How did it get to be July already?! But I’m excited that it is, because July is #SelfPitch month! The brainchild of indie author Shoshana Rain with some coparenting from me, #SelfPitch is happening July 13 and 14 this year.
During July, I’m also trying to take it a little bit easy (she said, as she started a new project for Camp NaNo, jumped feetfirst into mentoring, and spun up some additional plates yet to be announced) so expect shorter blog posts and more interviews this month, possibly through the summer. I am trying to keep myself from burning out, I swear!
I do reserve the right to get back on my soapbox and longform it up at any moment. But I have noticed I’ve been having a harder time generating blog topics during the last month. It’s also started to feel more like a task to get this out once per week, as opposed to something I’m looking forward to. Seems like a good time to take, if not a hiatus, at least scale it back a bit until my creative well for blogging refills.
With that housekeeping out of the way, it’s time for a little FAQ about #SelfPitch!
What is SelfPitch?
What is #SelfPitch, you ask? It’s a Twitter pitch event, and before you groan and say “not another one,” it’s not that kind of pitch event. This isn’t for agents and editors. We’re giving authors the green light to pitch directly to readers and book lovers, and readers (and everyone) the green light to “like” the pitches that catch your eye to your heart’s content!
Likes, comments, retweets, and QRTs are not just permitted but encouraged. If you see a pitch for a book that excites you, interact! That’s right, we’re giving you a License to Like. Our goal is to increase discoverability of indie books and build community among indie authors.
Who can pitch in this event?
You are eligible to pitch your work in #SelfPitch if you are a self-published, hybrid, or indie/small press author with an indie book that has released in the past year or is currently available for preorder. #SelfPitch operates on the honor system, so if you consider yourself an indie author, we welcome your participation and look forward to seeing your pitches!
Why #SelfPitch?
Inspired by the spirit of events like #PitLight, this event skips publishing gatekeepers to connect readers directly with authors. We envision a social media event where indie, self-published, and small press authors can pitch their work to new readers, connect with their peers, support each other, and hype their books in a positive, celebratory atmosphere.
Agent and publishers are welcome to stop by and check it out, even comment or retweet if you want to give us a signal boost. However, please don’t approach this event as an opportunity to acquire new talent. Indie authors are already out here doing it for ourselves, but we appreciate your support!
What can I include in my pitch?
You may include images in your posts such as cover art, aesthetics, and commissioned art (make sure you have the rights to any images used!) All buy links should be shared in replies only, not the main post with the hashtag. This is mostly to help your pitch succeed – Twitter is less likely to show tweets on people’s main timelines if they have external links in them. You should also pin your pitch to your profile so folks can easily find it to support you!
How many pitches can I share during the event?
You may pitch each eligible book ONCE only, please! If you have multiple books out in the last year, you may post one pitch for each. We don’t want a flood of pitches making it hard for each individual book to get the attention it deserves.
What are the designated hashtags?
You should include the #SelfPitch hashtag, but given the wide range of genres and age categories for this event, we’re not establishing any standard hashtags. You’re free to use them if you wish or leave them out. Our reason for having no designated hashtags is that we’re unconvinced readers will use these the way agents would in a pitch event.
How can I get involved?
We want to reach as many indie authors and readers as we can, so please boost this event far and wide! Follow the #SelfPitch Twitter account for updates, news, and prompts in the lead up to our inaugural event. We have some fun stuff planned for the weeks ahead and can’t wait to get started!
Erin Fulmer Writes SFF 
Reblogged this on e.m.anderson and commented:
I’ll be participating in this event now that I have preorder links! Thanks to Erin and Shoshana for putting this together.
LikeLiked by 1 person