Pitmad 2020 – September’s Top 25 Tweets & Recap

PitMads are mini battles for agent representation that take place on Twitter every few months, generally tagged as #PitMad. The latest friendly war for the valuable attention of agents took place today, September 3, 2020 from 8 am – 8 pm eastern time. Here are the winners and lessons of this PitMad 2020, as far as a first-time participant and observer. Of course everyone is a winner; some just won more than others.

“#PitMad is the original twitter pitch event, where writers tweet
a  pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts.
Agents and editors make requests by liking / favoriting the tweeted pitch.”
Pitch Wars

My main purpose in writing this is to track agent engagement in PitMads. My first twitter event was #SFFPit (a science fiction & fantasy event) a few months ago, and agent involvement there seemed very low. It’s already obvious that far more agents participate actively in PitMad, and rumors are that Tweets + RTs exceeded 300k. Which is a lot.

Top 25 #PitMad 2020 (Sep) Tweets

These are the PitMad tweets that worked best as of the end of PitMad at 8 pm ET. A lot of prospective authors did very well, garnering hundreds of re-tweets, dozens of likes and substantial agent interest. Note that all stats are taken sometime after the end of PitMad (and not all at the exact same time), and may have changed since. If any substantial corrections are needed, let me know.

1 / Paulette Kennedy

Paulette crushed it, with interest from a dozen or more agents for her adult historical fiction /  horror novel. Her novel is a thematic mashup of Shirley Jackson‘s (The Haunting of) Hill House and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic with a LGBT+ twist, which does sound pretty amazing.

HILL HOUSE x MEXICAN GOTHIC

Don’t go into the south wing
Don’t walk in the birch wood
And do NOT speak to the servants

But rules are meant to be broken and Eliza’s new husband has secrets. The kind the dead don’t like to keep. #PitMad #A #H #HF #LGBT

— Paulette Kennedy says buy WHAT'S DONE IN DARKNESS (@pkennedywrites) September 3, 2020

The interested agents included:

1. Lisa Abellera of KC Associates
2. Melanie Castillo of Root Literary
3. Erin Clyburn of JD Literary
4. Jess Dallow of Brower Literary
5. Samantha Fabien of Samantha Fabien Literary
6. Dorian Maffei of KC Associates
7. Michelle Richter of Fuse Literary
8. A.M. Rose of Prospect
9. Alec Shane of Writer’s House
10. Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary
11. Hannah VanVels of Belcastro
12. Andrea Walker of Olswanger Literary
13. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon of Rights Factory

The day I get a dozen (or more) agents interested in any of my books is the day I buy a G6. So, well done, Paulette. Note that I’ve left out interest expressed expressed by small publishers, self-publishing companies, etc. This is true for all tweets and authors.

2 / Zachary James

Zachary killed it at PitMad, pulling in mad retweets for his YA fantasy novel inspired my Mesoamerican mythology.

After the sacrifice of Yaakuna’s father, she is taken hostage and pitted against other sinners. The lone survivor must sacrifice themselves to stop an Apocalypse she doesn’t believe in, so she fights for all she has left. Her life.

Inspired by ancient Mesoamerica #pitmad #ya #f

— zacharyjamesofficial (@zacharyjamesof1) September 3, 2020

Oddly, Zachary did not get any agent likes, though Liza Kaplan of Philomel Books/Penguin seemed at least personally interested.

3 / Lisa Kingsley

Lisa pitched a middle grade (MG) novel like Spy Kids set in the Caribbean and told from a Black / Own voices perspective. Sounds like a blast.

SPY KIDS/CARIBBEAN🌴
12 y/o Ocean, a Black prodigy hacker w/ a knack for getting in trouble, is sent to a school for misfits

Throw in:
A nemesis roommate
A plot to shut down the school
A secret spy society
A bunch of #STEM-loving Black kids
& 1 naughty goat#MG #BVM #OWN #pitmad pic.twitter.com/a0AVvXBgN0

— Lisa Springer (@lspringerwrites) September 3, 2020

Interested agents include, well, just about everyone:

1. Lisa Abellera of KC Associates
2. Marlo Berliner of JDC Literary
3. Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary
4. Karly Caserza of Fuse Literary
5. Heather Cashman of Storm Literary
6. Gemma Cooperof Bent Agency
7. Rachel Ekstrom Courage of Folio Literary
8. Kelly Dyksterhouse of Raven Quill
9. Samantha Fabien of Samantha Fabien Literary
10. Lauren Gardner of BLM Agency
11. Josh Getzler of HG Literary
12. Tara Gilbert of JD Literary
13. Amy Guiffrida of JD Literary
14. Christa Heschke of McIntosh Otis
15. Lucy Irvine of PFD Agents
16. Sarah Joy of WordServe Literary
17. Emily Kaitlin of Bookends Literary
18. Sarah Landis of Sterling Lord
19. Natascha Morris of Tobias Literary
20. Jas Perry of KT Literary
21. Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary
22. Melissa Richeson of Storm Literary
23. A.M. Rose of Prospect
24. Sabu Sulaiman of Talcott Notch
25. Rebecca Sherman of Writer’s House
26. Jennifer March Soloway of Andrea Brown Literary
27. Saritza Hernandez  of Andrea Brown Literary
28. Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary
29. Maria Vicente of PS Literary

There are probably more, but damn. Hopefully, this means we’ll see this book in print soon. And then the movie. And then another book. And then…

4 / Chase Anderson

Chase’s adult memoir from a Black / POC / LGBT+ perspective pulled in massive likes and a lot of RT support. No comps were offered, but this sounds like a very interesting book.

https://twitter.com/ChaseTMAnderson/status/1301496882481438723

Unfortunately, Chase’s very enthusiastic friends didn’t follow the RT only (likes for agents) protocol, so there are nearly 2,000 likes to sort through to find agent interest. I’m sure there are several in there, but I’m not sure who they are. Fortunately, Chase was kind enough to send me what he found:

1. Carrie Howland of Howland Literary
2. Julie Gwinn of The Seymour Agency
3. Sarah Phair of Sanford Greenburg
4. Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency
5. Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary
6. Carly Watters of PS Literary
7. Jennifer Weis of Ross Yoon Agency
8. Desiree Wilson of The Bent Agency

5 / Aldara Thomas

Another top YA fantasy contender, Aldara earned hundreds of RTs and interest from several agents. Her comps were the Chronicles of Narnia,  C.S. Lewis‘ famous  fantasy and Christian-allegory series, and Shadow and Bone, the first book in Leigh Bardugo‘s Grisha fantasy trilogy.

SHADOW & BONE x NARNIA

When 17yo Hannah opened a portal into another world following clues left behind by her missing best friend, she only wanted her friend back. She didn’t expect to be the reincarnated moon goddess people have been waiting for to start a war. #PitMad #YA #F

— Aldara Thomas (@aldara_thomas4) September 3, 2020

Interested agents were:

1. Analieze Cervantes of Harvey Klinger Literary
2. Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency
3. Jackie Williams of The Knight Agency

Though, as with all entries here, more may appear tonight and tomorrow. Good luck, Aldara

6 / Jordan Gray

Jordan’s YA fantasy / fairy tale retelling of Swan Lake and Shelby Mahurin‘s Serpent & Dove drew strong interest from Twitter and agents both. These cursed mirrors are always causing trouble.

Swan Lake x Serpent & Dove

Mila has 2 weeks to seduce a prince, search a palace of ghosts, and steal a cursed mirror. Succeed and the sorcerer will gift her magic. Fail and he'll turn her into a swan.

Too bad she's falling for the prince…and the sorcerer.#Pitmad #YA #FTA #F

— Jordan Gray (@JordanStephanie) September 3, 2020

Interested agents include:

1. Jordy Albert of Booker Albert
2. Samantha Fabien of Samantha Fabien Literary
3. Hillary Harwell of KT Literary
4. Chelsea Hensley of KT Literary
5. Emily Kaitlin of Bookends Literary
6. Tamara Kawar of ICM
7. Dorian Maffei of KC Associates
8. Lynnette Novak at Seymour
9. Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency

7 / Nadi

Nadi’s adult paranormal novel drew attention from several agents in addition to hundreds of RTs–possibly due to the crazy combination of Fleabag (hysterical) and Beetlejuice (goofy). Great to see more POC and mental health perspectives in the mix.

FLEABAG x BEETLEJUICE
Mal ruined her own life. Then she died. But death is a fresh start. Between a mansion full of partying ghosts, and a medium willing to help with her unfinished business, she could fix the mess she left behind—or blow it off and party.#PitMad #A #P #POC #MH

— Nadi Reed Perez (@nadireedperez) September 3, 2020

The interested agents include:

1. Melanie Castillo of Root Literary
2. Amy Elizabeth of DGB Literary
3. Jolene Haley of Marsal Lyon Literary
4. Tamara Kawar of ICM
5. Lynnette Novak at Seymour
6. Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency
7. Katie Salvo at Metamorphosis

8 / Carolyn A. Drake

Carolyn pitched an adult paranormal fantasy inspired by Constantine (presumably, with Keanu Reeves) and The Hollows. Nothing worse than sloppy resurrection spells.

CONSTANTINE x THE HOLLOWS

When a work-obsessed pharmacist is killed & then resurrected by a bumbling witch, he has 3 objectives: 1) Conceal his new undead-ness, 2) Find the witch before her sloppy resurrection spell wears off, & 3) Don’t die. Again.#f #p #a #LGBT #own #PitMad

— Carolyn A. Drake (@Carolyn_A_Drake) September 3, 2020

Unfortunately, a great concept does not seem to have yielded agent interest just yet.

9 / Daniel DeVita

Daniel’s adult fantasy sounds like a great premise for epic warfare. Steel armor bolted to your bones? Send it.

On Eyorath, the feuds of Gods and Goddesses shape the rise and fall of nations. When an exiled God teaches his people to bolt steel armor to their bones, he ignites a brutal war of progress…one where the bond between humanity and nature itself is at stake.#PitMad #A #F

— Daniel Roman (@RomanWriting) September 3, 2020

While no agents had liked his post as of the end of Pitmad, Daniel did give me this update on Sep 4th: “I got a like on the tweet in your article from an intern at the Seymour Agency, who invited me to submit materials to Julie Gwinn (the agency’s VP). The query has been sent, and now it’s all to crossing fingers and waiting!” Good luck, Daniel!

10 / Gabi

Gabi’s young adult novel about a murdered Black casino owner is pitched from a Black and Own voices perspective, and looks like a great concept.

https://twitter.com/query_queen339/status/1301495498096943106

Agents interested include:

1. Lisa Abellera of KC Associates
2. Lynnette Novak at Seymour

11 / Erin L

Erin pitched a YA fantasy novel that combines elements of Hayao Miyazaki‘s Spirited Away (based on Japanese folklore) and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Sounds like a scary ride…

SPIRITED AWAY x NIGHT CIRCUS

Stolen as a child and trapped in the Spirit World, Lira spends her days as a vengeful witch’s pied piper. Yet, when her music lures Owen to her carnival prison, his resolve to escape may free them both. Or cost her everything. #PitMad #YA #F

— Erin L (@ErinL1121) September 3, 2020

Interested agents include:

C.L.C. is not afraid of periods or great YA pitches. Her novel is a mashup of Clueless (fun!) and The Fault in Our Stars (sad!), and the stars seemed to have aligned because interest is…out of this world. So many puns, but seriously, it sounds like a good read.

CLUELESS x FAULT IN OUR STARS When a NY socialite is caught shoplifting, she is sentenced to serve community service at a Hospital, cramping her plans for senior year. But when she forms a bond w/ an 8yo cancer-patient, her priorities shift to things money can’t buy. #Pitmad #YA

— C.L.C. Hasz (@life1ntroverted) September 3, 2020

The interested agents were:

1. Sam B. Farkas of Jill Grinberg Literary
2. Jennifer Herrington of HK Literary
3. Jemiscoe at Andrea Brown
4. Lynnette Novak at Seymour
5. Katie Salvo at Metamorphosis
6. Ann Leslie Tuttle of DGB

13 / Mckayla

McKayla combines the opulence and corruption of the Borgia‘s with the drug-based self improvement of Brave New World...with alien drugs. How can that go wrong?

BORGIAS + BRAVE NEW WORLD: Earth’s divided between the allure of a spiritual resurgence and an alien drug. When a spaceship carrying the Pope is commandeered by a drug lord, five Knights must decide to liberate it, or join the mutiny. #pitmad #A #SF #AD

— Mckayla | Litany of Lore (@litanyoflore) September 3, 2020

While there were no agent likes as of the end of PitMad, Mckayla did let me know )(see comments, below) that interest was expressed by John Baker of BLM Agency. Good luck with your novella!

14 / Angelica Monai

Angelica’s YA fantasy combines a melanated Katniss (from The Hunger Games, I assume) and the Japanese manga thematics of Attack on Titan for what sounds like good violent fun.

BLACK KATNISS+ATTACK ON TITAN

As her city's wall threatens to fall, demons wait to devour all souls. Lilou is chosen by her goddess to save the realm, but that doesn’t mean people agree. Not when her father cursed everyone to this hell in the first place #PitMad #OWN #BVM #YA #F

— Angelica Monai (@AngelicaMonai) September 3, 2020

Interested agents include:

1. Marlo Berliner of JDC Literary
2. Lisa Abellera of KC Associates
3. Karly Caserza of Fuse Literary
4. Heather Cashman of Storm Literary
5. Tara Gilbert of JD Literary
6. Christa Heschke of McIntosh Otis
7. Amanda Leuck of Spencerhill
8. Dorian Maffei of KC Associate
9. Jas Perry of KT Literary
10. Rebecca Strauss of DeFiore
11. Saritza Hernandez  of Andrea Brown Literary

15 / Marisa

Marisa pitched another great YA fantasy contender featuring illegal magic and trickster trials. How can that be bad?

https://twitter.com/marisasalwrites/status/1301491658417213440

The interested agents were:

1. Lisa Abellera of KC Associates
2. Marlo Berliner of JDC Literary
3. Tara Gilbert of JD Literary
4. Christa Heschke of McIntosh Otis
5. Howland Literary
6. Lynnette Novak at Seymour
7. Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary
8. Ann Leslie Tuttle of DGB

25 / Brittany Kelley

Brittany’s adult contemporary romance sounds funny and scary, but the agents weren’t scared.

https://twitter.com/WhattheKell6/status/1301492135380660225

Interested agents include:

1. Tara Gilbert of JD Literary
2. Jolene Haley of Marsal Lyon Literary
3. Dorian Maffei of KC Associates
4. Shannon Snow of CMA
5. White Lion Literary
6. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon of Rights Factory

Observations about PitMad 2020 (Sep)

Just some casual notes and observations from the day.

More Black / POC / LGBTQ+ / Own Voices

At least, it seems like it’s more. Hopefully moving in a good direction.

Lots of YA Fantasy

The plurality of books were YA fantasy (at least in the top pitches), which tells me there’s a strong demand there at least among twitter RTs and agents.

Little Science Fiction?

Maybe #SFFPit wasn’t an aberration? Among the top 25+, there were only two SF novel pitches, and I don’t remember seeing that many throughout the day. Except mine. I saw that a lot.

RTs Don’t Really Correspond to Agent Interest

At the top, sure, lots’a RTs correlate to agent interest, but from what I can tell by looking at agent likes, they’re searching for tags or keywords of interest–and a lot of their likes are on very low RT pitches. This makes it feel like the #PitMad is less about social engagement than agent time & focus (they are looking at pitches on this day on Twitter).

Just by way of an example, here’s a pitch, with very few RTs, and one agent like. It’s great that she found this pitch, but it wasn’t because it was being socialized extensively during PitMad.

THE BUREAU OF RETIRED SPELLS & BROKEN MAGIC—Inspectors Contiga & Smith work to clear their names and uncover who is using magic to murder people and collect items to create an unknown spell. #PITMAD #BVM #A #MR #SF #POC #writerslift

— Imana Sole (@GeraldRice) September 3, 2020

This means PitMad is great for those who are noticed for whatever reason, but actually pushes everyone else who goes through the regular query process down further in the slush pile. I think. It’s like reading tea leaves, honestly.

Great Way to Gauge Potential Agent Interest

Just at what they liked during PitMad. If you do this before any query, at least you’ll have some idea of what they really like (specifically) vs. general interests shown on #MSWL and related sites. I think. Again, just a thought.

More Information on PitMad & Pitch Wars

More information on the sponsors of Pitch Wars can be found here, including the regularly updated schedule of Twitter and other events. THANK YOU to them for sponsoring this great and educational event.

If you have any corrections or updates, please let me know in the comments below or on Twitter.

Peace.