#CastPit is an online pitching event for authors to promote their books at any stage, from published to work in progress - yes, even drafting phase. The main purpose of this pitching event is for you, the author, to give literary agents, publishers, and potential readers, a chance to see inside your mind and envision who your best pick to play your characters would be if your book was turned into a TV series or movie. For us visually oriented people, it helps us imagine your characters better. If your book would be better suited to anime/animation, you can pick an animation style/production house and voice actor for your characters. If you include a director, include a movie they directed that makes you list them. You can even include composers, cinematographers and costume designers. Anyone you feel would be essential to bring the vision of your book properly to the big or small screen.

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This is a new event, so be creative and have fun with it. You don't have to follow the examples below, using the Agent's Guide style, but a jumping off point. You can even do mood boards with your actors, just be sure to list the actor's name and the character they would play.

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Date & Time:

The date for the first ever #CastPit is Thursday, November 13, 2025, beginning at 6:00am Pacific Standard Time and ending at 6:00am PST on Friday, November 14, 2025.

It will be hosted on X and Bsky at:

• X link: https://x.com/castpit4authors

• Bsky link: https://bsky.app/profile/castpit4authors.bsky.social

 

RULES:

• Use hashtags specific to your project (listed below rules) for audience and genre, including #CastPit.

• Anyone can participate no matter the state of their WIP or finished manuscript.

• To give agents and publishers an idea of the story, include a pitch or quick summary of your story in the post or included in the graphics

• You are allowed to like and repost posts.

• Only post within the given date, Nov. 13, 2025, 6am for 24 hours to Nov. 14, 2025, 6am Pacific Standard Time (International world times listed below)

• Post up to four total times within the 24-hour time window (for the same book or for different books), please space your pitches at least one hour apart.

• You can post the pitch with any media you’d like. (NO AI)

• Please use alt text if you are using images.

• Interact, support and swap (repost) with one another and have fun!

• Agent, editor, and publisher participation is welcomed and encouraged!

• If you are an agent or publisher, make sure in your profile description you list that you are one, if you are a writer as well, otherwise your like may be construed as just support from another writer.

• You can include actors, directors names and styles you list with hashtags. (see example below)

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MANDATORY HASHTAGS

#CastPit (everyone must use in every post)

#W (for works-in-progress, includes drafting)
#Q (for querying writers)
#AG (for agented writers)
#OS (for on-submission writers)
#PUB (for published writers)

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GENRE HASHTAGS

#SF (science fiction)
#F (fantasy)

#SFF (science fiction fantasy)

#DF (dark fantasy)

#FH (fantasy historical)
#SPF (speculative fiction)
#M (mystery)
#H (horror)
#T (thriller)
#R (romance)

#DR (dark romance)

#PR (paranormal romance)

#RF (romantacy)

#RC (rom-com)

#HR (historical romance)
#C (contemporary)
#CO (comedy)
#FT (fairytale retelling)
#HF (historical fiction)
#NF (non-fiction)
#P (poetry)

Feel free to add in any additional hashtags of your

own or you think are missing from this list

 

AUDIENCE HASHTAGS

#A (adult)
#NA (new adult)
#YA (young adult)
#MG (middle grade)
#CL (children's literature)

#PB (picture books)

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WORLD TIMES Equivalent start time, end time is 24 hours later

4:00am HST (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) Nov. 13, 2025

6:00am Pacific Standard Time (L.A/S.F, USA & Vancouver, Canada) Nov. 13, 2025

8:00am Central Standard Time (Chicago, USA & Mexico City, Mexico) Nov. 13, 2025

9:00am Eastern Standard Time (New York, USA & Toronto, Canada) Nov. 13, 2025

11:00am BRT (Sao Paulo Brazil) Nov. 13, 2025

2:00pm GMT (London, UK) Nov. 13, 2025

3:00pm CET (Paris, France) Nov. 13, 2025

4:00pm EET (Athens, Greece) Nov. 13, 2025

​5:00pm MSK (Moscow, Russia) Nov. 13, 2025

7:30pm IST (Mumbai, India) Nov. 13, 2025

10:00pm PHST (Manila, Philippines) Nov. 13, 2025

11:00pm KST (Seoul, South Korea & Tokyo, Japan) Nov. 13, 2025

1:00am AEDT (Sydney, Australia) Nov. 14, 2025 - NOTE DATE ADVANCE

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AVOID SCAMMERS (Tips by Rowan Brighton Brown) 

Original post with threads: https://x.com/RowanBrightonB/status/1954256735507722320 

1) Firstly, anything asking for money is a scam. Real agents do not have reading fees or recommend paid editors. Any publisher that costs money is a scam called a "vanity press" or "hybrid press." If they're making money off authors, they have no incentive to make money off readers.

2) Make sure you're talking to the person you think you're talking to! If you can't find the professional's X account on their website or their agency's website, be very careful. Impersonating agents and then asking for reading fees seems to be a trend these days.

3) For real industry likes, we'll start with editors! When vetting a publisher or small press, start by looking at their books. How many people have bought them? What do their covers look like? Do they use AI? What do the reviews say and *who wrote them*

4) Take a look at the website next. Is it geared toward getting authors to submit or getting books to readers? Do they prohibit agented submissions? How old are they? How do they distribute books? Do they offer any paid services?

5) Rules for vetting agents are more solid. You'll want someone from a reputable agency who is a member of ALA and has either sold books like yours or who has strong mentorship from agents who have sold books like yours.

6) It's even better if the agent has previous editorial experience, has sold to Big Fives (or whatever the equivalent is for your genre!) and has a reputation for kindness and communication.

7) If an agency is also offering editorial, marketing, or other for-pay services, that's a huge red flag! (This doesn't necessarily apply to agents offering freelance services independent of their job at the agency.)

8) If an agent has no editorial experience, relevant education, or sales record, don't sign with them!! A bad agent will set your career back so much farther than having no agent--and I mean that.

9) vet all offers with Writer Beware, Publishers Marketplace, the Querytracker comments section, and the experts on r/PubTips (If you have questions about an offer, post and the right people will message!)

10) More than anything, don't let the excitement of industry attention mess with your plan! It's so easy to do, but if you keep calm, follow these rules, and stay your course, you'll be just fine!

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For further questions, you can contact me through my email, elisebetzbooks@gmail.com or through my social media (links to the left).