Tag Archives: Adult

Nightmare On Query Street 2017

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It’s getting close to Halloween, which means Nightmare On Query Street is soon! But don’t let the title fool you into thinking you’re manuscript won’t qualify. The title is more about when the contest takes place. You can enter any age category or genre, excluding picture books and erotica.

The submission window opens at 4:00 pm (EST) on October 13th. All entries sent before this time will be deleted. For this years contest, there are 24 agents lined up! TWENTY FOUR! How awesome is that? But you’d better be on your toes if you want to submit. They will close submissions when they reach 250 entries or in two hours, whichever is first.

Participating Agents

Michelle, Mike, and Laura will make 13 picks each. Then a few mentors they’ve selected will help the authors hone their entries before the agent round. Here are all the dates for the event:

  • Submission Window Opens: October 13th 4:00 pm EST
  • Final Picks are Announced: October 20th
  • Mentors Go to Work: October 21th – 26th
  • Revised Entries Due Back: October 26th at 11:59 pm EST
  • Agent round: October 30th – 31th

Some rules to take note of:

  • You are not eligible if you’ve been in an agent round in the last six months. (This does not include open twitter pitches.)
  • You can enter if you have a different manuscript to enter than previous agent round you were in.
  •  Only ONE entry per person. (No using multiple emails or pen names!)

You’ll need to send you query and first 250 words, along with a short paragraph (no more than 100 words) answering this question: What is your main character’s most stressful relationship? Who really makes them sweat?

For complete details and submission formatting, go here. As always, good luck!

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

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dvpitlogo

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 The Bent 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:

  • October 2nd, 2017 will be for Children’s & Teen Fiction/Nonfiction (picture books, chapter books, graphic novel, middle grade, young adult).
  •  October 3rd, 2017 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 categories they represent/acquire.

As always, good luck!

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

A. M. Heath Twitter Pitch Event For Authors

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A.M. HEATH LITERARY AGENTS

A.M. Heath is hosting a week long event of pitches on twitter for unpublished writers seeking agent representation. Each day will focus on a different genre of fiction and authors are invited to tweet one pitch for their polished manuscript on the relevant day using the hashtag #TellAMH. The dates and themed events are as follows:

  • Monday, September 18th: Crime/thriller/psychological suspense
  • Tuesday, September 19th: Historical fiction
  • Wednesday, September 20th: Women’s fiction
  • Thursday, September 21st: Children’s fiction (any age group)
  • Friday, September 22nd: Wild card (any genre)

A favorite from one of the agents or their assistant invites authors to submit directly to that agent via A.M. Heath website. (Be sure to mention that the tweet was favorited in the submission letter.) And for further excitement, they will select one winning pitch per genre the week commencing September 25, 2017 to receive a critique on the selected authors first 10,000 words!

Please be aware that A.M. Heath is based in London so that you pitch your genre on the correct date! Now, get those pitches ready! And don’t forget to check out the participating agents and assistants on their blog post so you don’t get scammed by trolls! As always, good luck!

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

SavvyAuthors Pitchfest Ends Tomorrow!

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Agents and editors are taking live pitches on the SavvyAuthors blog! What you will need is a three line pitch (unless stated differently on their personal pitch page). Be sure to state the title, genre, word length, and your author name. Then post your pitch below that information. The format should look like this:

Title: This Scary Manor Blows
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal
Length: 48,000 words
Author: P.D. Pabst

Agnes plays pretend in an old manor to keep her father’s memory alive and learns she must solve the murder of an eight-year-old ghost—daughter of Franz San Galli, the inventor of the radiator. Her non-believing brother wants her to grow up but she must convince him to acquire his help. After all, it’s not safe to play in secret passages and hidden rooms when a more sinister specter threatens her.

Be sure to read the guidelines thoroughly before pitching. And don’t forget to research each editor/publisher and agent to make sure your manuscript fits their wish list. To pitch editors/publishers, go here. To pitch literary agents, click here. And don’t delay! The Pitchfest ends tomorrow, September 17, 2017 at 11:59pm, EST.

As always, good luck!
P.D. Pabst

Yes! It’s #MSWL Day!

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MSWL Logo

That’s right folks, today agents and editors tweet about their manuscript wishlists on twitter using the hashtag #MSWL. So, if you’re looking for an agent, read their wishes because you just might’ve written exactly what they are looking for. As for the editors, be sure and check their guidelines because not all of them accept unagented manuscripts. Then, why are they tweeting you ask? Because agents need to submit their clients just the same as when an author subs to an agent.

Don’t worry if you miss the live event, you can always scroll through the feed afterwards. And if you want to get more details regarding what agents/editors want, go to the website Manuscript Wish List. Now, quit dawdling and get to perusing the hashtag!

Good luck finding the perfect match!

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

#PitMad hosted by @BrendaDrake

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Get your pitches ready for one of the coolest events hosted Brenda Drake on Thursday, September 7, 2017 on twitter under the hashtag #PitMad. If you are new to the game of writing, this is where you create a 140 character pitch for your FINISHED manuscript and tweet for agents/editors to read. Things to remember:

  • Pitch submission time is 8am-8pm EDT (New York time)
  • You must fit the hashtag of #Pitmad within the 140 characters.
  • Change tweets up. (Twitter will remove identical ones thinking they are spam.)
  • DON’T FAVORITE TWEETS! This is for agents or editors only. (If you want to support a friend, do it by retweeting.)
  • If you won’t be available this day, schedule tweets using Tweetdeck
  • Only tweet three pitches per manuscript for the day! (This helps to keep feed unclogged.)
  • Don’t tweet agents and editors directly unless they tweet you first, or openly state it’s okay to tweet them direct.
  • Scammers can’t be controlled on an open pitch party. DO YOUR HOMEWORK before you submit from an agent or editor’s favorite.

Age Categories:
#PB = Picture Book
#C = Children’s
#CB = Chapter Book
#CL = Children’s Lit
#MG = Middle Grade
#YA = Young Adult
#NA = New Adult
#A = Adult

Genres/Sub-genres:
#AA = African American
#AD = Adventure
#CF = Christian Fiction
#CON = Contemporary
#CR = Contemporary Romance
#DIS = Disabilities
#DV = Diversity
#E = Erotica
#ER = Erotic Romance
#ES = Erotica Suspense
#F = Fantasy
#H = Horror
#HA = Humor
#HF = Historical Fiction
#HR = Historical Romance
#INSP = Inspirational
#IRMC = Interracial/Multicultural
#MR = Magical Realism
#M = Mystery
#Mem = Memoir
#LGBT
#LF = Literary Fiction
#NF = Non-fiction
#R = Romance
#P = Paranormal
#PR = Paranormal Romance
#RS = Romantic Suspense
#S = Suspense
#SF = SciFi
#SPF = Speculative Fiction
#T = Thriller
#UF = Urban Fantasy
#W = Westerns
#WF = Woman’s Fiction

For additional tips, go to Brenda’s Drakes Pitmad page. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Writer and blogger of MG/YA fiction

#PreDV Practice hosted by Kat Cho

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PreDV

This is a cool event sponsored by Kat Cho to help hone marginalized writerly pitches in preparation for #DVpit (DO NOT us this hashtag during the Pre-Event). Participants can post pitches on twitter using the #PreDV hashtag to get feedback from Kat and other volunteers. Marginalized writers are also encouraged to offer their own feedback on other pitches in the spirit of helping other writers.

Another great opportunity is writers can reach out to find critique partners from pitches they like in the age category or genres they also write in. So don’t miss out. Get those pitches ready!

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

Pitch America for Lantinx Voices

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Pitch América

This contest will feature the first 500 words and the 35 word pitch of completed and polished manuscripts written by Latinx authors. This is a diversity contest with many well known agents and editors participating.

Submissions open at midnight on August 30, 2017 and close on September 3, 2017 at 11:59 EDT. Please check out the website for complete guidelines. As always, good luck!

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

Pitch Wars Submissions Are Open!

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This is a quick reminder that Brenda Drake’s Pitch Wars submissions opened yesterday and will close August 6 at 10pm EDT (New York time). Go here for the guidelines and here  to submit. There are two other ways to get into the contest, a scavenger hunt  (scroll to find the info) to get a free pass into Pitch Wars and if you donate at least $20 you can pick two extra mentors. Woot! Note the participating menotrs are on the post with the scavenger hunt information. Lastly, be sure and stop by twitter to watch the #PitchWars feed because they are giving extra mentor prizes away.

#MenteesHelpingMentees has opened early!

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Mentees Helping Mentees

For all the Pitch Wars hopefuls this year, the class of 2016 mentees have gotten together to offer critiques to 140 writers on their query and first ten pages at Mentees Helping Mentees. They have created seven different Rafflecopters for writers to enter based on age category and a few sub/genres:

  • Middle Grade
  • Young Adult Contemporary and Historical
  • Young Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal
  • Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • Adult Romance
  • Adult Mystery & Suspense
  • Adult Other (Historical, Literary, Upmarket, Women’s Fiction)

The giveaway ends on July 2nd, 2017 at 12 am EST. Winners will be notified via Twitter on July 5th. Watch the #menteeshelpingmentees hashtag! Those selected will get their critiques back no later than July 24th (plenty of time to review before Pitch Wars submissions open on August 2nd).

What a fantastic thing for them to do! And remember this is a new thing, so tweet, share, and blog to spread the word. Good luck to all that enter!

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