If you never heard of a Pitch Party and you are a self-published author you may want to check this out.
During a pitch party, which happen within a scheduled timeframe, writers pitch their manuscript on Twitter with a hashtag to make them searchable. Agents and editors read them, and if they want to see more of your work they will "like" or "heart" your tweet. If that happens, it means you have received an invitation to submit your query or manuscript to the agent! Exciting! Pitch parties is a quick and easy way to connect with people in the industry.
Before I share with you a list of popular Twitter pitch parties, let us review a few things that will make a difference in your experience.
THE PITCH
The pitch is like the first one to two sentences of your query letter. It needs to get the agent's attention. What is the most exciting thing you can say about your story? Is it unique? Agents who participate scan through hundreds of tweets, there needs to be something that will grab their attention. The best way to go about it is to practice writing your pitch and when you think it's ready, read it to people that will tell you the truth.
YOUR TWITTER PRESENCE
Your picture and profile are important. How you present yourself to the industry as a whole is also being evaluated by the agent. Not just your pitch.
THE RULES
Each party has their own rules. Follow them carefully. Be sure to check out their website for their guidelines. For example, pitch parties start and end at specific times. They also may limit the number of times you can post your pitch within that time frame.
Also, make sure you do not like or heart someone else's pitch, that is for the agent to do. And once they do, be prepared to do the research. Each agent has his submission process. Go to their website and again, follow the rules.
THE PARTIES
Here is a list of popular Twitter pitch parties I know of. There may be more popping up since this has been an accessible and convenient way for agents to connect with writers. If you know of others, let us know, we would love to share it too. Thanks for reading and good luck with your Twitter parties!
#PBPitch , http://www.pbpitch.com/pbpitch-twitter-event.html
Is exclusive for Picture Books. Next event will be, Thursday, June 20th, 2019 (8am to 8pm EST).
#PitMad, https://pitchwars.org/pitmad/
According to their website, every unagented writer is welcome to pitch. All genres/categories are welcomed. Events occurs quarterly. June 6, 2019 (8am - 8pm EST), September 5, 2019 (8am - 8pm EST), December 5, 2019 (8am - 8pm EST).
#DVPit, http://dvpit.com/
Their website states it is for the marginalized authors & illustrators only. April 23, 2019 (8am - 8pm EST) for Children's & Teen Fiction/Nonfiction. April 24, 2019 (8am - 8pm EST) for Adult Fiction/Nonfiction.
#SFFPit, http://dankoboldt.com/sffpit/
For fantasy or science fiction stories. Twice a year party, for all age categories (PB, MG, YA, NA, and adult). Visit their site for more information.