About.
What is #DVpit?
Originally hosted on Twitter before migrating to Discord in 2023, #DVpit is a pitch event created to showcase pitches from unagented, marginalized voices that have been historically underrepresented in publishing. This may include (but is not limited to): Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); people living and/or born/raised in marginalized cultures and countries; disabled persons (includes neurodivergence and mental 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 work that reflects their own identity, though that is certainly welcome!
The first #DVpit took place on April 19, 2016 and was a national trending hashtag on Twitter. 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, pitching under the hashtag #DVart. In 2023, #DVpit made the decision to transfer its annual event to Discord.
#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 by literary agent Beth Phelan. The organization team now consists of Beth Phelan, Pete J. Knapp, Rebecca Kuss and Peter Lopez.
When is the next #DVpit?
#DVpit is an annual Fall event that includes #DVart for artists/illustrators.
The next pitch date is October 11, 2023.
The Discord server will open in in August for intros and networking, and then more channels will become available in September for preceding events, starting with #askDVpit, our Q&A event. Various pitching channels (sorted by category) will be open only on pitch day, for 24 hours. The server will close a week following the pitch event.
[#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).]
How to participate in #DVpit?
You must have an invite link to gain access to the server; this is the invite link to join the 2023 #DVpit Discord. You will need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Please use your real (or pen) name when participating so that agents/editors can match your pitch to any solicited submissions. You can find the rules for pitching here.
Official #DVpit communications and information is available on this website, on our Twitter account, or via the newsletter. Be wary of any solicitations from third parties.
New to Discord? Need help learning the ropes? Read through our beginner’s guide.