Now, before you ignore this blog post, know that I thought the idea of a twitter-sized pitch was silly at first too, but then I began to appreciate its importance. We novelists don't have the greatest track record for brevity, but when it comes to actually pitching your novel to a professional, brevity comes in handy.
Shortly after I finished editing my debut novel, the coronavirus pandemic hit, thereby limiting my options for pitching my work in person to an agent or a publisher at a writers conference. However, I have been fortunate enough to attend a few VERY helpful online courses (hosted by Steve Laube and Jerry B. Jenkins), sign up for conferences hosted online, and even participate in #FaithPitch. It was through #FaithPitch that I first learned about the Twitter Pitch.
So what's a twitter pitch?
It's a SHORT (280 characters or less including hashtags) synopsis of your plot. During writing pitch days (again, I participated in #FaithPitch), you have the opportunity to pitch a tweet of your manuscript synopsis to publishers and agents. If they like your tweet, it could lead to a contract. But, at the very least, you gained a new contact!
While I was writing mine, I realized how useful those sound bytes were at creating intrigue for my novel as well as giving me an elevator speech to store in my back pocket in case I ever needed it.
All that to say, I liked it. It may seem impossible at first, but I encourage you to try it! Who knows? You may end up like me and actually find yourself enjoying the challenge. :)
Below are two examples of my own twitter pitches.
Ex. 1:
The greatest nation to be birthed from the global wars is threatened when 3 terrorists escape a maximum-security prison, seeking to depose its leader. There is more to the Renegades than meets the eye and teen, Riley Evans, is forced to discover the truth. #ya #ds #f
Ex. 2:
No matter how brutal her Guardian accusers could be, Riley constantly found undeserved solace in the Renegades. But the Guardians outsmarted Riley & used the 14yo as bait to abduct the Renegade leader. Now she must make a choice. Whose life is more valuable? #f #ds #ya
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