Virtual Practice PitchFest – 2026

Welcome to the final schedule for Virtual Practice PitchFest 2026!

For those who have registered for our upcoming PitchFest event, live at ThrillerFest XXI on May 7th, we’ve arranged an online event called Virtual Practice PitchFest with some of ITW’s Author-Experts to help you fine-tune your pitch beforehand. This gives you time to practice, gather feedback, and perfect your pitch before the on-site event.

All registrants for PitchFest 2026 who have signed up prior to March 15, 2026 will be invited to sign up for Virtual Practice PitchFest beginning March 1. Pitching slots are first-come, first-served. The deadline for sign-ups is end-of-day on March 15, 2026, via a direct email to Susan Lee or via the scheduling request form that will be emailed to you by Susan Lee (susan@thrillerwriters.org.)

Each PitchFest registrant is able to sign up for one (1) 15-minute practice session. The dates and time-blocks for 2026 are listed below. All times are in Eastern Daylight Time:

Block #1 – Morning: 9:00am ET – 11:00am ET
Block #2 – Midday: 11:30am ET – 1:30pm ET
Block #3 – Afternoon: 2:00pm ET – 4:00pm ET

The final schedule, including your specific time slot and zoom link, will be posted here on March 20. Your scheduled time slot is locked in, and it won’t change. It is up to you to show up on time (remember, all times are in Eastern Daylight Time) and use the zoom link listed above your name.

You’ll be able to view your time slot and zoom information by clicking on the buttons below, once the schedule is posted. Click on the day(s) that you requested to find your name. We have done our best to give you your first request for day and time.

There are two Zoom “rooms” per time block. Each room has one technical host and two ITW Author-Experts, one of whom will be hearing your pitch. The author names will not be released ahead of Practice PitchFest; instead, you will find out with whom you’ll be practicing when you log-in to your session. To access your practice pitch session at your allotted time slot, use the zoom link listed above your name. The zoom links have the password embedded, so are one-click, but we’ve still included the passwords below, just in case. If you haven’t used Zoom in a while, you may need to update, so please take that into account. We ask that you please join the zoom room at least 5 minutes ahead of your assigned time slot to address any tech issues and so you can take full advantage of your session.

As an FYI, you will receive an email reminder 1 day before and on the morning of your assigned practice pitch session.

— If you need to change your time slot, we will attempt to accommodate you. More heads up is better than less, so please email susan@thrillerwriters.org ASAP to request this if your availability has changed. —

Please contact susan@thrillerwriters.org with any questions, and happy practice pitching!

While many of us have grown familiar with interacting virtually via zoom over the past few years, for anyone needing a quick refresher, click here for a brief instructional guide. Our hope is to keep this as seamless as possible.

Please contact us (susan@thrillerwriters.org) if you have any questions or concerns.