Okay so I am a sucker because I could not narrow it to 3.
So I have 5 queries that will move on to the next stage.
I made this decision based on the query, the premise, but mostly what I think Alyssa would like. I personally loved all 10 for different reasons.
The winners of the query contest are: (DRUM ROLL!)
Congrads! You win a query critique and move on to the final stage. Please email me (
[email protected]) your most updated query and your FIRST THREE chapters. I will read them and choose the winner to pass on to Alyssa. At this stage it comes down to the writing and pacing for me. :)
Just like before, if the other five writers would like some feedback on their query - please feel free to email me and I will share my notes that may or may not help you.
NEW COVER LOVE
The Pledge
Coming from S&S
Fall 2011
A romantic fantasy set in a dystopic, war-torn world where women rule, in which a teenage girl discovers that her secret ability to speak all languages, and her dangerous attraction to a beautiful, mysterious boy who speaks a language she's never heard before, are the key to her world's survival.
AUDITION
Coming from VikingOctober 13, 2011
Once you've been chosen, what step should you take?
Seventeen-year-old Sara's dream of becoming a star ballerina is challenged when she falls for Remington, an old
Due to those who have helped me, I'm holding my own "Pay it Forward" contest.
It will run this week - Monday, Jan 31 at 9am EST - Friday, Feb 4th at 5pm EST.
The winner will get a personal recommendation from me to my agent, Alyssa Henkin at Trident Media. (Trust me - you want her as an agent!)
This is how it will work:
* I will have people enter their pitch (YA or MG) and chose my top 5 pitches
* Then, those top 5 will send me their full query pitch letter.
* From the top 5 - I will choose 2 or 3 I like.
* Those will get a free query critique AND get to send me their first 3 chapters of their novel.
* I will pick ONE winner that I will recommend to Alyssa. If though she will know I haven't read your whole novel (but I see major potential in writing, story, and premise), you can use my name when you query her, which will get you pulled out of the slush pile.
Rules:
* You must be a follower of my blog and twitter. (If you don't have twitter, that's fine.)
* Your entry must be posted sometime between Monday morning 9am EST and no later than Friday 5pm EST - the contest will start and end by my clock.
* Your pitch must be NO MORE than 4 sentences.
* You must post a pay it forward post this week on FB or blog and post the link with your entry
* Your book must be done (or in revisions to be done in the next couple of months). I don't mind if you are editing/revising it as a draft, but it cant be only 3 chapters done. I want to do the recommendation by spring or so; not wait 6 months. (to be honest, I might forget and I want to stand good on my offer)
* You must be unagented and unpublished in MG and YA (if you have nonfiction or adult that is okay)
To Enter: Follow these 3 easy steps:
NOTE: You can post your entry anytime between Mon Jan 31st at 9AM EST and Friday, Feb 4th by midnight EST. It does not have to be today.
1. Post a "Pay it Forward" post on your blog or FB notes if you don't have a blog. (This can be any day this week during the contest).
* In that post, you MUST recognize someone for giving back to you. Maybe someone who has helped you in your writing or in your personal life. In your post, you can link to my "Pay it forward" post so your readers can also pay it forward.
2. Double check to make sure you are a follower of my blog and Twitter (if you have a Twitter account.)( what can I say - I like to reward my loyal followers and I want to meet you!)
* Of course, you are always welcome to join me on Facebook or sign up for my marketing newsletter that will start soon. I love cyberstalkers :)
3. In your entry, you MUST provide the following information:
- first, last name
- email address
- genre (only for MG or YA)
- pitch (no more than 4 sentences)
- the link to your "Pay it forward" post (either on FB or blog)
- your twitter id (if you have one)
* If you don't follow these 3 steps, your entry may not count.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Good luck to everyone! :)
A while back when I was looking for an agent, one of my blogger buddies, Suzanne Young, helped me tremendously.
At the time, I only knew her through her blog and she had just signed with an agent and got a four-book deal with Razorbill. Her new novel with Balzer and Bray, A Need So Beautiful, comes out in June. (As a side note, I'm reading the ARC now and it is FRAWESOME (freakin' awesome.)
One day, Suzanne stopped by my blog and took the time to read my synopsis on the side. She contacted me offline - out of the blue. She loved my concept, voice, and idea so much - she personally recommended me to her agent. Suzanne's agent was kind enough to read my submission quickly and offered a letter of advice on how I could improve my book. She also offered (as did a few others) to reconsider the project if I revised it.
Several months later - I sent the revised book to Suzanne's agent (at the time) and a few others who also offered feedback. Suzanne's agent at the time was the first of the few that offered representation.
I've always had a special place in my heart for Suzanne because she was so selfless in giving me my first break - and sometimes that all you need is just a break. She did this without even knowing who I really was as a person.
So I'm feeling like it's time I give back. If you know me, you probably know I love to give back. I try to help people get in front of agents and editors on my pitch contests. Though I've seen some great pitches that haven't been chosen.
So I want to try and give someone else a break. Sometimes that all we need to take a step forward in this crazy business.
Therefore, I'm holding my own "Pay it Forward" contest. It will run next week - Monday, Jan 31 at 9am EST - Friday, Feb 4th at 5pm EST.
The winner will get a personal recommendation from me to my agent, Alyssa Henkin at Trident Media. (Trust me - you want her as an agent!)
This is how it will work.
- I will have people enter their pitch (YA or MG) and chose my top 10.
- Then, those top 10 will send me their full query pitch letter.
- From the 10 - I will choose 3 I like.
- Those 3 will get a free query critique AND get to send me their first 3 chapters of their novel.
- I will pick one winner that I will recommend to Alyssa. That means you can use my name when you query her, which will get you pulled out of the slush pile.
Rules:- You must be a follower of my blog and twitter. (If you don't have twitter, that's is fine.)
- Your entry must be posted no earlier than Monday morning 9am EST and no later than Friday 5pm EST - the contest will start and end by my clock.
- Your pitch must be No more than 3-4 sentences.
- Your book must be done. I don't mind if you are editing/revising it as a draft, but it cant be only 3 chapters done. I want to do the recommendation in the next month or so; not wait 6 months. (to be honest, I might forget and I want to stand good on my offer)
Steps:- Next Monday Jan 31st , everyone who wants to enter must post a
I am very pleased to introduce Catherine Ryan Hyde to our Buzz Girl Readers!
I first became acquainted with her through her book,
PAY IT FORWARD, which I read some years ago. If the title sounds familiar--and you’re not sure you've read the book--it’s maybe because you saw the movie version starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment.
In either case, the theme of the story is as unusual as it is inspiring. It’s about repaying good deeds forward--with the new good deeds delivered to new people. And ever since becoming acquainted with this concept, I can say that whenever I’ve been the recipient of a random act of kindness, I have paid it forward. This is one story that stuck with me.
So let's start there, talking about PAY IT FORWARD.
Tina: I read the idea for PAY IT FORWARD came from your own personal life. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Catherine: Well, this is not the answer you're expecting, but...no. Actually. I can't. You see, it was the constant retelling of that story that drove me to complete burnout. I no longer speak on behalf of the Pay It Forward concept because, after more than nine years of telling the same stories and answering the same questions, I just hit a wall. But I understand people's curiosity, and I know they still want to know (and, as many times as I've told the story, there are those who still haven't heard it). So here's what I did. I edited down a nice little 5- or 6-minute film of me telling the story. Anyone can view it on my website. Here is the link and there are a couple other Pay-It-Forward related videos out there that people might like.
Tina: You're right, I didn’t expect that answer, but I sure liked it! Now, did you have anything to do with the film, work on the screenplay, get to go to the set?
Catherine: I'm lucky they let me READ the screenplay. I actually got a copy direct from the screenwriter, Leslie Dixon. Because she took a liking to me for some crazy reason. Nowhere in the contract does it say I even get to read it.
I did get to go to the set one day. A bit late in the filming, when it was clear that I was one of those authors who "gets it." You know. That I knew I wasn't coming to the set as a consultant or anything. But one of the producers asked me if I wanted to visit for a day and meet Kevin Spacey. Uh. (Duh.) Yeah.
Tina: Okay, now at the risk of sounding like a total rock-and-roll fangirl, Jon Bon Jovi was in the movie, too. Did you get to meet him?
Catherine: I did meet him. He was wearing a tooled leather belt with the name Ricky (his character) carved into it. It was one of those weird moments when the story I'd created seemed to have come to life in a way I could barely comprehend. Years later, I think about 2006, I got an email from my Doubleday publisher, and she said Jon Bon Jovi had been in her office (I think she was going to publish his autobiography at that time) and that my name had come up. I guess he'd said he admired my work. Of course, I was completely blown away. “Oh, yeah, Jon Bon Jovi and I were just talking about you the other day.” Sure, that's my life. Not.
Tina: Jumping ahead to your YA latest novel, THE DAY I KILLED JAMES. What we can expect from your characters?
Catherine: Theresa is an eighteen-year-old girl who blames herself for the suicide of a young man who loved her. She didn't hurt him with malice aforethought, but she did hurt him. On the same night he drove his motorcycle off a cliff. So you can expect her to wither under the burden of her own crushing guilt. And to run away from everything she thinks of as comprising herself. And to try never to let anybody close enough to get hurt again. But since she's one of my characters, you can expect her to climb her way out of that self-made prison (one of my characters in one of my unpublished novels once remarked that a prison is a prison regardless of its builder). She does this with the help of an 11-year-old girl who sticks to her like a piece of gum on the bottom of her shoe, but who ultimately helps her turn around them both around.
Tina: What's up next? Do you have another project in the works?
Catherine: I always have another project in the works. Except when I have two or three.
This summer Knopf will release my next YA book, Diary of a Witness. It's slightly different, in that it involves two teenage boy characters. Our protagonist, Ernie, (who is more than 100 pounds overweight) is an outcast, and so is his best (and only) friend Will. But Ernie has a mom who, though a bit hysterical, loves him. He also has his Uncle Max as a leveling figure. But Will's home life is falling apart and so is he, and he is about to take matters into his own hands regarding the popular jocks who torment them daily. And poor Ernie may be the only one who can prevent disaster.
I also have a new adult novel that is not yet under contract here in the US, but which is soon to be released by Transworld, my UK publisher (things are actually much better for my career over there). I hope that I will soon be able to say it has a US publisher as well.
And I'm very pleased to announce my newest forthcoming YA, Jumpstart the World, about a teenage girl who falls in love with her older next door neighbor before realizing he is transgender (female to male in transition). It's tentatively slated for Fall 2010 from Knopf.
I have another new YA on my editor's desk right now, waiting to be read. But it's too early to spill the beans about that.
Tina: Wonderful! Last up, I want to mention that one of our Buzz Girls, Marley Gibson, just took up scuba diving at the age of 42. I know you’re an avid kayaker. Is this something you’ve done most of your life or something you picked up as an adult?
Catherine: As a matter of fact, yes, I picked it up as an adult. I began kayaking in '04. And I began aggressive peak hiking in about '02. When I was young I pretty much failed gym. So you really can come from behind. It's never too late unless you decide it is and believe it.
Tina: I couldn’t agree more!
Thanks to the fascinating Catherine Ryan Hyde for visiting with us today, and I recommend all our readers check out her books! In fact, one lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to receive a signed first edition of PAY IT FORWARD, so leave a comment to be entered!
Tina
How to Hook a Hottie, 2009 Rita Finalist
The ABC's of Kissing Boys
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
www.tinaferraro.com
I was lucky enough to be one of her first three posters, and as a result, she sent me this gorgeous little painting (which I had admired previously on her
small arts blog - shown here being approved of by Studio Cat). In exchange I am very belatedly getting to my part of the Pay-It-Forward process.
The official rules:
I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.Let the Goodness continue!
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By:
Cheryl Rainfield,
on 8/9/2008
Blog:
Cheryl Rainfield: Avid Reader, Teen Fiction Writer, and Book-a-holic. Focus on Children & Teen Books
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Add a tag
I love receiving free books, and I’ll bet you do, too. You can enter to win one here.
At the end of August, I will be giving away a new ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of teen fiction book The Debs by Susan McBride.
(Please note: The book is an ARC, so there may be spelling errors or changes to the book that are not found in the published version.)
1) Once a month, or when I get to it, I’ll pick a book (or two) to give away to one (or two) lucky reader(s) (you don’t have to have a blog to enter). It may be a book that I’ve purchased new or used, or it may be an ARC or a review copy of a book I’ve recently reviewed. (If you receive an ARC from me, please don’t sell it online after you’ve read it.)
2) How to enter:
Leave a comment on this post with your name (and/or anything else you want to say). In August, the winner will be randomly selected by using the Random Integer Generator. lf you’re the winner, I’ll contact you, and you can email me the address you want the book shipped to. Open to anyone in any country. Giveaway closes August 31 at noon EST, so please enter before then.
3) If you’re the lucky winner of the book giveaway, I ask that you consider donating a book of your choice (new or used) to your local library or shelter after you’re done with it, or to host your own Book Pay-It-Forward on your site or blog.
4) If you’re really motivated and want to host your own “Pay It Forward” giveaway at any time, feel free to grab the button above to use on your own blog. Just let her know so she can publish a post plugging your giveaway and directing readers your way!
That’s it! Have fun. 
I’ll be holding the drawing on August 31 or a day or two after.
This month to Pay It Forward I am giving away my copies of That Baby CD and DVD reviewed last week. I drew names from the commenters on that post and the winners are....
windycindy wins the CD
Being Me wins the DVD
Congratulations! Send me your snail mail and I put them right in the post. For more Pay It Forward giveaways this month check out Overwhelmed!
by Suzanne Fisher Staples. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, to be released spring of 2008. (advance review copy) This is the third book in the stories of the life of Shabanu, a young woman living with her family in the desert of Pakistan. In the first book Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind Shabanu has come of age and had to chose between following her heart or agreeing to her father's matching her in a
I was visiting The Heartful Bogger and I really like her idea of a holiday giveaway. Here's what I'd like to do. The first 5 people who comment on this post will get their choice of an ATC or an assortment of 3 notecards. The ATC can either be a subject of your choice, or you can let me surprise you! Of course it would be an original work of art, not a copy. The cards, however, would be laser copies. This is just a little way of paying it forward to my friends who stop by. I wish I could give all of you a gift, but I think that would surely take a lot of time (and resources!)
Please give me a month to respond with the goods if you choose ATC's. The cards can be shipped right away.
Good luck! I'm happy you're here :)
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Thanks for the shout-out, Shelli!
Congrats to the winners. Best of luck to you all!
Thank you so much Shelli for this great opportunity.
And wow, so many great books coming out! Congrats to all the authors. :)
Congrats to the winners! Thanks for the contest, Shelli.
Congrats to the winners. Lots of great books this month. Can't wait to read Demonglass and Clarity.
Congrats to the winners. And, wow. Two *gorgeous* covers.
YAY! So excited for the final round - thank you so much for running this contest! Should we send the query and chapters as an attachment or in the body of the email?
Thanks again for such an awesome opportunity!
Congrats to the winners!
I love the cover for The Pledge. It's so striking.
Wow. Thank you so much, Shelli. I'm truly excited to be a part of the final round. You are providing such an amazing opportunity!
And holy gorgeous covers! Look at all those awesome new books. :-)
The cover of The Pledge is gorgeous. I'd read it just by seeing that, though the blurb does intrigue me.
Congrats to the winners!
Congrats to the winners!
Huge congrats to the winners, and thanks for the great contest Shelli!
Congratulations to the winners! And I really love the 2 covers, especially THE PLEDGE.
Three cheers for Lisa, Mary Kate, Shannon, Rita, and Wendy!!!
Congrats to the winners!!
And I adore those covers!
Thank you so much! I so appreciate this chance! Wendy L
Yay! How awesome! Thank you so much, Shelli! I just sent my stuff over to you. I would have done it sooner, but I do have an adorable excuse (you can see pictures at my blog... sorry, I'm just a proud mama!).