I participated in my first Twitter pitch contest yesterday. You pitch your book in 280 characters, add hashtags, shake, throw salt over your shoulder, and hope a literary agent "likes" your tweet.
If one does, you're welcome to query that agent--which of course you could do anytime anyway. But if the agent liked your tweet, then you get to add "PitMad" to your query's subject line, prompting the agent to respond with greater haste.
Got it?
I'm glad I played. I read some really interesting pitches, which I feverishly retweeted. That's part of the game. Due to Twitter's mechanics it's not enough to present a solid pitch. You also need it to get seen, which means in order to stand a chance, the tweet must attract a small army of comments and retweets.
Therefore, it also behooves you to repost every few hours, though no more than three times and it can't be exactly the same post. That's the rule.
I tried my best. The pace is fast. Thank you to friends and fellow writers who helped; apologies to those I didn't end up retweeting because I missed your request.
Alas, to nobody's surprise, I did not receive any agent likes. That's okay. I'm a rookie. I'll keep at it: improving my manuscript, pitching the old-fashioned way.
But for a day, I got to hang out with a community of peers all chasing the same goal: for someone to love our book.
Good luck to us all!
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TWEET 1
After drones explode in deadliest-ever US attack, couple in rocky marriage make perilous trek home from Vegas to kids in Houston. Roads close, supplies thin; it may not be over. Multiple POV (18yo son+parents). Truths uncovered; stakes=survival. Lit/commercial. #PitMad#A#LF#T
TWEET 2
Couple in rocky marriage make perilous 1,500-mile trek to teen+kid home alone after deadliest attack in US history (drones explode). Roads close, supplies thin; may not be over. Tight look at 3 POV characters. Truths uncovered; stakes=survival. Lit/commercial. #PitMad #A #LF #T
TWEET 3
END OF BEFORE: An average family must reunite and survive after WWIII attack on the United States. Choices are made: family or fellow man or country first? Literary/upmarket/book club. #PitMad#A#LF#T
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