Friday, January 22, 2016

SON OF A PITCH

Are you sending out query letters? Have you sent to agents and publishers only to receive the dreaded rejection letter? I did the same for years, and then I entered a contest. Sharon Bayliss hosted that contest and I won – my full manuscript was requested by Curiosity Quills Press.

I'm proud to say Katie Hamstead Teller has asked me to be part of a similar opportunity for other writers. This time I'll be helping the entrants move to the final stage by hosting, critiquing, and voting.

Here is all the information you need to prepare for SON OF A PITCH!



Here are the basics:
Formatting:
Title: (Name of Manuscript)
Age and Genre: (YA/NA/Adult then Genre)
Word Count: (to the nearest thousand)
Query:
Insert query here. No bio please.
First 250 Words:
i don't care if this is from a prologue or chapter one. That's up to you.

Week 1 starts Feb 15, 2016:
A chance to refine your query and first 250 words. Post this on your blog then post a link in the comments of a post I will put up on my blog the week of Feb 15. Please leave feedback on a minimum of three other queries and first 250.

Week 2 starts Feb 22, 2016:
This week, published authors will give you feedback. The Son of a Pitch team, who are all published, will post your emailed in queries and 250 words on their blogs. Please use the formatting above and email to:

sonofapitchcomp@yahoo.com.au

Incorrectly formatted emails will be kicked off the island. The team will vote for their favorites to go onto the final round. They will cast five votes each, anywhere they want, and the top 20 will go onto the next round. Feel free to coax judges your direction however you want! But please, only you and the judges can comment on your entry, or the comments can get confusing for tallying votes at the end. Votes will close on Thursday 11:59 p.m. MST. To stalk the hosts/voting authors, click Here.

The first fifty entries will go into this round. So get your clickers ready to email at precisely 10 a.m. MST on Friday Feb 19th.

But don't be discouraged! You will get good feedback to help you even if you don't make the top twenty. So please go and query elsewhere afterward, and let us know your success story so it can be shared on the blog.

Week 3 starts Feb 29, 2016:
We have a fantastic line up of editors, publishers, and agents. They'll swing by the final contestants to try to bribe you into subbing to them. The final Twenty will post on Katie's blog, where agents/editors will come and make requests for you. If you make the top twenty, you will be emailed on Friday 26th, and all updated entries sent to the email address by Saturday 27th 11:59 p.m.

MST. If you don't make the deadline, the next highest voted entry will be emailed, and will have 24 hrs to get the entry into the inbox.

Feel free to email any requests made whenever you feel like it, but note that the agents/editors are allowed to give feedback on your entry. Also, make sure to include that your query to them is from the comp by putting Son of a Pitch Request in the title.

Twitter Pitch: Mar 7, 2016:

And finally, we'll have a free-for-all twitter pitching opp under the hashtag #sonofapitch

Rules: Makes sure to include #sonofapitch and your genre/age category with the tweet. You can tweet any number of manuscripts, but only once every hour each.

It will open all day, but since I'm in Arizona, I won't be monitoring the earlier stages since that's like 5 in the morning here.


Here's the list of Publishers participating in SON OF A PITCH:
Follow the links to learn more about each.

Here is a list of Agents participating in SON OF A PITCH:



For the second round, published authors will be swinging around to critique queries and first 250 words posted on three blogs, as well as casting votes on who will make the final round.
Follow this link to read about those authors!
&
Me!



This is a great opportunity. I hope you'll take it, and if you're not ready please pass the information on to other writers.

Tweet One of These

@KatieTeller1 Son of a Pitch is the opportunity to get your manuscript noticed by agents and publishers. http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/2016/01/son-of-pitch-entry-information.html

@KatieTeller1 Have your query read and critiqued by other writers and win a chance at publication. http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/2016/01/son-of-pitch-entry-information.html

@KatieTeller1 Feedback on your query and a chance for publication, get the details here. http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/2016/01/son-of-pitch-entry-information.html

*****

UPCOMING EVENTS
YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!







16 comments:

Pat Hatt said...

Sure sounds like a grand opportunity indeed.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Dig the title! Great line up of judges.

Yolanda Renée said...

Hi Pat,
I'm sure it will be, and fun too!

Yolanda Renée said...

Thanks Alex!

Unknown said...

Haha! I had to laugh at the name's clever word play and the "kicked off the island" part! This is a great opportunity for those looking to publish or get an agent. Awesome that you're helping to judge. Good luck to everyone & have a great weekend! :)

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

How could anyone not love a contest with a title like that???

Dang, this sounds like a lot of fun, and a great opportunity for lots of writers. Makes me sorry I've neglected my WIP so grievously. If I had a finished (Hell... if I had a semi-STARTED) manuscript, I'd be tempted to play with y'all. Have fun!

Yolanda Renée said...

Thanks Lexa, it will make all the difference for several lucky writers!

Yolanda Renée said...

Hey Susan, it is a great title isn't it? I can't believe you don't have a manuscript at the ready or almost. Although I shouldn't talk - neither do I. :)

Anonymous said...

I tried one of these pitch contest things last year... got a lot of good advice, but it was ultimately fruitless. Maybe I'll give this a try! I really love the name 'Son of a Pitch' haha .. that's great!

Jo said...

Almost wish I wrote books. I like the title too.

Denise Covey said...

Hi Yolanda, great idea/title/opportunity. I'd love to enter but there's a lot to take in...'grandma brain and all that...(((wink))) (((wink))), say no more. :-)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That's a great opportunity. Is it mostly Australian publishers participating?

Yolanda Renée said...

I hope you will Madilyn, it worked for me. You just never know!

Yolanda Renée said...

Hi Jo, I think maybe one day you will! :)

Yolanda Renée said...

Hey Denise! You're a busy lady and that's alright! ((wink))!

Yolanda Renée said...

Hi Diane, actually no Australian publishers. But we'd love to have you and your new Imprint!