To encourage creative writing of the highest professional standard and serve as a creative and professional resource for one another and the community.

  • Home
  • About Us
    • The DWW Board
    • Members Only
    • DWW Constitution
  • Apply to DWW
  • Our Books
    • Essays
    • Fantasy
    • Fiction
    • Historical Fiction
    • History
    • Literary
    • Memoir
    • Mystery
    • Nonfiction
    • Photography
    • Poetry
    • Sci-Fi
    • Short Stories
    • Young Adult
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Contact

in Tips for Fiction Authors

How I Got My Publisher By Annemarie Schiavi Pedersen

It started with a tweet.

That’s how I got a publisher’s contract for my historical novel Celestina’s Burnings.

Sounds crazy, I know, but Twitter is a great resource for writers. It’s easy and a great way to get your pitch seen by the publishing world. Agents, editors and publishers are all over the website, searching for their next book.

I didn’t start out so enthusiastic, however. The thought of throwing out my pitch on social media made me cringe. Then, it came to me that if no one favored my tweet, my pride was all I had to lose. In that case I could always delete my pitch. No harm, no foul.

So, in a burst of bravery, I participated in a Twitter pitch party called #PitMad, where writers tweet a pitch for their completed, polished and unpublished manuscripts.

You should see this thing. Pitches come in from throughout the world, in different languages and alphabets. It’s so popular that it trends on Twitter all day long.

Believe me, I had very little hope that this one tweet would be the thing that finally kickstarted my dream. A dream ten years and a hundred rejections in the making.

During the one-day event, agents and editors and publishers make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch. Back then, a tweet had to be no more than 140 characters; now, you get 280. If your tweet is liked, you’re sent to the editor or publisher’s website to follow their particular guidelines for submission.

In my case, unbelievably, the publisher of Literary Wanderlust, a small traditional publisher located in Denver, liked my tweet. That was how the publishing contract for Celestina’s Burnings came about.

Now, before that tweet, I’d always followed the staid tradition of researching literary agents and then writing them formal email queries. Then, I’d wait.  Responses sometimes came quickly, or they’d take six weeks, or in many cases, an answer never came. When a response arrived, it was usually a “canned” rejection, which is understandable considering the volume of requests literary agents receive for representation.

On #PitMad, there is no one policing your manuscript. It’s just raw opportunity.

And if it works, #PitMad is a thing of beauty. Your pitch goes straight to a great publisher or editor.

 For those interested, there are a few simple rules to follow to get you started. Check out the #PitMad or #PitchWars website. Next #PitMad pitch parties are Sept.  5, and Dec. 5.

It’s still a wonder to me that Literary Wanderlust Publisher Susan Brooks somehow found, and then favored, my tweet.

The rest, I’m delighted to say, is history.

Annemarie Schiavi Pedersen’s historical novel Celestina’s Burnings will be released Jan. 1, 2020. Preorders available at Amazon and Literary Wanderlust in October 2019.

Filed Under: Tips for Fiction Authors

Previous Post: « Writing in Detroit, about Detroit by Laura Bernstein
Next Post: Review: Using Scrivener for Family History and Memoir Writing by Laura Hedgecock »

Primary Sidebar

Detroit Working Writers

Featured Books

Sterling Script: A Local Author Collection 2019

Sterling Script: A Local Author Collection 2019

Sterling Script 2019 is an eclectic anthology featuring the talent of over twenty authors from metro-Detroit. Our collection highlights artists, journalists, poets, and novelists with award-winning books and years in the writing industry, as well as newcomers experiencing their first published appearance. In these pages, learn why you “Don’t Put All Your Dragon Eggs in One Basket,” visit the “Kingdom of Googol,” or climb aboard for “The Tale of the Ferry.” Dive into the variety of creative works in this second volume of Sterling Script.
Terry Hojnacki is Editor-In-Chief and a contributing author in this 2019 edition of Sterling Script.

More info →
Buy from Amazon
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

copyright 2021