Query Contest over at Children’s Publishing
Aug 27, 2010 
The deadline for entries has already passed, but the KidLit gals over at Adventures in Children’s Publishing are having a fantastic contest/workshop to help writers polish their pitches. I’m learning an absolute ton just from reading other writers’ pitches and the comments on them. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s ever written a query, is writing a query, or may one day need to write a query. Comments are open to contestants and guests alike, so feel free to join in on the critiquing process!
Plus, bonus: my own pitch is up there, for THE IRON WOOD, the book you guys have been listening to me babble about for the past few months.
Each contestant was assigned a “mentor,” one of a number of participating authors, who will comment on his or her pitch with an in-depth critique. I was lucky enough to get the incomparable T.H. Mafi of Grab a Pen, which has been one of my favorite writing blogs for a long time now. If you’ve never been to her site, do so immediately! There’s a great mix of humor and encouragement there. I guarantee it’ll make you smile. She hasn’t commented on my pitch yet, leaving me gnawing on my fingernails and refreshing the page every ten minutes, but I’m excited to see what advice she’ll have for me.
I haven’t posted in a while, but not at all because I haven’t been working–the opposite, in fact. The past few weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of brainstorming about revisions for TIW, research on just about every aspect of medieval Russia for HUNTED, endless revisions of my query (as though one word will be the difference between a request and a rejection), and, just recently, receiving comments on TIW from my Editorfriend, who basically turned my brain upside down. In a good way.
Tonight, I take a breath, though. Tonight, I go to see the keynote address at the Melbourne Writers Festival, given by none other than Joss Whedon, one of my absolute idols. I’m so excited I could almost pee myself.
Almost.
; ?>/i/tag@2x.png)
Your query makes me want to read TIW SOOO much!!!
Aww, thank you! I want you to read it too! (Because then that would mean it was, you know, a book. Published. That people could read. Sigh.) I’m soooo excited to start querying, but also completely terrified and nervous. Thanks for the encouragement. <3
*Seconds the above* Your query sounds awesome. I’d definitely pick up a book like that on premise alone.
Thank you! I can’t tell you how good it is to hear that. When I do revisions (all… once… that I’ve done them…) it seems I turn into this terrifying mockery of my normal self where I hate everything I do, so hearing a voice of reason right now is fantastic.
Be sure to tell me how Joss is on Sunday! <3
Your premise sounds fantastic! I hope I’m on your submission list when you’re finished! 🙂
You definitely are! See, I have the advantage of having already met you, and KNOWING how awesome you are.
Thanks so much! 😀 I just hope I manage to get the ms in decent shape. Oof. I dunno why I thought this whole revision thing was going to be so much easier than writing the thing in the first place…
Hah! Grass-is-always-greener syndrome, maybe? I know that I, for one, am smack in the middle of my own first draft, and I am YEARNING to use my revision-brain instead of my draft-brain. I have such a hard time letting my writing be messy, I guess, so I look forward to cleaning it up….
Yeah, you may have hit it there… I know right now I’m DYING to be out of revisions and into querying. But I can already guess that in the middle of querying I’m going to be longing for the halcyon days before the first rejections started coming in.
I know what you mean about letting the writing be messy. That was how I finished TIW in the first place, but WOW, what a struggle it was to get into that mindset.
Perhaps thanks to NaNo, I hardly ever have trouble getting into the “let the writing be messy” mindset. Getting OUT of it, on the other hand…
Hah! I think it’s a good thing, though. You’re about 10x as prolific as I am for that reason. You can’t edit a blank page, after all…
Okay, now I REALLY want to read TIW (I wanted to when I read a teaser you posted ages ago), but the thing in your blog post that made me squeal is… YOU’RE GOING TO SEE JOSS WHEDON SPEAK!!!! *squeals again* You’re so LUCKY! I mean the title for my WIP came from an episode in Buffy season 7!
-Kayleigh
Haha, thanks!
Oh man, and it was actually awesome! You know how you can build stuff up in your head, but you know it’s never going to actually be that good? It was! I loved that the questions and answers (it was an interview-style talk) were actually geared towards writers. It almost made me feel like we were all a part of the same community, me and the rest of the audience, and Joss too.
Love that you’re a Joss fan. First time you commented on my blog, I thought to myself, “Now, why couldn’t my parents have had the foresight to name ME Kayleigh?” 😉
(What’s the title of your WIP??)
Sorry I’m only replying now–I stopped using my computer for 2 days (!!!) and only just checked my e-mails.
I wish I could have been there… 🙁 Maybe someday Joss will do an interview and I’ll actually be able to go. But I doubt he’s coming to the South of France anytime soon…
My dad named Kayleigh after the song by Marillion 🙂 And he wrote a poem to help French people (he’s French and I’ve always gone to French schools) pronounce my name. If you want, I could post the poem on my blog and give you the link. Oh, except it’s in French.
The title of my WIP is “The Way Wars Are Won”. Giles says to Buffy in season 7, “This is the way wars are won” in the episode where Robin tries to kill Spike. (My sister and I recently did a Buffy season 7 marathon. Total watching time with breaks: 17 hours and 30 minutes, more or less. Oh yeah.)
I’m so impressed you’ve put your query out there to seek feedback — and look at the rewards you’re reaping. People love it! (No surprise, of course. It’s an awesome pitch because it’s an awesome book.)
Well, in no small part thanks to you, and your awesome first line suggestion. I think my original hook was “In a world where…” (No joke.) It’s an awesome pitch because I have awesome people to help me market it. 😉
Hey, just wanted to say congrats on being in the top 20 on the contest! I definitely think you’re a front-runner! LOVE your query, wanna read your book!
Oh wow, thank you so much! You’re so nice! I must say I am freaaaking out about it. I have no idea if we’re supposed to see winners THIS Thursday (i.e., today/tomorrow depending on time zone) or if it’s a week off yet. I’m assuming a week, because Sarah LaPolla needs time to read, but I can’t quite tell.
I actually think YOURS is awesome! Of course, I do love me a dystopian novel… big surprise, huh? Good luck to you too!
YAY!!! 🙂 I won’t say I told you so though because I’m just too classy! Congratulations on your totally deserved win!
Oh MAN, thank you so much! I am still staring at my computer in shock–I only just found out! I’m so excited, and so touched and flattered by everyone. This has seriously been one of the most positive experiences in the online community that I’ve had yet, and I felt that way before the winners were posted. Everyone’s been AMAZING. The critiques and suggestions have just been fantastic.
YA community, I LOVE YOU.
Thanks, Bethany. <3
“One of the most positive experiences in the online community” = I completely agree. And SERIOUSLY? Being a finalist was so great, especially knowing that other authors had chosen them. Good. Times. 🙂 And good luck with Sarah! I’ve queried her and hope to hear back soon!