Twitter Pitch Events

​Should Authors Participate in Twitter Pitch Events?
 
YES!
 
Ever since the first time I heard of Twitter pitch events, I’ve been participating. First, as an author—which actually helped me a lot with my first published novel. After submitting and gathering feedback from those requests, I further revised the book until it became something I’m proud of.

​A pitch event, like #pitmad, #pitdark, #faithpitch, etc., is when authors craft a perfect pitch for their books and post it on Twitter. During the event and sometimes after, agents and editors will scroll through the feed and see if any of the pitches seem interesting to them. If they like it, then they’re requesting you send them a query and usually a few chapters.
 
I’ve always had nothing but positive experience with these. 
 
There are several reasons why authors should join in on these events.

1. Crafting a short pitch for your book is gold! You will need this pitch SO much. You’ll tell it to people in elevators who ask what you do, your neighbors when they ask about your book, and to readers at conventions and book fairs. It’s also handy in marketing your book on social media.
2. You’ll see if there’s interest in the traditional market. Not all genres lend themselves to traditional bookstores. I have a paranormal cozy mystery series I’m working on, for example. Cozy mystery wasn’t even listed as a genre on the last #pitmad. But there’s a hungry market for paracozies—but most are written by independent authors. Some urban fantasy falls into this category, as well. AND no matter what genre it is, it may not be what the industry professionals are currently looking for, and a pitch event helps us understand what they’re seeking.
3. You connect with other authors. One of the most lovely things authors do during these events is RT each other’s pitches, when they sound interesting. As a community, we support each other. I’ve connected with some wonderful authors through these over the years.
4. This may be stating the obvious, but they may lead to you getting an agent or landing a deal with a small publisher. For most writers, that’s what they’re there for… but there may be other reasons, as well. We’ll get into those in a minute. When your query is requested, it’s often moved to the top of the priority in an agent’s inbox. When I was an agent, I eagerly awaited the submissions I requested.

 

But what if you’re an indie author whose not really interested in tradition publishing… should you still pitch your work?
 
That depends. Are you open to working with an agent or editor of a smaller publisher? Do you just want to see which, if any, of your completed books may fit the traditional market needs? Are you just hoping to see which of your pitches resonates with the most people?
 
I think any or all of these is perfectly acceptable. Even though I’m an indie author, I still like to participate. I’m open to being a hybrid author someday if my ideal agent comes along. But my primary reason for pitching is to which pitches work best and what books have the most potential in the current market. I take this information in account when I work on my publishing schedules and plans.
 
Pitching is an art and it takes some practice. Learning the skill will make your author life a lot easier, though.
 
Over the years, I’ve drafted up a pitch formula that I like to use. If you’re interested in that—along with some examples—I’ve got a PDF for sale. I’ll leave the link below.
 
Next time you hear about a pitch event, I hope you’ll consider attending. They’re so fun and exciting. Plan not to do much that day besides updating your Twitter feed.

Get the Perfect Pitch Formula and Guide PDF