IWSG: I Entered DVPit Again


Happy October! Fall is my favorite season, so I'm happy it's here. And with a new month comes our Insecure Writer's Support Group, a chance for us writers to share our insecurities with each other! Feel free to join in at www.insecurewriterssuportgroup.com. There you can visit the Sensei, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the co-hosts for the month, and other insecure writers.

For me, I entered DVPit again. It's been a year since I first pitched my manuscript through this Twitter pitch contest for marginalized writers. I had so many hits from agents and editors that I didn't know what to do with myself. Unfortunately, I rushed through revisions that I was in the middle of and queried a manuscript that wasn't ready. So despite actually getting one full request on my query, I still came up with no offers.

Since then, I received a full edit letter from Jodi Meadows, won a query critique from Laura Pohl, and went through a grueling critique group over the summer. You would think that with the work I've put in this year, I'd feel ready, but when I saw those likes comes in this time, I just remember last year and get so nervous. I didn't even get as many likes as I did last year (had my one tweet not had comps, I probably would have had even less). I'm trying to convince myself that things will work out this time, but I'm not really sure.

Hope someone else is feeling more confident than I do! Or not, let me know.

12 comments:

Heather R. Holden said...

Fall is my favorite season, too... :)

And best of luck with DVPit! I don't think anyone ever feels ready, no matter how much work they do. Will keep my fingers crossed that you get some offers this year!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Just keep a hopeful attitude. The story is better this time.

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thanks, Alex!

Olga Godim said...

Good luck with your pitch. Persevere, never give up, and you'll get there.

Tonja Drecker said...

Sounds like you're more ready this time, which is always better. I'm crossing my fingers for you-good luck!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Fingers crossed for you! :)

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thanks!

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thank you!

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thank you!

H.R. Bennett said...

Don't be nervous, just do your best. Everytime you write, you improve. Everytime you improve, you push forward that much more. Even if you are sitting at the metaphorical bottom of the heap, the only direction to go is up. You got this.

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thank you. <3

Tamara Narayan said...

I entered my first twitter pitch event last July and even though I did not get tons of "likes", I did get a few and those few turned into requests for pages. So I'd do it again, but I'd caution you to think about who you are sending your query packages to. Agents and editors don't always work with the same kind of time tables. If you really want an agent, think about holding off on sending queries to editors.