As always, this Pitch Wars event isn’t simply about grabbing the attention of your dream agent or publisher. It is also about connecting with the writing community.
Taking part, I gained more followers. People retweeted my pitch to show support and help it get noticed and some even commented to let me know they liked my idea which is really encouraging. Further down you will find a collection Tweets that sum out the event for me.
The Manuscript Wishlist
One Tweet that was incredibly useful was by @RebeccaFKenney1 who told me about #MSWL. I never knew that agents tweet about the manuscripts they are wishing for. A quick search for “#MSWL Mermaid” sorted by most recent, brought up the two agents she had sign posted me to.
I have now discovered that on 24 September 2019 is #MSWL Day when agents will tweet their wish list to help authors find their match. I shall be adding that to my Literary Calendar which you can access to discover useful literary dates.
How successful was I?
Tinsel Tiger (picture book) – 4 likes (none were agents or publishers)
Jewel of the Sea (YA fiction) – 5 likes (three by publishers)
I will research these publishers to see if I feel they are a good fit for me before submitting. On initial inspection, one of them really appeals to me due to their ethical values.
Sadly, there will always be con artists looking to prey on the vulnerable. It is easy to manipulate someone if you promise you can make their dreams come true.
When I started modelling I was aware of rogue agencies that offer to build you a portfolio for a charge. They sell it as your big break and that it will open doors for you into the industry but the truth is it is just a photography package. There is nothing wrong in paying a photographer if you want photos, but don’t be fooled into thinking it will guarantee you work.
If an agency really likes you, they won’t charge you for the privilege. You should never have to pay your employer for the opportunity to work. Especially with no guarantee of any return.
Sadly, writers don’t always realise this. With so many barriers to the publishing industry they are relieved when they finally get an interested agent that sometimes they fail to check them out. They are so happy they naively agree to costs their agent tells them are necessary to start the publishing process. This is untrue. The only time you would pay up front to publish is if you wish to self-publish or if you have chosen to use a vanity publisher.
Travis Heerman
Here is a story by Travis Heerman about his early experience of the industry. He was conned out of a large sum of money in pursuit of his dream, by a scam that seemed to never end. Even worse, he was not alone. Cautionary Tales for writers – part 1.
Travis shared his story in the hopes of saving other hopeful writers from the same heartache and stress he went through.
I would like to highlight that one of the defendants (found guilty in court) of this scam was a man named Don Phelan. Why this is interesting will be raised later.
September 2018
During the September 2018 #PitMad event I got a request by Burchette and Ferguson, however, I chose not to follow up and send them my MS as I was put off by their website and here is why. They had only existed for three weeks and had no details about who worked at their company or their background.
I started drafting this article in February 2019 (screenshot below) and checked out their website again only to be greeted by the a message informing me that they are preparing for their big launch and the site had been down since October 2018!
However, I checked the site again today (almost a year later), 1 September 2019, and the site no longer exists!
With Pitch Wars #PitMad (September 2019) in just a few days, I felt it was a good time to remind people that just because someone likes your pitch, doesn’t mean you have to send it to them. This company was ‘preparing for a big launch’ a month afterwards that I don’t think every happened, and vanished in less than a year.
February 2019
This year I have been connecting more with other writers on Instagram. It’s been great for motivation, support and tips. One of the connections is The Writers Advisor.
On 20 February, they posted about a Literacy Agency actively seeking submissions. Here is the post.
It wasn’t clear to me at the time that they are a Literary Agency. I thought it was a post they were sharing. I said I would check it out later.
Later on, I visited the site but could not find any details about who works there or any authors already signed or books published. So, I returned to Instagram to comment publically asking if they knew anything about which agents work there.
They responded with a private message:
It might be a coincidence and a completely different Don Phelan to the one in the publishing fraud case but with the lack of further information I decided to pass on sending him/her my manuscript.
Then Don replied to my message publicly on 23 February 2019.
His response strikes me as rather rude. I understand that when I query I am hoping the agent would like to work with me but it is a two way partnership. I always research an agent before I query to check they are a good fit for me too, otherwise I’m just wasting their time. His/her response gave me clarity that they were not someone I wanted to work with.
Do you need an agent?
If you are looking to traditionally publish then you’ll find most publishers won’t deal with writers directly. It will say no ‘unsolicited manuscripts’ meaning you’ll need an agent to approach them on your behalf.
It is important to research Literary Agents to ensure they are a good fit for your book, someone you want to work with and most of all to ensure they are authentic. Don’t fear, there are simple ways to check them out:
Agent History
For example, check the agents history. Legit agencies often have a page about the agents and the authors they’ve signed. They often promote the books they got published as their success is a reflection on them.
New literary agents often start out supporting an experienced agent, which gives them a platform to prove themselves and some assurance to writers and publishers that they either know what they are doing or are surrounded by the guidance of those that do.
You may be able to find their employment history on LinkedIn or try a website like Writer Beware to see if anyone else has raised concerns about them. You can also buy Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook by Bloomsbury Publishing (check for the latest version as it is updated annually).
Online presence
At the very least they should have a website with a profile to tell you a little about who they are and what they are in to. Check to see how the site been published. Businesses use the internet to have a presence so if they have not been around long, you need to ask why? Have they re-branded and if so who were they before. Are they just starting out and what previous experience have they got.
Not all Literary Agents use social media, however, most do and it is beneficial to discover more about them. Are they promoting books/authors they’ve represented and how well have they done? What are their interests and would they enjoy your book? See how active they are and how long they’ve had their account.
Conduct
How do they behave? Many agents are drowning in submissions. It is highly unlikely they will have time to look for you and request a submission. They only time agents will reach out to someone is for non-fiction if you’ve done something that they feel their audience would be interested in and wish to ask you to write about it.
They should be upfront about what they are able to offer you and answer your questions in a professional manner. If they start hounding you with phone calls trying to push you to spend money, then you should block them and move on.
If they are rude or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts. It takes on average two years to get traditionally published! If that sounds long, it’s going to feel even longer if you don’t like them.
I wish you every success and hope this post has been helpful in what to look for when considering who to send your novel to. It is a personal decision and you have to do what feels right for you.
I took part in the Pitch Wars event on 6 December 2018.
This event takes place on Twitter on scheduled dates throughout the year and is for Unagented writers, editors and agents. Dates for 2019 are:
March 7, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EDT)
June 6, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EDT)
September 5, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EDT)
December 5, 2019 (8AM – 8PM EST)
Writers
The unagented writers must have completed, polished manuscripts. They can write up to three pitches per story. pitches must include the #PitMad tag. It should also have tags to show what genre the story is.
If their tweet is liked, they can submit to that editor or agent. Here are my pitches:
*****
The Little Mermaid crossed with XMen in a British high school.
Being a storm summoning mermaid gives a new meaning to ‘it’s complicated’. #YA #UF #PITMAD #Mermaid
This coming of age story has all the firsts as well as magic and shape shifting.
*****
She’s crushing on her BFF, rivalling with the swim team star and about to discover she’s a mermaid! With a magic meddling mum & an impending battle with the death crows, she must gain control of her storm summoning powers before she kills! #YA #UF #PITMAD #Mermaid
*****
DAWSON’S CREEK X THE SECRET CIRCLE
In this ‘fishy tail’, Mariah’s love life is just the ‘spark’ of her problems!
Her storm summoning powers are connected to her emotions & if she can’t control them then the death crows will come for her soul!
#YA #UF #PITMAD #Mermaid
*****
Editor/Agent
If they like a pitch, its a request. They should make their submission criteria clear. It is up to the writer whether they want to submit – they are under no obligation to do so.
Other Twitters
They can share or comment on your pitches to support you but must avoid temptation to like because.., see editor/agent above.
I didn’t get any requests which is a shame as that was my ultimate goal.
This time, I do feel better about my pitches but there is always room for improvement. I managed to spread my tweets out over the course of the event. I also enjoyed discovering lots of new Twitter writers to follow who write in the same genre as me.
Have you given #PitMad a go or are you thinking about it?
If you found this post interesting, you may also enjoy:
Last month I did #PitMad. This Twitter event is where writers tweet a pitch for their book. Interested editors/agents like the tweet to request a submission. Writers then check the submission guidelines and submit if they are interested.Twitters can support writers by retweeting the pitch – but must not like (only agents/editors can like).
The event took place on 6 Sept. Pitches must fit in one tweet and be for a complete and polished manuscript. You can tweet three times for each novel within the 24h period. The tweet can be the same pitch or different. You can pitch more than one novel during the event.
There were loads of amazing pitches. I easily could have given into the voices of doubt in my head and been intimidated. But, if I don’t try new things, I’ll never learn. If I shy away from putting myself out there then I’ll never achieve my dream of being published. It was scary but I’m pleased I did it.
I only joined the event during the final hours. If I were to participate again in future, I’d spread my three tweets out throughout the day.
I noticed many writers compared their book to two titles already in the market. I’ve never done this so it might be good for future thought.
Request
I did get a like! Getting a like was very exciting, I felt as if I had finally made it and my husband had to remind me that although they’ve requested I submit, it doesn’t mean they will sign me.
In fact, turns out, just because they requested my manuscript doesn’t mean I have to submit to them. After looking at their website, I choose not to submit…
Why? The publisher is a new print launching in the Fall. That’s not a problem. Their website was incomplete and their facebook page had only been active for three weeks. I could have ignored all this if I could find out about the agents background in publishing but there is nothing. No history.
My heart sank as I realised, this might not be the big break I had thought it was. I’ll keep my eye on Burchette and Ferguson but until I know more about who is behind the company and what they can offer me, I will leave it for now.
The future
The next #PitMad is on 6 Dec and I’d love to hear your tips so I am better prepared next time. Have you done #PitMad? Can I see your pitch? How do you decide what book is most like yours? Do you think I was right to ignore my request?
I’d like to do more Twitter events. I wish there was somewhere I could go to find out about events taking place. Do you know of such a place?
Earlier this month, Curtis Brown held a twitter event called #AskAnna where Anna Davis was online to answer questions about writing and publishing. She is an author and worked in publishing for over a decade and delivers some of the CB Creative courses.
The event was good fun – although, a little slow to start. Afterwards, I thought of more questions I wish I had asked but this was my first twitter Q&A that I’ve participated in. Usually, I can’t attend as I’m at work.
If you couldn’t make it, you’ll be pleased to know I saved the Q&As I found most useful from the event (start at the bottom and scroll up):
I hope CB do more Twitter events in future and that I can attend. This was good fun. Best of all, it was great to be invited to ask questions as I then knew we were welcomed and not a nuisance. I would love to hear of more a Twitter events – have you done any?
In 2017, I completed the Curtis Brown course Start Writing Your Novel. Click here to read my review about it. I’m really tempted to do more courses with them but at the moment, I don’t have the time or money.
The Literacy Consultancy looks really good but, again, I don’t have the money to pay for their services at the moment. They edit and review manuscripts and advise of marketability and who to approach and have a mentor scheme where someone with experience supports you with in-depth advice on your novel. I can’t believe I’ve not heard of this organisation until now! Have you?
