NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022
UPDATE: APRIL 26, 2022
THE WINNER IS…
SIMPLY THE BEST BY CATHERINE YANG
Catherine will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for Simply the Best.
Listen to the announcement.
Listen to the winning pitch and our feedback.
OUR FAN FAVORITE GOES TO…
THE POWER OF SHADOWS BY ABBY GEIGERMAN
Abby will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250).
Read the Fan Favorite winning pitch.
Congratulations, Catherine and Abby! Thank you to every writer who participated and the fans who voted.
You can watch the full NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022 below.
Twelve years. That’s how long The Book Doctors and Nano Nation have been slinging words and making beautiful music (and books) together. Writers from around the globe delivered yet another batch of pulse-pounding pitches for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022!
As ever, we were gobsmacked by the undeniable awesomeness of the writing that poured forth from Wrimos.
We can’t tell you how much we loved reading your creative, thoughtful, fascinating, funny, wondrous, original pitches.
Now for the 411
The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or to buy it online)?
The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 25, 2022 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
Here are the rules
Please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
Only poll votes from this webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2022 voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- The Power Of Shadows by Abby Geigerman (36%, 532 Votes)
- PitchaPalooza by Tanisha Pereira (14%, 214 Votes)
- Untitled by K. L. Penn (11%, 166 Votes)
- The Intrepid Defenders of Long Lake Math Team by Ella Martinez Nocito (10%, 144 Votes)
- Ruby Madder’s Field Guide To Poisonous Plants by Michelle Heimburger (9%, 142 Votes)
- The Immortal by S.R. Finch (7%, 109 Votes)
- Fixer Upper by Shanna Bowie (5%, 76 Votes)
- PlusOne for Rent by Joanna Jelen (2%, 36 Votes)
- The Art Of Fucking Up by Keith Good (1%, 18 Votes)
- Game of Tao Tie by Serena Zhang (1%, 15 Votes)
- Chroma by Camille Thomas (1%, 11 Votes)
- A Dream Bewitched by Catherine Oyiliagu (1%, 11 Votes)
- Simply The Best by Catherine Yang (0%, 6 Votes)
- I Am Not A Corporate Drone by Andrew Rosenblum (0%, 5 Votes)
- Super Ballsy by Tyler Darnell (0%, 4 Votes)
- My Colonizer: A Kept Boy and his Afterlife by Dale Corvino (0%, 3 Votes)
- Again The Dimming Lights by Julian Farris (0%, 2 Votes)
- The Scholarly Banana by Karly West (0%, 1 Votes)
- Wild Life by Melanie Bosley (0%, 1 Votes)
- Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland by Lili Ryder (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,496
TWELFTH ANNUAL NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA
You wrote your 50,000 words (or close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in. Join us for our twelfth annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to learn how to catch the attention of publishers and readers.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on April 2, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group. The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consultation with us (worth $250). On April 3, 2022, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on April 25, 2022. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 26, 2022.
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER
- Beginning February 15, 2022, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com.
- Do not attach your pitch, just embed it in the email.
- You get up to 250 words to pitch your book.
- Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. These don’t count toward your 250 words.
- All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on March 15, 2022.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA SUCCESS STORIES
It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners.
Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her award-winning books have been featured on the “Best of” lists of Seventeen, Bustle, Barnes & Nobles, PopSugar, Paste Magazine, and more. American Panda received four starred trade reviews, was on the Amelia Bloomer list, and was a Junior Library Guild Selection, Indie Next Pick, and YALSA Teens’ Top 10 Pick. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
But that’s not all. Fools in Love, an anthology released December 7, 2021 (Running Press Kids/Hachette), features Gloria and fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular themes in the romance genre that are sure to steal your heart. Gloria’s work graces Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between that released last month from Viking/Penguin. And coming from Viking Penguin in Fall 2022 is When You Wish Upon a Lantern, a YA romance that sold in a heated auction! In Spring 2023, look for Freshman Orientation, a YA anthology of linked stories set on the first day at a small college, from the perspective of teens moving into their dorms, making new friends, avoiding old ones, and trying to fit in (Candlewick).
Gloria is giving back to aspiring authors by being a 2022 We Need Diverse Books YA mentor.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. In 2019, it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. The Hunting Wives launched in May 2021 with buzz from The Skimm, Cosmopolitan, SheReads, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, E! Online, Crime Reads, Book Riot, Bustle, and more. In September 2021, May announced another two-book deal with Berkley. First up, My Summer Darlings hits bookstores in May 2022: three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder.
“Having my pitch selected as the 2016 winner for Pitchapalooza was such a boost! Of course it was wonderful to win, but even more than that, having the Book Doctor’s feedback on my pitch was instrumental.”
–May Cobb
Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-eight books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. She also published three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31). And Little, Brown recently won at auction rights to publish her debut nonfiction middle grade Save the People! Halting Human Extinction, a look at our potential demise with a side of humor and a powerful remedy: scientific knowledge. In April 2022, look for Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth, and in August, Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink.
Cari Noga was one of our first NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Her winning novel, Sparrow Migrations, went on to be a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, then she received an acquisition offer from Lake Union Publishing. Her latest novel, The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing), is out now.
IMPORTANT NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA DATES
Tuesday, February 15, 2022–Pitch submission opens
Tuesday, March 15, 2022–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, April 2, 2022–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, April 3, 2022–Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com
Monday, April 25, 2022–Final day to vote for Fan Favorite
Tuesday, April 26, 2022–Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com
10 tips for pitching your novel
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch? We’ve got you covered.
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA FAQS
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for Fan Favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: Will a recording be available?
A: Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at www.thebookdoctors.com and on YouTube.
Q: Does my novel have to be finished?
A: No, you may pitch a work in progress.
Q: May I submit a pitch for a self-published novel?
A: Yes.
Q: Will the writers of the randomly selected pitches be notified ahead of the webcast?
A: The writers of the selected pitches will not be notified ahead of the event.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here.
ELEVENTH ANNUAL NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA
You wrote your 50,000 words (or got pretty close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on March 13, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group.
The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
Beginning February 1, 2021, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR PITCH, JUST EMBED IT IN THE EMAIL. Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on February 28, 2021.
We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). On March 14, 2021, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on March 31, 2021. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 1, 2021.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA SUCCESS STORIES
Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. This time it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her latest thriller The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. Berkley plans its release for May 18, 2021.
“Having my pitch selected as the 2016 winner for Pitchapalooza was such a boost! Of course it was wonderful to win, but even more than that, having the Book Doctor’s feedback on my pitch was instrumental.”
–May Cobb
Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-five books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. Look for it in spring of this year. She’ll also publish three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31).
Cari Noga was one of our first NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Her winning novel, Sparrow Migrations, went on to be a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, then she received an acquisition offer from Lake Union Publishing. Her latest novel, The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing), is out now.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
IMPORTANT NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA DATES
Monday, February 1, 2021–Pitch submission opens
Sunday, February 28, 2021–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, March 13, 2021–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, March 14, 2021–Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2021–Final day to vote for Fan Favorite
Thursday, April 1, 2021–Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com
10 tips for pitching your novel
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch? We’ve got you covered.
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA FAQS
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for fan favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: Will a recording be available?
A: Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at our website.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2020
UPDATE: Congratulations to our 2020 winners! Thank you to every writer who participated and the fans who voted.
The 2020 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winner is The Eighth Wonder of Pine Mountain by Jenny Murray.
Fan Favorite goes to Operation Polar Revenge by Tara Erredge.
You can watch the full NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2020 below.
10 years. A decade. A tenth of a century. That’s how long The Book Doctors and Nano Nation have been slinging words and making beautiful music (and books) together. Six continents (come on Antarctica, we need to hear from you!) have graced us with pulse-pounding pitches, and now another crop of hungry pitches have made us laugh, cry, sigh, gasp, and thank the universe we’re alive for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2020!
Damn Yankees, the California Gold Rush, a memory reader and a homicide detective chasing down a serial killer, New Adults confronting Nazis on the Zamzam, exploding houseboats on the Florida coast, and all manner of wizardry and witchcraft made this year our most exciting yet. As ever, we were filled with eye-popping, mind-blowing exuberation by the vast volume and overwhelming scrumptiousness of the beautiful words that flooded forth from Wrimos across our planet and we suspect, from across the universe. And yet, we were not even remotely startled. The Book Doctors could not have more gratitude in their attitude as we sucked in the rare air of NaNo Nation. We wait with baited breath for Year 11.
Now for the 411
The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or to buy it online)?
The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31, 2020 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on April 1, 2020.
Here are the rules
But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
We will also be posting these pitches on social media. We encourage anyone to like your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
How to get your pitch critiqued
Finally, through April 2, 2020, we are still offering a free webinar (worth $75) to anyone who buys a copy of our book The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published. Just email a copy of your receipt to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com and we’ll be in touch to set up a webinar.
Write on, Wrimos!
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2020 voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- Operation Polar Revenge by Tara Erredge (33%, 222 Votes)
- The Exchange by Dominique Jolly (24%, 163 Votes)
- A Cold Night for Alligators by Viggy Parr Hampton (10%, 67 Votes)
- The Eighth Wonder of Pine Mountain by Jenny Murray (6%, 42 Votes)
- Serenity's Fire by Éowyn Power (5%, 37 Votes)
- ChainLinked! by Liz Boeger (4%, 27 Votes)
- Madam Mayhem by Marilynn Rockelman (3%, 21 Votes)
- Zahra and the Golden Scarab of Balihar by Michael Grayford (3%, 18 Votes)
- Game Seven by James Tretick (2%, 16 Votes)
- The Color of Trauma by Hollie Smurthwaite (2%, 13 Votes)
- Across the Sea by Jeni Paltiel (2%, 13 Votes)
- Lost to Follow Up by Adele Blackler (1%, 7 Votes)
- Overcast by R.H. Tyrrel (1%, 7 Votes)
- Doctor of Doctors by Lally Pia (1%, 6 Votes)
- The Eagle Order by Judy L Mohr (1%, 4 Votes)
- The Secrets of Tengu by Evergreen Lee (1%, 4 Votes)
- West by LJ Farrow (1%, 4 Votes)
- American Fledgling by Kirkley Mehndiratta (0%, 2 Votes)
- The Last Thing She Thought by Laurie Feldman (0%, 2 Votes)
- Spirited to the West by Pauline Chow (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 675
TENTH ANNUAL NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA
You wrote your 50,000 words (or got pretty close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in.
For those of you not familiar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on March 14, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group.
The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
Beginning February 1, 2020, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR PITCH, JUST EMBED IT IN THE EMAIL. Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on February 29, 2020.
We will also crown a fan favorite who will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). On March 15, 2020, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on March 31, 2020. The fan favorite will be announced on April 1, 2020.
If you purchase a new copy of our book, The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published, by April 2, 2020, we’re offering an exclusive one-hour webinar where you’ll get the chance to pitch your book. Just attach a copy of your sales receipt to your email and we’ll send the link to the webinar dates.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA SUCCESS STORIES
It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 from Simon Pulse. Gloria also sold the rights to her next novel Rent a Boyfriend with publication planned for fall 2020. Read Gloria’s winning NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza pitch.
In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. This time it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her latest thriller The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. Berkley plans an early 2021 release. Read May’s winning pitch.
“Having my pitch selected as the 2016 winner for Pitchapalooza was such a boost! Of course it was wonderful to win, but even more than that, having the Book Doctor’s feedback on my pitch was instrumental.”
–May Cobb
Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. Her latest middle grade novel, The World Ends in April, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Shelf Awareness gave it a starred review and called it “a smart, funny and emotionally candid book.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. Look for it in spring 2021. Read Stacy’s winning pitch.
Cari Noga was one of our first NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Her winning novel, Sparrow Migrations, went on to be a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, then she received an acquisition offer from Lake Union Publishing. Her latest novel, The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing), released last year. Read Cari’s winning pitch.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch? We’ve got you covered.
10 tips for pitching your novel
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.
NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA FAQS
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for fan favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: If I buy a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, how does the one-hour webinar work?
A: We limit each webinar to 20 people, which gives everyone the chance to pitch and get feedback. To be eligible, purchase of a new copy of The Essential Guide is required.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist.
IMPORTANT NANOWRIMO PITCHAPALOOZA DATES
Saturday, February 1, 2020–Pitch submission opens
Saturday, February 29, 2020–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, March 14, 2020–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, March 15, 2020–Voting for fan favorite begins
Tuesday, March 31, 2020–Final day to vote for fan favorite
Wednesday, April 1, 2020–Fan favorite announced
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2019
UPDATE: Congratulations to our 2019 winners!
The 2019 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winner is Polyglot by Devyn Fussman.
Fan Favorite goes to Solving for X by Bob Luckett.
You can watch NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2019 below.
Nano Nation Wrimos from all over the world graced us with our ninth straight pack of pulse-pounding pitches for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2019! A lawyer who could melt your face with her mind, a teacher trying to make world peace using West Side Story, glittery ducks, a cat on a leash, a chameleon confessing, a homeless boy sleeping in his run-down car, Vincent van Gogh eating yellow paint, a serial arsonist, and a polyglot. As ever, we were jaw-dropped and gobsmacked by the vast volume and undeniable awesomeness of the writing that poured forth from Wrimos from this planet and we suspect, from several others… And yet, we were not in the least bit surprised. It was pure pleasure and privilege for the Book Doctors to breathe in the rare air of NaNo Nation. We can’t wait to do it again next year.
Now for the 411: The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or, if you’re really lazy, to buy it online)? The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 1, 2019 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on April 2, 2019.
But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
We will also be posting these pitches—a couple a day–on social media. We encourage anyone to like your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
Finally, through April 2, 2019, we are still offering a free webinar (worth $75) to anyone who buys a copy of our book The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published. Just email a copy of your receipt to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com and we’ll be in touch to set up a webinar.
Write on, Wrimos!
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2019 Voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- Solving for X by Bob Luckett (34%, 1,298 Votes)
- Revenge Prose by Beth Burnett (27%, 1,007 Votes)
- Hear Our Voices! by Michele LeNoir (22%, 826 Votes)
- The Fire Under the Mountain by Kirstie Ellen (5%, 196 Votes)
- East Side Story by Elizabeth Wilder (3%, 113 Votes)
- Untitled by Brianna Bolduc (2%, 69 Votes)
- Polyglot by Devyn Fussman (2%, 57 Votes)
- Amelia Raglan and the Haunted Barn by S. A. Sinclair (1%, 53 Votes)
- All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan (1%, 53 Votes)
- Library Hell by Kristina Cooper (1%, 26 Votes)
- Girls Break Things by Amren Ortega (1%, 20 Votes)
- Meritocracy by Michael Sherrin (0%, 14 Votes)
- Love, Lust and Romance in the Age of #MeToo by Veronica Monet (0%, 14 Votes)
- Northern Souls by Georgiana Derwent (0%, 12 Votes)
- Confessions of a Chameleon by Becky Ances (0%, 10 Votes)
- More Than Meets the Eye by Tonya Preece (0%, 9 Votes)
- Love Boy by Margarita Maldonado (0%, 5 Votes)
- Untitled by SShea (0%, 2 Votes)
- Expect the Unexpected by Denisa Stefania Stoian (0%, 2 Votes)
- The Twilight Stone by Fiona Kehoe (0%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 3,788
Ninth Annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza
You wrote your 50,000 words (or got pretty close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in.
For those of you not familiar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on March 16, 2019 at 12PM PT / 3PM ET, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group.
The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her manuscript.
Beginning February 1, 2019, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR PITCH, JUST EMBED IT IN THE EMAIL. Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PST on February 28, 2019.
We will also crown a fan favorite who will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). On March 17, 2019, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PST on April 1, 2019. The fan favorite will be announced on April 2, 2019.
If you purchase a copy of our book, The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published, by April 2, 2019, we’re offering an exclusive one-hour webinar where you’ll get the chance to pitch your book. Just attach a copy of your sales receipt to your email and we’ll send the link to the webinar dates.
Important NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza dates
Friday, February 1, 2019–Pitch submission opens
Thursday, February 28, 2019–Final day to submit pitches
Saturday, March 16, 2019–NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
Sunday, March 17, 2019–Voting for fan favorite begins
Monday, April 1, 2019–Final day to vote for fan favorite
Tuesday, April 2, 2019–Fan favorite announced
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza success stories
It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners. Gloria Chao’s novel American Panda (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster) released to multiple starred reviews. Read Gloria’s winning NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza pitch.
Cari Noga’s novel The Orphan Daughter (Lake Union Publishing) published in May. Read Cari’s winning pitch.
May Cobb’s novel Big Woods (Midnight Ink) came out in July. Read May’s winning pitch.
Stacy McAnulty is now the award-winning author of 19 books for young readers. She launched her middle grade novel The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl with multiple starred reviews and a spot on the Indie Next List. Read Stacy’s winning pitch.
“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”
–Gloria Chao
Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch?
10 tips for pitching your novel
- A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
- Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
- Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
- Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
- If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
- Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
- Don’t make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
- A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
- Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
- Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza FAQs
Q: May I submit more than one pitch?
A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.
Q: How long is a pitch?
A: You get 250 words to pitch your book.
Q: How are the 20 pitches selected?
A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.
Q: Are the choices for fan favorite also randomly selected?
A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.
Q: If I buy a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, how does the one-hour webinar work?
A: We limit each webinar to 20 people, which gives everyone the chance to pitch and get feedback.
Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch?
A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”, last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist.
May Cobb on How Book Fairs & Writing Contests Help Get You Published
The Book Doctors first met May Cobb at the 2011 Texas Book Festival in a town that is one of our all-time favorites: Austin. For those of you who haven’t been, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. It’s one of the great book festivals, in one of the great cities in America. May was one of the brave souls who pitched her book to us in front of a packed house at our Pitchapalooza . Think American Idol for books … only kinder and gentler. She dazzled us with her idea for a book about the great jazz musician, Rashaan Roland Kirk. We could tell from the moment she stepped up to the microphone that she had the nerve, skills, talent, and that indefinable je ne sais quoi that makes one think: Yes, this woman knows how to get things done. In fact, we liked her pitch so much that she won! As often happens, this idea was not the one that became her debut book. In fact, as she honed and refined the book she pitched us, she wrote a novel, Big Woods and got it published. One of the things that we love about being book doctors is helping a talented writer become a published author. So now that her debut novel is finally out in the world, we thought we’d pick her brain about writing, rejection, and how she navigated the stormy seas of the publishing world to get successfully published.
The Book Doctors: Congratulations on publishing your first novel. Tell us about Big Woods.
May Cobb: Thank you so much! BIG WOODS is a thriller set against the backdrop of 1980s small-town Texas and delves into the paranoia surrounding satanic cults. It revolves around the disappearance of a young girl, whom everyone presumes is dead except her older sister who begins having dreams about her, insisting she is still alive.
It’s based on a true, eerie story my mom told me while growing up in East Texas, where Big Woods is set. For two years, my mother, a nurse, worked in the psychiatric unit of our small town’s hospital. It was located in the basement and she worked the graveyard shift. One night, a young woman in ripped clothing appeared at the unit and begged to be taken into hiding. She kept saying, over and over again, “You have to hide me. They are going to find me and they are going to kill me.” I don’t want to say much more for fear of giving away the plot, but that story was the genesis for BIG WOODS.
TBD: How was the process of trying to find the right agent for your book, then finding a publisher of your own? Did it help that you found a publisher who does books that match up so well with Big Woods?
MC: Arielle helped me a great deal with my agent search (in addition to everything else!) After approaching a handful of agents who passed — some whom I’d met at conferences, others, referrals — Arielle had me write up a list of thirty agents I’d like to approach. She carefully reviewed this list and dropped a few names and suggested a few others. Next, Arielle helped fine-tune my query letter so that it was in tip-top shape and within 48 hours, I had an offer! Within a week of that initial offer, I had two additional offers and then had a very big decision to make!
My agents, Ellen Levine and Alexa Stark, found a warm and welcoming home for Big Woods. While the novel was out on submission, I was as cool as a cucumber and so much fun to be around! And I was wildly productive writing-wise. I’m kidding, of course, I was a bundle of nerves, developed insomnia, and couldn’t write a lick. But my pot at the end of the rainbow came in the form of getting the “yes” from Midnight Ink. I knew the minute I spoke with Terri Bischoff, my editor, over the phone that Big Woods had found the home it was meant to find.
TBD: What was it like getting published by a wonderful independent publisher, Midnight Ink?
MC: It’s been absolutely incredible, ever since that first phone call with Terri. Terri had fantastic notes for the novel and is so warm and brilliant — just a delight to work with, as is the entire Midnight Ink Team (waving at you Jake and Anna), as well as my publicist Dana Kaye of Kaye Publicity. Everyone is so talented and dedicated and collaborative!
TBD: How did you know about getting your Book Launch Party at one of the greatest bookstores in America: Book People in Austin, Texas?
MC: I’ve lived in Austin for the past twenty years and Book People is hands-down one of my favorite places in Austin as well as my favorite bookstore ever. Of course I’ve gone to tons of readings and signings there, and it has been a long-held dream of mine to have a book party there, so I was thrilled when they gave me the green light. And the literary community in Austin on the whole is so wonderfully supportive, I feel damn lucky to be living here.
TBD: Tell us about your relationship with National Novel Writing Month. How do writers benefit from NaNoWriMo?
MC: I shadow NaNoWriMo every November! I wrote a big chunk of Big Woods during a NaNoWriMo and while it sounds daunting to try and complete a novel in one month, I think the time crunch really helps silence the inner critic that is always, always lurking. It does for me anyway.
TBD: How did you go about winning the online Nanowrimo Pitchapalooza?
MC: I was aware of the contest from having the absolute privilege of working with you guys on my nonfiction project and was excited by the challenge of crafting a pitch to enter the contest. But I could not believe that my pitch actually won, and it gave me such a boost during a time I needed it most. Not to mention, your feedback was exquisite!
TBD: What did you get to start writing for the Washington Post?
MC: This literally came out of the blue. One day, while my husband, mother, and I took our young son to a park in Austin, the police were called on us because (gasp!) my son’s hair was a bit messy and his pants were a bit short. He is six and autistic, and the responding officers were so gracious when they arrived and questioned us because they could instantly tell that nothing was amiss, and that our son has special needs. I came home and immediately reached out to the editor of that particular column and she responded that she was very interested, but suggested that I sit with the story for a while. She didn’t want a vent piece and could tell that I was still upset by the incident.
So I did as she suggested and mulled it over for several weeks. Then one evening, the essay came together rather quickly and she accepted it. I did not anticipate the flurry of responses we would receive (both negative and positive) — the piece generated over 2k comments and the Post ran it on their homepage the following Sunday. Ana Navarro of CNN tweeted in solidarity of the essay, which, in turn, made my twitter feed explode, mostly with other parents in our same situation reaching out, which was so gratifying and I’m grateful for Ana for tweeting about it.
TBD: How did you get this great blurb?
“Stephen King’s Stand by Me collides with Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects in this exceptional thriller. Gutsy, gripping―and pitch-perfect in its resurrection of an era long gone.”
―A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
MC: I approached authors whose work I deeply admired and had been inspired by. In the case of A.J. Finn, I reached out to Finn before THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW was published. I was aware of it, namely because it had been such a spectacular deal with the film rights selling instantly to Fox, and also, I absolutely loved the premise of a woman who is shut in her apartment but believes she’s witnessed a murder across the street. Also, the title reminded me so much of one of my favorite novels from my graduate studies, Wilkie Collin’s famed, Victorian-era detective novel, THE WOMAN IN WHITE.
While I was waiting to hear if Finn would indeed blurb BIG WOODS, I read (devoured) THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW the day it was published and was completely gobsmacked by it. His prose is just astonishing — just so gorgeous and lyrical — and his gift of suspense and propulsion is unparalleled. And also, there’s this great wit in the novel. It’s one of my top favorite novels of all time. So, while I was reading THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, I was inwardly wincing, thinking, “He’s going to be so bored if he gets around to reading BIG WOODS.” And when I followed up with him and heard back that he was blurbing BIG WOODS (and comparing it to King and Flynn) my head spun! I had to read the email three times before I could believe it and I cried, I was so happy and so moved.
TBD: How did you get to be a finalist in the 2015 Writers League of Texas Manuscript? Did it help your career?
MC: As you guys know, BIG WOODS interrupted a twenty year nonfiction project which I’m currently finishing up. It’s the story of the late, jazz great, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and in 2015, I submitted a portion of the book to the Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest. I was so thrilled to find it was named a finalist. I do feel it helped me get my query noticed by agents and editors and, also, the Writers League of Texas has just been instrumental all the way around with nurturing my writing path — such a fantastic organization.
And in 2016, BIG WOODS was chosen as the Winner in the same contest and I feel like that was very instrumental in my having the confidence to finish the novel!
TBD: We hate to ask you this, but what advice do you have for writers?
MC: Surround yourself with people who believe in you and shut out the chorus of voices that tell you writing is an impossible career choice. Also, keep your overhead low and find a good mechanic! And more than anything, realize that you can write in 15-minute bursts of time. Even if it’s a sentence or a single paragraph. It all adds up. Most of BIG WOODS was written in stolen moments — while my husband was bathing our son, while I could’ve checked into Facebook but didn’t — and I was able to hammer out the first draft in a year. And finally, it must be said: if you’re able to, work with the Book Doctors! I would not still be writing today if it weren’t for you guys.
May Cobb grew up in the piney woods of East Texas where her debut thriller, Big Woods, is set. After college, she moved to San Francisco, where she studied Victorian Literature for her Master’s, and then lived in Los Angeles for a few years where she worked for filmmaker/writer Ron Shelton and his wife, the actress Lolita Davidovich. For the past twenty years, she’s been working on a nonfiction book about the late, great, jazz artist, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Austin Monthly, and Edible Austin. Cobb now lives in Austin with her husband and son.
Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company that has helped countless authors get their books published. They are co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully (Workman, 2015). They are also book editors, and between them they have authored 25 books, and appeared on National Public Radio, the London Times, and the front cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review. Get publishing tips delivered to your inbox every month.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2018 Winners!
Nano Nation: You are all WINNERS! We had such a blast with this year’s National Novel Writing Month Pitchapalooza. So many pitches with AWESOME imagination and an ASTOUNDING display of talent. Thank you so much to all the writers who participated in this year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza!
AND THE WINNER IS …
This year’s Fan Favorite is CLARE VATERLAUS BIRD for her book The Cost of Silence! Her pitch is timely, full of stakes, and has a terrific title. She gets a free one-hour consultation with us (worth $250). Congratulations, Clare!
Kudos again to MARY JO TALBOT, NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winner for Watching Wilhemina, a middle grade novel about a rock-guitar loving girl, her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, and her discipline-challenged service dog. Mary Jo will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for her manuscript.
We hope you’ll keep in touch. If you’d like to receive monthly publishing tips delivered to your inbox, click here to let us know. We’ll also share info about our live Pitchapaloozas and workshops around the country. Get publishing tips on our YouTube channel, and chat with us on Facebook and Twitter.
We’re hosting a live Pitchapalooza in Brielle, New Jersey on May 1. We’ll announce our special guest judges soon. Come pitch us at the Brielle Public Library.
Starting April 18, we’re leading an eight-week master class that’ll teach you how to get your book successfully published in today’s ridiculously competitive marketplace. We hope you can join us. Learn more here.
Congratulations again to Clare, Mary Jo, and all the Wrimos who bravely shared their awesome pitches.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2018
Nano Nation delivered yet another batch of pulse-pounding pitches for NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2018! A Midwest Strangler and Chupacabra; inheritance and identity, love and conspiracies; a beatnik disc jockey and the threat of nuclear annihilation; a 12-year-old author; opium smugglers and sex traffickers: once again, we were totally blown away by the diversity and quantity of pitches we received. But of course we’ve come to expect this level of excellence from NaNo Nation. The Book Doctors had an absolute blast swimming in this vast pool of pitches.
Now for the 411: The 20 pitches were selected randomly. You can watch the recording of NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to hear our feedback. It’s our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get published successfully. That’s why we’ve told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
But don’t let our opinion sway your vote. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or, if you’re really lazy, to buy it online)? The pitch that receives the most votes by 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 1, 2018 will be awarded the Fan Favorite, and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250). We’ll announce the Fan Favorite on April 2, 2018.
But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don’t just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author today. And this is a great way to get some practice.
We will also be posting these pitches—a couple a day–on social media. We encourage anyone to like your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count toward the Fan Favorite.
Finally, through April 2, 2018, we are still offering a free webinar (worth $75) to anyone who buys a copy of our book The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published. Just email a copy of your receipt to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com and we’ll be in touch to set up a webinar.
Write on, Wrimos!
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2018 Voting
Click the writers' names to read their pitches. Then vote for your favorite.
- The Cost of Silence by Clare Vaterlaus Bird (29%, 388 Votes)
- Jihadi Bride by Alastair Luft (19%, 262 Votes)
- The Library of Unspoken Things by Lucy Hallowell (11%, 146 Votes)
- All The Stars Are Gone by Anna Downes (9%, 117 Votes)
- The Cyber Trials by Heather Ryder (8%, 112 Votes)
- The Bronze Mirror by Melissa Bennight (8%, 103 Votes)
- Watching Wilhemina by Mary Jo Talbot (4%, 60 Votes)
- And The Floods Came Up by Angie Romines (4%, 50 Votes)
- The Weight of a Woman by J. Jackson Pomeroy (3%, 45 Votes)
- The Prince of Little Palestine by Moe Shalabi (2%, 23 Votes)
- Audrina's Moments by H.M. Shander (2%, 22 Votes)
- Iron and Lace by Ellie Tupper (1%, 7 Votes)
- Nitza and the Chupacabra by Hannah Carmona Dias (0%, 5 Votes)
- Where Are You Really From by Samantha Mae Coyiuto (0%, 5 Votes)
- Cookie Rookie by Victoria Beck (0%, 3 Votes)
- Landslide by Emma Burns (0%, 3 Votes)
- Alliance by Tara Liem (0%, 2 Votes)
- Godsblood by Daniel T. Moore (0%, 1 Votes)
- Casey’s Star by Mike Drew (0%, 0 Votes)
- South Bay Beat by Joyce Krieg (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,354