How do I pitch at an online pitch event?
- Online pitch events let writers post short pitches for agents to see.
- Each event has strict format and hashtag or platform rules.
- Interest (a like or request) is an invitation to submit, not an offer.
- Events come and go; check which are currently active and reputable.
- A sharp, compressed hook is what earns attention.
Pitch at an online pitch event by compressing your book to the event's format — often a very short hook with required tags — and following its rules exactly. Craft a sharp, specific pitch that conveys genre, hook, and stakes in the space allowed. When an agent or editor signals interest, that is an invitation to submit per their guidelines, not an offer. Because these events change and some are no longer running, confirm which are active and reputable before participating.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Online pitch events can put your book in front of agents and editors who actively scout them, offering a route alongside the slush pile. But they reward extreme compression and rule-following, and their landscape shifts — events start, pause, and end. Understanding that interest is just an invitation to query (and verifying an event is current and legitimate) keeps your expectations right and your effort aimed at events that still matter.
Chapter ii·What to include
- The event's exact format and rules.
- A compressed hook: genre, premise, stakes.
- Required tags or platform mechanics.
- A confirmation the event is active and reputable.
- A prompt response to interest, per submission guidelines.
- The mindset that interest is an invitation, not an offer.
Chapter iii·Example
An author joins an active online pitch event, posting a one-line hook with the required tags — genre, premise, and stakes in a single sharp sentence. An agent signals interest, which she treats as an invitation: she submits her polished query and pages per that agent's guidelines, rather than assuming the like meant anything more.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom's Pitch studio keeps your hook and submission materials ready, so you can act fast when a pitch event draws interest.
See the Pitch studio