Thursday, January 31, 2013

Pitmad Pitch Analysis: What did Lit Agents Like?

PitMad was a great opportunity to pitch our novels, meet other writers, and make connections. It also offers us writerly folk a rare insight to what agents and editors are snapping up. 

I posted a roundup of successful PitMad pitches earlier this week, and if you're working on your pitch and feeling stumped, check out my mad-lib style Pitch Generator. Likely Fictions also posted a great Pitch Wars analysis and spreadsheet.

But how about a little more PitMad analysis?

Also note that I'm totally biased here, so I only ran the stats for YA manuscripts earning requests, although you might be able to persuade me to run them for the others. I'm not immune to pleading/bribes  ;)

What were the most coveted genres in YA?


From the looks of things, Fantasy (faeries, genies, magic), Sci-Fi (including dystopian) and Paranormal (ghosts/seers/spirits etc) seem to be dominating the list, with 13, 12, and 11 books earning requests in those genres, respectively. Notice the nearly even split!

Fewer contemporary novels and re-tellings were snatched up, and eerily absent from the list were historical fiction or overtly steampunk stories. 

Are fewer agents seeking these things? Are there  fewer of these manuscripts out there, or (as some folks mentioned in the comments below) are they simply harder to pitch? It's difficult to tell from this data. What do you think?

Note that I'm a firm believer in writing stories that you're passionate about, not leaping on the next genre bandwagon. But I also think that as writers we can often be inspired by listening to what our audience is craving. And one of the best ways to see where the gaps are is by knowing what the lit agents are looking for.

What themes, settings, and character races were requested?

Romance-focused and thriller/suspense were the most common themes (8 requests apiece)*, but alternate universes, alter-egos, alternate histories, dystopians, genie, and ghost books were relatively popular too.

After that, there was an enormous variety. Look at that list! Edgy subject matter, fairies, genetic manipulation, Hamlet retellings, hitgirls, insane asylums, reincarnated beings, seers, superheroes, folkloric underworld, and witches each had two book pitches that fit the bill.

Not pictured are the themes that popped up in one pitch each: aliens, circuses, demons, dreamspeakers, elves, gargoyles, gothic, monsters, Snow White, video-gamers, wizards and zombies!

The most interesting take home message for me here was the sheer diversity in the peoples and worlds populating our stories. Clearly agents are ready for something new, and we're delivering! Way to go people!

*I probably underestimated the number of romance and thriller/suspense-heavy books pitched, but it's sometimes difficult to tell from the pitches!

What's absent?

Almost as interesting as what's there is what's not. As I mentioned before, I didn't see any requests for YA historical fiction or steampunk. Also no vampires, werewolves or mermaids (but those are sort of obvious, no?). Zombies, angels, and demons also seem to be slowing down. No requests for anything that overtly said "angel."

                     Which genres do you think are tired? Which are up-and-coming?

What words did we use / overuse when pitching?

As a parting thought ... this is a word cloud from the successful pitches. No surprise that the most commonly occurring words involve things that reveal the conflict or intrigue, and the stakes:

 love //life // family // boy meets girl // 
 must // save // find // uncover // fight // discover
 murder // problem // secret // society // war // stranger // black


The genericness (is that a word?) of some of these terms is helpful, but it also shows an opportunity for spicing the language up a little, so that our loglines give the agent a taste of the unique flavor of our book.


On a random note, looks like several of us share a love for the names Jude, Luke, Jane, Liza, Mazie, and Emma for our characters ;)


What about you? See anything interesting or noteworthy in these graphs?

Monday, January 28, 2013

Twitter Pitch Party: January #PitMad Requested Pitches List



There were so many great pitches flying through Twitter on Friday's #PitMad. Thank you to Brenda and Shelley, the other PitchWars mentors and everyone else who helped coordinate this fun event! 

I thought it might be fun to keep track of the pitches that got requests from agents and/or editors. With #PitMad coming up again on March 29, we could all do with a little inspiration! 


Scroll down to read all the winning pitches!
Also check out:

January 2013 #PitMad
Requested Pitches:



  • Young Adult (65 novels requested) 
  • Middle Grade (8 novels)
  • Picture Books (2 books)
  • New Adult (5 novels)
  • Adult (26 novels)
  • Memoir (2 novels)
  • Total = 108 manuscripts got requests!!

Note: I know I'm probably missing a few here. If you know of any entries that should be added, let me know!

Congrats everyone on the Requests!!

Pitch Contest Tips and Inspiration

Before diving into the list of pitches, I wanted to mention a couple resources that you might find useful when constructing a logline for a Twitter Pitch contest.




Pitches that Received Agent Requests

Without further ado ... and in alphabetic order by category ... the successful pitches:

  Jump to: Young Adult // Middle Grade // Picture Books
                   New Adult // Adult // Memoir



YOUNG ADULT  (65 requests)



For fledgling necromancer, Selina, there are 2 ways to save her bf: condemn him to service as a Ferryman or ally with the undead. YA


YA 17y/o Sora has to control her ability to predict violent crimes if she wants to prevent herself from becoming a murderer. Again.

      and...

YA SF 17y/o Bastian works with his future killer to solve his own murder. Weird enough without tattooed sword fighters chasing them


Flynn, a bold young thief, is the prime suspect in a string of ritual murders, and the best chance to find the real killer.  YA Fntsy

YA: With reputations & college acceptances on the line, will she expose the elicit contest, or act LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED?

       and...

YA: Senior boys, sophomore girls & a secret contest. In a school full of hazing, cheating & cover-ups, what could possibly go wrong?

YA: After accidentally killing Hailey with a kiss, Cade must learn to fight new instincts to kill again before the body count rises.

When Brock and the kids in his town are taken to a city in which they rule, they find the dark reason for their new home's existence


When 2 boys shes babysitting vanish, 16yo Minna Gray must uncover the magical secrets of her past B4 everyone she loves is erased YA 


 A 17yo Latina circus musician takes on diseased lab rats and a twisted scientist in this modern retelling of The Pied Piper.



YA: Kate thinks she's going crazy. Her classmates actually ARE. One ancient grudge, too many questions, and no user guide.

 YA "I hate blood." He hates many things, especially his 'job' as an assassin and the fact that he can feel every emotion of his kill


: 16yo Kayla dreams of winning a photography scholarship & her crush's heart in Hawaii. But first she must survive the flight.


When Morgan meets Jude, a boy with a metal arm, she finds out the alien race that attacked Earth were the ones who gave it to him.

      and ...

When Reese’s country was attacked, she saved the life of a stranger. Not only is West a stranger, but he is also the enemy. YA sci-fi


PUSHING THE LIMITS meets PERFECT CHEMISTRY: A former ballerina, a hot soccer player and family secrets not ready to be exposed. 

YA: Contemp romance retelling of Snow White picks up where the fairy tale ends when she discovers Prince Charming isn't so charming. 

When war breaks out in the Darklands, 16yr old Elian can gain his freedom but also lose the girl he loves in the process. 

YA:16yo Liza is taking her fangirl status to a new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her hero--Jane Austen.

         and ...

Jane Austen-Relationship Counselor? She is for 16yo Liza who turns to Austen's novels for advice to finally get her first boyfriend.

       and ...

Jane Austen, Relationship Counselor? Austen’s novels are going to help 16yo Liza get her dream guy…or not.  


YA: One is for the minute her life collapsed. Two is for the lives she leads. Three is the number of people on her hit-list..so far 


 YA Taisie's ran from a ghost for 16yrs, but when a new ghost holds her mom hostage, she'll have to embrace her witchy powers & fight


YA: Guy has ice powers-doesn't want to be superhero. Girl w/ fiery personality wants him to discover hero w/in him. Inevitable love?

16yo Brier can speak her dreams into existence.But she’s being hunted & must decide if Keller is an ally or reason she’s a target.

and ...

When agents from a dream lab pursue her, Brier must push the limits of her dreamspeaking abilities and fight her living nightmares 


YA Fresh from the grave Evie has two choices, get revenge on her killer, or sacrifice herself to save her sister... 


 Sera doesn't know she’s a princess or that dark,sexy Caden is an incubus sent to get her,&he plans to keep it that way



YA: Harvard? Check. Fall in love? Check! Discover you’re living your 21st life & all of your previous deaths were murders? Ch--WHAT?


A stalker, a stranger, a family secret. Making out with your cousin has its pitfalls. YA contemp. romantic suspense.

It's 1996 and 17yo Lainey Bloom must confront a corrupt politician to uncover a murder and save her ghostly lover's soul.


When 17 y/o Evette meets Aidan, she discovers they’re Adam and Eve reborn, battling with Lilith, Adam’s 1st wife, for their souls..

     and ... 

YAKara thinks being a genie-in-training sucks, but when the school bitch steals her lamp, her life becomes a total genie-living-Hell


: First they created her; then they deceived her. Now 17yo Evy is all that stands between the Corporation and a New World Order.

A boy trading places with a parallel world version of himself is caught in a bizarre love triangle when they fall for the same girl. 


YA: Out of juvie & drawing for a tattoo shop, Mazie searches for the snatched dd of the fireman who died in the fire she started. 

            and ...

YA: Mazie draws flash for a tattoo shop & searches for the kidnapped dd of the fireman who died in the flames she started.

Gothic retelling of Hamlet thru Ophelia's view. With secret passages, intrigue & murder. Is that a dagger in Ophelia's corset? YA 


Leslie Rose @LeslieSulliRose
YA: When a she-weasel swipes Sid’s boyfriend, her Kentucky kin slap her with Scarlett O’Hara style lessons on boy-nabbing gumption


Lisa Arnseth  
He's engineered as a living cure for disease. She's engineered as a weapon. Two teens w/ dolphin DNA succumb to animal instincts.


In a future where a walled city keeps humans locked in biomes, one girl escapes the invisible wall--only to be captured by the city.


In a society where looks = power & the govt controls diet & exercise, an overweight girl discovers a hidden black market world. YA

YA: A girl & a gargoyle must fight for survival & take a dip in the murky depths of the Underworld to stop an immortal war 

Stuck in an insane asylum, 17yo Celesta finds love at the risk of losing all she's ever known or losing what's left of her mind. 


A 16yo Jinn must choose between the safety of her family & the boy she loves. See, when genies are involved, there’s always a trick.


YA UF: When 17yo Chris becomes a wizard, he'll do whatever it takes to make his wizard dad proud. Even if it means being evil. 


YA - Hamlet retelling, set in a FREAK SHOW. Madness, murder, and ghosts. 

   and ....


YA - Hamlet retelling set in a traveling freak show, complete with ghosts, madness, and murder. 

As a hereditary mental illness envelops her family, Emma fiercely fights back only to be stopped by the boy with the grey eyes. YA

     and ....



Emma's desperate to keep a family history of mental illness at bay,but discovers love will drive her a different kind of crazy.YA

Melinda lives in a world where the Salem witch trials are a dark spot in history. Luke lives in a world created from that dark spot 

 17yo Valora can end the nightmarish hallucinations plaguing the world, but to do so, she will have to join the enemy. YA sf

 YA SF RESISTANCE: With the entire universe in danger, Hayden must set aside the needs of her family to stop a tyrant 


Anxiety with college applications is one thing - anxiety with two parallel universes colliding is another thing entirely YA 

       and....

Unlike Jess's boyfriend, Luke's perfect. There's just one problem: He might not exist. YA 

          and...

Just another girl meets boy in an alternate universe, boy might not exist story... YA 

       and...



Jess couldn't dream up someone more perfect for her than Luke... that's why she suspects he may only exist in her head. YA 

         and ...

Losing track of reality in her AP course isn't as bad as having to break up with her boyfriend for the imaginary guy in her head YA

            and ...

Luke's perfect, unlike Jess's boyfriend. There's just one problem: He might only exist in her head. YA 

The Atlantic forest hides folkloric history 16yo Emma isn't afraid to face. She's ready to fight to bring her friend back.

       and ...

*stands on a stool* if you'd like to read a YA set in the Atlantic forest in Brazil, come this way. Thank you very much.


17yo Duna can stop WWII and save the world from demon-riddled zombies...if she can master her own magic first. 

        and ...

UF Goddess rewrites the lives of some humans in a bid for Musehood. Her mission to meddle derails when characters take control 
YADark Angel meets Paranormalcy - Sleeper soldier is accidentally triggered for duty sets out to save sis scheduled for termination


YA Josh must use his MVP gaming skills to avoid a real-life wraith killing gamers at a Vegas expo to find help from a reporter. 

YA. Mary’s boyfriend may be a monster, but he’s not responsible for the string of murders in town. She would know. She built him.


YA 15yo Viola goes from anonymous honors student to the school's biggest joke, after her ex leaks their sex tape. 


YA thrill: Prism has the best job-grant wishes. The fun’s over when someone wishes for her death, after he falls in love with her 

       and ...

 Prism has an awesome job granting wishes until the next wish is for her to die: from the guy she loves YA thriller


YA Fantasy. As the Snow Queen she's immortal. As a 17yo human Thyra Winther has less than a year to live. 



MIDDLE GRADE  (8 requests)

Imaginary Friend Scott must pass The Trials to become human & be w Janie. Failure dooms him to be the Knight Terror in her dreams MG

 The DeLorean. The TARDIS. A furnace? Johnny’s time machine isn’t fancy, but he still can save his fave teacher...or die trying.


Polished skates? Check. Double Lutz? Check. Cussing out the judges? Um, check. 12 y/o Chloe fights for a comeback w/ unlikely allies 


MG 13yo Gary is about to learn everything has a price, including superpowers from alien abductions. Sky High meets Ender's Game


12 y/o Lilly Washington is an Abe Lincoln fangirl who risks expulsion to uncover lost Civil War secrets from a mysterious diary. 


When 10yo Thyme relocates to NYC 4 her brother's cancer trtmt, she lets the 5th grade believe she's in Witness Protection instead.


Trapped in a land ruled by the 4 seasons, a 10yo girl & her 8yo brother must save Christmas after spring comes too early


 Sara's execution might make finding her kidnapped mother a bit more difficult, but not impossible. MG 13 yo protag
Mg. 12yo Finn only wants to escape NYC, but when his ferry is commandeered by time-traveling pirates, he'll do anything to get home.



PICTURE BOOKS  (2 requests)

 PB-To everyone else it's an old refrigerator box but for one little boy, its a ship for space adventures with cool aliens!


PB Amy wants a pet unicorn - no other pet will do. Her mom says she can have one, IF she finds one. An finding one is not easy. 


NEW ADULT  (5 requests)


 HIV+ Tanya has a double life: spilling her guts in support group, while keeping her diagnosis a secret from the rest of her town. NA

NA rom/thriller Rapunzel meets zombie plague: Scientists finds out ppl sabotaged research, go into hiding to uncover the truth& cure

NA/A Her professor was hell-bent on rewriting history... until Megyn got in his way. Where’s a secret society when you need one?


Turns out, Reese Parks is a natural at Tarot, having visions of lost girls, & leaking her magic at the wrong times. NA


 She was in a abusive relationship. He buried his girlfriend years ago. They collide and try to patch each other up. New Adult




ADULT (23 Requests)


Adult Humor - RULES OF PROTECTION : His - aloof agent hiding sarcastic city girl witness on backwoods bird farm. Hers - a condom.


Adult post-apocalyptic horror. Once the Darkness Comes… don’t sleep.

Brianna Shrum
Adult: Trapped in Neverland,in love with Tiger Lily who loves the heartless Pan, obsessed with going home.The story of Captain Hook.


What’s it like dating the rocker you idolized in your teens? Ask 27yo Ali, after her escape from him to the UK to find her own muse.


HRom When her fiancé impregnates a town trollop a society woman flees via Oregon Trail. Rugged guide protects her honor, for money

      and ...

Hist Rom After her family dies on Oregon Trail, a resolute woman struggles to survive, and succeed in a land dominated by rough men


Ariana's feisty behavior in a hostage sit. gets the unwanted attention of a criminal, making her his next objective.


Losing everyone damaged him almost beyond hope, but Jude knows how to set it right: kill the man who started it all. A

       and ...

Jude plans to sneak a zipgun into a prison to kill his parents' murderer, but a terrible secret changes everything. A


When Michael cheats, Liz goes shopping -- buys a house online. Hired hand Rafe helps rebuild house & marriage -- using adultery.


 Jack’s got his hands full w/ murder cases, federal roadblocks & a vicious killer but he’d much rather fill his hands w/ Maggie’s.


Keeping her families beach resort from closing isn't the problem; resisting the man that wants to buy it is. 

Adult F- Rome's fall had little to do with humans. The Greek gods aren't gods. And they certainly never should have been worshiped

England, 1347. The Black Death, medieval surgery, a physician monk & the mortecarni. Good v evil isn't always black & white. Adult 

       and

HF: Mother beheaded, unstable sister queen & near rape by a family friend. Elizabeth I's early life was one of survival & triumph. 

A green light and a drunk driver; that's all it took to end Jimmy Rickliefs’ rock star career. Adult 

 RS A det.'s wicked stepmom is murdered & clues implicate her bro. She must choose b/t job & family, while falling for the lead det.

 7-1-2069 - Today's Headlines: Clone Rights, Unification of North America, and the death of Samantha Rose - she has a problem w/ that


When a 29yo is carjacked at gunpoint, his journey w/ the peculiar stranger leads them on a mission to win back the women they love.


UF/Adult Get the flu shot, they said. It's safe. Next thing Kas knows, she's on top of food chain. And the FBI wants a word with her

Mistreated. Misunderstood. The shrew has her reasons. He loves her anyway. FINDING KATE. Adult Historical/Shakespeare.


  He had no intention of being King, nor of falling in love again. Her foreign and infuriating manners changed his mind.




LGBT Fic - An actor lands the role of a lifetime, but soon finds himself forced to choose between Broadway and true love

Hist Rom - A secret society filled with decadence and intrigue is no place for an ordinary chambermaid. 

        and...

 Hist Rom-An Earl must overcome a black memory & a debilitating fear of guns to help the woman he never wanted to love.

 Photogr has baby fever. She competes w PTSD Army vet for biz grant. Sparks fly but parenthood scares soldier more thn war ever did.

UF: Woman and man see world’s only superhero murdered. Each receives part of his powers. Learn fast—the killer is coming. 

 Tyra doesn't know which is worse. Being framed for her father's murder or learning her father was the one who set her up. Hist.

        and ...

Alura has 3 lives: a prince's wife and a head mistress on brothel ship. But it's the 3rd one that scares her. Adult historical

 A-Rom. When a stalker pursues nurse Kristi, SWAT cop Reese doesn't give a damn she has a problem with cops. She's his to protect.


(2 requests)

Mem: Interviewing Iraqi refugees, I accidentally fall in love with one-despite war revolution & an arranged marriage. &Oh, its funny


Memoir/essays: Young wife learns that coping with husband’s mental illness is about putting her needs and the kids' first, not his.



Know of other successful pitches I missed? What about these pitches do you think captured agents' attention? Which are your faves? 


LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

ShareThis