Category Archives: Literary

#DVPit Hosted by Lit Agent Beth Phelan

April 21, 2018Contests, Literary, Publishing Opportunity#DVpit, Adult Fiction, Authors, Beth Phelan, books, Category, Chapter Book, Children Books, Commercial, Disabled, Diversity, Editors, Galt & Zacker Literary Agency, Genre, Graphic Novel, Illness, LGBTQIA, Literary Agent, Log Line, Manuscripts, Marginalized Voices, Middle Grade, Native People, novels, Opportunity, People of Color, Picture Book, Pitches, Pitching, Religious, Stories, Teen, Twitter, Underrepresented Cultures, Writers, Writing, Young Adultpdpabst

The search for diversity within books has increased, not just with secondary characters but main characters. The world wants to see a fabulous palette of colors and cultures among the stories they read and the publishing industry is responding! This prompted literary agent Beth Phelan of Galt & Zacker Literary Agency to create DVpit.

According to the site, #DVpit is a twitter event created to showcase pitches about and by marginalized voices. This includes (but is not limited to): Native peoples and people of color; people living and/or born/raised in underrepresented cultures and countries; disabled persons; people with illness; people on marginalized ends of the socioeconomic, cultural and/or religious spectrum; people identifying as LGBTQIA+; and more.

The next event will spread over two days:

April 25th will be for Children’s & Teen Fiction/Nonfiction (picture books, chapter books, graphic novel, middle grade, young adult).
April 26th will be for Adult Fiction/Nonfiction (all genres, commercial and literary).

Each day the event will run from 8am-8pm ET using the hashtag #DVpit. Be sure and pitch your manuscript on the correct day because agents/editors will search the feed on the specific day of the category and genres they represent/acquire.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Revise & Resub Contest #RevPit

April 18, 2018Contests, Critiques, Literary#RevPit, Age Category, Agent Query, April, Author, BIOS, Carly Bornstein-Hayward, contest, Editing, editor, Editor Cassandra, Editors, Elizabeth Buege, Ellen Brock, Feedback, Fiction, Free, Genre, Jeni Chappelle, Kaitlyn Johnson, Katie McCoach, Kyle V. Hiller, Manuscript, Middle Grade, novels, Opportunity, Query, R. R. Campbell, Reading, Revise & Resub, Sione Aeschliman, Stephanie Eding, Stories, Submission, Writer, Writerly, Writing, Young Adultpdpabst

#RevPit

Revise & Resub is a writerly contest started in 2017 by a group of editors wanting to help writers find their dreams of publishing. Writers submit their completed manuscripts to two editors and one alternate for an opportunity to win feedback. The chosen writers will get help to ready their entire manuscripts for agent queries, and it’s FREE!

The Editors:

The submission window opens at 9am EST on April 21, 2018 and closes at 11:59pm on April 22, 2018. Be sure to read the editor bios so your manuscript will be a good fit (and they don’t hit the delete button)! In order to submit, go here. And as always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

So You Think You Can Write: HARLEQUIN DARE BLITZ!

April 16, 2018Critiques, Literary, Publishing OpportunityAge Category, April, Author, Dare Blitz, Feedback, Fiction, First Chapter, Genre, Guidelines, Harlequin, Manuscript, Opportunity, Publishing, Romance, Sexy, So You Think You Can Write, Submissions, Writer, Writingpdpabst

Harlequin Romance is looking for new romance writers to become their next authors. Details posted on their blog So You Think You Can Write. If you think you’ve got what it takes and have a polished romance manuscript ready for submission, this might be for you! Entries must be sent no later than April 20, 2018. Even cooler, all submissions will receive feedback by the 4th of May! (I know you want to squeal, go ahead. I’ll wait.)

Submissions will be uploaded to Submittable. But before you send things off to the editors, be sure and read the guidelines here. And as always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

New Voices Award

April 13, 2018Contests, Literary, Publishing OpportunityAdvance, agent, Author, Author of Color, Award-Winning, books, Cashi, Contract, Disabilities, Family, Fiction, Gender Identity, Genre, Guidelines, Imprint, Indigenous, Ink and Ashes, Lee & Low Books, LGBT, Manuscript, Middle Grade, Minorities, Monetary Prize, Native, New Voices Award, Non-traditional, Novel, Publication, Rebel Seoul, Stories, Submissions, Submit, Tu Books, United Staes, Unpublished, Winners, Writer, Young Adultpdpabst

Lee & Low Books

TU BOOKS, the middle grade and young adult imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS, is open for submissions to their New Voices Award. This contest is given annually to an unpublished author of color (in the contest age category, other categories okay). Previous winners include award-winning titles such as Ink and Ashes, Rebel Seoul, As Fast As Words Could Fly, Juna’s Jar, It Jes’ Happened, and Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds.

Manuscripts may be any genre for children ages 5-12, or young adult ages 12-18. Manuscripts should address the needs of children of color or native children by providing stories they can identify with and which promote greater understanding of one another. Themes relating to non-traditional family structures, gender identity, or disabilities are also of interest.

Contestants must meet all of the following criteria to be considered:

Self-identify as a person of color or a Native/indigenous person.
Be at least 18 years old at the time of entry.
Be a resident of the United States.
Must not be agented.

The Award winner receives a cash prize of $2000 and their standard publication contract, including their basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1000.

But the window for submission is closing soon! All manuscripts must be submitted no later than August 31, 2018. Be sure to read their entire guidelines before submitting. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction

Writing in the Margins Mentor Program

April 8, 2018Literary, Mentor ProgramApplicants, Author, Critique, Deadline, Disabilities, Editors, Experience, Feedback, Fiction, Goal, Hone Your Craft, Manuscript, Marginalized Social Group, Marginalized Voices, Mentorship, Novel, People of Color, Publication, Published Author, Publishing, Qualifications, Query, Short Fiction, Statement of Intent, Story, Submit, Traditionally Published, Underrepresented, Underrepresented Countries, Underrepresented Cultures, Unpublished, Writer, Writing In The Marginspdpabst

The Writing in the Margins is a website dedicated to helping underrepresented authors find their place in the publishing industry. They have a Mentor Program which pairs an emerging author from a marginalized social group with an experienced editor or traditionally published author in order to work closely on preparing an unpublished manuscript to submit for publication. All authors and editors work on a completely volunteer basis, and there is no charge to the emerging author. Applications are open twice a year, and necessary applicant qualifications are highlighted prior to the submission period. Deadline for this round is April 15, 2018. Material required to submit:

Finished, Unpublished Fiction Manuscript (or Five Completed, Unpublished Short Fiction Pieces)
Query letter
Statement of Intent (not to exceed 500 words). How would a mentorship help you reach your goals?

For instructions on how to submit, go here. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Happy Easter and, um, Happy April Fools’ Day!

April 1, 2018Holiday, LiteraryApril Fools Day, Celebrated, Celebration, Chocolate, Christ, Christians, church, Copenhagen Metro, Easter, Eating, Eggs, Eostre, Fake News, False News, Family, Festivities, Food, Fool, Foolery, Fools, France, Fun, Funny, Gatherings, God, Goddess, Gregorian Calendar, Happy, Happy Easter, Hebrew, Holy Week, Jesus, Joke, Moon, Northern Europe, Passion Week, Passover, People, Pranks, Religious, Resurrection, Saxons, Solar, Symbolize, Ticksters, Tomb, Tricks, Tricksterspdpabst

Yay, it’s Easter! Time for religious celebrations, eggs, chocolate, and family gatherings! Some folks celebrate for different reasons, and this is okay. Whether you’re a church goer, or not, I hope everyone has time for some egg hunting, eating, or just plain foolery! Yep, I aid foolery! Because…it is also April Fools Day!

So while you’re scheming your next trick, here are some fun facts I found about Easter and April Fool’s Day on Bing and other searches today:

Did you realize that Easter’s date often changes? Easter Sunday can fall anywhere between March 22 to April 25. Easter is based on the lunar calendar (moon) rather than our more well-known solar one, thus the variation in the date.
Why the name Easter? The most popular answer is that the name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe.
How does Easter translate in religion? The Greek word translated “Easter” in Acts 12:4 is pascha, and refers to Passover, which was always kept on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (Abib). It was Passover, not Easter, that God commanded His people to observe, and they did so throughout early New Testament time.
Christian’s Celebrate: The resurrection of Jesus Christ which occurred on the third day after he was crucified on the cross. Back in the day, decorating Easter eggs was traditionally a symbol of the empty tomb. This tradition is called Pysanka. Christians believe that Easter eggs symbolize new life and resurrection.
The week before Easter has a couple names: Holy Week and Passion Week. This week contains Palm Sunday, Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Passover (Wednesday).
How much money is spent on Easter? According to Statistic Brain in 2017, the total monies spent on Easter candies was $2.1 billion and total amount on Easter related goods $14.6 billion!
How did April Fool’s Day Begin? The true origins of April Fools’ Day are uncertain, but one theory is that it began in 1582, when France adopted the Gregorian calendar. Before then, New Year’s Day fell on March 25, not January 1. And those who continued to celebrate the old New Year (at the beginning of April) were called “fools” by their early adopting peers.
Be careful what you read! Some newspapers, magazines and other published media report fake stories on April Fool’s Day, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in smaller letters. Sometimes they involve elaborate pranks, such as this one in Copenhagan Metro in 2001.

Hope everyone has a fantastic day! And as you’re eating, watch out for all the tricksters!

P.D. Pabst

Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

OSCARS: ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIPS

March 26, 2018Contests, Fellowship, LiteraryAcademy Nicholl Fellowship, Author, Deadline, Entry Fee, Feedback, Fellowship, Fiction, Fictional, Film, Guidelines, International, Monetary Prize, Obligations, Opportunity, Oscars, Screenplay, Screenwriter, Screenwriting, Television, Writerpdpabst

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in screenwriting is an international screenwriting competition established to identify and encourage talented new screenwriters. And yes, this is a branch of the Oscars!

If you write screenplays and haven’t earned more than $25,000 for writing fictional work for film or television, then this contest is for you. Up to five fellowships for $35,000 are awarded each year. Please read the entire guidelines and obligations before submitting. There is a small entry fee, with an option to also purchase reader comments. And who doesn’t love feedback? Although there are three separate deadlines, the final entry deadline is May 1, 2018.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

PICTURE BOOK PARTY TO GET AN AGENT

March 23, 2018Contests, Literary#PBParty, agent, Art, Author, Children's Stories, Drawings, Genre, Guidelines, Hashtag, Illustrators, Kidlit, Manuscript, Michelle Hauck, Opportunity, Party, PB, Picture Books, Rules, Sharon Chriscoe, Submission, Twitter, Writerpdpabst

Holy-moly! It’s another picture book contest. Things are looking up for the PB writers and illustrators, indeed. On March 27, 2018 Michelle Hauck and Sharon Chriscoe will co-host a Picture Book Party. Submissions will open at 4pm EST and will remain open for one hour. You need to have a completed and polished PB manuscript and illustrations are encouraged to be submitted (if you’re an illustrator).

Participating Agents and Editors

Jessica Sinsheimer of Sarah Jane Freymann
Alyssa Jennette of Stonesong
Chrisa Heschke of McIntosh and Otis
Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin of Liza Royce Agency
Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management
Tracy Marchini of Bookends Literary
Pam Victorio of D4EO Literary Agency
Adria Goetz of Martin Literary Management
Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary
Cari Lamba of The Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency
Natascha Morris of Bookends Literary
Asia Citro of The Innovative Press
Charlotte Wenger of Page Street Publishing

The agent round will be between April 4-6, 2018. Be sure to checkout the complete guidelines on the website. You can also follow helpful hints for all writers on the twitter hashtag #PBParty.

As always, good luck.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Himalayan Writing Retreats

March 21, 2018Literary, Webinar/Workshop, Writing Conferences & GetawaysAdult, Advice, Authors, books, Calendar, Chats, Events, Exercise, Feedback, Fiction, Fireside, Himalayan, Himalayan Writing Retreats, Inspiration, Instruction, Long Walks, Manuscripts, Mentors, MG, Middle Grade, Mountains, Non-Fiction, Retreat, Stories, Writerly Stuff, Writers, Writing, YA, Young Adultpdpabst

Want to whisk away to the Himalayan mountains for inspiration while writing your next novel? Then sign up for one of the Himalayan Writing Retreats, or one of the writing weeks (depending on your level of expertise). There is instruction, exercises, fireside chats, long walks, and writerly chats.

If you are looking for advise or simply inspiration for your next book, be sure to check out the Himalayan Writing Retreats/Weeks event calendar. They have more than one to enroll during the year 2018. Have fun and happy writing!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Don Freeman Grant for Illustrators

March 19, 2018Contests, LiteraryArt, Art Supplies, Authors, Contract, Don Freeman Grant, Enrollment, Illustrating, Illustrations, Illustrator, March, Members, Monetary Prize, Opportunity, Picture Book, Portfolio, Published, SCBWI, Techniquespdpabst

According to the webpage, the Don Freeman Grants are available to all members of the SCBWI, regardless of membership level, who are working on a picture book or their portfolio. They are not available for projects on which there is already a contract.

Two grants of $1,000 each will be awarded annually. One grant to a published illustrator and one to an pre-published illustrator. The money may be used in any way to help you complete your project. Acceptable uses include: purchasing art supplies, enrollment in workshops or conferences, courses in advanced illustrating or writing techniques, travel for research or to expose work to publishers/art directors, or childcare.

Enrolment is open and ends on March 31, 2018. Visit the webpage to for complete information and guidelines to submit. As always, good luck.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

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