazing agent, btw.
It's an interesting exercise even if you're not necessarily pitching. Nothing like really drilling down to identify the hook for a plot reality check.
And I agree with your last comment. 🙂
Thanks for blogging with us, Carly!
These are great tips. I'm not eyeballing any twitter pitch contests, but I always go through the exercise of writing a pitch.
Great! Writing my tweets now.
My book is still a WIP, but love the concept of writing its essence in 140 characters. Thanks for this post.
Thank you for bringing me back to Earth! I was getting my pitches ready for tomorrow and then read this post and realized that: a. yes, I do feel rushed and b. my novel needs another revision and I freakin' know that. I'll breathe for a while and then be extra prepared for the next one.
Sounds like the right move, Hollie! Good luck with revisions.
This is fantastic. What a great post you've given us, Carly!
I'd never heard of these before. Thanks for taking the time to explain them.
There are so many opportunities out there. 🙂
I will be attending! Super excited. See you all on the 9th.
Oh fun. Good luck!!
[…] Ultimate Writers’ Guide To Twitter Pitch Contests via literary agent Carly Watters […]
Thanks for the reblog!
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This looks fabulous. Can't wait for the December one. What are the #'s for literary fiction and historical fiction? Many Thanks.
[…] news; The next Pitmad, a twitter pitch party is Dec. 4 and agent Carly Watters has great advice and tips on how to tweet your COMPLETED […]
[…] are two great posts about twitter pitches: one by Diana Urban, another by agent Carly Watters. Those and Brenda Drake’s page should give you an idea of what you should be aiming towards. […]
[…] Literary agent Carly Watters shares tips for success with twitter pitch contests.+ Here are the dates for our upcoming #PitMad events:December 4, 2014March 11, 2015June 4, 2015September 10, 2015December 4, 2015 […]
[…] Literary agent Carly Watters shares tips for success with twitter pitch contests. + Here are the dates for our upcoming #PitMad events:December 4, 2014March 11, 2015June 4, 2015September 10, 2015December 4, 2015 […]
So excited to participate. Thanks for the great advice!
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Getting ready for pitmad in a week! So I've got two quick questions:
How do you know if an agent has requested material after you've pitched a tweet?
And what if you have more than one book to pitch? Can you pitch more than once an hour in that case? Or would a good idea be to pitch the five books you have once an hour and then pitch them again the next hour etc? Yes, I do have five plus books to pitch...
[…] more information about Twitter Pitching visit this post by agent @carlywatters here and this post by #PitMad alum @DianaUrban here. And here find a post from Diana on how to filter […]
[…] this has been a thing for quite some time but I just discovered it recently – several times a year, writers from all genres use Twitter to […]
[…] be. Sure the pitches sound pretty good as I read them aloud. And I know my way around a log line (twitter pitch), but to put them out there where agents and publisher pick over […]
[…] more information, visit Diana Urban, Carly Watters […]
[…] more information about Twitter Pitching visit this post by agent @carlywatters here and this post by #PitMad alum @DianaUrban here. And here find a post from Diana on how to filter […]
[…] The Ultimate Writers Guide to Twitter Pitch Contests […]