XpoNorth Tweet pitch is back for authors
Mark your calendar and limber up your thumbs as the XpoNorth Tweet Pitch is back for its eighth year on Friday January 21.
The annual XpoNorth Tweet Pitch, produced in association with the Association of Scottish Literary Agents, gives writers from across Scotland the chance to pitch their work to a panel of the country’s leading literary agents and publishers.
Writers of all levels and from all genres have the chance to bag a book deal by simply pitching their work in 280 characters or less and tagging #XpoNorth.
Completed work or projects still in development will be considered from writers living and working in Scotland. The only requirement is that the work must be unpublished.
To help aspiring authors prepare for Tweet Pitch, XpoNorth is hosting a ‘publishing trends’ live webinar with literary agents Robbie Guillory and Lina Langlee tomorrow (Friday December 17) offering writers a chance to explore emerging and best-selling genres in both fiction and non-fiction and what agents are looking for.
On Friday January 7 leading crime writer Alison Belsham and literary agent Jenny Brown will be hosting a how-to-pitchyour-work live webinar giving practical tips on how to get noticed during Tweet Pitch and beyond.
Last year’s Tweet Pitch attracted submissions by many hundreds of writers throughout the one-day event, with #XpoNorth appearing in the top five Twitter trends across the UK for the majority of the day.
Success stories from previous years include Leonie Charlton from Glen Lonan, who successfully had her debut story
Marram published last year by Sandstone Press and is currently working on her second book. The launch of Tweet Pitch coincides with the release of key publishing sessions from this year’s XpoNorth 2021 Creative Industries Conference which are now available to play back on the XpoNorth YouTube channel.
This year’s industry sessions included a discussion about life writing that explores how to shape recollections and choose facts when writing a memoir.
Chaired by literary agent Jenny Brown, acclaimed writers Amy Liptrot and Cathy Rentzenbrink talk about how best to frame a personal story in an original way. In conversation with Marion Sinclair of Publishing Scotland, leading author, historian and broadcaster Professor Kate Williams discusses the joys and challenges of writing historical fact and fiction and offers her unique perspective on the dynamics of bringing history to life for readers, viewers and listeners.
And a panel discussion featuring award-winning medical writer Gavin Francis, geographer and author Fraser MacDonald, and Ed Lake, joint publishing director of Profile Books, talk about the current trends in popular science writing and serious non-fiction, and how to make complex ideas accessible to the general reader.
Talking about the wealth of publishing resources available via XpoNorth, Peter Urpeth, publishing sector specialist advisor at XpoNorth said: 'The annual Tweet Pitch has become a major date in the calendar of Scottish publishing, and a real celebration and display of the depth, diversity and spirit of writing in Scotland.
'The day offers writers a chance to kick-start their writing year with a pitch to agents and publishers, and is an opportunity that has been proven, time and time again to work.
'This year again we are offering two events ahead of the Tweet Pitch offering insights into current publishing trends and how to construct the perfect pitch.
'Both of these events are relevant for writers planning to Tweet Pitch and for those preparing to pitch their work in more conventional ways to agents and publishers in the year ahead.'
To register to attend the upcoming webinars or to find out more about Tweet Pitch visit www.xponorth.co.uk