First, before I tell you about Pitch Wars, remember that I’ve still got a giveaway going on for a copy of The Waking Land, the book I reviewed last week. Go here to find the link to enter for a chance to win. Your odds are good!
Courtesy of Brenda-Drake.com
Second, I entered Pitch Wars yesterday. Pitch Wars is a contest that writers of unpublished books can enter to vie for published-author mentors who can really help them whip their manuscripts into top-notch form. The writers choose 4-6 mentors from among a huge list of possible mentors, and submit their first chapters and a query (i.e., cover) letter. The mentors, if they choose a writer’s submission, will work closely with that writer to prepare his or her manuscript for the agent round, in which the writer queries or submits that reworked manuscript to a participating agent or agents, who then will review it to see if they’d like to represent that book to a publisher. From what I understand, quite a few writers have gotten book deals this way.
I submitted my first chapter and chose six mentors. Now I’m checking my in-box every five minutes to see if I’ve been accepted by at least one of them, although the submission deadline hasn’t even passed yet. It’s not unlike waiting to hear back from an agent. It’s a nerve-wracking buzzing in the ear, but it won’t kill me if I don’t get accepted by any of them. I entered last year with a different manuscript and didn’t get selected.
Wish me luck!
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