The Perfect Pitch

Yesterday was my first #pbpitch day. Several days a year, writers get to write a short summary of their story ideas and “pitch” them to agents and publishers through twitter. Here are the pitches I gave:

#pbpitch #NF Defying social norms in 1894, Annie Londonderry becomes the first woman to circle the globe by bicycle. Her pluck and business savvy help her to succeed despite public skepticism and physical challenges.

 #pbpitch #NF Annie Londonderry defies social norms in 1894 by riding off alone to circle the globe by bicycle. Fifteen months later, despite judgmental stares, a broken arm, and nights sleeping outdoors, she is triumphant!

#pbpitch Feeling SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) during the winter, Elena finds to way to capture a piece of the sun to help her through the cold, dark days.

#pbpitch #NF Why should children care that women weren’t able to vote until recently? In this story, the children begin to understand suffrage when boys are forbidden to vote for pizza toppings for the class party!

Note: #pbpitch #nf means picture book pitch for a nonfiction book.

Sadly, but not unexpectedly, none of my pitches were “liked” by any writing industry professionals. Very few pitches (and there were hundreds) were chosen. If I had been “liked,” I could have submitted my manuscript. However, this is not a guarantee of publication. It is only a pass-through to a free look.

In happier news, my mentor feels that my Annie manuscript, about a woman who rode a bicycle around the world in 1894, is ready to submit for publication. I am taking the terrifying step of sending it out in the next month to various agents and publishers. Please wish me luck and the fortitude to withstand the inevitable rejection and disappointment. I will keep you posted.

Thank you for all your support,

Patricia