Now more than ever, we need diverse stories — stories that amplify marginalized voices and experiences. Inequality in publishing has long been an ongoing issue, as evidenced by a dataset of 8,000 fiction books by over 4,000 authors published by the New York Times in 2020. Compiled by Richard Jean So and Gus Wezerek, the dataset includes books published between 1950 and 2018. Of the over 7,000 books whose authors’ race could be determined, 95 percent came from White authors. Meanwhile, books with LGBTQ+ content or other supposedly “controversial” subject matter continue to face censorship and removal from schools and libraries.
Diverse Voices Pitch, or DVpit, emerged in 2016 on Twitter (now X) to help marginalized writers get their foot in the door. Harnessing the power of social media, the event allows writers to bypass the notoriously massive slush pile and pitch directly to participating agents and/or editors. After a hiatus to regroup following burnout and organizational changes behind the scenes, DVpit has returned, now hosted on Bluesky and ready to help more books find a home. We sat down with the DVpit team to get the scoop on the history and future of this important event.
About DVpit
DVpit (Diverse Voices Pitch) is a Bluesky event for marginalized voices that have been historically underrepresented in publishing to pitch their work to agents and editors. This may include (but is not limited to): Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); people living and/or born/raised in marginalized, underrepresented 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. Participating marginalized creators can post about their finished projects on the day of DVpit in the hopes of finding an agent or editor for their work.
The first #DVpit took place on April 19, 2016, and was a national trending hashtag. 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 the submission stage.
Thanks for joining us, DVpit! Let’s get started.
DVpit has been on hiatus for a year now, and we are so glad this event is back. Why was it so important for DVpit to return at this time?
We never planned for it to go on a permanent hiatus, but the work had just gotten so big behind the scenes, and with the loss of an open-forum platform like Twitter, there had to be so much logistical work and moderation to move the event over to Discord in 2023. After that, the members of the committee needed a break to focus on their families and jobs. However, the progress we fought for has unfortunately taken a backslide due to things like book bans disproportionately targeting members of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. Organizations like We Need Diverse Books and the original creation of DVpit showed that there was enthusiastic support and desire for marginalized voices and stories ten years ago. But recently, it has seemed like traditional publishing hasn’t kept up with promises made to provide the support necessary to actually boost and advocate for those voices. So, we thought it was really important to revive DVpit now.
Why is it so important to have DEI-focused pitch events that are accessible to all kinds of authors, especially when the industry is highly competitive and often restrictive by nature?
There are many gatekeepers in traditional publishing. They base their buying and support on past precedent. Unfortunately, too many marginalized communities have been historically kept out of the traditional publishing space, so there’s no precedent to prove that those stories are needed and wanted. The idea of an online pitch event is to show those gatekeepers what readers actually want and get excited about. The first DVpit proved that, with thousands participating and getting excited over mere pitches for diverse books. And so many of those books went on to prove that that excitement translated to success. It’s the very definition of grassroots, the people on the ground speaking up about what they want to prove to the higher-ups that they need to listen to us.
DVpit is officially coming back on October 8th, 2025 and we have over 50 agents and editors excited to participate. Follow this account for all announcements and check out dvpit.carrd.co for more details and information!
#dvpit #writersky #booksky #weneeddiversebooks
— #DVpit – Diverse Voices Pitch (@dvpit.bsky.social) Jun 2, 2025 at 11:32 AM
As DVpit started on Twitter (now X), can you talk about how the event utilizes social media and how that usage has changed as the apps themselves rebrand? How important is social media as a whole for writers to implement when pitching?
One of the original draws for social media was that it was a great equalizer. Anyone can sign up and post their work and thoughts. It was also, originally, a great town-square type of space. It helped us to share thoughts, ideas, and information. It built up diverse communities in publishing and allowed us to drive the initial conversation about the need for diversity in publishing. Of course, things evolved as social media did. And some of the spaces no longer felt safe for the most marginalized and vulnerable members of our community. But our hope is that with a new platform like Bluesky, and their promise to moderate hate speech and AI, it’ll be a safe platform to start growing a safe and vibrant, diverse writing community again.
What (if any) has been the impact of AI on pitches? How do you think writers can combat AI and its rising threat to publishing and creativity?
We do not condone or support the use of AI in any aspect of writing or pitching books or creative works. You can find our official statement here.
As DVpit approaches its ten-year anniversary in 2026, how would you like to see this event continue to evolve in the future?
The event did grow by leaps and bounds in the first seven years. And we were all so proud to be a part of the growth. Unfortunately, it became unsustainable, and after our one-year hiatus, we had to pull back on the number of events we sponsored and hosted. However, the beginning of that growth was author/creator-driven, so our hope is the community will rally again and help to support each other as we work to remind the industry and the world why our stories matter.
Lastly, what has been the most rewarding part of your involvement with DVpit?
All of the members of the organizing committee found their agents on DVpit and wanted to pay it forward and support the amazing event that helped us find our agents. So, since 2016, we’ve all been volunteering for DVpit in one capacity or another. We’re so proud and happy to be spearheading it to bring it back and create a whole new community of diverse authors and creators.
Thanks again to the DVpit team for speaking with us! This year’s DVpit will take place on Bluesky on October 8th. For updates and information on participating, visit their Carrd and follow them on Bluesky.
Click here to learn about Literary Agents of Change, another organization uplifting marginalized voices in publishing.
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