PitMad

[Caged Maiden]

Hi Scribes!

I ran into this...a couple days too late. https://twitter.com/hashtag/PitMad?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc^tfw

It ran December 4th, and is now over, but you can follow it and they run it four times a year. It's an opportunity for writers to pitch their manuscripts on Twitter, where agents can screen all the tweets and select their favorites. It's like what those VIP passes do at Disney--a cut to the front of the line. Several of the agents I'm following (on Twitter, not in my car), are closed to submissions, but they announced that if they "favorited" your pitch, you should send a query and sample in to them right away.

Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know the next one is in March, so get your books polished, because the rules of this game say you need to have a finished and polished manuscript that has not been previously published.

Hope we see our scribes up there tweeting in March!

 

[Caged Maiden]

The One Where I Get Catfished By a Publisher | Rad/Dom

This is an article about a writer who submitted to PitMad and got Catfished. Good "writer beware" article, and it doesn't just apply to online competitions. There are many fake or horrible editors, small publishers, vanity presses, etc. out there who post on writer forums, maybe in nano groups, or wherever else writers talk shop. Always do research. Any good freelance editor will not only quote you a competitive price for your project, but she'll offer a free sample to verify you and she are on the same page. Actual agents will not ask you for money up front. They get paid when you do. Reputable companies will have an abundance of information available to anyone visiting their website. They spend time and money to create a place where writers can scope them out, and many of them even have a list of "Beware" items, to help you in your selection process. I've read a lot of agency sites with a sort of "full disclosure" section, where they talk about how agents get paid and what constitutes a reputable company and what is probably a scam.

I know some writers are immediately distrustful of agents (not unlike how people are distrusting of real estate agents like me, too) and all I can say, is that as a real estate agent at a reputable and top notch company, I feel I earn every bit of my pay, because I know in my heart I love what I do and I'm absolutely willing to take home less pay if it's in my client's best interest to purchase a less expensive house, or whatever. I know there are scammers in the publishing industry, as there are unethical real estate agents, but I have faith that I can tell the difference if I do a little research. And if I can't, I have all of you! We're like meerkats...like hundreds of eyes watching at all times, just in case something looks suspicious. Then we cry wolf and keep our friends and family safe.

Anyways, just wanted to share this article.