MY 7 STEP TWITTER PITCH PARTY PLAN!

A lot people make New Year's resolutions and by the end of January the majority of those resolutions fall by the wayside. I joined the bandwagon of resolutioners this year and made a list of writerly goals I wanted to accomplish in 2016.

One of those goals was to go in search of an agent and one of the best ways to find one is to participate in a Twitter Pitch Party. I know this because it was how I found Anaiah Press and my wonderful editor, Jessica Schmeidler. Jessica helped put me on the right path to the publication of my picture book, THE STORY CATCHER and, fingers crossed, I can repeat my luck with the new year.

But, in order to increase my chances of enticing an agent to look my way, I had to have a plan and maybe MY plan can help YOU capture the interest of YOUR dream agent as well:

1. WRITE IT DOWN
      
I made a long list of EXACTLY what I wanted to accomplish this year. I even bought a cool calendar to pencil in all the different Twitter Pitch Parties being held all around the blogosphere all year long.  I've studied each party and narrowed down which ones were right for the genres I write in and which ones I need to pass on.

2. REVISE, REVISE, REVISE

Now was the time to take those manuscripts back out and re-read them to make sure they are as polished and sparkly as I can make them. I have 7 completed picture book manuscripts with about 5 more in the final stages of revisions, 2 completed early reader narrative nonfiction chapter books with the third one in the process of being written, and 1 revised draft of a young adult fantasy novel. This shows me I have some choices on which Twitter pitch parties I can participate in.

3. MAKE A LIST

Next I've made a list of potential agents and will group each into some sort of sequential order so I can slowly check any off the list should they...or I...decide they are no longer the potential right agent for my work. Some Pitch Parties will let you know who some of the participating agents will be and you can cross match them against your master list to see who might benefit the most from your targeted pitches.

4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
 
Learn the likes/dislikes of the agents on your list. Check out their websites. Google their name and read their interviews. See what they saying on Twitter. In other words, take a little time to find out all you can about the people you plan to share your manuscripts with. For myself, it wouldn't do me much good to add an agent to my list who mainly represents women's fiction and memoirs. I write for children of all ages and want an agent whose writerly passions match my own.

5. PERFECT YOUR TWITTER PITCH

Take the time to decide the best 140 characters to describe your book. Realize certain hashtags MUST be included like #PitMad, #MSWL, or #PB which all count toward those precious 140 character limit. Ask the advice of those around you to see if the tone and hook of your pitch is right. Read the rules of the Twitter Pitch Party you plan on participating in and find out how often you can tweet your pitches. You would hate to be banned from participating because you failed to realize you can only tweet twice a day when you were planning on blowing up Twitter with your pitches every single hour!

6. POLISH YOUR QUERY LETTER

It's okay to go into these Twitter pitch parties for the fun experience of it all. You might even take time to read other pitches to see if YOU would want to read those books...to determine what might work and what falls flat. But in the back of your mind you should realize that the main reason you are going to a pitch party is to hopefully get a request for a partial or a full manuscript from one of them. When that chance comes you don't want to blow it by not having a sharp, attention-getting gem of a query letter just waiting to be shared with Ms. Potential Dream Agent.

7. PLAN YOUR SUCCESS

Finally, I do a quick check of all my social media outlets to make sure the information presented there has current contact information, make sure my blog has interesting content that my readers enjoy, and track my interactions with others through different channels to find out what works to help promote the STORY CATCHER entity as well as my own writing. I treat my writing career as a business and I measure the successes...both large and small...I make along the way so I can look back at the end of each year to see just how far I've come in following my dream of become an author.

To all my writerly friends who plan on participating in a Twitter pitch party over the coming months...GOOD LUCK! And right now, for myself, all I can say is...SO FAR SO GOOD!

Blurb: Addie comes from a long line of readers or "story catchers" as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own the wiggly words play tricks on her. She tries different ways to make those words sit still but it will take a little faith for Addie to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

JOIN THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB!Membership includes:

Membership Certificate

Bi-montly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news, and other goodies

Reading Log for earning STORY CATCHER AWARD

 

Making Your Twitter Pitch Sparkle by Author Emily Ungar

This entire sentence is all the room you have to create a Twitter pitch--so you need to make every space count, and don’t forget the hashtag!

It’s true. The entire sentence above is 140 characters, the maximum length of a Tweet. It may sound like plenty of room to attract the eye of an acquisitions editor or literary agent, but once you get to typing, that’s not quite the case. You have a lot of elements to cram into your Tweet. But once you include the basic info, you’re not done yet. This isn’t like high school homework, in which you’re doing just enough to get by. You need to include words that stand out in an endless Twitter feed. Because when you’re looking in a jewelry case, won’t your eyes automatically land on the most sparkling gem?

Get the Basics Down

When you’re pitching, you need to lay the groundwork first. Be sure to include:

Hashtag. Please don’t forget this! Pitch contests include a very specific hashtag. If you don’t use it, no one will see it. Watch for typos, too. #ThrowMeAnElevatorPitch can accidentally become #ThrowMeAnElevatorPinch. Not only will your pitch go unseen, you’re asking for trouble. Because no one wants to be pinched on an elevator.

Genre/Category. Many pitch contests include multiple categories. Know the common abbreviations for the audience you write for. The most common are: PB (picture book), CB, (chapter book), MG (middle grade), YA (young adult), WF (women’s fiction), NA (new adult), SF (science fiction), and UF (urban fantasy). Use the appropriate acronym so you’ll be seen easily and look like you know what you’re doing (even if you don’t). This is also a space saver. If you write out MG instead of middle grade, you’ve just saved yourself 10 characters to use on a more eye-catching word.

Follow the rules. In most contests, the only users who “favorite” Tweets are the editors and agents who are looking to read your material. Don’t get anyone’s hopes up or generate confusion. If there’s a pitch you’d like to support, don’t “favorite” it. Retweet it to help those editors and agents see that pitch.

Polish Your Gems

Bring Out the Quirks. Sorry, but “young woman in love must save boyfriend from impending doom” is a yawn. Even if that is a quick summary of your plot, you’re selling yourself short. What’s special about your main character, plot, or stakes? Does your main character only walk on stilts? Will her love interest be forced to forever live inside the windmill at a miniature golf course if she doesn’t fight the villain? Be specific, and throw out anything that’s different. Being vague will not earn you as many pitches. Make it quirky. If it’s not quirky, at least make it different. 

They’re not Blue Stones. They’re Sapphires! In a Tweet, every word counts. How can you make your Tweet sparkle? You’re a writer, so this is no time to slack on creativity. Use eye-catching words and concepts that aren’t conventionally paired together. The “blonde cheerleader” is a cliche, but “blonde cheer priestess” is probably not. Make someone do a double take when they read it!

As Twitter pitch contests gain popularity and help to match more and more writers with editors and agents, the art of crafting the perfect pitch is constantly evolving. Be creative, be brief, and follow the rules. Good luck throwing out that first pitch!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

On the same day she turns twelve years old, Savannah moves away from everything she’s known in sweet, sunny Georgia to preppy Washington D.C. Not only will she miss her best friends Katie and Tessa, Savannah will start a new school. She soon discovers that her schoolmates love to brag—about their clothes, their parents’ governmental connections, and even who has the in with the school authorities.

Unhappy and lonely, Savannah decides if she can’t make life better, she can at least make it sound that way. Soon she is living in the childhood home of George Washington, riding in the limo of the vice president’s daughter, and even moving into the former Luxembourg embassy.

All is well until she learns that her true friends from Georgia are coming for a visit. Now Savannah must create the life she’s been talking about in her letters—and fast! Will Savannah find herself or lose her friends?

**Available for purchase through Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon**

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21802855-liberty-belle

Anaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com

Emily Ungar is a graduate of Indiana University, where she majored in journalism. After living in seven different U.S. states by the time she finished college, she now lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and very curious twin toddlers. When she isn’t chasing after her twin boys, Emily loves to curl up in a chaise lounge with a book in one hand and a lemon cupcake in the other. Emily loves connecting with her readers, so she welcomes you to say hi on her blog at http://www.emilyungar.com.

Twitter: @emilyungar

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/emilyungar/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13863166-emily-ungar 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyungarauthor

Hamza Balol Gets Around



When I first started writing professionally about three years ago (January 2010), it was just me and my cat, Tommy.  I didn't write for the masses and I didn't encourage a fan base.  I wrote for the pure joy of it, as a welcome release for all the words stuck in my head begging to come out.  That first year was a time for reconnecting with the writer within me...to see what I was made of...and to measure my words against what was already published.

I started gathering great books about the craft of writing and read everything I could get my hands on.  I was introduced to the blogosphere and on December 6th, 2011, I created my blog ON THE WRITE TRACK because I felt I was ready to connect with others.  I wrote inspirational posts about what writing meant to me and began to reach out to others through online groups.  One day I realized I was beginning to generate a fan base.  Every person who commented on a post would get a reply from me.  I would return the favor and began reading their blogs.  I went in search of blogs which appealed to me and expanded into the world of Facebook.  All along the way I made sure to connect and respond to every person who reached out to me.

By January 2013 I had celebrated my first year anniversary of my blog by achieving over 300 followers and over 175,000 views so far.  Last year was a huge learning curve for me.  I learned about LinkedIn, and Twitter, soon adding them to my platform.  I joined critique groups, created a FREE author promotion event as my way of giving back to the writing community which was hugely sucessful (doing it again this year), entered contests, submitted stories (and had one accepted for publication), and made great strides in strenghtening my skills as a writer.  I also dealt with a hacker who tried to destroy my life by lying to my friends (no, I never was stuck on some island resort with no way to get home) and erasing all my contact information within Yahoo and Facebook.  The person from Africa, whom I originally befriended, had nothing better to do than to interfere with my little life.  He decided to erase all my archived files of my stories and more than a year's research I had stored online.

It was hard at first to believe such a thing happened to me, but I am that way...honest, trusting, believing the best in all people until proven otherwise and even then, still giving second chances sometimes.  Fortunately the stories were saved elsewhere but my research was gone.  I can't say I wasn't upset by the turn of events but I eventually looked at it as a lesson to be a little less trusting when dealing with my online persona and my writing.

Maybe that is why when I received this note last night, warning bells started flashing in my head:

Hello Ms. Donna,

I am not sure whether or not you are the one who wrote the wonderful story "Shortcut to Peace," from the 'Angels Among Us' book of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The story, however, touched my heart and soothed my soul in a very positive way.

Best regards,

Hamza Balol

Saudi Arabia

"Shortcut To Peace" is my first published piece and who wouldn't be thrilled to think it touched the heart of someone half way across the world?  But something just didn't feel right and despite the fact I am so used to immediately replying to comments sent to me, I did a little research on Mr. Balol first.

 

 

It appears that Hamza Balol not only gets around but can change age and gender.  Googling the name shows he is not only a very young girl who appears to be the chief executive officer of a large company but also a middle aged man.  I'm not sure what his fascination is with following these types of stories but he has posted basically the same "touching" message on a number of other blogs and Facebook pages of writers submitting to Chicken Soup and like publications.  Unfortunately others have mistaken Hamza's comments for an invitation to begin a online conversation with him and that is when the scam begins.

 

I pray none of my REAL online friends and fans are ever taken in by someone like my buddy, Hamza, and in my research I even managed to locate some other Hamza Balols who might be taking a beating to their own integrity by having their name associated with a scam artist.  My heart goes out to those other Hamzas.
 

While I would like think my words may one day inspire others and touch their hearts, today is not the day and so I will let Mr. Balol's "heartfelt" note to me float off into the vast unknown of the Internet...maybe one day HIS poor soul will get the validation it so desparately needs so he won't feel the need to unnecessarily try to validate MINE.  Don't worry, Hamza, I'm doing just fine without you...;~)

Sunshine On My Shoulder

Didn't you just love it when Sunshine On My Shoulder use to play on the radio?  John Denver certainly knew his way around a song and so many of those songs left you feeling so good inside.  Just like some blogs out there.

This is the second time I have been nominated for the wonderful Sunshine Blog Award.  This time my new writer friend, Bethany Telles ( http://perchedinatree.blogspot.com ) has passed this award on to me.  As part of the award, I am supposed to answer the following 9 questions so here goes...

Favorite Color...deep purple.  Maybe in a past life I was royalty wearing the purple?  Or maybe I was just the chambermaid cleaning those robes?

Favorite Animal...my kitty, Tommy, who has been my companion for more than twelve years and is lying by my side as I type this.

Favorite Number...anything that includes a bunch of zeroes after it.  Just kidding...I'm actually one of those people that HAVE to have things balanced whenever possible so any even number would be great!

Favorite Drink...I actually have three...cold milk poured over a tall glass of ice, hot cocoa, or hot tea depending on my mood and the weather.

Facebook or Twitter...I don't tweet, so I would have to say Facebook by a landslide.  I probably SHOULD start tweeting but I honestly don't have the time right now to learn how...

Your Passion...who DOESN'T know that I have two passions...TaeKwonDo and writing?  I've trained for over 11 years in martial arts but have been writing for over 40 years...

Giving or Receiving Presents...absolutely, without a doubt...GIVING presents!  I spend a tremendous amount of time getting to know the people I care about so that my presents are as thoughtful as I can make them because it shows how I feel about those people.

Favorite Day...Sunday...it's about the only day I have any more to relax a little as well as try to catch up on my writing. 

Favorite Flower...I don't really have a favorite flower, but my favorite scent is Yankee Candle's Sun and Sand tarts or votive candles!

Now I must pass along this lovely blog award to other deserving bloggers.  The six people I award the Sunshine Blog Award to are:

1.  Renee LaTulippe ( http://www.nowaterriver.com )

2.  Gypsy Thornton ( http://www.fairytalenewsblog.blogspot.com )

3.  Ed DeCaria ( http://www.thinkkidthink.com )

4.  Laura Barnes ( http://www.laurabwriter.blogspot.com )

5.  Kristen Lamb ( http://www.warriorwriters.wordpress.com )

6.  Doreen Mcgettigan ( http://www.doreenmcgettigan.com)

Please take the time to check these wonderful writers and authors out and then go outside and play in the sun!

Calling Inspector Gadget

Have you ever watched the Inspector Gadget cartoon as a child?  I was always amazed at the arsenal of research and other spying gadgets he had to help him catch the bad guys.  But he always seemed to have a hard time figuring out how to efficiently use all those things.  Just when he needed a particular thingamajig to pop out from under his hat, something always seemed to go wrong and Inspector Gadget would deal with an unknown tool that he didn't quite know what to do with.

That's what I feel like sometimes.  I know I'm in the 21st century where everyone has five or six different electronic gadgets dangling from ears or fingertips, but I still stumble over trying to keep up with everything that's out there.  Thank goodness for my techno savy son or I wouldn't be able to access the internet on my new iPhone.  I'm pretty good with making my way around the Mac laptop he gave me a few years ago when he decided to trade it in for a newer model, but I never did get the hang of the iPod gift that is now collecting dust in a drawer somewhere.

He also gave me a Kindle when he wanted to step up to an iPad.  Unfortunately, the iPad idea never really materialized for him, and now I have a Kindle for the past two years that I have opened maybe once.  I think I would rather enjoy this particular gadget...that is if I could ever find the time to figure out actually how it works and then I'm afraid my REAL books would get jealous to find my nose buried in a VIRTUAL one.

Writers these days have so many ways to stay in touch with their audience.  In addition to all the electronic "toys" to make them available to the world, they also have Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and a ton of other social media avenues to connect with those readers out in cyberspace.  I think Inspector Gadget's head would explode if he had to keep up with all that is out there today.

Who knew things would be so challenging in today's world of electronic gadgets?  The only problem I see is that I never aspired to be a super hero.  I just wanted to write a book...