Disclaimer: I really, really hesitate to give broad tips/advice online for a number of reasons. One, it’s based on my experience in a subjective industry. Two, the industry changes faster than my typing speed (103 wpm), so what I’m telling you worked for me might be wildly outdated in a month or a year.
All that to say, take my tips with a grain of salt. Give them a try if you want, make sure this newsletter isn’t 5 years old when you apply it, and tweak everything to fit you!
So without further ado, read on for my best advice for how to get noticed during crowded pitch events.
1. Pre-game
If you’re jumping into a pitch event last minute, there’s a good chance you’ll get buried. Even the sharpest, most eye catching pitches are struggling these days since the number of participating authors grows every round.
So how far in advance should you prepare, and what should you do?
1-2 weeks. I usually start pre-gaming as soon as I see the pitch event I’m interested in showing up on the timeline. If your timeline isn’t as curated as mine, you can search the hashtag for the event and filter by most recent posts.
You’re going to want to look out for posts along the lines of “I’m building my support list…” or “Comment to swap support!”
Then bookmark, like, comment, and promise to support everyone. I really mean everyone. Every possible person interested in giving/swapping support, make sure they’re on your list or you’re on theirs.
Every bit of engagement with your pitch on event day is going to make a difference. Agents/editors/presses don’t have time to scroll through every single one, so they’re mainly going to see the top ones.
2. Prepare everything ahead of time
If you want to increase your chances at success, procrastination is not your friend. Here are a few steps you should take in advance:
Read the host’s account and website front to back. Comb through everything. Take notes. Make sure you don’t miss a single obscure rule! You may need to fill out a form, or maybe the event is on a different platform you need access to beforehand.
Compile the hashtags you need to use for each pitch.
Draft your pitches based on the event’s stipulations (which you can re-use and re-work for every event). Oh, and make sure they fit the character limits!
Send pitches to friends to narrow down the best ones or get feedback to make them snappier. Do this earlier so your friends have time, because it’s nice to not spring things on people.
Add emojis if you can! These help pitches stand out. They’re great aesthetic bullet points. (But only if rules permit and there’s enough space with character limits.)
Create moodboards! If you aren’t blessed with an eye for aesthetics, get your writer/artist friends to help you. This visual is so important to help you stand out. (Again, only if rules permit.)
Begin a support list. (See the pre-game section above.)
Make sure your schedule is mostly clear on the day of the event. I usually have to work on pitch days, but I request to work from home that day with no travel. I also make sure not to schedule personal stuff on that day. Dinner is a frozen pizza. I do anything to make more time to engage with the event, which in turn boosts engagement on my pitches.
Schedule pitches. You can change the times later if you notice a lull during the event, but scheduling your first one to go out early during the event is key. The earlier you pitch, the more eyes will see it since there’s a flurry of activity first thing in the morning. By scheduling it to go out right away, you don’t have to worry if your alarm doesn’t go off or your internet cuts out.
3. Tweak the rules
Let me be clear, you shouldn’t break any rules, but if the rules are vague, make sure you’re taking advantage!
Here are some examples:
Rules do not specify if non-industry people are allowed to like pitches.
If this is the case, I would temporarily change my Twitter/X display name to “R. A. Betzer (you can like my pitch!)”
If I make a post saying people can like my pitches, a few might catch it and help boost my engagement, but if I change my display name, everyone who views my pitches will know to tap the like button.
Remember, it’s all about boosting your engagement so industry professionals are more likely to see your pitch at the top!
Rules do not specify if images/moodboards are allowed.
If you can make a moodboard, you absolutely should.
Readers and artists are almost all visual people. A moodboard makes a pitch standout, and I see time and time again that the top pitches during events are the ones with the best aesthetics. Even the most generic pitches get noticed if they have a banger moodboard.
So if you can, you should. Don’t skimp out on yourself. Put your best foot forward with all your best material. (And ask your artistic friends to help if your aesthetic eye isn’t quite as trained as you’d like it to be.)
I hate that I have to add this, but please do not use any AI images. There are so many well articulated articles and posts about why this is unethical, so I’ll just leave it at that. Credit the images you can (source them as ethically as possible), and if you do use AI images, please know I’m praying your pitch gets buried and never sees the light of day :)
Doesn’t hurt to add alt text either! Just makes you a decent human being.
4. Keep playing the lottery
I swear I do not condone gambling.
However! Based on simple statistics, the more shots you take, the higher your chances of something sticking. Throw that spaghetti at the wall, and just keep going.
There are dozens of pitch events every year, and new ones crop up every once in awhile too. Keep an eye on your timeline and mark your calendars when you hear of them. If you qualify for any of them, do your best to participate in every single one. You just never know who will could see it or when!
Success will vary, and it won’t always have to do with how you approach events. It can depend on any number of things (agent availability that day, too close to a holiday, wasn’t hyped enough beforehand, etc.). You just have to keep going!
I would be remiss to leave out this disclaimer though: please stop if it’s negatively affecting your physical or mental health. Querying and participating in pitch events is very similar to gambling, and it can have the same effects on your mind. Talk to your friends or therapist if you think you need help, because I promise querying can wait.
Final Thoughts
Look, we all need to accept that life is rarely fair. Hard work is only a portion of the industry. Luck and connections make up the rest, and they can sometimes take you further than hard work can.
It’s a sad fact, and one that I hate. I wish I could change it, but knowing I can’t on my own, I’m forced to work the system the same as everyone else to give myself the best chance when starting out. Maybe one day when I’m a best selling author with a lot of influence in the industry, I can make a bigger difference. For now, as a no-name just trying to get my foot in the door, I’m doing what I can.
But please please PLEASE stick to your standards! Don’t do things that go against the fundamental core of your being. For example, you’re never going to see me making up fake rage bait scenarios or kissing up to industry professionals I don’t respect. If others do that, that is their choice. At the end of the day, we’re all trying to make our dreams a reality and grow our careers.
Side note: if your practices involve using people as stepping stones or harming other people, I have a different opinion. DON’T DO THAT! TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT. Don’t use AI, plagiarize, or do any other unethical thing. If you do, I hope you don’t succeed, but you also risk the swift social justice masses crushing you into dust before you ever get a taste of your dream.
All this to say, the game is already rigged, and the people who learn how to work the game in their favor (ethically) will have a higher chance of success. Having a defeatist attitude and refusing to do more for yourself during pitch events isn’t going to do you any favors. If anything, it hinders you, and if you complain openly about it, it just makes you look bad.
Try to remember what you love too! Keep in mind that you’re not just jumping through hoops, but you’re creating opportunities for yourself. We get to be artists, we get to share our art with the world, and we get to connect with other artists in the process. Of course it’s disappointing if we go unnoticed and don’t get any agent likes, and you need to let yourself feel all the feelings (negative ones too), but we wrote entire beautiful novels, and that is something to be proud of.
I know it seems like a lot of work sometimes… Pitch events used to be simple, and now I’m telling you that I start weeks to a month in advance with more than a few hours of preparation. Unfortunately, it does take effort to stand out, but your book deserves it.