Why Pbpitch?
There aren't many contests or pitch parties that are exclusive to picture books. Many of us picture book writers love participating in twitter parties, but we felt that the pitches were getting swallowed up in the mass twitter feed. We wanted an event where only picture book writers could pitch their manuscript in hopes of having an agent see it.
#PBPitch is different than other twitter pitch events in that it is exclusively for picture books, but also writers are only allowed to pitch manuscripts once in the morning and once in the evening. This way, agents can visit #pbpitch and easily scroll through the feed without seeing repeats or other genres.
We are hoping this will attract more agents to check out our pitches during that day.
Here is a great link to understand the basics of pitching during a Twitter party:
How to Participate in a Twitter Party
F.A.Q.
1. If I have more than one PB, can I pitch more than one?
Yes! You can pitch as many manuscripts as you have polished. But pitch each manuscript only twice. For example, if you have 3, you can pitch each manuscript once in the morning (before 2 PM) and once in the evening (after 2 PM). So that would mean you could post 6 total times. ( 3 manuscripts x 2 pitches each.) Again, you can pitch as many manuscripts as you like.
2. Twitter now allows pitches to be 280 characters. Can my pitch be up to 280 characters?
Yes! BUT, keep in mind, the agents and editors who stop by the feed do not spend their entire day casually reading the feed. They are very busy and just stop in when they have time. Big blocks of text will likely get skipped. A brief, concise pitch is still likely to your advantage.
3. If I am an illustrator, can I participate?
Absolutely! If you have a completed manuscript you want to pitch and have an illustration to go with it, you can add it to the tweet. But it must be an illustration that accompanies a completed PB manuscript.
4. Does my manuscript have to be completed?
Yes. Please only pitch completed and polished manuscripts.
5. Do I have to have Twitter to participate in this event? Or can I do this through email?
You must have a twitter account to participate. There is no way to tweet by email.
6. How can I see other people's pitches? How will agents be able to see them?
Once you have a Twitter account it will make more sense. But when you are in Twitter, you can type into the search box #pbpitch. And all the tweets that have that in their tweet will show up in the feed. Which means you must include #pbpitch with your tweet.
7. I tweeted my pitch in the morning, but when I tried it in the afternoon, Twitter said I already said that. What should I do?
Yep. Twitter won't allow you to post the exact same tweet twice. All you need to do is reorder some things in the tweet. It can be as simply as putting #pbpitch at the beginning of the tweet versus the end.
8. I'd love to show my fellow writers/illustrators that I love their pitch. I know I shouldn't "heart" their pitch. Can I retweet their pitch to show my support?
With so many people pitching, retweeting clogs up the feed and likely makes it harder for agents and editors to sift through the feed. To show your support for your fellow creators, reply to their pitch with a comment. And of course, follow them!
9. I'm agented. Can I pitch at #PBPitch?
#PBPitch is intended for unagented writers to connect with editors or agents. But feel free to check out the feed to see what editors are liking. If you have a manuscript that feels like a good fit for that editor, ask your agent to send the story to them!
10. An agent hearted my pitch! Should I post my entire PB on twitter for them to read?
No. Please don't. Agents usually say on Twitter how they want you to query them. And if they don't or you are unsure, check their submission guidelines and don't forget to mention in your query that they hearted your pitch on #PBPITCH.
11. What time zone is this event?
8a.m.-8p.m. Eastern.
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