Tag Archives: Publishing

Pitch Wars Is Almost Here!

PitchWars Logo

For many writers, Pitch Wars is considered the crème de la crème of writing contests that was created by Brenda Drake. It is ran by Managing Director Sarah Nicolas, and a full committee (yeah, it’s grown that much!) Unfamiliar with Pitch Wars? This is an event where mentors select a mentee’s manuscript to revise to help them get ready for an agent round. That’s right, they help a mentee rework their entire manuscript for free. This is because authors and editors want to give back to the writerly community. How exciting is that? There is so much love people!

Submissions will be open from September 25, 2019 (midnight EST) and ends on September 27, 2019 (10pm EST). Manuscripts must be completed and polished in order to enter. This is the crème de la crème of writing contests and only happens once a year! So, get those manuscripts edited for the mentors you hope to sub to because you only get to pick four. Soon, their wish lists will be posted! And as always, good luck!

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

Internship: MCINTOSH & OTIS, INC.

McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

McIntosh & Otis, Inc. is looking for an intern for the children’s department (picture book, middle grade, and young adult literature). The internship is unpaid and must be enrolled as a student. They would like an intern to work 12-18 hours per week and to commit to a 4-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 children’s literature and familiarity with current trends in picture books through YA
  • Detail-oriented, with office skills as a plus
  • Enthusiastic

To apply for the position, please send your resume (as a Word doc attachment) and cover letter (in the body of the email) to Daniele Hunter at dhunter@mcintoshandotis.com. Please note “FALL Children’s Internship” in the subject line. Deadline is rolling until September 30, 2019.

As always, good luck!

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

Bath Children’s Novel Award

The Bath Children's Novel Award Logo

The Bath Children’s Novel Award is an international writing competition for unpublished and independently published novelists. This years judge is literary agent Lauren Gardner of Bell Lomax Moreton Agency . The winner will receive £2,500 (approximately $3285 US). And the most promising longlisted novel, will receive a free place on the Cornerstones Literary Consultancy online 18 week course Edit Your Novel the Professional Way , valued at £1,800 (approximately $2365 US).

Some of the past participants and winners have gone on to getting agents and/or publishing deals. Inaugural winner Lucy Van Smit was swiftly signed by literary agent Sallyanne Sweeney. Jane Brittan attracted a Carnegie Medal nomination for her indie-published debut. Shortlistee Sophie Cameron signed a book deal with Macmillan Children’s after accepting representation with literary agent Hellie Ogden for her YA novel Out of the Blue. Struan Murray signed a six figure deal with Penguin Random House for his novel Orphans of the Tide.

Entry for the award ends November 17, 2019 (and remember, this is UK time zone)! For complete guidelines and entry fee information, go here. As always, good luck!

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

#SFFpit Pitch Event For Writers

sffpit-contest

It’s that time of year again for science fiction and fantasy writers to polish their pitches for Dan Koboldt’s #SFFpit writing contest on twitter! It runs on July 24, 2019 between 8am-6pm EST. This contest allows 10 pitches total and Dan asks that you use them wisely! As usual, it needs to be a 280 character pitch for twitter including the hashtag #SFFpit. For all the rules, including how to properly insert the age group and category, go here. And remember to research any agents or editors that favorite your tweet because ANY ONE can trawl the feed!

As always, good luck!

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

Carina Press: New LGBTQ+ Imprint Submission Call

Carina PressCarina Press, a digital-first imprint of Harlequin, is accepting submissions for a new trope-based LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line called Carina Adores, which will launch in early 2020. This is huge news for the LGBTQ+ writing community, readers, and lovers of all things romance!

For complete details on the specific tropes they are looking for and how to submit, just click the pretty rainbow above! (Note: Carina Press did not rainbow their name, though maybe they should because it’s so pretty! I did this independently for easy access and so the submission link will stand out from the parent companies.)

As always, good luck!

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

Fitcarraldo Editions Novel Prize 2019

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The Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize submission deadline is midnight July 15, 2019 (GMT). The judges are looking for novels which tackle subjects and themes relevant to the world we live in. The winner is to receive a £3,000 prize as an advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions. The winning novelist’s publication joins a fiction list, alongside writers such as Claire-Louise Bennett, Mathias Enard, Camila Grudova, John Keene, Esther Kinsky, Olga Tokarczuk and Alejandro Zambra. Also, Jeremy Cooper won in 2018 for Ash before Oak, a novel in the form of a nature diary, obliquely charting the narrator’s slow return to health.

This contest is open only to residents of Great Britain and Ireland. For complete guidelines and submission details, go here.

As always, good luck!
P.D. Pabst

San Francisco Writing Workshop

Per the website, the San Francisco Writing Workshop is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (200 total). This workshop is a full-day “How to Get Published” writing event in San Francisco, CA on August 10, 2019.

 

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

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

#PBPitch is Coming!

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It’s time for another PBPitch (picture book) twitter party using the hashtag #PBPitch! So, if you write or illustrate picture books, this is the event for you. This party will take place June 20 2019 from 8am-8pm EST. But remember, anyone can troll the feed, so be sure and do your research! There will be legitimate agents and editors popping in and out, including those that haven’t confirmed their attendance. (You can visit the PBPitch website for a list of over 100 agents that represent picture books.)

Be sure and only pitch once before 2pm and once after! (Yes, twice is all you get per manuscript!) If you’re an illustrator, you can attach an image to the pitch. For complete rules and proper hashtags, go here. And don’t forget to check out their success stories while you’re there! As always, good luck!

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

Intern Needed for The Bent Agency

The Bent Agency

The Bent Agency is searching for a paid, full-time intern whom will work in their office in the Flatiron District. The intern will work M-F from 9a-5p. (However, Fridays until Labor Day will end at 1pm, instead of 5pm.) Ideal applicants can work independently, are highly organized, and are quick learners.

The hired candidate will work with royalty statements, filing, and mailing; will be adding clients to the website; creating posts for social media; and assisting with other general administrative tasks. Interns will also leave with knowledge of how to evaluate a query, write a pitch letter, craft a submission list, write an edit letter, and read contracts and royalty statements.

This opportunity is based in New York. No publishing experience is necessary. The internships are a great way to learn more about an agent’s work and decision-making process. Past interns have been writers for children, children’s librarians, elementary school teachers, MFA students, and passionate readers.

All interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to claire@thebentagency.com, with “Internship Application” in the subject line. As always, good luck!

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

SavvyAuthors Hot Summer Pitchfest

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 sinister specter threatens her.

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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 runs June 12 – 14, 2019.

As always, good luck!
P.D. Pabst