Tag Archives: Young Adult

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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

Inked Voices First Page Workshop with Eric Smith GIVEAWAY!

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Here’s a chance to win a spot in Inked Voices’ upcoming Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy First Pages Workshop with Eric Smith of P.S. Literary, which normally costs $82 for members and $99 for non-members. That’s right, you could get in for FREE!!!

  • Who this workshop is for: YA SFF writers ready for agent feedback and interested in meeting writers at a similar stage.
  • Focus: fantasy – Young Adult – Science fiction
  • Group size: 8 writers
  • Submissions: Writers will submit their first 3750 words (about 15 pages) at the workshop start.

To submit for your chance to win a spot in this great workshop, go here. Submissions close after October 5th, 2017. 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A.M. Heath is hosting a week long event of pitches on twitter for unpublished writers seeking agent representation.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.

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition

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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 deadline to enter is midnight on December 8, 2017. 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.

Illustrator Feedback Opportunity

Critiques, Literary, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

sharismar-rodiguez

If you’re an illustrator, don’t miss this opportunity to have Sharismar Rodriguez, Associate Art Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR look over your illustrations and provide feedback. Published or unpublished: This is a great way to get your artwork seen. The deadline for submitting for this limited 5 week Sharismar appearance is August 20th, 2017.

Sharismar Rodriguez is an Associate Art Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers where she designs and art directs children’s books for all ages, from Picture Books to Middle Grade and YA novels and Non-Fiction volumes. She started her career in children’s publishing right after obtaining her BFA in Visual Communications from Parsons School of Design.

For details on how to participate, go here. As always, good luck!

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