Every few months, an event called Pitch Madness (#PitMad) takes place on Twitter. What’s #PitMad, you ask? To put it simply, it’s a fast and efficient way for writers to find publishers, and for publishers to find prospective talent. During #PitMad, writers must condense their manuscripts into a 140 character tagline and Tweet it with the #PitMad hashtag. Publishers watch the tags and favorite the posts that interest them. A favorite is basically the publisher’s way of saying, “We want to know more!” At that point, writers send a query letter and the first 10 or 20 pages of their manuscript to the publishers. Who knew that one little Twitter favorite could mean so much?
There are several reasons why #PitMad is such an awesome event. First, it really opens the doors of communication between writers and publishers. Writers usually have to go through a few channels at the publishing house before they can talk to an editor, so receiving immediate feedback (a favorite, in this case) is incredibly significant. This direct contact expedites the proposal process, saving time for both the writer and publisher.
Secondly, a writer’s Tweets can actually signify whether or not they are a good writer. One of my professors once said that the best writers are those who can say the most using the least amount of words. This is especially true during #PitMad, because authors have to try to garner interest for their manuscripts with just 140 characters. On average, that’s less than 30 words! If a writer’s tiny little Tweet is well written and interesting, there’s a solid chance that their manuscript will be the same. On the other hand, a poorly written Tweet can indicate a bad writer, so publishers know to steer clear.
And finally, #PitMad is just good fun. It’s an exhilarating challenge that also gives writers an easy way to meet and talk to one another.
Unfortunately, #PitMad is over for March, but the event will return on June 4th!
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