FAQ

Why #APIpit? Why is #API important? What does it stand for? And why is it needed?

Our goal is to help showcase pitches from marginalized Asian and Pacific Islander voices that have been historically underrepresented in publishing. Any decisions regarding eligibility are yours to make. However, we’d be remiss not to remind you that the publishing world is very small. We have #PI because our founders, in forming the group, realized how PI creators were underrepresented in traditional publishing and how difficult it was to even form a truly diverse/representative board–and that emphasized the need to spotlight the PI creators. We need to boost their voices and work.

We exist because we are not a monolith. #APIpit is not only an event in May, we strive to spotlight API creators and foster an API community. We stand against any Asian and Pacific Islander hate.

The publishing data toward Asian and particularly Pacific Islander writers are skewed and representative because works are written by white authors but illustrations by Asians are counted. Not only does that mean we need more API writers, but we also need to spotlight API as well as other marginalized creators such as #LatinxPitch, #dvpit, #lgbtqnpit. Black voices always matter, hence we also encourage API creators who identify as Black to use #BVM. 

I do not identify as Asian or as a Pacific Islander. Do I meet the eligibility criteria?

No. #APIpit is specifically for unagented writers/illustrators of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent–diaspora and sourceland.

Asian/Pacific Islander is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as “a rather broad term, [as] Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).”

I don’t know if I’m “Asian or Pacific Islander” enough. Should I pitch?

Any decisions regarding eligibility are yours to make. As mentioned the publishing world is very small. And, we encourage you to reflect on publishing, diversity, and representation. No one can assess your identity for you. If you think you meet the criteria, we hope you participate.

I am not Asian or of Pacific Islander descent but my story / character(s) / subject / central plot conflict are. May I still pitch?

Please no. The eligibility for #APIpit is based solely on the identity of the creator–not their spouse, child, parent, etc.

I am from a different marginalized background. Can I participate? My identity is not widely represented in media/ publishing / books.

While we are saddened with the lack of diversity in publishing, we encourage you to seek other pitch days such as #DVpit if you fall under that criteria. There are other pitch events for specific marginalizations such as #Latinxpitch, #LGBTNpit, and #PitchDis. But #APIpit is for creators of Asian and or Pacific Islander descent. We welcome any and all intersectionality within that.

I co-wrote my book with someone. Can we both pitch it?

As long as you pitch as one person, that is fine. Check our pitch rules.

I am of Asian and or Pacific Islander descent, but I co-wrote my book with someone who is not. May I still pitch?

Yes, however, only the API creator is permitted to pitch. See Rule #1 — SELF IDENTIFYING API CREATORS

I am of Asian and or Pacific Islander descent but my characters and or story are not / don’t share the same criteria. My story is not #ownvoices. Can I still participate in #APIpit?

Yes! The eligibility is based only on the creator regardless of story and character. We will not police writers/illustrators about their content and your work does not need to be #ownvoices. You do not have to have a story or creative work focused on your marginalization.

I have a degree in Asian / Pacific Islander studies, or my family member/ partner is Asian or Pacific Islander. Can I still pitch?

No.

Is this pitch contest central to any location?

No! You can participate from anywhere in the world; you do not have to live in the United States, Asia, or the Pacific Islands.

What can I pitch?

#APIpit is for writers, illustrators and graphic novelists of any genre and age category seeking representation. This also includes completed short stories and poetry manuscripts; however, if you pitch short stories or poetry, please specify in your twitter pitch. Screenplays will probably not be likely however that is not to say that agents or editors won’t be accepting them.

While some agents accept previously published works, this event is for unpublished stories.

I am an editor working on an anthology and one of the writers is API, can I pitch?

No. This pitch event is only for API creators seeking representation.

If I have an agent, can I pitch? I would be looking for editors or work-for-hire.

No, #APIpit is only for creators seeking representation. Please respect these rules.

How does one pitch?

This is a Twitter pitch event, so ensure that you know the basics of how to navigate Twitter before you participate. But in short, using Hootsuite or Tweetdeck in advance or going on Twitter and pre-scheduling your tweets within the allotted character limit is a good way to pitch on time and in an orderly fashion. You must pitch on the day of the pitch event, any other pitches with our hashtag after the date and time will not be counted and will likely not be seen by agents and editors.

Google good pitches using examples from other pitch events such as #Latinxpitch and #Pitmad. Comps of other popular books within your genre at the top of the pitch are a good way to hook an agent’s attention. 

The LatinxPitch website has a terrific How To Guide, so be sure to check that out!

What are the rules for pitching? Please explain!

You must be a self-identifying writer/illustrator of Asian/Pacific Islander descent.

Writers must have a completed and polished manuscript.

Graphic Novelists: You must have a completed and polished pitch packet.

Illustrators: Introduce yourself and the work you want to draw for, include sample illustration work.

You are permitted 3 pitches per manuscript.

You are permitted 1 pitch per hour.

Do not retweet pitches; these are reserved for publishing editors.

You may QRT (quote retweet) pitches as a show of support.

Do not like pitches; these are reserved for literary agents.

Do not tag agents or editors in your pitches.

Do not create multiple accounts to pitch your manuscripts.

Do not police the identities of other participants.

Graphic Novelists: Please feel free to include sample art in your GN/PB pitch.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Please feel free to comment on other pitches in support.

Please remember to research agents and editors you are unfamiliar with. You are not required to submit your work to everyone who requests.

Additionally, please check our Resources for guidance on what hashtags to use, how to prepare a query, how to avoid schmagents, and other helpful tips.

You can pre-schedule the pitch and to find out how, check our tips. Additionally, the internet has many tools and advice for you to figure this out. It is up to you to know when to pitch in the timeline.

How can I make my pitch stand out?

Please look at our Resources page on our website for help, guidelines and hashtags for comic book artists and graphic novelists as well as writers.

I am an illustrator/comic artist, do I add images to my pitch? And if I am not an illustrator or comic artist, can I use images?

If you are an illustrator, picture book author, or comic artist, yes. It is best that you add your art to your pitch or a portfolio sample so agents have a glimpse to your artistic style. Do not thread the tweet. And if you want, try different art samples and pieces for the same story project in each allotted new tweet that you schedule on the day of the event.

If you are not any of the above, you may still use images that are public domain. Everything else is up to you but we do not condone copyrighted images. In the past, people have used aesthetics. All of this is up to you.

My work has been published before or it was self-published. Am I allowed to pitch it?

No. Please Google “first rights” for more information.

When do I send in my requested material to the agents?

The time between pitching and sending material is up to you because we cannot control your querying process. However, agents and editors requested on pitch day with the idea that you have a completed and polished draft or portfolio. You can take a few weeks or days but agents have differing opinions on this. At APIpit, we prioritize the safety of creators of color and stress the importance of researching agents before querying or accepting any offers of representation. We value safety over sending materials in haste. If you need to give your work a final edit, that is fine but if you’re a ways off from finishing a polished draft, try a different pitch event in the next few months.

Do we send our material to every agent who liked our pitch?

No, please do your research. No one is obligated to send an agent anything if you do not wish to.

Does #APIpit decide which agents and editors participate? Do you vet them?

#APIpit does not endorse or commend any agent or editor but we encourage that you read through our Agent Spotlights linked here. They can be a good starting point but we’re not infallible and we encourage participants to please do your research!

How do I sign up for #APIpit

There is no sign up. All that is needed is a Twitter account. You pitch in the time period (8am to 8pm EST May 4th) following the pitch rules outlined on our website.

Editors liked or retweeted my pitch. What do I do?

Yay for editor interest. We encourage you to research each editor because some editors cannot request un-agented submissions, while others are open to un-agented submissions. If the editor retweets your pitch, it does not mean you can automatically submit your manuscript to them. A RT is an expression of interest in the submission once you get an agent. If they like/💓 your pitch, that may mean they are also allowed to request un-agented work but you must double check. Usually, they will have a pinned tweet on their account with rules. 

Some editors do accept un-agented subs. Whether you choose to sign an agent before submitting to the editor is entirely up to you.

Mistakes and misunderstandings do happen; editors can like a pitch when rules say they should retweet so do your due diligence!

Rules for Agents and Editors

Our event is 8 am to 8pm EST May 4th. When writers will be tweeting their pitches, they get 3 pitches per manuscript. Within this number, it is 1 pitch per hour. 

1. For guidelines, we suggest you Tweet your submission guidelines on the day of #APIpit using the event hashtag.
2. For pitches, please LIKE the tweet to indicate a request. For editors, if you are closed to unagented works, please indicate this in your guidelines. Editors, if prefer agented submissions, you may RETWEET so writers and prospective agents can have this for future references. 

Thank you for participating in #APIpit, we hope you can add API voices to your client lists and we appreciate your work! 

Credit to #DVpit FAQ