How to Twitter pitch your book

“All the writers I know got their agents through face-to-face agent pitch sessions.”
“Agents only get writers from queries.”
“Queries hardly get read.”
“You’ll never get an agent unless you know someone.”

I heard all of these things while looking for an agent. And friends, when contradictions as strongly as these cloud your mind with confusion and fear, it is of utmost importance to open up your mind and let them out.

This means: Query! Attend conferences! Twitter pitch! Pitch in person! Network!

I never cut off an avenue that could lead to an agent and in the end, it became a combination of everything that got me to where I am today. (Team Christa/McIntosh & Otis!)

I come from an advertising/marketing/public relations background. As a business writer, I’ve tackled everything from cardboard boxes, to Brazilian Buttlifts, to soccer moms. (Triple points for making a creative connection between all three of these. There are writing prompts everywhere people).

In writing for business, I learned to tone my once flowery and poetic way of writing into a short, succinct verbiage for whatever the room on the page allowed.

So when the Twitter Pitch contest #PitMad came across my radar years ago, I thought, here’s my chance! Knock 65,000 words down to 140 characters? Easy Peasy Havarti Cheesy.

If you’re not familiar with #PitMad, #Pitchmadness #PBPitch #Pitchwars #pitch2pub or the many others not listed here, they are Twitter parties where you have the opportunity to pitch your book to agents and editors with one tweet. Agents and editors peruse the hashtag and favorite pitches that they want to see. It’s a great way to get your manuscript into an agent’s hands and more so, get them excited about your work! It’s a little leg up from a straight query because they will be awaiting your manuscript.

Knocking your book down to 140 characters, whether it be a 400-word picture book or a 300,000- word epic fantasy…okay…maybe it seems a little daunting. But here are a few pointers to help you out. A few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way both from writing headlines, taglines and bikini lines (I almost wish I was kidding) to sell your ideas.

  1. There’s NO room for generalization.

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In Dead Poet’s Society, the late great Robin Williams once said, “So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”

You likely already understand this concept, you’re a writer after all, so don’t drop your principles for social media! Avoid any and all generalizations about your story. There is NO ROOM for that. You have 140 characters to get that agent or editor’s attention, so writing something like “When two worlds collide, big odds are at stake and only one can win” tells us NOTHING!

What makes your book unique? Tell us that. Is it a three-headed alien who steals the pain of people it touches? Is it a walking, talking glue stick paralyzed by a fear of drying out?

And most importantly, what’s at stake? Will Valentine’s Day fail to exist if the glue stick dries up? (hey, maybe I should start writing this one) Will the human race forget how to love if they don’t know pain?

It can be written as a question, or a statement, whatever makes it easiest to get these points across.

  1. Don’t get too cute.

We know, you’re a writer and you can craft the cutest sentence in the Twitterverse, but cute doesn’t always convey your story. Over the years, I thought I’d created some of the funniest Twitter pitches known to man but guess what? They got no traction. The ones that did were the ones that gave the unique plot and stakes all wrapped up into a pretty (but not cute) tweet.

  1. Use your voice!

Just because I told you not to be cute, doesn’t mean your Tweet shouldn’t show your voice. You’ve spent a lot of time crafting that voice for your manuscript, don’t lose it now! Read over some of your favorite parts of your manuscript (we all have them). Why do you love them so much? More than likely, it’s your voice. Maybe it’s the anxiety-ridden ramblings of the glue stick that make you feel actual panic. Or the eerie and stark air to the three-headed alien that has you ready to be taken to its leader.

Now look back at your Twitter pitch. Do you feel the same feels? You should.

  1. Avoid useless details.

You may gasp at the idea that I just called your very clever character’s name useless, but it is. Well, most likely. No one is doubting that you have great names, creative settings, brilliant secondary characters but unless they’re absolutely pertinent to getting the point of your story across, they are useless for this purpose. They’ll bog down your pitch. We don’t need to know that the glue stick’s name is Elmer. Cute, but it doesn’t matter because it takes up coveted space.

I’m all about the research. Go back on the old hashtags for some of these contests. Find the ones that got the most love. Figure out why. Sure, sometimes another writer may have the most sellable idea of all time, but more often than not, they got attention from agents because their pitch was clear, showed off their voice and offered up originality and high stakes.

So what might a succinct pitch look like?

When Glue Stick loses his cap, a fear of drying up sends him on a frantic search to save himself and Valentine’s Day.  (insert hashtags)  

This may not be perfect, but it follows the formula. I suggest making an entire page of these. They may seem very similar but it’s the best way to hone the perfect pitch. Read them out loud. Read them to a friend. DO NOT wait until the morning of the pitch party to write them.

There are different rules for each pitch party. Get familiar with the rules. Are you allowed one tweet? A certain amount per hour? Per day? Work with the rules and create your tweets based around them.

A bunch of pitch parties are right around the corner! Start crafting your pitches now. And may the favorites be ever in you favor.

Check out these upcoming Twitter pitch party links:

PB Pitch (Feb. 23): http://www.pbpitch.com
Pitch Madness (Feb 24): http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-madness/
PitMad (March 23): http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitmad/
#adpit (April 5): https://heidinorrod.wordpress.com/adpit-and-kidpit/
#kidpit (April 5): https://heidinorrod.wordpress.com/kidpit/

The truth about the bird’s acne

Sadie here. Today’s post is brought to you by the letter D for duped and the number 3 for my third finger…because it’s up in the air right now, facing my mom’s bedroom. Just because she can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.

To all my fellow bloglets out there who’ve been through something similar, this one’s for you:

Hunger Games

Today I discovered that Mother Bird’s been sneaking behind my back, taking before and after pictures of my face. Okay, it’s not like she tiptoed into my room while I was sleeping (though I wouldn’t put it passed her). She had me pose with my siblings for pictures right before bed (pajama snuggles! cheese!). I’m sans make-up, looking just shy of my worst when she lures me using tiny people, then crops my face to show how great the recent facial cleansing regimen has been to my skin.

Before: acne!

After: less acne!

{Pictures have been removed to halt further embarrassment to “face model”}

Thanks Mom. Having zits isn’t enough, let’s show the world a magnified portrait of my facial volcanoes.

I know there’s benefit from a good before and after picture, but there’s also a little thing called consent and our beloved Mother Bird? She doesn’t have it.

That’s all for now. If you need me, I’ll be holed up in my room researching photography and the law.

In truth,

Sadie Peck

 

Stef’s 2015 Year in Review

It is said that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but I happen to believe it’s right after Christmas when year-in-review and best-of lists swarm all forms of media. I guess I’m a sucker for nostalgia. This year, I’m making a short year-in-review for what has proved to be my most monumental year in writing (to-date, of course. I’m hoping it doesn’t go down in history that way).

I often get asked where I’m at with all of my writing projects. This should help sum it up, along with providing some tidbits I’ve learned about my writing, the publishing industry and myself.

2015 started off with a resolution or some may just say a goal (perhaps a recycled goal) of getting an agent.

I received suggested edits from an agent during a Twitter contest the previous year and was invited to revise and resubmit. I worked from September until January to polish up my manuscript and get it out. I waited for a response from the original agent, and after waiting six weeks, decided to put it forth into the world. I sent my manuscript to agents who also represent picture books as that is another interest of mine and to my pleasant surprise – ended up in talks with five different agents, three different offers and one agent signed and sealed by the end of the process! Amazing! Living on top the world! Right? Well sort of…

As with all writing roller coasters, it’s back to the computer for more edits. I was so excited for the direction THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BIRDS took after my edits, I couldn’t help but excited about the whole process.

In the meantime, my first creative non-fiction children’s book PLUTO SINGS THE BLUES and my second entitled DO IT MYSELFIE were polished up and officially sent on submission. Which is where those stand now and right before the end the year, THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BIRDS released itself into the publishing wild. So I am currently being reviewed by a variety of amazing editors. I pray that, just like the Bachelor (see Bachelor Agent Post), I will find my match made in heaven and you will someday in the not too distant future be able to check out my work.

Until then, I’m working on a yet to be titled contemporary YA work and praying hard every night that my writing finds its match with the right pair of eyes!

2016…Let’s do this.

xo stef wade green

#DIYBookClub – June

I signed my son up today for the summer reading program at the library and wished they had one for adults! But for now the #DIYBookClub is going to be as good as it gets. So without further ado, the category for the June #DIYBookClub is:

Read a book by an author you’ve read once and liked.

51L7YKlAiuL._AA160_This is a fun one for me. I often shy away from reading a second book by an author (at least for awhile) so I don’t keep too narrow of a scope in my reading. But when you read something you really like, chances are, the author will have more! And why wouldn’t you want more!

So this month, I am reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor & Park. I loved Eleanor & Park – the characters, the setting, the message – and I’m digging the premise for Fangirl. A Potterhead or Twi-hard or pick-your-fancy fan who is having trouble letting go.

Now I probably won’t get a cool pencil or my name up on a bulletin board for reading this, but I’m looking forward to digging in!

What will you be reading?

 

xo stef wade green

Evolution of a Young Adult Author


stef wade

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Stef Wade and I am a writer. You may know me from my work on cooking and home blog Haute Apple Pie, you may be a fellow writer, young adult novel enthusiast, encouraging friend or perhaps we have the same DNA. Whatever your reason, welcome to stefwade.com, my own little creative corner of the internet.

For those of you visiting from Haute Apple Pie, don’t worry! I will still be hanging out in my kitchen, blogging about my latest recipes. For those of you who prefer take out or store your shoes in your oven, this site probably suits you better.

I do not plan to constantly blog about myself, but I do want to give some background so you can better understand who is writing these words and why. I was born in Chicago and grew up in the northwest suburb of Des Plaines, nestled along the train tracks. My hometown later became the inspiration for my novel, SOMETHING TO PROVE, which I am currently looking to publish.

From the very moment I put pen to paper, I knew writing was my passion. I’ll never forget the one-sided worksheet given for my first second grade creative writing assignment. My large, bubbly words extended far off the front, on to the back and to the extra sheets sitting at the front of the room. I was angry when time was up and we moved onto math. I had more to say.

Early on I dreamed of being a writer and later turned my writing dreams toward more “practical” areas, leading me to a degree in advertising, advanced degree in business administration and a career in marketing. While writing about corrugated cardboard boxes sounds sexy, it only quenches your thirst for creativity for so long. After giving birth to my son, I knew I had two callings. First: to be the best mom I can be. Second: to be the best writer I can be.

Through the turns and turmoils, I thoroughly enjoyed my adolescence and loved my junior high, high school and college experiences. Channeling that time is easy and accessible for me. Because of this, I’m drawn to young adult fiction and have chosen the path of a young adult author.

So here I am! Looking to make my dreams come true. I have a completed young adult contemporary fiction novel titled SOMETHING TO PROVE, for which I’m currently seeking representation and publication.

As for stefwade.com, this is a place where creativity abounds, including inside looks at my latest works, special novel “extras,” poetry, young adult news, good reads, creative writing exercises and more. Whether you are a reader or a writer (or both!), I invite you to join me in my journey. After all, it’s the friends you make along the way that make journeys worth your while.

Thanks for reading!

xo stef wade green