Pitch Contests - Good? Bad? Worth it?
As you may or may not know #PitchMadness is in full swing and the top 60 pitches will be announced on Friday. If you don't know - here's a link to fill you in on the details.
The question begs to be asked, what do you think of pitch contests? It's obvious that lots of people like them (they're 478 entries, yikes!) But how beneficial are they?
I've heard stories of people getting agents through pitch contests *cough* PK Hrezo *cough* but I wonder if the majority of people find representation this way? Probably not.
Still, that didn't keep me from entering Pitch Madness. Why? Because it's all about getting your work in front of the right people, and improving.
Let me preface the rest of this post by reminding everyone to please stay away from contest where you aren't interested in the agents/publishers. It's a waste of everyone's time. Moving on...
Sometimes opportunities are available through contests that you can't get through slush pile querying. There's an agent participating in Pitch Madness who's closed to unsolicited submissions. Big deal? Yes.
So what if you don't make it to the agent round? 418 people aren't going to make it in front of the agents. Was entering worth it? I still think so. The #PitchMadness thread on twitter has been exploding with amazing information on how to write a good pitch and get your MS noticed.
Not to mention that the top 60 have obviously done something right. Even if I don't make it, I can learn from people who did.
I want to hear what you think. Is a contest worth it? Did you enter Pitch Madness? Why?
P. S. I did an interview with Livia Peterson a few months back, which she posted yesterday. Check it out here!
The question begs to be asked, what do you think of pitch contests? It's obvious that lots of people like them (they're 478 entries, yikes!) But how beneficial are they?
I've heard stories of people getting agents through pitch contests *cough* PK Hrezo *cough* but I wonder if the majority of people find representation this way? Probably not.
Still, that didn't keep me from entering Pitch Madness. Why? Because it's all about getting your work in front of the right people, and improving.
Let me preface the rest of this post by reminding everyone to please stay away from contest where you aren't interested in the agents/publishers. It's a waste of everyone's time. Moving on...
Sometimes opportunities are available through contests that you can't get through slush pile querying. There's an agent participating in Pitch Madness who's closed to unsolicited submissions. Big deal? Yes.
So what if you don't make it to the agent round? 418 people aren't going to make it in front of the agents. Was entering worth it? I still think so. The #PitchMadness thread on twitter has been exploding with amazing information on how to write a good pitch and get your MS noticed.
Not to mention that the top 60 have obviously done something right. Even if I don't make it, I can learn from people who did.
I want to hear what you think. Is a contest worth it? Did you enter Pitch Madness? Why?
P. S. I did an interview with Livia Peterson a few months back, which she posted yesterday. Check it out here!
Comments
If there is feedback, then I think it still benefits those who enter.
And no, I've never entered one.
I for one will be participating in #PitMad on the 12th. Can't wait!
She asked for more pages. *shocked* Ultimately she did reject the ms but not after giving me some extremely helpful hints. I took her ideas and submitted later to a small press. They snapped it up and published Wilder Mage.
I give credit to the agent and her advice, but laugh about how she rejected then accepted the same query in a matter of weeks.
Good luck!
Having said that, I know you can get feedback from the straight up query process.
I hope something good comes of it for you. Where is your entry located? I want to see how you do.