Saturday, September 29, 2012

9/29 Early October Pitch Events

Here's what I am aware of for the start of October. Remember, if you know of more just comment here or tweet me at EllieWrites2 and I'll add. I've only copied little snips of information from each blog. Be sure to click through for full details! A lot of this looks familiar, but there is at least one new one out there!

PITCH EVENTS HAPPENING IN THE FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER:


GOING ON RIGHT NOW! (no idea how long it'll be open) Pitch DIRECTLY to Debs Werksman at the Casablanca Authors Blog. You have to go to the site for formatting information, etc. (Not familiar with Sourcebooks Casablanca? Look here for information) A tease to tempt you:

It’s one of those months when I don’t want to read my own writing—I want to read YOURS! Voila—time for a pitch session!
These are the IRON-CLAD rules!
1)      ONLY single-title romance 85,000 to 100,000 words or commercial women’s fiction
2)      Erotic romance, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense, contemporary romance

Brenda Drake is hosting ANOTHER Pitch event in October but you can sign up NOW. Be ready to put yourself out there! #PITCHLIVE is all about 'live', or in this case video, pitches.

I'm so excited to announce PITCH LIVE! What is it, you ask? It's a video of your best elevator pitch to an agent. I wanted to give you guys enough time to produce a video of an elevator pitch for your finished novels, so I'm posting this now. We already have a couple agents signed up to view the top 30 videos (if we get that many), but there will be more agents. I'll announce the agents in a post soon. The contest is for AdultNew Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade fiction. The elevator pitch should be creative, as if you ran into an agent at a conference.

Miss Snark's First Victim will be having the second 'pre' contest chance to get your logline polished before her very popular Baker's Dozen Contest:

It's here!  Well, almost.  Welcome, everyone, to the season of the third annual BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION! For the newcomers:  The Baker's Dozen Agent Auction is MSFV's biggest event of the year.  60 250-word entries, hand-picked by Jodi Meadows and Authoress, will be placed on the auction block for agents to bid on (with requests for pages, up to a full manuscript request).  It bears the name "Baker's Dozen" because the original auction in 2010 included 13 agents--a baker's dozen.  The actual auction is in December, but the fun starts NOW! We will have 3 critique rounds for those of you who would like feedback on your loglines prior to submitting. These rounds will be run as lotteries. Times TBA.
ROUND 1: Tuesday, September 25 (submissions on Monday, September 24)ROUND 2: Tuesday, October 9 (submissions on Monday, October 8) ROUND 3: Tuesday, October 16 (submissions on Monday, October 15)

Details here (Kat Ellis' blog) For Hook, Line & Sinker which will open on October 13:

That's right kids, on October 13th the entry window opens at 11AM EDT! Take your entries to the appropriate blog based on category. Dee is hosting Middle Grade at www.writeforapples.com, Summer will be hosting the party for Adult at www.Fizzygrrl.com and I'll be hosting Young Adult right here:http://katelliswrites.blogspot.com! There'll be details on what your entry should include COMING SOON. And here is where it gets real, yo. We have agents coming to play. Oh yeah, that's right. Real, live, top drawer agents will be coming by to make requests!
Now, we can't tell you who just yet, but we will say that you can't count them all on one hand...

This Writers World & Plot Bunnies will be hosting a Spooktacular Pitch Event which opens October 13 as well:

Here are the details I know you're burning to know. The Spooktacular Pitch Extravaganza will open for submissions on October 13 at 8am EDT and stay open until October 16 at 12am EDT. On October 17 I will pull 50 names and have you email me your pitches to a special contest email then. So make sure you check back on October 17!
"What do we have to do?"
Great question! Polish and spit-shine your 3 line pitch (no word limit. Just 3 lines only. If you go over 3 lines, you'll be disqualified and someone else will take your spot) and the first 250 words of your finished and polished ms (if it ends in the middle of a sentence, feel free to go to the end of that sentence.) This contest is open to Adult, Young Adult, New Adult and Middle Grade fiction so bring it on!

Again, these blogs along with  Cupid's Literary Connection frequently have pitch events. Follow them, subscribe to their feeds and you can be 'in the know' for when the next one comes up. And don't forget Savvy Author. You can sign up for free, and take advantage of pitch opportunities there as well (they had a huge event for paying members recently too and seem to on a bit of a break).

Entering any of these can help you get one step closer to becoming published. Wishing everyone luck! (me too!) If you've never done a query contest Sticking To The Story has a wonderful post on what to expect and how to get ready. Even if you've done them before there's LOTS of helpful information there. p.s. There are many blogs which host pitch contests for single agents. For instance We Do Write has a monthly one (coming up soon!). ***Note: This post is duplicated on my other blog as well. I will be transferring this content there slowly.

Monday, September 24, 2012

SUBMISSION WINDOW FOR #PITCHON *WORKSHOP* - now open!



Workshops for Get Your Pitch On start on October 1, and....

Window to submit your workshop pitch is open now! 

But don't freak out if you missed the original post on 9/24, at this time we don't have a set deadline given the large number of spaces available. (Each host blog has set the number of pitches they can host. Only once those spots are full will the submission window close.) Of course you'll want to get your pitch into the workshop in well before 10/15 when pitches will be taken on both Down Under Wonderings and YAtopia to skip the slush pile and get your story in front of Managing Editor of Hardie Grant Egmont, Marisa Pintado


How to submit: 

Email your draft pitch to pitchonws@gmail.com and include PitchOnWS and the title of the manuscript in the subject line. Pitches must follow the formatting as specified for the Get Your Pitch On contest. Guidelines are here and you can see the list of blogs participating here.

(FYI: Example email subject line: PitchOnWS Looking for Alaska)


Important Rule: 
If you want to participate in a workshop, you must critique at least ONE other pitch. Want an incentive for doing even more? Head on over to the other host blogs to critique more pitches. For each critique you leave in the comments, you get an entry into the drawing to win one of eight 10-page critiques from one of the following: Sharon JohnstonLarissa HardestyStephanie DiazCatherine ScullyJodie Andrefski, Paula Sangare, Talynn and Kaitlin Adams. Please use the exact same name for all of your critiques. Also, Sarah Nicolas will be giving away three query critiques! The opportunity ends 10/14/2012.


A little more detail on the mechanics of the workshop:
Pitches will be posted on blogs and comments will be made with comments & suggested corrections for the pitch. ON MY BLOG (everyone is doing this a little differently) if you email me with an UPDATED pitch, I will do my best to change your post to reflect the new one. 

A strong suggestion: When you find your pitch make a comment and/or 'subscribe' to comments so you can keep track of what is being said. When you make comments on someone's pitch you might want to do the same!

An important heads up:

An interview with Commissioning and Managing Editor of Hardie Grant Egmont, Marisa Pintado, will be coming up soon on  Down Under Wonderings so that you have an idea what she's looking for. Pitches will be taken on both Down Under Wonderings and YAtopia on October 15th. The exact contest opening times will be included posts that day (although there may also be a sneak bit of information at the interview!).

Good luck everyone! 

p.s. Here's an excellent article on ways to approach your log line/pitch and keep it concise:  The logline—Who needs it? How do I write one? by Kelly Whitley


Saturday, September 22, 2012

9/22: Upcoming Pitch/Query Contests from Around the Web: #pitchon #gutgaa #bakersdozen #pitchlive

Ready? Here's the line-up of pitch events I am aware of coming down the pike. Remember, if you know of more just comment here or tweet me at EllieWrites2 and I'll add. I've only copied little snips of information from each blog. Be sure to click through for full details!

PITCH EVENTS HAPPENING NEXT WEEK:

On Monday, September 24, Miss Snark's First Victim is having the first of MANY rounds and levels of entry for her very popular Baker's Dozen Contest:

It's here!  Well, almost.  Welcome, everyone, to the season of the third annual BAKER'S DOZEN AGENT AUCTION! For the newcomers:  The Baker's Dozen Agent Auction is MSFV's biggest event of the year.  60 250-word entries, hand-picked by Jodi Meadows and Authoress, will be placed on the auction block for agents to bid on (with requests for pages, up to a full manuscript request).  It bears the name "Baker's Dozen" because the original auction in 2010 included 13 agents--a baker's dozen.  The actual auction is in December, but the fun starts NOW!

The first round of #PitchOn will start on September 24 as well, with a chance to enter the pitch workshop. (My other blog will one of the hosts!):

Just as it's important to get someone else to look over your manuscript before you query, it's a good idea to get feedback on your pitch before you post. We have about twenty blogs who are ready to help you hone your pitch. These workshops start on October 1.

At the end of the week, on Friday, September 28 Deana Barnhart has the GUTGAA small press contest:

Friday: Small Press Pitch Contest Call for Entries - There will be one window for entries--at 11AM EST. I will accept a max of 100 entries. To enter the small press pitch contest you will need to paste in the body of an email the query and first 150 words of your completed manuscript and send it to gutgaa(at)gmail(dot)com. Go HERE for details about what I mean by query and first 150 words as well as the format for entries. I will take entries until 11:59 PM EDT or until I get 100 entries. I will post the format directions on this day as well.

Brenda Drake is hosting ANOTHER Pitch event in October but you can sign up NOW. Be ready to put yourself out there! #PITCHLIVE is all about 'live', or in this case video, pitches.

I'm so excited to announce PITCH LIVE! What is it, you ask? It's a video of your best elevator pitch to an agent. I wanted to give you guys enough time to produce a video of an elevator pitch for your finished novels, so I'm posting this now. We already have a couple agents signed up to view the top 30 videos (if we get that many), but there will be more agents. I'll announce the agents in a post soon. The contest is for AdultNew Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade fiction. The elevator pitch should be creative, as if you ran into an agent at a conference.

OCTOBER EVENTS:

In addition to Pitchon and Bakers Dozen which will be continuing into October, I've found the following events: Hook, Line and Sinker! Details here (Kat Ellis' blog) For Hook, Line & Sinker.
That's right kids, on October 13th the entry window opens at 11AM EDT! Take your entries to the appropriate blog based on category. Dee is hosting Middle Grade at www.writeforapples.com, Summer will be hosting the party for Adult at www.Fizzygrrl.com and I'll be hosting Young Adult right here:http://katelliswrites.blogspot.com! There'll be details on what your entry should include COMING SOON. And here is where it gets real, yo. We have agents coming to play. Oh yeah, that's right. Real, live, top drawer agents will be coming by to make requests!
Now, we can't tell you who just yet, but we will say that you can't count them all on one hand...
This Writers World & Plot Bunnies will be hosting a Spooktacular Pitch Event in October as well:
Here are the details I know you're burning to know. The Spooktacular Pitch Extravaganza will open for submissions on October 13 at 8am EDT and stay open until October 16 at 12am EDT. On October 17 I will pull 50 names and have you email me your pitches to a special contest email then. So make sure you check back on October 17!
"What do we have to do?"
Great question! Polish and spit-shine your 3 line pitch (no word limit. Just 3 lines only. If you go over 3 lines, you'll be disqualified and someone else will take your spot) and the first 250 words of your finished and polished ms (if it ends in the middle of a sentence, feel free to go to the end of that sentence.) This contest is open to Adult, Young Adult, New Adult and Middle Grade fiction so bring it on!
Again, these blogs along with  Cupid's Literary Connection frequently have pitch events. Follow them, subscribe to their feeds and you can be 'in the know' for when the next one comes up. And don't forget Savvy Author. You can sign up for free, and take advantage of pitch opportunities there as well (they had a huge event for paying members recently too and seem to on a bit of a break). 

Entering any of these can help you get one step closer to becoming published. Wishing everyone luck! (me too!)

 If you've never done a query contest Sticking To The Story has a wonderful post on what to expect and how to get ready. Even if you've done them before there's LOTS of helpful information there.

 p.s. There are many blogs which host pitch contests for single agents. For instance We Do Write has a monthly one (coming up soon!). ***Note: This post is duplicated on my other blog as well. I will be transferring this content there slowly.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

I'm Hosting a GET YOUR PITCH ON Workshop October 1!




YAtopia and Down Under Wonderings are coordinating GET YOUR PITCH ON. a chance to skip the slush pile.  A snippet of information from YAtopia:

Here's the rules:

  • Your manuscript must be complete, polished and ready to query - this means no first drafts or almost finished manuscripts.
  • It must be YA.
  • When the contest goes live on October 15th, post your entry details in the comments section of either YAtopia or Down Under Wonderings - each blog is accepting 100 entries only.
  • Your entry detail needs to include a 50 - 70 word pitch.
  • You can enter more than once if you have more than one complete, polished, ready to query manuscript.
Just as it's important to get someone else to look over your manuscript before you query, it's a good idea to get feedback on your pitch before you post. We have about twenty blogs who are ready to help you hone your pitch. These workshops start on October 1.


I'm one of the twenty blogs hosting pitch feed back October 1!

Want more information? Check it out

Want to be a host for the Get Your Pitch On polish? Sign up here.

Looking for other blogs hosting the Get Your Pitch On polish? They're here.

I'm so excited! I admit I'm not so good at my own pitches, NEVER seem to get the distance needed to distill the story down, but I've helped lots of other people with theirs (with some success too :-) )

I'll share more information as I get it. Be sure to bookmark YAtopia and Down Under Wonderings for the latest news.

SIGN-UP INFORMATION COMING 9/24! :-)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The UNOFFICIAL #GUTGAA Small Press Query Hop

Here we go! Put your query up on your blog & link to it here. Remember it's a two way street, help out other Gutgaans by visiting their blogs as well. Good luck everyone! Remember to keep up on the twitter hashtag #GUTGAA - people will be revising and asking for more input I'm sure!.  

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Belated GUTGAA Links! Here are ALL the FAB Authors

I've so enjoyed doing GUTGAA (that's Gearing Up To Get An Agent) over at Deana Barnhart's blog. So many wonderful people, I wanted to share the list. Oh, and despite the option so sign up at the end, please go to Deana Barnhart's blog to sign up!


Hello Blogger World!

Well I'm back to having a blogger site (in addition to my EllieWrites2 Wordpress site) because there are so many things I can do here that can't do there. Like, oh, link to blog hops, and um, blog hops. Okay, I'm sure there's more but that's the reason I started this blog.

So, off to set up links to the first blog hop and get things done! If you want to read more of my usual posts, go to my other site EllieWrites2. Lots of stuff there!