Lessons from a virtual pitch event

Last week, I shared a bit about the rough road that kept me away from this space and I shared some tips on how to keep connected to your story when life happens. One thing I did was to keep my story running in the “background” of my mind while focusing on what needed attention in my life.

Today, I’m thrilled to share that the background work has officially moved to the foreground.

I have officially finished the latest version of my manuscript and it’s currently in my editor’s hands for some “big picture” structural help. While she works her magic on the bones of the story, I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am getting closer every day to the official querying stage where I start pitching to literary agents.

To celebrate being back and being this close to the finish line, I decided to do something a little different on the last day of January: I jumped into #Questpit.

What is #Questpit?

#Questpit is a quarterly “pitch event” on X (formerly Twitter). Writers create an “Agent’s Guide”—a visual grid of four specific graphics: a title page, a pitch, a list of tropes/comps, and the first page of the manuscript. It’s high-energy, fast-paced, and a total blast for anyone who loves a good “aesthetic.”

Go here to learn more about Quest Pit.

Stepping out of the comfort zone

As a writer, it’s easy to hide behind the prose. But #Questpit forced me to think like a marketer. I had to distill SAVING LUCIFER—a 98,000-word Urban Fantasy—into punchy bullet points and moody imagery.

I used a gorgeous photo my son took of the local mountains and water as my background. It wasn’t just a graphic. It was a vibe. It represented the “stars and soil” theme of my book perfectly.

What I learned

If I could give one piece of advice for the next event in April, it’s this: The pitch starts five days before the post. Here’s what I learned about the “pre-game”:

• Warm up the feed: Start talking about the event early to tell the algorithm you’re active.
• The support list: Start a list of fellow writers you want to boost. In this community, “writer-karma” is real.
• Building connections: Making those connections four to five days out makes the actual event feel like a party with friends.
• Be active and post: My X account is new, so I only have a few followers. But I’ll grow my account by the next event (they have one per quarter).

The road to April

While the agent likes are still trickling in (they often browse the hashtag for days after!), I walked away with something better: Marketing assets. These graphics aren’t just for a one-day event, I can use them for my website, social media, and future queries. Between now and the next event in April, I’ll be:

1. Growing the X feed: Continuing to post and connect with the #WritingCommunity.
2. Polishing the visuals: Experimenting with new backgrounds to make the graphics pop even more.
3. Deepen the roots: Continuing to make connections in the “Book-O-Sphere.”

It feels good to be back. Even if you’re a “Divine Janitor” cleaning up a celestial mess, it’s a lot more fun when you’re doing it with a community.

Join the cleanup crew. Want to see what a “Divine Janitor” actually does? Sign up for my newsletter to get monthly updates on my manuscript’s progress, events, and the first word on when Saving Lucifer hits the shelves. You can join me right here.