It's #PitMad! Who's participating?

As many writers know, March 4 is #PitMad on Twitter. In case you're not a writer, #PitMad is a social media "party" that allows unsigned writers a chance to get the attention of agents. PitMad takes place four times a year, and on those days between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET., you have a chance to tweet a short pitch of your book in the hopes of getting the attention of an agent. 

I have never participated in PitMad before because I am fortunate enough to have found a publisher who I trust and that supports me in my fiction writing career. However, I will be participating in PitMad this year because I have a nonfiction book proposal. Nonfiction is very different from fiction in many ways. For the most part, getting a nonfiction book proposal seen by a publisher requires an agent. There are exceptions to this rule, but it's much easier to query a publisher directly for a fiction book than a nonfiction book. 

I've queried agents already and, while they've all passed, they've all responded with lengthy replies that have offered advice. I've had three tell me, "I would love to take on this project, but you don't have a large enough social media following." But then they've added something to the effect of, "This is a strong proposal and idea, so keep trying. You may find someone willing to take a chance on it."

I understand that nonfiction is a hard sell, even during PitMad. I guess I'm stubborn and, quite honestly, desperate, so I'm going to give it another try. I'm scared near to death, to be honest, but I'm going to take a deep breath and go for it. 

If you're on the fence about participating in PitMad, why not join me? Here are the tips I've found online:

• Pitch one manuscript up to three times in a day
• Don't pitch in a thread
• Don't use links, images, or gifs
• Use the hashtag #PitMad with your relevant genre

You will find more information on the Pitch Wars website for PitMad.

Good luck to everyone who is participating! May the force be with you, and all that.

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Angela Campbell is the author of the psychic detective series, a paranormal romantic suspense series featuring ghosts, sexy psychics, haunted houses, serial killers ... and cats and dogs. Learn more about her books at www.angelacampbellonline.com. She also tweets way more than she should about her foster cats. Follow her on Twitter at @angelacampbel.