How to put in the work NOW

Pitch Wars season is upon us, and it's allowed me to reflect on where I am now -- a year later.

Things that have stayed the same:

- I'm STILL revising my Pitch Wars manuscript

- I STILL feel imposter syndrome and wonder if this will be worth it

The biggest changes to my writing life:

- I have a new agent

- I have 100+ new writing friends

- I'm more confident in my writing abilities

Yes, Pitch Wars helped me with all these things, but getting in is far from a guarantee and because of that you should devise a contingency plan and start on it right now. Now that I'm on the other side of Pitch Wars and have successfully queried two manuscripts, I'm familiar with the process of revision and querying. Here are some tips that you can apply right now.

1. Don't wait until October. Put in the time now. Lean on your CPs to do your own faux Pitch Wars by revising, editing and proofing. You don't need a mentor to help you do this. All you need is a few trusted readers to help you shine the light down down a good path.

2. Take your time. The real benefit to not getting in is that you don't have a set finish line. You are free to establish your own schedule for completion, so use it to fully redevelop or restructure your manuscript if you need to.

3. Make friends! The more the merrier. It's important to make connections early and often. The build-up to Pitch Wars and DVpit are perfect opportunities to develop lasting friendships with fellow writers who are on the same trajectory as you.

4. Query when you're ready. When you feel your Pitch Wars materials are ready for mentors to consider, then you should be ready to send a few test queries as well. There is no best time to query, so get your feet wet first with a couple queries to agents. If you're an underrepresented voice (BIPOC, disabled, or LGBTQ+), then I encourage you to participate in #DVpit on Twitter in October. They're giving away critiques right now!

5. Have a query strategy and stick to it. This would be my suggestion:

• Do your research. I like QueryTracker AND the whisper network of fellow querying writers. Select only agents you trust with your book baby. I cannot stress this enough. The agent will be your book's long-term nanny. There are hundreds of agents, but probably only 20-30 who are good matches for your book and personality.

• Start with a handful of queries (5 max). Initially send to the mid-tier agents on your list. If responses from those are positive, then move up your list (more desirable agents); if negative, then move down your list (less desirable).

• If you get a rejection, make adjustments and send out a new query. If you get a request, then celebrate AND send out a new query. You get the idea. One in, one out.

• After 10 queries, if you get R after R, then do an overhaul based on the feedback. If you are getting a high request rate, send out more queries -- especially to your top-tier agents because you don't want to regret not sending to them if/when you get your first offer.

• Keep the door revolving, but cap your outstanding queries (including requests for more material) to 20 max.

• Be patient. I don't think you need to nudge unless you have an offer. Work on something else while you wait for responses. It can be a while until you receive word from agents.

A final word on tweaking your sub materials as you go. Remember, nothing is ever perfect, so be open to changing the query, synopsis, first chapter, and manuscript. Humility is probably the most important non-writing skill to develop, especially if you are playing the publishing long game. Rejections and critiques that you receive from others can be difficult to hear, but with attention and care, almost always have wisdom that can be used to improve your work.

And one last thing about choosing mentors to apply to for Pitch Wars or ANY editing program like RevPit or Author Mentor Match. Select ONLY the mentors who fit not only your genre but also your style and personality. There are mentors who look great on paper and would work well with one person but not another. It is very much like dating. They are selective, but you should be too! The goal of PW is not to get in, but to be part of the community and work well with your mentor. There were PW mentees who didn't work well with their mentors, and that meant months of agony for both parties. It could also damage your story (and even your confidence) in the long run, so choose carefully and wisely!**

If you're curious about how the process went for me, you can follow my 14-week Pitch Wars journey, starting with Week 1 here and DIY! Regardless of Pitch Wars mentors' picks, you can do this. Trust your instincts. Now go!

**And if you're wondering, I had an amazing mentor (Kathleen Barber, who is not mentoring this year) and a wonderful time being a part of Pitch Wars. I'm really lucky and happy about all of it.