PITCH WARS 2016: #PIMPMYBIO

Hi Everyone! I'm big pimpin this post for things not necessarily included on the Pitch Wars submission form.

THE BACKSTORY:

I started writing for therapeutic purposes.
I was slowly going crazy trapped in the house on medical leave. 
Because, while on a snowboarding trip to Colorado, and an unfortunate stay at my brother-in-laws' ranch, in which had a faulty furnace, resulted in my family getting carbon monoxide poisoning. And we all almost died. The aftermath of it, I got major toxicity levels in my body...all sorts of fun things happened, and I couldn't drive for six months. Hence the trapped in the house on medical leave. The writing helped make six months fly by somewhat anxiety free. But sadly, after I went back to work I soon forgot about the MS I wrote. 

A few years pass, and the summer before my daughter started high school triggered a past memory. This YA love story I wrote. I blew the dust off the jump drive it resided in and had a few beta readers take a look. And they loved the story. I was so happy that other people loved my story as I. That was the reassurance I needed in hopes of pursuing an agent and publication. However, that's not as easy as it is to type the sentence.

The therapy writing turned into a love for creative writing. 

Extremely clueless on the publishing industry, I've spent some time researching: writing, editing, querying, pitch parties, etc... I have a pretty good success rate with twitter pitching. Only to find out that the partials and fulls were getting rejected, I knew I had problems. That's when, drum roll please, Hayley Stone walks in. She's an amazing freelance editor (and author). She's helped me so much. But, I do know I need more help before getting published. Like, one problem, I have, problems with, comma's, okay. (Waves to Hayley). If you know Hayley and her style, that's what I'm looking for. I can handle constructive criticism, and will work hard with your suggestions. Because ultimately, in the end, I want my MS to be flawless (shine), and a published book. I'm up for this Pitch Wars challenge. 

Brother-in-laws' Ranch

THE STORY:

Title: TRULY HEAVENLY (yup- I realize it's back-to-back adverbs!!! I updated to this title 7/25 after query critique. Because the old title, The Blue Flash, sounded superhero ish....I agree)

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy (Greek Mythology elements)

Length: 66K

Diversity Elements: Yes

THE TWEET LIFE:

Most favorited twitter pitch:

Modern day Magnum Pi=teen girl investigates mysterious Hawaiian legend. Plenty of fast cars & romance. Helicopter not include. #pitmad #YA

#TKA20 tweet favorite (over 1,000 pitches only 329 tweet favorites): 

Forbidden love that started with a life-saving kiss. A feud that started in Ancient Greece. And a curse no one can break. #TKA20 #YA #CF

1st #pitchCB event tweet favorite (over 2,000 tweets only 100 tweet favorites):

#PitchCB Teen girl has a second shot at life after mysterious boy kisses her back to existence. Is the second kiss fatal? #YA #Urban Fantasy

WIP:

YA Contemporary Fantasy

Picture Books (waiting for the time to brush up on my art skills again)

Non-Fiction: Sports Architecture Book

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I'm married. Twenty-five years in September. My husband is a sports architect. And you've probably sat in one of his stadium he's designed.

I have two daughters. Both in high school. One's a cheerleader, ones a golfer. They both play soccer. 

I live in Kansas City, Missouri. 

I love sports. In case you didn't know, the Kansas City Royals won the World Series last year.

My dad raced cars. He helped design stock cars and winged sprint cars. He also raced boats. Probably the main reason why I love Formula One Racing and own a Powerboat.

I love snow skiing, snowboarding, water-skiing, and wakeboarding. 

I learned how to surf on my 40th birthday.

I collect wine corks.

I have a match collection.   (I don't smoke, but it was cool collecting matches when traveling. They were free. A free souvenir. But everything is smoke-free now....)

I hold a Bachelor of Fine Art's Degree.

I'm an active member of SCBWI.

I love love. And my husband, and Paris.

Surfing @ 40th Birthday Party. Pacific Beach, CA.

Me, retro skiing.

Snowboarding. Lake Tahoe

At a Formula One Race. The British Grand Prix. Silverstone.

A FEW FAVORITE BOOKS:

THE GREAT GATSBY

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

HUGO CABRET

HARRY POTTER

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS

STARCROSSED

ABANDON

THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN

A FEW FAVORITE AUTHORS:

Susane Colasanti

Mark Twain

Anne Rice

A FEW FAVORITE POETS:

William Shakespeare

Edgar Allan Poe

Emily Dickinson

A FEW FAVORITE BLOGS:

Brenda Drake

Carissa Taylor

Ava Jae

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope it's pimped out enough!! If you want to know anything else, leave me a comment. I hope to make a Pitch Wars connection with a mentor, and more connections in the writing community.

Check out all the #pimpmybio blog hop list here.

Throwing out the Twitter Pitch.....a few Home Runs and some Strikeouts!

Every time I research how to compile a twitter pitch, I always find one common theme.....'stakes'. However, the most favorites I get when I do twitter pitch contests - zero stakes. I do believe you need stakes, and have the pitch be: dynamic, dramatic and unique.

A funny thing, I went on a blog before the 9/10/15 #pitmad to get FREE advice (revision) on my twitter pitch, from an editing services group....Uhhhh.....that was the only pitch all day that got zero retweets and zero favorites.

I wanted to share examples of my twitter pitches that worked *Home Runs* and didn't work *Strikeouts*.

My very first ever attempt at a pitch was a twitter pitch party (1/22/15) off of Erin Niumata - SVP at Folio Literary, personal twitter page. I had no idea what I was doing. I'd never even heard of these 'pitches' on twitter. So, I just tracked (stalked) which pitches Erin was favoring, saw a pattern, and gave it a shot. She favorited my tweet, and requested a partial. I love the tweet, kind of like your first born. I've used it in other pitch events with not much luck:

Teen boy unaware of eternal lineage accidentally interferes in teen girl destiny causes mystifying curse to unfold #YA #adventure

Soon after getting the rejection from Erin, I realized I needed to change a bunch in my MS. I revised so much, entered contests, got more feedback, revamped my entire first chapter and first 250. I continued to do more twitter pitch events, revising my MS, and a huge revision on the query letter.

A huge accomplishment was getting a favorite off the first #PitchCB event 7/24/15. (Check out the article on my blog). I received great compliments off this tweet, from the agent.

#PitchCB Teen girl has a second shot at life after mysterious boy kisses her back to existence. Is the second kiss fatal? #YA #UrbanFantasy

However, another pass off the partial submission.

During Brenda Drake's 9/10/15 #pitmad, I received so much love from the writing community. Below, are the tweets that got a combination of 28 retweets, and zero agent favorites:

One summer in Hawaii, Lacie uncovers forbidden love and ancient legend. She must battle to stay alive & keep her heart intact. #YA #pitmad

Relationship Status: It's Complicated! Because his kiss is killer. Literally. #pitmad #YA #contemporary #UrbanFantasy #mythology

First kiss causes a curse. Second kiss causes confusion. Dealing with your boyfriend's dead mom: Fatal. #YA #pitmad #UrbanFantasy

Now, the ones that haven't really worked - meaning minimal retweets and no favorites (it's a long list):

Teen girl realizes from art class she should be dead. She escapes the haunting memory to only find she trapped in secret ancient legend she cannot break away from.

Treasure Island meets Lightening Thief: in a tropical world, shy Midwest teen must decipher ancient legend or else never return home to the world she knows.

The Hawaiian Islands are no place for shy Midwest teen. But when mystifying legend unfolds it may be impossible to escape alive.

A land. A discovery. A tropical quest. Will shy Midwest girl have what it takes to decipher ancient legend before ancient teens rule everything?

17 yo with sleep disorder ends search for her 1st love after falling for grief struck college student. Will her decision be fatal?

Escaping high school drama, Lacie uncovers ancient legend. Who will prevail in the secrecy: her first love or her true love?

A painting uncovers 17yo Lacie should be dead. She must decipher ancient legend for answers-to save her life. Again.

Witnessing your own death, a secret society, uncovering a legend and your 1st love for 17yo causes betrayal to everyone she loves.

Jilted cheerleader takes on summer adventure: Treasure Island (minus pirates) meets Raiders of the Lost Arc.

Catholic school girl, 2 teen boys, unforgettable summer adventure deciphering ancient legend, hoping they make it home alive.

Drum roll please..... this is the one tweet that I've had more favorites from agents leading to partial or full requests:

Modern day Magnum Pi=teen girl investigates mysterious Hawaiian legend. Plenty of fast cars & romance. Helicopter not included. #pitmad #YA

I love this tweet. It really is what the book is about, and shows off the voice (and my age) as well. NOW, I just need to convince an agent the entire MS is great.

Hope these examples help in your twitter pitching . Please feel free to leave me comments. Not claiming to be an expert, but I can also give comments on your pitch for FREE.
  
Tips for a great pitch:

Who your MC is. (don't get hung up on the name - the ones I used MC name got least love. Try: teen boy/girl or 17yo or middle- age momma, heart-throb mechanic.....)

What’s at stake.  (yes you should have this, and build off creative ways to spin the stakes and grab attention)

Essence of plot.

Genre.

What makes your story unique. (YES, YES my favorite!!)

Conveying the voice. (dah....)

Search the twitter feed, reading the tweets that grabbed the agents eye.

The most helpful tool to create twitter pitches, is defiantly Carissa Taylor's blog.

Just remember, you have to go through numerous Strikeouts before you can hit it out of the PARK!

Go get a HOME RUN!

Getting a tweet favorited from #PitchCB

After submitting my submission package to the agent that favored my tweet from #PitchCB - I woke up this morning, and thought - I'm not going to obsess over continually looking over my manuscript today. I'm not going to revise anything, and beat myself up about the writing.

Then, I'm in the hospital (my day job) lab, waiting to get some blood drawn, and I see on a twitter feed article - that 2,000 tweets were posted during #PitchCB and only 100 got favored.

I had a OMG WTF moment, sitting in the oversized blood-draw chair. All the while, the lab tech drains six vials of blood out of my veins.

All before 7:30 am.

So - even though I was left with minimal amounts of blood flowing in my body, I could still smile the long walk down the hospital corridor - to my office.

Oh wait, it gets better.

I launch my computer, after checking the usual emails that flood my work inbox, I grab my iPhone, checking the personal gmail account. Only to find an email from the agent that I submitted,  just last night.

I was convinced she was going to say, thanks - it's a pass.

That wasn't the case at all.

She wrote a very pleasant email. Something along these lines, Tina- looking forward to reading this! (with an actual exclamation point)  Needless to say, you have a great pitch. 

I seriously can't even believe it, still - almost eight hours later.

The funny thing is, I've used that tweet in #pitmad, and received zero favorites. The only reason I thought to go with the tweet was it had the most retweets from other followers, peers, writer friends, etc.. *high fives all around to the re-tweeters!

Even if nothing comes of the submission, the encouragement the agent gave me (and the writing community for the retweets during #pitmad #PitchCB) - gives me enough confidence to keep going, and never give up! Hopeful for the day I get an agent, and they will love my story as I do.

Honestly, I almost gave up and didn't send the tweet ....

#PitchCB Teen girl has second shot at life after mysterious boy kisses her back to existence. Is the second kiss fatal? #YA #UrbanFantasy