Agent Pitch Contest Winners!!!

The winner of the lot of boy's books is.....Erika Lynn!

The winner of Personal Demons (one of Suzie's clients books) is Throuthehaze!

please email your address to sjohannes@bilaninc.com

Agent Pitch Winners

Couple notes:

• Thanks to everyone who entered!
• I did check every entry for instructions and character count.
  
• To those who were over 140 characters or did not include all the information requested, I sent your entries to Suzie (highlighted in red) and let her make the decision to judge since it was her contest.
• There are a few who did not win but Suzie wants to see your manuscripts. Mention this contest when you query her.
  

Suzie's Comments:
These were so hard to judge because so many of them were so good! The secret to an amazing pitch is balancing specifics with just enough interest to have readers going - wait, what happens next?!?!?! And what separates the good pitches from the greats? Same thing that separates good manuscripts from great ones - VOICE.

Prizes
Third Place - a query critique
Second Place - a query critique + 5 pages
First Place - query critique + 10 pages

• send query and winning pages for critique first or they can just send everything (but mention you are a winner of my contest and that you get a critique)
  
  The three manuscripts she wants to see - send Suzie the ms straight away, but include the query in the body of the email and mention the contest.
  
  Winners:
  
  Great Pitch (but too long):
  
  • CL with GIRL WITH A TAIL
  Honorable Mentions:
  
  • Jamie with EVER
  • Mim with THE SHADOW OF MOONLIGHT
  • Danyelle with SLIPPERS OF PEARL
  • Morgan Dempsey with RUNNER
  • writerhailey with DIARY (um, I want to see this ms!)
  Best MG
  Jared Larson with I'M HERE TO SAVE YOUR DAY
  
  Third Place: Win QUERY CRITIQUE
  Jemi Fraser with STEAMED UP (I would love love love to see this ms when it's ready :)
  
  Second Place: Win QUERY CRITIQUE + 5 pages
  L.J. Boldyrev with GREYSKIN (I would love love love to see this ms when it's ready :)
  
  Winner! query critique + 10 pages to first place
  Candyland with 9:59 REWIND
  (I must read this! Really, I might die if I don't know what happens after rewind!)
  
  Candyland - email me for instructions on how to submit your query to Suzie.
  
  "At 9:58, Thursday Night Scum singer, C.J. Greyson is shot on stage by the man that killer her father, but at 9:59, she presses rewind."
  
  Thanks everyone. If you didn't win or get chosen, don't worry - Mary Kole will be here in August for another pitch contest so perfect your pitches!! :)
  
  Here's a little something to make you (and your hubby's) laugh...(trust me this is worth clicking)
  
  IT'S A DAD'S LIFE!
  
  
  
  
  

Agent Pitch Contest starts today!

Suzie Townsend is with FinePrint literary. You can read her interview from yesterday here. She is looking for the following:

"I'm representing everything from children’s books (chapter books to YA, both fiction and non-fiction) to adult fiction (speculative, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance, especially paranormal). I'm interested in strong characters and voice driven stories that will keep me up at night. I also gravitate towards strong female protagonists, complex plot lines with underlying political, moral, or philosophical issues, and stories which break out of the typical tropes of their genre, like Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series."

Winner: Gets a query critique from Suzie!

When: Today, Wed July 14th. Begins at 9:30 EST, ends Thursday 15th at 9:30am EST (I will close comments when it ends and I go by the time stamp on blogger.)

What: Leave your 140 character book pitch (children's books ONLY - including CB, MG and YA) in the comments.

Eligiblility:

• You cannot have an agent (obviously) or a book sold/published.
• It must only be 140 characters (or less)
  
• This is for unagented/unpublished writers only.
• You can only enter once so choose wisely!
• You must be a follower of my blog. If I were you I would follow Suzie's blog and Twitter too just b/c they are awesome and she does a lot of contests there.

Notes: It must NOT be longer than 140 characters. You can test this in Twitter or do a character count in Word.

In the comments leaves your, title, genre, your 140 character pitch, and your email. If your pitch is over 140 characters (not words!) it will NOT count. You can check this either on Word, on Twitter if you have an account, or here.

Example: YA Survival Suspense - Grace Under Fire

When her forest-ranger father disappears,Grace uses her survival skills to search the NC mtns & finds a secret group plotting against nature

Here are a few reference articles on writing one sentence pitches:

Nathan Bransford (agent)
Rachel Gardner (agent)
Query Tracker
Scribe Chat
140 character pitch

Good luck!

Agent Pitch Contest with Suzie Townsend!

General updates

All the books that have won through today will be mailed out by Friday. Sorry about the delay

Sorry about not stopping, we had a nasty bug run through the family. Yuk.

Also the winners of this last week's giveaways:

• Greek: Double Date - DL Hammonds

• Dan Ehrenhaft's Tell it to Naomi and The AfterLife - Mandy Porto (My Little World of Books)

Today, Suzie Townsend stops by!

Agent Pitch Contest

Winner: Gets a query critique from Suzie!
When: Tomorrow, Wed July 14th. Begins at 91 EST, ends Thursday 15th at 9am EST
What: Leave your 140 character book pitch (children's books ONLY - including PBs, CB, MG and YA) in the comments.
Eligiblility: You cannot have an agent (obviously) or a book sold/published. This is for unagented/unpublished writers only.
Notes: It must NOT be longer than 140 characters. You can test this in Twitter or do a character count in Word.

Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary

*Comment on today's post and get an ARC of PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers.

Hey Suzie. Tell us a little about yourself and what made you want to be an agent.

When I first started exploring publishing, it was because my sister had working with McGraw Hill in the English textbook department. When she was working with them, she would tell me all about the job, and I found myself thinking about how much I would enjoy something similar. But getting into publishing itself was very difficult - and I wasn't sure which aspect of publishing I wanted to pursue.

I took an internship with FinePrint Literary, first thinking that it would be a stepping stone to getting a job in an editorial assistant position, but I just fell in love with FinePrint and every aspect of agenting. Luckily for me, everyone at FinePrint loved me too and offered me a job.

Tell us a little about your clients and their upcoming books.

I've sold six books now, which is very exciting, but I'll just name three of my clients' books which will be coming out in the next year.

PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers comes out 9/14 from Tor. It's the first book I sold, a YA paranormal romance about a girl who finds herself caught between an angel and a demon who are fighting over her soul - and her heart.

INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Hannah Moskowitz comes out April 2011 from Simon Pulse.

BELL JAR SUMMER by Arlaina Tibensky comes out summer 2011 from Simon Pulse.

In your opinion , what are some things authors should do to promote their books?

Having some kind of web presence is really important. A website with contact information, a blog, or a twitter account are all things I've seen that have worked well.

But people are different and what works for one person doesn't work for everyone so I think it's important for writers to try different things and find out what works best for them.

In terms of touring, it's really important for authors to make themselves available to their target audience. For instance, if someone is writing women's fiction that will be popular in book clubs, it's important for them to make themselves available to do talks with book clubs who are going to read the book.

In your experience, what are the top 3 query fails? Query success?

1. Sending presents. 2. Sending some kind of "I'm trying to stand out" query - like a Starbucks cup or something scented or an unusual package. 3. Claiming this is the next Harry Potter/Twilight/Da Vinci Code.

Successful queries tell what the book is about in a succinct and concise manner. It's so simple it's hard.

I spent time with you at BEA and shared your need for speed in getting the great galleys. When did you know you were a fellow Bibliomaniac? Bibliomania is an obsessive–compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged. One of several psychological disorders associated with books, bibliomania is characterized by the purchase of multiple copies of the same book and edition and the accumulation of books beyond possible capacity of use or enjoyment are frequent symptoms of bibliomania.

I hadn't considered there was a name for it until I read this question. But I've had symptoms since I was a little kid. Instead of picture books, my dad used to read my sister and I Lord of the Rings and as soon as I was old enough to realize there were different "editions" of the book, I tended to want each one. As anyone could tell from my TBR (to be read) room, I'm an avid book hoarder today.

If you could be a letter in the alphabet – what would it be and why?

Z. I'm not a hundred percent sure why. But it's always been my favorite letter. My parents actually spelled my name "Susie" when I was growing up, and I always wanted to change my name and spell it with a Z. And eventually I did.

If past lives really exist, what or who do you think you were in a past life?

I was a delivery girl in a past life. It is amazing how well I can go for a Starbucks run.
What is she looking for in children's books?
I'm representing everything from children’s books (chapter books to YA, both fiction and non-fiction) to adult fiction (speculative, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance, especially paranormal). I'm interested in strong characters and voice driven stories that will keep me up at night. I also gravitate towards strong female protagonists, complex plot lines with underlying political, moral, or philosophical issues, and stories which break out of the typical tropes of their genre, like Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series.

You can follow Suzie at her blog or on Twitter.

See you back here tomorrow and good luck!