(last updated Jan 6, 2021)
If you're a writer querying a completed manuscript, the waiting time can be torture. Pitch contests make the process a lot more exciting. Polish your query or twitter pitch and join in the fun!
See also: Previous #Pitmad Winning Pitches
March 2016 || Jan 2013 || March 2013 || Sept 2014
Pitch Myths || Pitch Recipes || Pitch Generator
March 2016 || Jan 2013 || March 2013 || Sept 2014
Pitch Myths || Pitch Recipes || Pitch Generator
2021 Pitch Contest Calendar
Contest Calendar below! Enter these Twitter Pitch Parties or Blog-based contests for a chance to get your writing or query considered &/or critiqued by an agent!
A WARNING TO PARTICIPANTS: PLEASE READ. These contests are all legitimate ways to get your work seen by an agent or editor. However some contests have, in the past, discriminated against outspoken marginalized voices. Until the victims feel these contests are once again inclusive, these contests will be listed on this page with a warning footnote. For more information on the incidents please see the links below the Contest Calendar |
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Awesome Alternatives For contests actively seeking outspoken marginalized voices, check out DVPit, PitchSlam, WriteInTheMargins, WriteInclusively, SomeOfOurVoices, Pitch América, and WCNV Furthermore, some contests have declared a Zero-Tolerance for discrimination, harassment, and bullying. See this post by Brenda Drake, host of PitchWars. |
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Upcoming 2021 Pitch Contests
Feb 11 -- #PBPitch Pitch Party -- hosted by PB Pitch
Sub It Club // Writing Community Twitter Pitch Parties // Writing Events (more than just Pitch Contests!) // iwriterly // John Berkowitz' Calendar
Writing Mentorships:
AuthorMentorMatch
SPRING TBD -- #KissPitch -- hosted by #KissPitch
May 4 -- #APIpit Twitter Pitch Party -- hosted by APIpit
For Asian & Pacific Islander authors & illustrators
For Asian & Pacific Islander authors & illustrators
June 22 -- #PitchDis Pitch Event -- hosted by Despina Karras
For disabled authors
TBD -- #PBParty Twitter Pitch Event -- hosted by Mindy Alysse Weiss
Want to Practice your Pitches before the real deal?
More Contest Calendars:
Sub It Club // Writing Community Twitter Pitch Parties // Writing Events (more than just Pitch Contests!) // iwriterly // John Berkowitz' Calendar
Writing Mentorships:
AuthorMentorMatch
More Information Regarding the Discrimination Incidents: TW: Suicide Some of these contests have in the past discriminated against outspoken marginalized voices. In one instance, a marginalized writer took her life after being bullied because she spoke out about racism. (Thread 1 : Thread 2) If you, or someone you care about is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help: US Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Canada: Text "CONNECT" to 686 868 Australia Lifeline: 13 11 14 There are several contests on this list that have, in the past, discriminated against or bullied mentor(s) & co-host(s) who speak out on social media about issues of racism, xenophobia, and/or homophobia because they do not agree with their tactics and the tone of their arguments. This is not okay. I encourage you, if you aren't familiar with the situation already, to read the information provided by the victims and hosts, and discuss the matter with people you trust and respect regarding issues of diversity, tone policing, and discrimination against marginalized voices. Regarding the Query Kombat, NoQS, and SunVsSnow incident: The victim's post regarding the incident. The host's response. *Note: the host has also mentioned that following the incident, they are actively seeking more diverse subs, as there has been a decline in diverse submissions to these contests after this incident. Regarding the FicFest Incident & Pitch to Publication (#p2p16) editor incident: The victim's threads: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Update: In February of 2017, Julie died by suicide after being targeted and harassed by some of the writers and editors involved in these incidents. (Thread 1 : Thread 2) RIP Julie. We miss your beautiful presence and voice so much. *Note: the host of FicFest has deleted all videos and other social media related to the incident, so that is all I have in terms of host response. In regards to Pitch To Publication, it was only one of the editors that was involved in the incident. Choose your editor/mentor wisely. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me on Twitter ( @CarissaATaylor ) |
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Monthly / Semi-Monthly Events
- Pass Or Pages -- Operation Awesome
- Pages for Agents -- hosted by Savvy Authors
- Agent Wish List -- Miss Snark's First Victim
- Secret Agent Contests (check for updates here)-- Miss Snark's First Victim
- Suzie Townsend's Contests - check this search for updates.
- #PitchCB A Twitter pitch party hosted every fourth Friday by Curtis Brown UK (may now be defunct)
- Dear Lucky Agent -- Hosted by Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest (may now be defunct)
Contests by Season
(Northern Hemisphere Seasons)
Note: The contests listed below usually happen annually,
but may or may not happen this year.
Visit the hosts' websites for updates.
WINTER (Dec-Feb):
IWSGPit -- hosted by The Insecure Writer's Support Group
Kisspitch -- hosted by Gwynne Jackson and Tricia Lynne
Red Light / Green Light -- hosted by Adventures in YA Publishing
(Link only works in Google Chrome, sorry! The site doesn't have contest labels or a search function!)
Secret Agent Contests -- hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
(Link only works in Google Chrome, sorry! The site doesn't have contest labels or a search function!)
Secret Agent Contests -- hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
SFFPit Twitter Pitch Party -- (#SFFPit) -- hosted by Dan Koboldt
SPRING (Mar-May):
DVPit -- hosted by Agent Beth Phelan
#PitDark Twitter Pitch Party -- hosted by Jason Huebinger
PitMad Twitter Pitch Party -- (#pitmad) -- hosted by Brenda Drake
Pitchapalooza Contest -- hosted by the Book Doctors
Secret Agent Contests -- hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
SUMMER (June-Aug):
FaithPitch Twitter Pitch Party -- hosted by Aboundtiful
Green Light WIP -- hosted by Adventures in YA Publishing
#IWSGPit -- hosted by the Insecure Writer's Support Group
#IWSGPit -- hosted by the Insecure Writer's Support Group
-- cohosted by Mandy Yates, PJ McIlvane, & Debra Shumaker
Page 70 Pitch -- (#pg70pit) -- hosted by Lara Willard
Secret Agent Contests -- hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
SFFPit Twitter Pitch Party -- (#SFFPit) -- hosted by Dan Koboldt
FALL (Sept - Nov):
DVPit -- hosted by Agent Beth Phelan
Picture Book Party -- (#PBParty) -- hosted by Michelle4Laughs & Sharon Chriscoe
WARNING: In the past PBParty may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
WARNING: In the past PBParty may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
-- cohosted by Mandy Yates, PJ McIlvane, & Debra Shumaker
PitDark Twitter Contest -- hosted by Jason Huebinger
PitMad Twitter Party (#pitmad) -- hosted by Brenda Drake
PitMad Twitter Party (#pitmad) -- hosted by Brenda Drake
FORMER CONTESTS (may now be defunct)
Agent Match -- (#AgentMatch) -- hosted by Samantha Fountain
Cupid's Blind Speed Dating
FaithPitch Twitter Pitch Party -- hosted by Aboundtiful
PitchMAS -- (#PitchMAS) -- hosted by Jessa and Tamara
PitchMAS in July -- (#PitchMAS) -- hosted by Jessa and Tamara
Like a Virgin -- hosted by Kristina Perez & Rhiann Wynn-Nolet
Luck O' The Irish -- hosted by WriteOnCon
The Writer's Voice (#TheWVoice) -- cohosted by Brenda Drake, Elizabeth Briggs, Monica BW, & Krista Van Dolzer
FaithPitch Twitter Pitch Party -- hosted by Aboundtiful
PitchMAS -- (#PitchMAS) -- hosted by Jessa and Tamara
PitchMAS in July -- (#PitchMAS) -- hosted by Jessa and Tamara
Like a Virgin -- hosted by Kristina Perez & Rhiann Wynn-Nolet
Luck O' The Irish -- hosted by WriteOnCon
The Writer's Voice (#TheWVoice) -- cohosted by Brenda Drake, Elizabeth Briggs, Monica BW, & Krista Van Dolzer
Pit2Pub -- (#pit2pub) -- hosted by Kristin Van Risseghem
Pitch Madness Contest -- (#pitchmadness) hosted by Brenda Drake
Secret Shop -- (#SecretShop) -- hosted by Marissa Fuller & Jessica Schmeidler
Sun vs Snow Contest -- (#SunVsSnow)
WARNING: In the past SunVsSnow may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
#WritePit -- hosted by Jessica Schmeidler
Write In the Margins -- hosted by Justina Ireland
Adult Pitch Workshop -- (#adpit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
FicFest
WARNING: In the past FicFest has discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
KidPit -- (#kidpit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
WARNING: In the past SunVsSnow may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
#WritePit -- hosted by Jessica Schmeidler
Write In the Margins -- hosted by Justina Ireland
Adult Pitch Workshop -- (#adpit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
FicFest
WARNING: In the past FicFest has discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
KidPit -- (#kidpit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
Nest Pitch -- (#NestPitch) -- hosted by Nikola Vukoja
Pitch Madness Contest -- (#pitchmadness) hosted by Brenda Drake
Pitch Slam -- (#PitchSlam) -- hosted by L.L. McKinney
Pitch Slam -- (#PitchSlam) -- hosted by L.L. McKinney
WARNING: In the past QueryKombat may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
New Agent -- (#NewAgent) -- hosted by Michelle4Laughs
Pitch América -- hosted by Pitch América (Laura Pohl)
Pitch to Publication -- (#pitchtopublication) -- hosted by Samantha Fountain
WARNING: In the past, certain editors in pitch2pub have been known to make frequent
racist, misogynist, and/or homophobic remarks on social media.
Please choose your mentor with care.
Pit2Pub -- (#pit2pub) -- hosted by Kristin Van Risseghem
racist, misogynist, and/or homophobic remarks on social media.
Please choose your mentor with care.
Pit2Pub -- (#pit2pub) -- hosted by Kristin Van Risseghem
WCNV - Writing from Color and Native Voices -- hosted by WCNV
Writer Pitch -- (#WritePit) -- hosted by Jessica Schmeidler
Writer Pitch -- (#WritePit) -- hosted by Jessica Schmeidler
Fall Fiction Fest -- hosted by Michelle Hauck
First Lines Contest -- hosted by Adventures in YA Publishing
KidPit (#KidPit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
First Lines Contest -- hosted by Adventures in YA Publishing
KidPit (#KidPit) -- hosted by Heidi Norrod
Nightmare on Query Street (#NoQS)
WARNING: In the past NoQS has discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
WARNING: In the past NoQS has discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
Pitch Slam (#PitchSlam) -- hosted by L.L. McKinney
On the Block (formerly known as the Baker's Dozen) -- hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
Dear Lucky Agent Contest -- hosted by Writer's Digest
Write Inclusively -- (#WriteInclusively) -- hosted by SC Write
Twitter Hashtags:
Twitter hashtags to keep an eye on for upcoming pitch contest news!
#PitMad // #DVPit // #PitchMadness // #PitchWars // #WriteOnCon // #PitchFest //
#AdPit (Adult & NA books) // #PitchSqueak (picture books) // #SFFPit // #JustPitchIt (faith-based books) // #PitchSlam // #NestPitch // #NoQS // #TheWVoice // #xmasinjuly //#MysteryAgent // #PitchMAS // #QueryKombat // #NewAgent // #SecretShop // #SunVsSnow // #TheWritersTank // #NLpitchperfect // #RTSlap // #AgentMatch // #PitchCB // #pit2pub // #PitchToPub // #pg70pit // #pitchtopublication
#AdPit (Adult & NA books) // #PitchSqueak (picture books) // #SFFPit // #JustPitchIt (faith-based books) // #PitchSlam // #NestPitch // #NoQS // #TheWVoice // #xmasinjuly //#MysteryAgent // #PitchMAS // #QueryKombat // #NewAgent // #SecretShop // #SunVsSnow // #TheWritersTank // #NLpitchperfect // #RTSlap // #AgentMatch // #PitchCB // #pit2pub // #PitchToPub // #pg70pit // #pitchtopublication
Want a link to a search for all the twitter hastags in one go? Done!
All your contest news in one feed:
Awesome Contest Hosts to Follow:
2020 Pitch Contests
Feb 12-14 -- Sweetheart Pitchfest - hosted by SavvyAuthors
Feb 14 -- #KissPitch Twitter Pitch Event for Romance and Women's Fiction - hosted by All The Kissing
Feb 20 -- #PBPitch Twitter Party - hosted by PBPitch
Feb 27 - #FaithPitch Twitter Pitch Party for Christian Books - hosted by FaithPitch
Mar 5 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
Mar 9 -- #PBParty Blog Pitch Contest - hosted by Michelle Hauck & Mindy Alyse WeissWARNING: In the past pbparty may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
Mar 9-13 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
Mar 5 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
Mar 9 -- #PBParty Blog Pitch Contest - hosted by Michelle Hauck & Mindy Alyse WeissWARNING: In the past pbparty may have discriminated against those who are vocal about social/racial injustice.
Mar 9-13 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
Apr 13 -- Secret Agent Contest - hosted by Miss Snark's First Victim
Apr 15-17 -- Sourcebooks #OwnVoices Romance Pitchfest - hosted by Sourcebooks and SavvyAuthors
Apr 22 - #DVPit Twitter Pitching Event - Children/YA - hosted by DVPit
Apr 23 - #DVPit Twitter Pitching Event - Adult - hosted by DVPit
Apr 23 - #DVArt Twitter Pitching Event - Illustrators - hosted by DVPit
May 21 -- #PitDark Twitter Pitch Contest - hosted by Jason Huebinger
June 4 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
June 8-12 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
June 18 -- #PBPitch Twitter Party for Picture Books - hosted by #PBPitch
June 25 -- #FaithPitch Twitter Party - for Christian Books - hosted by FaithPitch
FALL TBD -- #pg70pit Writing Contest -- hosted by Lara Willard
Sept 3 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
Sept 15 -- #LatinxPitch Twitter Pitching Event -- hosted by Latinx Pitch
Apr 15-17 -- Sourcebooks #OwnVoices Romance Pitchfest - hosted by Sourcebooks and SavvyAuthors
Apr 22 - #DVPit Twitter Pitching Event - Children/YA - hosted by DVPit
Apr 23 - #DVPit Twitter Pitching Event - Adult - hosted by DVPit
Apr 23 - #DVArt Twitter Pitching Event - Illustrators - hosted by DVPit
May 21 -- #PitDark Twitter Pitch Contest - hosted by Jason Huebinger
June 4 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
June 8-12 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
June 18 -- #PBPitch Twitter Party for Picture Books - hosted by #PBPitch
June 25 -- #FaithPitch Twitter Party - for Christian Books - hosted by FaithPitch
FALL TBD -- #pg70pit Writing Contest -- hosted by Lara Willard
Sept 3 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
Sept 15 -- #LatinxPitch Twitter Pitching Event -- hosted by Latinx Pitch
Sept 27-29 -- #PitchWars Submission Window - hosted by PitchWars
Nov 12 -- #FaithPitch Twitter Party - for Christian Books - hosted by FaithPitch
Oct 5-9 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
Dec 3 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
Nov 12 -- #FaithPitch Twitter Party - for Christian Books - hosted by FaithPitch
Oct 5-9 -- Pass or Pages Query Contest - hosted by Operation Awesome
Dec 3 -- #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party - hosted by PitchWars
A lot of these folks have recurring contests throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled for more to come!
Also check out these contest round-ups:
Sub It Club // KidLit 411 // Art of Infiltration // Meredith's Musings // I Write for Apples // Agent Query Connect // Brenda Drake Contest Schedule // Nestpitch Contest Roundup
And just for fun: Logline Generator
What about you? Do you have a favorite query, pitch, or twitter pitch contest? Know of other query or manuscript critique contests I should add to the list?
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