If you’ve followed a bunch of writers on Twitter then the chances are that you’ve seen people pitching their books using the hashtag #PitMad (PitMad). But many are still confused about what this is.
PitMad is an original twitter pitch event, where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. No previously published works are allowed here, as agents will be combing through the many pitches in this hashtag. And agents are looking for completely unpublished works that they can pitch to book publishers.
During a #PitMad event, the idea is that agents and editors will connect with authors by Liking the Tweeted pitches.
These #PitMad events happen quarterly, so if you haven’t quite finished your manuscript yet and want to participate, it’s better that you make yourself aware of when the next #PitMad day will be.
Here’s a list of upcoming #PitMad dates:
Who Organizes PitMad?
#PitMad is organized by a non-profit organization named Pitch Wars. Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each to mentor. Click here to find out more about the organization and what they have to offer writers.
What are some PitMad Success Stories?
A vast number of writers have been connected with agents through the PitMad process. And in fact, one of my very own friends landed an agent by taking part in the event last year, and I’m extremely excited to finally see her work hit the market.
There’s also a success story you can read right here on Medium, as well as many writers on Twitter who are happy to share their success. I recommend looking through the #PitMad hashtag the day after an event to find some writers raving about their success.
When Should You Enter #PitMad?
If you’re a writer with a finished (and polished) manuscript that has not been published or uploaded anywhere online, you should certainly think about entering PitMad. There’s no guarantee that an agent will be interested in your work, but I feel like this will be a good exercise for learning how to pitch and promote your work in the longterm. And even if your work isn’t picked up through PitMad, that doesn’t mean you can’t still query your work with agents later on.
Remember, all genres are welcome in #PitMad.
Thinking About Submitting a Pitch Even Though You’re Not Finished?
My advice as an author and ghostwriter is…don’t do it. You’re only making things harder for yourself.
Let’s say your manuscript still needs another 20,000 words before it’s finished. And even after it’s finished, you still need to re-read the entire project to make sure it’s clean and coherent. Imagine that you go ahead and pitch during PitMad anyway, only for an agent to love your idea. And then they ask you to send over your completed manuscript for their observation.
First of all, that agent probably already has a dozen projects from authors to deal with, so them taking the time to ask for your work is a big deal. But now you’re faced with the dilemma of not having a finished manuscript.
This leaves you with two options: either you stay up all night drinking several cups of coffee so you can pump out those 20,000 words and re-read your entire story from start to finish. Or…you fess up and tell them that you haven’t actually finished yet. If you take the latter approach, it could possibly lead to the agent losing interest in working with you because you can’t follow simple instructions.
Have there been authors who got an agent from PitMad without a finished product? Absolutely. But it’s not in your best interest to disobey this rule. Do yourself a favour and plan ahead for the next PitMad date instead.
Here are some Tips and Best Practices for Entering #PitMad:
- Your pitch must fit inside a single Tweet. No Twitter threads allowed.
- Plan ahead and write a bunch of pitches beforehand. Think about which one explains your book the best. Maybe even get a second-opinion.
- You may only tweet three pitches for each manuscript throughout the day. They can be the same pitch or different pitches. If you do this then space the tweets out so they publish four hours apart.
- Include a hashtag for your genre or category.
- Do NOT attach pictures unless it’s an illustration for a Picture Book, Graphic novel, or other material that includes illustrations.
- Do NOT include links. Many agents use search filters that will render tweets with links invisible to them.
- If you are supporting a friend who is pitching their work, a Retweet helps them more than a Like will. This is because agents are conscious about a pitch being Liked already as they may think another agent has already claimed it. As a matter of fact, only agents should be Liking the pitches, but of course this isn’t always the case as you can’t control who Likes a post on social media. To reiterate: Rewteeting helps your friend’s pitch more than a Like.
- If you’re contacted by an agent or industry professional, be sure to check their profile and credentials to ensure they are legitimate. Scammers and vanity publishers are everywhere. Remember that you shouldn’t have to hand over any money to anyone. You also have the right to decline working with an agent or professional if you feel they might not be able to represent you in the best way.
- In an effort to amplify black voices—who have been severely under-represented in the publishing industry—agents will also be looking at pitches with the hashtag BVM (Black Voices Matter) during a #PitMad event. If you’re a black author, definitely utilize this.
- DO NOT tag an agent or professional to your Tweet unless they Tweet you first.
- If you can’t be on Twitter that day, schedule your Tweets ahead of time with Tweetdeck.
- Even if you’ve published a book before, you can still pitch a book that has not been published before.
The tips above are based on my own research and knowledge of the process, and I also mixed in some tips directly from the Pitch Wars site. For a full list of rules and guidelines, visit the PitMad page.
I hope that this post has been helpful for those who want to know more about PitMad. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments below!
