3 S.R. Johannes: BEA Bonanza - Day 4 Agent Pitch Contest!

Friday, June 04, 2010

BEA Bonanza - Day 4 Agent Pitch Contest!

The winner of Kody's The Duff ARC is....

Carolina Valdez Miller!


(congrads, email me your address at sjohannes@bilaninc.com)

Don't worry, I have 2 more copies of The Duff to giveaway this month and Kody is stopping by next week :) Here is just a sample of what else is coming this month:
  • Firelight
  • Paranormalcy (2 ebooks)
  • Matched
  • Nightshade
  • The Duff (2 more copies)
  • 13th Reality (James Dashner)
  • Replacements
  • Virals
  • The Enemy
  • and much much more! (you saw the pile!)
So don't be discouraged, there are plenty more chances to win some awesome. I'm also giving away books on Twitter sporadically, so you can try there as well.

Agent Pitch Contest

Bree Ogden (with Martin Literary Management) is stopping by on Monday. I've asked her some questions and she has also agreed to judge a query pitch contest. (so nice right?)

Rules:
  • You must be a follower of my blog (sorry but this is for those who visit me more than once :) I'd love to meet you if you are just stopping by)
  • You must follower her blog too. (which is really just a bonus reference for you! :)
  • You can only enter one pitch - be sure it is something she is looking for.
  • Your pitch can only be 1-3 sentences long. (not long run on sentences!)
Here's mine as an example:

After dying in a car accident and witnessing her own funeral, Gabby becomes a 14 year old Bright-in-Training (BIT) and Transfers up to Cirrus, where SkyFones, SkyPods, and InnerNets are all the rage. As if her death isn’t bad enough, Gabby is assigned to protect her school rival, Angela Black, who is now dating her lifetime crush, Michael. As this tween angel moves through her Bright Training, instead of protecting Angela as pledged, Gabby illegally sabotages her and learns what happens when you hate someone to death.

Prizes:
  • 1st place winner can submit the entire manuscript
  • 2nd place winner can submit a partial (first 3 chapters)
  • 3rd place winner will get a query critique
So come back on Monday and join in the fun!

And be sure to work on your pitches over the weekend!

Now, today I'm giving away an ARC of Sapphique by Catherine Fisher. It is not released until Dec 2010.
Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness.

All you have to do is answer this question in the comments - what are the top 3 things you look for in an agent?

33 comments:

Courtney Barr - The Southern Princess said...

top 3 things:

1. LOVE of literature
2. Knowledge of the Industry
3. Someone who shows the willingness to fight for a story they believe in.

Visit My Kingdom Anytime

Elizabeth Briggs said...

Yay Carol!

3 things I look for in an agent...hmmm... I think I'd want:

1) Someone who "gets" me and my book
2) Someone with a sense of humor
3) Someone who will fight for my rights when I am freaking out or confused about the whole thing

Kathleen Knight said...

Dying to read Sapphique!
top three things I look for in an agent: (1)someone who loves my book (2)someone willing to help me grow as a writer (3)someone who is honest

Emily said...

If I was a writer, this is what I'd want in an agent.

1)Someone who would believe in the idea of my book.
2)Would give me all the critical advice I needed to make my book perfect.
3)Knows the publishing system and can help me make sure I don't get totally screwed...

DL Hammons said...

Congrats Carol!!!!1

1) Someone who believes in me more than I believe in myself.
2) Someone who's constantly in motion...both physically and virtually.
3) Someone who'f forward thinking.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

-Someone easy to talk to and energetic.
-Someone who believes in my manuscript and is passionate about working with me.
-Someone who's looking to guide my career not just this book.

Janet Johnson said...

1. They love my book.:)
2. They know the industry, specifically in my genre of interest.
3. They're nice, yet unafraid to give me the feedback/critiques I need to be successful.

Amy Jo said...

1. Someone who believes in my potential
2. Someone who is willing to work hard for me
3. Someone who knows the industry

Unknown said...

Yay for contests! Top 3 things:
1. They love my book
2. They're competent at their job
3. They're a decent human being
Happy Friday Shelli!

Riv Re said...

1)Well, beside for the fact that I look for an agent who'll take me?
2)Call me selfish and pompous, but when (if) I finish my MS, I want an agent that appeals to big publishing houses. I don't want some publishing house that no one besides my agent and the President has heard of.
3) Friendly. What's the point in working with a person who hates your guts?

Jeanne Ryan (Serenissima) said...

1. Someone who believes in my work.
2. Someone who communicates well.
3. Someone with great industry contacts.

Fortunately, I've got an agent who embodies these traits!

Frankie Diane Mallis said...

Just wanted to say congrats to Carolina....wonder if she'll lend me her copy when she's done....

Kerri Cuev said...

Have a great weekend!

1. Good communication
2. Is excited about my story
3.knows the industry

ps I am dreaming about sitting in that pile of books reading for about a week LOL!!

Anonymous said...

Yay, congratulations, Carolina! :)

And I'd love to win a copy of Sapphique, as I already have a copy of Incarceron. :)

1. Who loves both my book and my writing style
2. Who loves YA and fantasy
3. Who's nice, but honest, and is willing to help me grow as a writer

Natalie Whipple said...

I just started Incarceron and I want this sequel already!

I looked for:

1. "The click"
2. Someone who'd work editorially with me.
3. And, yes, fairly fast response times.

Happy to say I got all three:)

B Mari Landgrebe said...

WHAT? Sapphique? I'm in!

1. A great sense of humor
2. Wants to see what I can do, not just build a particular brand and not let me grow
3. Someone who gets my brand of crazy and loves me for it.

^_^

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Ahhhhhhhh! OMG! Woo-hooo! I'm so excited!! Thanks so much for the opportunity and for sharing your BEA ARCs. So cool.

And an agent pitch contest? Holy cow, that's awesome. I'll be back on Monday for sure. It's killing me, but I won't enter today's contest since I just won, but what awesome books you're giving away. So many good ones coming out.

P.S. What a fantastic pitch for Bright Side! It sounds fabulous.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Just saw all the congrats! Thanks everyone (and especially Shelli! and Frankie, you betcha!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats Carolina.

I'd so love to win Sappique.
1. Agent who loves fantasy
2. Agent who also edits your work before it's submitted.
3. Agent who helps design a marketing plan that's doable for someone who has a full time job.

Thanks for the awesome Monday contest Shelli.

Martina Boone said...

This a great contest! Okay, here goes:
-honesty, even if it's Simon Cowell honesty
-professional in communication
-knowledgable

Thanks!

Candyland said...

Looking for someone who:
Loves my work
Believes in and will fight for me
Likes chocolate

Carolyn V. said...

1. Loves the writing.
2. Great to work with (and vice-versa from my side too).
3. Professional. =)

Anonymous said...

There are quite a few things I look for, but the top are:
-believes in my work.
-communicates well/promptly.
-can sell my book.

throuthehaze said...

1. someone who likes my work
2. someone able to communicate well
3. someone with experience

Jemi Fraser said...

Congrats to Carol - I love it when people I 'know' win stuff!

Thanks for the links too!

3 Things I'm looking for...
- someone who believes in my story
- someone who doesn't mind working with a newbie
- someone who is easy to talk to

jpetroroy said...

1. Enthuasiasm for my book
2. Knowledge of the industry
3. Good communication skills

Renae said...

This book looks sooo good!

Top 3 things I look for in an agent. (Or used to look for, then I found Bree!)

1. Has to love my book!
2. Know the industry!
3. Easy to communicate with!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Someone who loves my writing, knows the industry inside and out, and communicates well by email :)

Christina Farley said...

1. Knowledge and expertise
2. Help me with my career not just the one book
3. Reputation

Ann Marie Wraight said...

1) To be totally ENTHUSED by my writing creation.

2) To click with me about both professional and personal subjects - but more importantly the former.

3) To be hard working and enthusiastic about sharing OUR PROJECT - and that includes sharing any caches of chocolate...

THANKS!

Spav said...

1. They would have to like and "understand" my book.
2. Experience.
3. Honesty & a good seller.

CL said...

Looking forward to the pitch contest!
Top three things I look for in an agent:
1. Passionate about children's literature
2. Appreciation for humorous writing (okay, for my sense of humor in particular!)
3. wants to help clients with their careers, not just with selling one book

Stina said...

1. They love my ms.
2. They can't stop thinking about my ms.
3. They simply must rep me!
(and everything else mentioned before me)

Can't wait to check out next week's contests. :D