what is #DVpit?

#DVpit is a Twitter event created to showcase pitches from marginalized voices that have been historically underrepresented in publishing. This includes (but is not limited to): Native peoples and people of color; people living and/or born/raised in underrepresented cultures and countries; disabled persons (including neurodiverse); people living with illness; people on marginalized ends of the cultural and/or religious spectrum; people identifying within LGBTQIA+; and more. Any decisions regarding eligibility are yours to make. Creators are not obligated to disclose anything they do not feel comfortable with and are not required to pitch only #ownvoices work, though that is certainly welcome!



The first #DVpit took place on April 19, 2016 and was a national trending hashtag. Since then, there have been hundreds of creators signed by agents and countless book deals contracted as a direct result of this event, with editors from small to mid-size to Big Five publishers requesting to receive the manuscripts at submission stage. In 2019, we opened to artists and illustrators from marginalized backgrounds, now pitching under the hashtag #DVart.



#DVpit has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Bustle, Salon, YA Interrobang, Writers Digest, Ozy Magazine, Shondaland.com and multiple blog sites like Lee & Low Blog, Daily Dahlia, Writers Block Party.



The event was created and is moderated by literary agent Beth Phelan. The #DVpit committee includes authors Kat Cho and Claribel Ortega, with literary agent Peter Knapp managing the critique giveaway.

when is the next #DVpit?

#DVpit will occur over two days and will include #DVart for artists. Please make sure you are pitching your work on the appropriate day; many of the agents and editors will only tune in on a specific day, to see the pitches in the categories they represent/acquire.



October 26, 2020 will be for Children’s & Teen Fiction/Nonfiction (picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult).



October 27, 2020 will be for Adult Fiction/Nonfiction (all genres, commercial and literary) using #DVpit; and for Artists & Illustrators using #DVart.



[#DVart will be for any kind of book artist, from picture book authors/illustrators, to graphic artists (art with text, not text-only), to solo artists (art without text, for commission/work-for-hire). If you wrote and illustrated the project you are pitching, you may participate in both #DVpit and/or #DVart if you wish.]



The event will run on each day from 8AM ET until 8PM ET using the hashtag #DVpit and/or #DVart if applicable.

You are not required to register for this event. Be wary of any solicitations from third party websites.

New to Twitter/Twitter pitch events? Check out this handy user’s guide for beginners!