Tag Archives: Middle Grade

Agency Directory

In case you missed the new page I created to list literary agencies, I thought I would send out a post. My “go to” used to be Preditors and Editors, but it has been in “dust” mode for a long time. And with Pitch Wars ceasing, I’m not sure how long their site will be running. While there is Manuscript Wishlist, AALA, AAA(UK), and Query Tracker, and possibly others I’m unaware of, they aren’t a complete list, or they miss agencies on some that are on others. So, I decided to make a list from all of them. It is still a work in progress and will be everchanging as agencies open and close.

When I started this, I found it very time consuming. But, at some point, I will go back and improve the listings by adding the age categories and genres each one represents. To search red flags for agencies, I recommend Absolute Write. But for now, enjoy the agency directory I created.

P.D. Pabst

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2022 CHICAGO ONLINE WRITING WORKSHOP

Per the Chicago Writing Workshop website, this writing event (June 10-11, 2022) is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note this is an online event, so anyone can attend from anywhere!

Here are a few of this years faculty that will be in attendance:

Don’t delay in registering. Have fun and learn lots!

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

2022 YALLWEST BOOK FESTIVAL

If you are in the Santa Monica, California area on April 30, 2022 and you love books, you might want to attend the Yallwest Book Festival where more than 60 authors are participating in book signings, panels, and giveaways. There will be food trucks, rock ‘n’ roll, and photo ops too. Plus notable TV, film, video game, and comic creators will be in attendance.

Some of the fantastic author lineup includes:

To check out more authors attending, go here. Have fun!

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

2022 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards

Self-published writers are often left out in the cold, struggling to market and promote their books. But every so often, there is an event to help them get noticed. The Published Book Awards via Writer’s Digest is such an event. Here is what is up for grabs:

GRAND PRIZE:

  • $10,000 in cash
  • An interview with writer for the March/April 2023 issue of Writer’s Digest
  • A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot
  • Publication of an excerpt from the writer’s winning book on WritersDigest.com

FIRST PRIZE:

  • $1,000 in cash
  • Promotion of writer and their winning book the March/April 2023 issue of Writer’s Digest

BOTH WILL RECEIVE:

  • Be featured on the Writer’s Digest website
  • One year subscription to Writer’s Digest Tutorials
  • 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
  • A special graphic recognizing their winning status

Honorable Mention Winners will receive promotion on http://www.writersdigest.com and a special graphic for use in promoting their win. All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges. Be sure to check out the categories, guidelines, and submission details. Deadline is April 1, 2022.

As always, good luck.

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

San Francisco Virtual Writing Workshop

Per the website, the San Francisco Writing Workshop is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of two days, pitch a literary agent (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that this is a virtual workshop, so anyone can attend from anywhere. This workshop is a full-day “How to Get Published” writing event in San Francisco, CA on October 8-9, 2021

For those partcipating, this sounds like a great day of learning and marketing yourself. Good luck!

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

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Pitching Contest on Twitter

Insecure Writer’s Support Group is hosting a twitter pitching contest on January 20, 2021 from 8am-8pm EST. This is for completed and polished manuscripts only! Be sure to pitch only once per hour and include the hashtag #IWSGPit. (As with all pitching events, do NOT fave a pitch unless you are a literary agent or publishing editor.)

There has been some chatter about this being a newer pitching event and caution due to no participating agents listed. However, I can assure you that legitimate agents and editors participated in their previous pitch event. Some of them were:

Like all pitch events, be sure to research the agents or editors that favorite your pitch before submitting your materials. For complete details, go here. And as always, good luck!

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

AUTHOR MENTOR MATCH

Author Mentor Match

Author Mentor Match was created by Heather Kaczynski and Alexa Donne. The object is to match new writers with authors further along in the publishing process and gain invaluable mentoring! That’s right, this is an opportunity to get your manuscript critiqued (for free) before submitting to agents!

Authors can select up to four mentors during the submission window which is already opened! Submissions close January 14, 2021. Watch for the mentor BIOS to be posted to learn what age groups and genres they wish to see in their inbox!

Please note there is a two-step process for entering:

  1. Fill out the submission form. (I believe the form will appear during the sub window period.)
  2. Email the proper information to authormentormatch@gmail.com:
  • A query (pasted in the body of the email!)
  • The first 50 pages/3 chapters of your novel (whichever is longer & can be attached)
  • A synopsis

Be sure to include in the subject line the manuscripts Age Category +Genre + Title. (ie: YA Sci-Fi – Mars Plants are the Bomb) on the email submission. And check out the site in order to know how to select the mentors you wish to submit because it isn’t clear quite yet. (I’m guessing this might be part of the submission form.) As always, good luck!

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

Giveaway: Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder

As writer’s, we are always looking for ways to improve our writing. We will accept advise from authors, editors, or anyone in the publishing industry. One book that has gotten great acclaim for teaching writers is Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder. While this is geared toward screenplay writers, it has helped the careers of many novel writers. Which led to it being adapted into Save The Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.

So, for holiday cheer, I’m giving away both! One for a writer interested in the screeplay version and one to an author interested in the novel version. Constest ends December 21, 2021 at 12:00am.

——-> Click here to enter <——-

As always, good luck!

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

Remote Internship: McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

McIntosh & Otis, Inc. is looking for a remote intern for the adult department. This is unpaid and the candidate must be enrolled as a student. They would like an intern to work 12-18 hours per week and to commit to a 3-month term, but they’ll work with the interns schedule. The agency will also work with students to possibly receive academic credit.

Requirements:

  • Currently enrolled as a student
  • Voracious reader
  • Strong writer
  • Keen editorial eye
  • Interested in in adult fiction and non-fiction
  • Detail-oriented, with office skills as a plus
  • Enthusiastic

There is a modest stipend. Interested candidates should email their resume (as a Word doc or PDF attachment) and cover letter (in the body of the email) to Zoë Bodzas at zbodzas@mcintoshandotis.com. Please write “Spring Intern Application – Adult” in the subject line.

As always, good luck!

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

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition

Chicken House Books

While they no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts, they do offer unpublished and unagented writers of children’s fiction the chance to submit their work to the annual Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. They’re looking for original ideas, a fresh voice and a story that children will love!

First prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000 (approximately $12,500 US), plus representation from a top children’s literary agent.

To enter, you must have written a completed full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. The full-length , manuscript should be minimum of 30,000 words and do not exceed 80,000 words in length.

The competition closes February 1, 2021. Also, there is an entry fee of £15 (approximately $18.76 US). For complete guidelines and entry form, go here.

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