Hello, dreamers. It’s now mid-August, which means I’m preparing to dive back into the query trenches. I feel much better prepared now than I did prior to my “soft test” of five queries in late spring. I have a new support network within the writing community, and I believe I’m truly on the right track. In the coming weeks, armed with a vastly-improved manuscript and a shiny new query letter, the mission will begin.

However, the truth is there’s a lot more to publishing a novel than just firing off queries in today’s literary market. You have to market yourself, to build hype. And one of the ways to do that is by participating in Twitter pitch events.

Pitch Events

Regular readers will remember that a few weeks ago I participated in #QuestPit. Those who are not writers (and are sane) may have found themselves asking the question, “What the heck is #QuestPit”?

#QuestPit is a Twitter pitch event. There are numerous such events scattered throughout the year. During pitch events, aspiring authors with query-ready manuscripts put up posts about their books, often with eye-catching taglines, emojis, or wild comps (I’ve pitched my novel as “STAR TREK meets JURASSIC PARK in space”). Officially, the goal of most of these events is to attract the attention of literary agents or editors. In the early days, these events were often touted as a way for writers to effectively bypass the traditional query process (which all authors hate, as longtime readers might have gathered from these posts). But over time, they’ve evolved to become hype events: a way for querying writers to get their names out there.

Though pitch events began to fade following the end of Pitch Wars (which managed the long-running #PitMad event), in the past few years they’ve multiplied and diversified. There’s now a wide range of events, some of which cater to specific demographics (events geared toward BIPOC authors, or #QueerPit for LGBT writers). Others focus on a specific format. #QuestPit, for instance, asks authors to use media other than writing to pitch their work (illustrations, mood boards, playlists, videos, etc.). And today’s event, #PosterPit, asks writers to create movie posters for their novels.

Though there’s always a chance posts in a pitch event will, in fact, draw a coveted “like” from an agent or editor, even if your posts don’t attract industry attention there’s still value in participation. Not only does it raise your profile and get your name on everyone’s lips, but it’s a great way to connect with other writers. Every time I’ve participated in a writing event, I’ve come away with new friends, and gotten in touch with wonderful people who’ve helped me along, and who I’ve been happy to help along in turn.

As we’re wont to say in the writing community, fellow writers aren’t your competition, they’re your teammates. We’re all in the same boat, and when we work together, the tide raises all ships. So if you’re reading this and you’re on Twitter, consider popping in and checking out #PosterPit today. Who knows, you might find your next favorite book! – MK