Try and fit the 5 W's of your in one sentence, under 32 words. As complicated as a story can be, it'll have those 5 points defined at least. From there just adjust as needed.
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WritersEra |OT| Publish before you die, writing writer writes
- Thread starter weemadarthur
- Start date
- OT
Thanks for this. Wish I had some stuff ready but alas. Anyways if I was going to do a pitch, figured I'd drop a couple down here for fun.
"Horror novel like Misery mixed with cosmic horror (more King than Lovecraft)"
"Victorian Era romance/murder mystery where the female lead is a velociraptor in a dress everyone mistakes for French"
"Dark Souls inspired dark fantasy with immortal children of God, relgious zelots in steel boar masks, weaponzied mist, a metal tree with severed heads at the end, and so much more."
"A young man runs away from an abusive father to join what he thinks is a roaming theatre troupe but is actually a necromancer, a buncha dead bodies, and one mean vampire."
Part of the idea of comparing your work to others is to give an idea of target audiences and marketability. They might not have heard of The Night Battles, but they can look at the sales of it and get an idea of how much your book might do.
Thanks! I'm confident I can flesh something out (eventually), but I've got, like, 20 irons in the fire right now, so my brain is a bit stale. -_-
Like Shoeless said, the mash works when coupled with a short overview. It doesn't have to be exact or anything. Just a 'feel'. Mine isn't literally The Talented Mr. Ripley x Stardust, just a charismatic sociopath navigating old world European mythology. If you throw out more details, maybe we can help you pinpoint some good options for the mash?
It is fun, right? Good practice and you never know~
I'd say just push the main story. At least that way you have stuff written already. Seems more tangible than what I've done and therefore a better chance.
Dude, I have nothing ready. Nothing. I just made up a pitch that sounded fun to write on the spot. Go all in!
I'll play around with that, thanks.
lol that wouldn't be the best comparison to make then, since TNB is a historical study rather than a YA-ish fantasy novel.
Maybe after work I'll join the discord and do it there if that's alright.
I mean the kids story has 106k word story arc done across two nanos.
I'm just reluctant to push my main story as i want it done before i try pushing it and there are some details earlier in that I'm still torn as to which way i want to go with them but won't matter until late game
Alright I did the thing with the horror novel, adding some more plot details. Secretly hoping no one contacts me cause I haven't touched that thing since 2016 :<
I have a couple of ideas to pitch but I'm afraid of getting picked for the one that has literally nothing written for it.
Literally just finished writing the epilogue, now I need to give it some time before I come back and do the first revision. On to crafting these pitches I suppose.
It's oddly nerve wracking, because this was something I wrote mostly as a hobby since I'm getting tired of my job. In the back of my mind I've always wanted it to be published, but I still don't expect it to ever actually happen since it's so particular to my tastes lol
It's oddly nerve wracking, because this was something I wrote mostly as a hobby since I'm getting tired of my job. In the back of my mind I've always wanted it to be published, but I still don't expect it to ever actually happen since it's so particular to my tastes lol
Congrats on finishing your first book. It's a big moment.
You're doing the right thing, take some time off, get away from the words. When you're ready, tackle it for revisions, though if possible, I'd strongly recommend you get some beta readers. That makes a HUUUUUGE difference in leveling up your writing if you find some good ones.
I've got a few friends and family who want to read it when it's ready so that's covered. The problem is none of them are writers (well, one is, but he does scripts, not books).
At the same time, I figure that lets me know how a general audience might feel about it, so once I hear back from them I might see if anyone here would have an interest in taking a look at it. But I don't expect to finish the first revision until sometime in late August.
There's already a few parts that I know I need to fix/change so I want to go back over those before I have anyone read it anyway.
Alright, I'm gonna put a couple potential pitch ideas in hidden text here. Just want to see if this sounds like it's on the right track or even interesting.
Seems wordy.
Alternate totally off the wall story idea that I literally just came up with:
Hidden content
Alternate totally off the wall story idea that I literally just came up with:
Hidden content
Now that I read it again, it sounds like an awful anime light novel title lol
That second one might be a little convoluted.
That third option for the first story feels like it's on the right track. It gets into what to expect and what the plot might look like. I'd maybe use the actual name of the place and use what's there as a descriptor.
That third option for the first story feels like it's on the right track. It gets into what to expect and what the plot might look like. I'd maybe use the actual name of the place and use what's there as a descriptor.
Ah, but that's what makes it fun!
That's actually a problem I struggled with in this first book. Too many ideas.
That's pretty much what I figured - the first two are more flatly descriptive of the plot, the third tries to get more to "the point".
So I always envisioned my novel to actually be a bit more serialized. I almost want like an episodic feel to it. Never really thought about how that would look because I've never read something like that before.
Maybe I should work on a sort of formula for composing an "episode". I already have the major plot points worked out for the first book, which could be considered the first "season". The episodes would fit in between and be more of a "filler" type stories but with ties to the major plot and with a lot of world and character development. Could also give me more room to explore the minor arcs and world elements I want.
Not sure if that is the direction I will ultimately take though.
Maybe I should work on a sort of formula for composing an "episode". I already have the major plot points worked out for the first book, which could be considered the first "season". The episodes would fit in between and be more of a "filler" type stories but with ties to the major plot and with a lot of world and character development. Could also give me more room to explore the minor arcs and world elements I want.
Not sure if that is the direction I will ultimately take though.
On their twitter, Rebellion publishing said you can pitch even works in progress, and you can do multiple works, so I sent another one I'm working on.
I'm sure I'll hate doing it when I'm forced to do it, but writing the pitches now in this way is pretty fun.
I'm sure I'll hate doing it when I'm forced to do it, but writing the pitches now in this way is pretty fun.
I sent them two more pitches as well - one in progress and one I've been planning to write. We'll see how it all goes!
Just finished my cover letter, came up with a title, and now to flesh out this random thing I suggested that they seem to like...
Maybe just do something totally unrelated, then?
Woohoo!
Can't do worse than me! I thought about it before bed, contemplated it in the shower for 5 mins and...that's it. 👍
Congrats! That's huge. So hard to make it to the finish line.
Multiple is OK, huh? Maybe that'll make what I want to do more kosher i.e. I'm thinking about including my 2/3 finished trilogy of books in the pitch I'm sending. My current publisher is unfortunately closing up shop, so I think all the rights revert back to me and maybe a completed novel/almost finished trilogy will stand a better chance than a concept, even if it's already been published elsewhere (the second and third haven't been, so...).
Good luck!
Maybe just do something totally unrelated, then?
Woohoo!
Can't do worse than me! I thought about it before bed, contemplated it in the shower for 5 mins and...that's it. 👍
Congrats! That's huge. So hard to make it to the finish line.
Multiple is OK, huh? Maybe that'll make what I want to do more kosher i.e. I'm thinking about including my 2/3 finished trilogy of books in the pitch I'm sending. My current publisher is unfortunately closing up shop, so I think all the rights revert back to me and maybe a completed novel/almost finished trilogy will stand a better chance than a concept, even if it's already been published elsewhere (the second and third haven't been, so...).
Good luck!
Well the friend I was helping proofread for turned out to be a creep and I ended our 10+ year friendship just yesterday.
So I guess I'm free again to pursue my own work. I'm really itching to read so I'm going to the library today and gonna try and find some brain fuel for my creativity.
So I guess I'm free again to pursue my own work. I'm really itching to read so I'm going to the library today and gonna try and find some brain fuel for my creativity.
Has anyone else who replied to the Twitter pitch thread come across a problem where their reply isn't showing up in the thread? I don't use Twitter so I made an account for the pitch, and while I can see on my own account that it went through, it doesn't show up with the other comments.
Is that just a thing that happens on Twitter when there are thousands of comments? Would suck if it doesn't even get seen.
Is that just a thing that happens on Twitter when there are thousands of comments? Would suck if it doesn't even get seen.
OP
OP
I think I'm still in a bit of shock. But I'm taking time to process some things he's said in the past and I can see the signs were always there. And then yesterday he just straight up admitted that he had a relationship with an underage girl when he was 21. And I didn't even wait to hear his excuses because I realised he's been saying them all through his writing for the past couple of years. So I just cut off communication with him and blocked him altogether.
I think Twitter does truncate replies a bit for viewers, but the account themselves should see all of them. Do you want me to see if it shows up when I look? You can give me your handle here or in PM if you like.
I'm seeing it. Twitter can get borked when a tweet gets a lot of activity, so maybe that's why it didn't show up.
Yeah that seems to be the case then, thanks. The analytics show that it's been viewed 80ish times, so I guess it's popped up on someone's feed at least. Maybe I'll toss out another idea or two and if I don't get anything within a week I'll just mark it down as my first rejection, which is a milestone in and of itself I suppose!
The real panic should only set in if they say "yes" and you realize, "Oh hell, now I've got to write this damn thing."
That's going to be one hell of a deadline.
I just caught someone on Wattpad posting a story that I published on Amazon. They didn't even change the thumbnail--it's still got my pen name on it.
But I've got good news, too...I picked up 23 new patrons in the last couple weeks, so I'm up to 52 now.
But I've got good news, too...I picked up 23 new patrons in the last couple weeks, so I'm up to 52 now.
Wattpad seems pretty bad about this, presumably because of the younger audience. Can you report it?
I reported it, but after I submitted the form, it says their customer support staff only work Monday to Friday. I guess that's all I can do at this point.
Wishing you so much luck!
I have a similar story! I was on a Facebook horror page and clicked on a story to fins it was my story but given a dofferent title! A title that had nothjng to do with the story! It was pretty shitty. Site never did anything about it :\
Good luck
For me it would just be.. oh i have to move my November editing plans up :p
Thank you!
I think the chances are preeeeetty slim given how many responses they've had and how good a number of them are, plus the fact that there's nothing written for it (among other things). I attached a list of my published stuff to show that I have written stuff and could write this, but I 'm hovering just above "no hope." But yeah, it would be panic stations if they did. @_@
Thanks, Flowers!
Cheers!
Neat! It's a bit like that episode of Cowboy Bebop with Ein. I'd read that.
Thanks, yo!
Massive space whales the size of small moons take Earth millions of light years away. Now Earth is one of many planets under the rule of the Space Overlords (name TBD). Defeated in a moment and unalterably changed, but life on earth continues.
Back where Earth used to be, some of humanity was left behind. The inhabitants of the moon base and several space stations that orbited Earth are stranded. It takes time for them to stabilize, but eventually they resolve to find and save Earth.
^ my pitch for that tweet thread
Back where Earth used to be, some of humanity was left behind. The inhabitants of the moon base and several space stations that orbited Earth are stranded. It takes time for them to stabilize, but eventually they resolve to find and save Earth.
^ my pitch for that tweet thread
OP
OP
sorry i run into the physics problems and it don't work.
without the moon there are no tides and the oceans die.
the moon itself would wander into another orbit.
Space whales are one of those things that never get old, and now I'm questioning the fact that I've never written about them.
Threw in a second pitch for my completed book/series because my current publisher (that's sadly shutting their doors) gave me the go-ahead. Things have been quiet on the Rebellion tweet, though, so I wonder if they're saving final picks for the end of the week to round it out.
Like others, you had me at "space whales." I didn't see this one when reading through the replies on Rebellion's tweet. I really hate that Twitter cuts a bunch out. I want to see all of them, dammit!
Like others, you had me at "space whales." I didn't see this one when reading through the replies on Rebellion's tweet. I really hate that Twitter cuts a bunch out. I want to see all of them, dammit!