Hello to whoever is reading this, welcome! If you’ve stumbled on this post it’s because you’re looking to participate in a pitch event on Twitter and are looking for some tips on how to make your pitches stand out? I am absolutely no expert but I have participated in many pitch events while querying where I landed my first pair of agents (who I am no longer with), gained the eyes of editors, and other prospective agents at the time. I have learned a thing or two about pitching and would love to extend the knowledge that I have to the rest of you writers out there!

I also thought typing everything up here may be a little easier to read through than a Twitter (X) thread!

So, let’s get started on the tips.

1. When to Tweet

This question always seems to circulate around pitch event announcements. Times have definitely changed since pitch events started and the rule of thumb has ALWAYS been to tweet early, and truthfully, I still stand by that because you get the rush of other writers as well who are looking to hype up your pitches and work, this helps you to show up more in the algorithm. Remember, pitch events are about connecting, so show up for your fellow writers as they are for you!

If the event starts at 8AM, try and post around 8:05, 8:10 and so on, then again mid-morning, and again in the afternoon – DEPENDING ON PITCH EVENT RULES! Every event is different in terms of their rules.

BUT I’M NOT A MORNING PERSON/I’LL BE AT WORK

There’s a solution for this, don’t you worry! You can pre-plan your pitches and schedule your tweets by using Tweet Deck or from what I’ve seen, using X/Twitter on desktop. I always schedule my posts the night before and they are always sent out on time!

2. Be Concise

This is extremely hard to do and something I myself struggle with outside of Twitter, hello we’re story teller’s, we’re not meant to be concise! Until today. Pitch events force us to consolidate our 60,000 to 120,000 word book into a measly 280-character long tweet so conciseness is our only option and our only friend if we want to fit our comp titles, our pitch, and our hashtags at the bottom. Practice your pitches and get rid of unnecessary bulky words and fluff.

3. There is No Correct Formula

A standard formula that is seen on Twitter/X and has helped me a lot in terms of pitching is simply this: MC (main character) + Plot + Stakes = why the hell an agent/editor cares.

“When MC does blank this happens and this is what can go wrong/what they will lose.” Even leaving the agents/editors on a bit of a cliffhanger is okay as well.

Other methods use listicles, one liners, and of course mood boards if allowed.

4. Use Relevant Comp Titles!

This is very important, if you want your dream agent/editor to get an idea of the ‘vibe,’ or feel of your book, make sure that you use comparable titles that describe it well! You want to use titles that people will know, ones that will gain traction. Typically for books, think the last 3 years, for movies/shows anything that has a large following.

5. Utilize Your Hashtags!

Make sure that you do not forgot to add in your hashtags to your pitch! First of all they are needed to participate in the event/get seen but you also want to make sure that you are reaching the right agents with your pitch. For example, usually pitch events will provide with a list of hashtags they recommend for genre like #T for thriller, #PN for paranormal and so on. #YA, #A, #MG is also usually the standard all around.

6. Pin Your Tweet

Remember to pin your favorite pitch/the pitch that has the most traction thus far to your profile so that when you share other writers’ tweets, your pitch doesn’t get lost in the shuffle on your profile and they can do the same for you.

7. Have Fun

To sit there and put together a condensed version of your book is A LOT of work and brain power so when the time comes for you to tweet your pitches/ideas into the Twitterverse/Xverse remember, this is meant to be a fun and exciting time!

The rush you feel when you send out your pitches and receive likes, comments, or follows is out of this world to describe, so remember have fun with it!

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

Quote tweet, and comment on other writer’s pitches to show support! Double-check the rules in terms of RTing & QTing for what is preferred from the guidelines.

Don’t:

Like other writer’s pitches. I understand you want to encourage other writer’s and cheer them on, hell, that’s what we look forward to in these events (aside from interest from agents) but please refrain from liking other writer’s pitches.

Why?

Liking pitches is usually for agents/editors only during these events. When a mix of writers and agents/editors start to like a certain pitch, the agent/editor likes tend to get lost in the shuffle.

Do:

Make sure you have the right amount of pitches ready per pitching guidelines.

Do:

Use hashtags to attract your dreams agents

Don’t

Pitch them directly or tag them UNLESS specifically asked for it on their profile!

Do:

Have fun during this event and interact with other querying writers! You can meet some incredible people during this event and grow your follower count with like-writers!

Don’t:

Worry about the amount of likes you receive during this event! Some incredible pitches get lost in the shuffle and not all agents get a chance to see your ideas! Remember that as long as they are open to queries, you can still query these agents without a like. I know this is easier said than done, but try.