Once again, Twitter is full of congratulations for those chosen to move on in a pitch contest. I did not enter, but I know people who did and GOOD FOR THEM IF THEY MADE IT OR NOT! These contests are fun, but a bit stressful. And can leave you feeling frazzled.
I have been in the masses waiting for announcements. I entered PitchMadness two years in a row, with two different manuscripts and didn’t get chosen, got very little feedback, but made some truly AMAZING friends. Seriously… these people!
A lot of people enter these contests, hoping to get their manuscript in the hands of the right person. Chances are low, but, hey, why not try?
Why not? There’s really no reason. The people who run these contests are simply fabulous! The work it must take, boggles my mind! They really are out there to help, to give writers another avenue to tread. Critique partners have been found, everyone swaps queries and pages of manuscripts! The support is fabulous. The offers of help make me smile! If you want to meet writers and be a part of an awesome group, Twitter is the place to be.
However, among the good, there is the blah.
When I entered the last PitchMadness, I was hoping for… something. At the end I felt fairly invisible and let down. I did NOT expect feedback from the mentors. I mean, do you know how many people enter? To send replies to everyone would be nuts! When I dutifully followed the mentors on Twitter, I thought they might follow back, but they didn’t. I felt invisible.
I knew my YA fantasy wasn’t on the top of anyone’s wish list, but I liked it. And there’s always hope. And perhaps there is a time in each writer’s life to participate in all the pitching craziness, and eventually that time passes and we step aside to let others partake of the fun.
Did I ever expect to be chosen and find an agent? I don’t think so. I did it for the experience, and with the hope that my querying days would be made a bit easier. However, I did continue to query.
A month or so after the end of PitchMadness, I had an offer to publish my ms that had just failed to interest anyone at PitMad. Then a month later, I had another offer. And as you read, possibly last Thursday or on my blog last Saturday, I signed to publish with the amazing Reuts Publishing. Through good old fashioned querying. (Well, technically they never saw my query, but that’s another story.)
So, I guess what this strange rambling gets down to is…
Really, that phrase that we want to set on fire sometimes is true. Hard work, no matter how frustrating, will get you where you want to go. A contest seems like an easy way out, but only works for a few.
So keep writing. Keep querying, whether agents or small presses. Don’t let contest results dictate where your life goes. Travel the path that works. One foot in front of the other, move forward. And when it gets difficult, come to us, your writer friends.
We’ll lift you up and carry you.
Kathleen Palm 
Great post, Kathy. I’m kind of glad that you didn’t get picked for any of the pitching contests because I just feel that Reuts are the best people to represent you. When I read your YA Fantasy all those months ago I was blown away, still am, and it was no surprise to me that it got picked up. Everything you write drips emotion, vivid description and pure awesomeness. I am also in agreement about stepping aside and let others embark on the competitive adventure. You know from our Skype chats that my comp ship has sailed. I met some truly amazing people during my time in the slush pile and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but stalking Twitter feeds and obsessing over making the cut is not my bag anymore. I just became too OBSESSED! In saying that, I’ll always be on hand to help anyone struggling with their first chapter or I’ll have tissues to hand for the peeps in need of a wipe and a cuddle 😀
Exactly! We have to wait for our moment when ever it shows up and know that the right one will come. 🙂 And YES to all the helping!
Once again, congrats. You’re right–the Twitter pitches may not net results, but they’re still a good experience. I’m still waiting to hear back from a few nibbles I had in December. Having PitchMAS right before the Christmas and New Year holidays probably slowed things down a bit.
But I didn’t realize there were others. I just learned about PitMad and in your post you mentioned PitchMadness, or is that just a generic term you’re using for all of them?
PitMad is ONE… sunvssnow just made picks… adpit is coming up for adult novels… there are too many, I can’t remember them all! Good luck with your subs!
Wow, I had no idea there were so many. I should look into these. Thank you!
My belief? You have to have enough no’s to dig deep enough for a ‘yes.’ And that’s all anyone can tell you–no. Big deal. The next person or the 50th person might say ‘yes.’
TRUE! No is just a little word. Life is big!
AWESOME!!! I also offer my CONGRADS!! plus I never doubted you would get YOUR FAB-O words out there for others to read…and LOVE….i think that is why they say patience is a virtue..
Thanks! I love that you believed in me! That kept me going, and will continue to keep me going. I have more books to write and get out there!
So happy for you Kathy! Reuts seems amazing, and how awesome to know that your “Precious” will be out in the world!!!
Thanks! They were my first choice!
I’ve blogged about this before, but … my MS was acquired through a Twitter pitch. I entered two, both to publishers. First time around, two of it’s editors requested the MS, but then declined. Lucky, I was given some detailed feedback, which was invaluable. Second pitch, they acquired. So, every now and then you do get lucky. It’s always worth a shot.
Congrats again, Kathy!
So great! It is worth a shot! The opportunity is fabulous! We all need to do what works for us. I do feel like my time in the pitching trenches is done. Let others have a chance.
Great post. Every writer’s path is different. Like each life.
Thanks! We all have what works for us. I find that writers help support each other on whatever path they choose. 🙂