Get ready, as there’s a lot of information here!
The basics
- #LitPit is open to any work considered literature: any category (including non-fiction and memoirs, short story collections and poetry collections) and any genre.
- For fiction and memoirs, your manuscript must be complete (polished and ready to query/submit) but unpublished. For non-fiction, your proposal must be at a point that it’s ready to go to publishers.
- Your pitch needs to fit into one Threads post (500 characters) and should include:
- The tag #LitPit (don’t use any other tags as Threads only allows one tag per post)
- You should include your category and genre as per the abbreviations below. But unlike X (Twitter) events, don’t make these tags.
- Please do not include graphics in your post.
- Only one pitch post per manuscript.
- Only one pitch post per hour.
- If you get a HEART from an agent or editor, check their profile for any submission instructions.
- Be aware, any agent or editor are able to HEART your post (in fact, expect some randoms to do this too). #LitPit has no control over this. It is important to research agents and editors before submitting a #LitPit request. See more below.
- Send materials as per submission guidelines to professionals you would like to potentially work with as soon as possible.
- Please don’t HEART other pitches. You will raise a fellow authors hopes and then dash them quite expertedly.
- Feel free to support other authors with REPOSTS or QUOTES.
Category and Genre abbreviations
Below are a general list of categories and genre abbreviations. This is not an exhaustive list, and I’m happy to add to it as feedback comes in.
- Categories
- A = Adult
- NA = New Adult
- YA = Young Adult
- MG = Middle Grade
- CB = Chapter Books
- PB = Picture Books
- GN = Graphic Novel
- NF = Non-Fiction
- Genres
- NF = Non-Fiction
- LF = Literary Fiction
- WF = Woman’s Fiction
- CF = Christian Fiction
- SciFi = Science Fiction
- F = Fantasy
- UF = Urban Fantasy
- MR = Magical Realism
- H = Horror
- P = Paranormal
- R = Romance
- HF = Historical
- M = Mystery
- T = Thriller
- Mem = Memoir
- SSC = Short Story Collection
- W = Westerns
- Poet = Poetry Collection
Researching agents and editors
Unfortunately not everyone who claims to be an agent or an editor is on the level. Some fake it. And some have shady practices. Just like if you were querying/submitting, you need to research anyone who requests your work.
Writer Beware is an amazing tool run by Victoria Strauss. You can search agents, editors and publishers to see if there’s any posts relating to them on the site. You can also reach out to authors with agents or editors who have given your post a HEART and get feedback from them.
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