1/12 Ready to start up again with Pitch Events? Here we go!

I’m still getting the hang of my weekly schedule now that I’m working two part time jobs (one is as a slush pile reader for an up-and-coming publisher, which I love!). I hope to be back on track with weekly contest postings soon.

So are you ready? Some awesome-sauce stuff coming up like, right now!

Musetracks will be having an Editor Shop with Jennifer Miller of Samhain on January 13 – with the window to submit your pitch on January 12 (have I mentioned I’d adore to be published by Samhain?! 🙂 ).  PLUS there’s a LOT of other GREAT stuff going on! REMEMBER TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. Last time over half the entries were disqualified because they weren’t correct. This month’s event looks to be a blast, too! Here’s a tease:

As an added bonus to our Editor Shop, I’ve invited some Samhain authors to the blog to talk, answer questions and give-a-way some books to anyone who comments!
Comment to win on Jan 12th, 2013!

Miss Snark’s First Victim will be having a Secret Agent Contest on January 14, details are up on her blog with submission windows, etc.  Here’s what we know about this month’s agent:

This month’s contest will include the following genres:

Young Adult — all genres
Middle Grade — all genres

Cupid, Cupid, how did I miss you last time?! Good news is the Blind Speed Dating Event, over at Cupid’s Literary Connection is going on over several weeks. There is a $10 entry fee, which in part goes to a charity donation. Given the size of this contest ( 6 weeks & 60 entrants a week – and that’s just to start!) the time commitment is huge on Cupid‘s part. I have to say, this is one of my favorite contests too (although I do wish there were more adult category writers in the bouncers, but it is what it is). Wait, what? You want more info? Here ya go (I’m posting a little longer blurb than usual, but then this is a jumbo sized contest):

The contest consists of two parts: The preliminary round (Bouncer round) and the agent round (Honorary Cupid round). I am accepting a total of 360 entries into the Bouncer round. The Bouncers are all published or soon to be published authors and agent interns. As implied, they’re the Bouncers, and you must receive a “You’re in!” from one of them in the comments of your first-round entry to make it into the agent round. (They can, but are not required to comment more than this.)

So, 360 entries is a lot to read. That’s why I have 15 Bouncers lined up. I will accept 60 entries per submission window, so there will be 6 entry windows. Each window gets its own week on the blog (1/14-2/21). Each submission window is assigned 3 Bouncers. They will each read 20 entries and choose their 3 favorites to proceed. (So 9chosen a week, 54 total.) You will not know which of the 3 Bouncers will judge your entry as they will be using undercover Bouncer names. It is up to the Bouncer if they want to reveal their identity after the contest is over.

In late January,the 25, Brenda Drake will be coordinating a twitter pitch event (#pitmad!). Brenda has some of the best contests with some very nice (and helpful!) agents and editors. I expect this will be no different. Be sure to follow her blog and find out all the details as they become available. Her sneak peek from her blog :

TWITTER PITCH PARTY! For those of you who didn’t make it into Pitch Wars and just for everyone, there will be a twitter pitch party on the hashtag #PitMad on January 25 from 8AM to 8PM. We’ll announce more details as the event nears. So get your twitter pitches ready and make sure to include the hashtag in your 140 character count.

I’ve leads on several contests in February, one of which it’s worth while to note now as there’ll be a bunch of prep needed by you AND your critique partner. Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire will be coordinating, with her critique partners, #PAPFest.

In our model, writers will pitch their critique partner’s project, and our team will decide whose pitching abilities are so strong that we’re interested in seeingtheir own project. And of course, if the premise of the partner’s project is so enticing that we can’t help ourselves, we’re free to request material from them as well.

That sounds like a lot of fun and really hard! I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Plus Operation Awesome has a mystery agent on the first of every month – so be sure to stop by their blog and check out who it is on February 1.

If you know of any contests I’ve missed, be sure to comment below and I’ll add them. Don’t forget to check out my page with popular contest hosting sites, as well as subscribe to my paper.li feed, which has links to industry and agent news.  And don’t forget to join/check out  CPSeek, it is a GREAT resource!

New Year, New Contests – Starting 1/1/13 w/ #MysteryAgent

I had planned to go through and announce how many contests I had highlighted over the past year for this post, but time (and family commitments) pulled me away, so I’ll be tallying things up some other significant time.

As for January Contests, the new year is starting with some single agent contests and moving to a wonderful twitter pitch contest at the end of the month. The very first one STARTS tomorrow!  Ready, set, go!…

Operation Awesome  is having their monthly Mystery Agent on TUESDAY, JANUARY 1! Here’s some deets (as always be sure to go to the site for ALL the details!):

Hello, all!!! You may or may not know that tomorrow is our January Mystery Agent Contest. For that reason, I’m here to provide a few details about what our Mystery Agent is and isn’t looking for.

So. Here’s what our Mystery Agent wants:

Adult & YA fiction

-soft science fiction

-fantasy

-horror

-all subgenres of the aforementioned 3 genres

-gritty, dark narratives

-contemporary YA 

(lighthearted, funny, and moving with a raw, authentic teen voice)

-stories with strong characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, and strong plots that balance romance and action

Musetracks will be having an Editor Shop with Jennifer Miller of Samhain on January 12 (have I mentioned I’d adore to be published by Samhain?! 🙂 ).  PLUS there’s a LOT of other GREAT stuff going on! Here’s a sample:

As an added bonus to our Editor Shop, I’ve invited some Samhain authors to the blog to talk, answer questions and give-a-way some books to anyone who comments!
Comment to win on Jan 12th, 2013!

Miss Snark’s First Victim will be having a Secret Agent Contest on January 14, details will be posted on her blog on January 7.  All little snippet from her blog (be sure to check there for full details on what the agent is looking for and details on submissions):

Submissions for our first Secret Agent contest of the year will be on the 14th.  Guidelines will post on the 7th.  Because of the Baker’s Dozen hullabaloo, we haven’t had a Secret Agent contest since October!  So I think this will be especially fun.

In late January,the 25, Brenda Drake will be coordinating a twitter pitch event (#pitmad!). Brenda has some of the best contests with some very nice (and helpful!) agents and editors. I expect this will be no different. Be sure to follow her blog and find out all the details as they become available. Her sneak peek (posted on  CPSeek, a GREAT resource!) :

We will hold a twitter pitch party following the agent round and alternate showcases for Pitch Wars on January 25 from 8AM EST to 8PM EST. The pitch is 140 characters and you must fit in the hashtag #PitMad. So get those pitches ready!

I’ve leads on several contests in February, one of which it’s worth while to note now as there’ll be a bunch of prep needed by you AND your critique partner. Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire will be coordinating, with her critique partners, #PAPFest.

In our model, writers will pitch their critique partner’s project, and our team will decide whose pitching abilities are so strong that we’re interested in seeingtheir own project. And of course, if the premise of the partner’s project is so enticing that we can’t help ourselves, we’re free to request material from them as well.

That sounds like a lot of fun and really hard! I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

If you know of any contests I’ve missed, be sure to comment below and I’ll add them. Don’t forget to check out my page with popular contest hosting sites, as well as subscribe to my paper.li feed, which has links to industry and agent news.  Fingers crossed for everyone who enters a contest in the new year!