As promised, I’m posting the rules for THE SEASON PITCH CONTEST. But before I do, I have to tell you how hard my editor at Kensington, Peter Senftleben, and my agent, Kevan Lyon (the Lyon in the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency), work. Theirs is far from a 8 hour a day job. They work most weekends and too many nights. So the fact that they have offered their precious time to judge this contest for me tells you how absolutely FABULOUS they are. Thank you Peter and Kevan. You are the best!
Now onto the rules. I’m listing them in order of importance, so please take note. 🙂
1. Accepting only pitches for novel length manuscripts that are complete. And I mean complete as in polished and ready to go within a week of any possible requests.
2. The winner or winners will receive a critique of the first 25 pages of your manuscript. If Kevan and Peter pick the same manuscript as the winner, then the winner will receive a critique from both.
3. The pitches will be posted on this blog in the comment section on November 30th. Posting will be open at 7:00 EST am (for active forum members, it will open 6:00 am). The max number of pitches being accepted is 200 or 6:00 EST pm, which ever comes first.
4. The top 10 pitches will be chosen by both Kevan and Peter. The finalists will be asked to furnish the first 3 pages of their manuscript and proof that the manuscript is complete. There is no wiggle room here. The manuscript MUST BE COMPLETE. If you cannot furnish proof of a complete novel length manuscript, you will be disqualified.
5. The pitch cannot be more than 150 words in length. Again, there will be no wiggle room on this word count. Your pitch will be disqualified if it goes over. Also, please include title and genre. (added 11/3)
6. Only one pitch per person. If it’s discovered that you entered two using different names, you will be automatically disqualified. The only exception is that if we are shy of 100 entries by 6:00 pm, you will be eligible to post another pitch until 100 pitches are met.
7. The winner will be asked to furnish the first 25 pages of their manuscipt or 5000 words, whichever comes first. Please end at the end of a chapter. There is some wiggle room in page and word count in order to achieve this. 🙂
8. I’ve linked Peter and Kevan’s name to their respective websites where they list the genres they are accepting. Please check to make sure they are acquiring your genre or sub-genre.
9. This contest is for unpublished authors and by unpublished I mean has never been published by a traditional print publisher. If you have been published by an e-publisher and your book has a print edition, you are still eligible to enter.
10. The finalists will be notified the week of November 30th. The winner will be announced December 7th.
If you have any additional questions regarding this contest, you can either leave a comment or email me at historicals at smittenbybooks.com. Now it’s time to get moving on finishing, revising or polishing that manuscript. You have a month. 😉
Bev
I forwarded the info about the contest to my local RWA chapter. What a great opportunity for someone. Good luck all!!
Quick question: Is that Eastern Time?
Hi Alexis,
That’s something that I should have included and will rectify momentarily. Yes, it’s EST.
Bev
By not published, do you mean not published *ever* or not published in the genre you’re submitting or not published in so many years? I’m published but in a different genre and many (five) years ago.
Hi Merry,
For this contest, it means not published ever, regardless of genre.
Bev
Does the catagory matter?
Samantha, if you mean the genre, yes it does.
Sounds like a blast, Bev! Thanks for coordinating it. 🙂 Hugs from all of us at FF. 🙂
Silly question, this is the first time I’ve visited this site. A fellow Passionate Inker let me know about this contest and I’m a bit confused as to where the Blog link is that we submit our pitch to. If I understand correctly, on Nov. 30th @7am I leave my pitch on this blog site? Thanks for the help and I appreciate the hard work going into creating this contest.
Hi Pauline,
You are correct. 🙂
Bev
LaRue,
The Pitch Contest isn’t until November 30th starting at 7:00 am for the general public.
Bev
Excellent! Looks like I’ll be up at 5:00 am MST 🙂 One thing I’m not clear on… what are avenues for providing proof the MS is complete? Other than the obvious of providing the complete ms?
Melissa
Melissa,
Providing the complete mss. That’s the only way the agent and editor will know it’s done. 🙂
Thanks, Beverly!
Quick question what kind of word count are they looking at when they say novel length manuscript. Different publishers etc. have different guidelines on what constitutes novel length so I wanted to double check if it was fairly loose like over 50,000 or if it was more specific.
Thanks.
Hi Lauren,
Kevan reps middle grade and I believe that’s the only genre that would fit under 50k. I’d consider novel length 70k and above.
Bev
For the published, does being published in nonfiction count as being published? Sorry, I didn’t ask sooner, but I just saw that someone had asked something similar. Figured I better clarify before entering and getting disqualified for being published in nonfiction.
Angelia
Hi Angela,
No non-fiction publication doesn’t count. You can enter fictional work.
Bev
Forget Me Not
Word Count: 93,500
Lydia Covington has adored Irishman Brian Donnelly for years, but he’s a retired soldier with no connections—hardly suitable for the daughter of Britain’s next Prime Minister. Worse, she’s engaged to the slovenly Viscount Northbridge.
Orphaned at the age of two, Brian vowed long ago to be satisfied in a life without love. However, one glance at the beautiful Lydia, and he fell hopelessly in love.
After witnessing a brutal murder, Lydia and Brian are kidnapped and whisked to northern England. Narrowly escaping certain death, the two race through the countryside, evading ruthless pursuers and untangling a web of deception.
Brian’s goal remains focused—see Lydia safely home. She, however, is content to stay lost, tripping through the countryside with her handsome Irish protector. Can Lydia convince Brian to take a chance on love? Or will Brian close his heart to the one woman who could change his life forever?
Forget Me Not
Word Count: 93,500
Lydia Covington has adored Irishman Brian Donnelly for years, but he’s a retired soldier with no connections—hardly suitable for the daughter of Britain’s next Prime Minister. Worse, she’s engaged to the slovenly Viscount Northbridge.
Orphaned at the age of two, Brian vowed long ago to be satisfied in a life without love. However, one glance at the beautiful Lydia, and he fell hopelessly in love.
After witnessing a brutal murder, Lydia and Brian are kidnapped and whisked to northern England. Narrowly escaping certain death, the two race through the countryside, evading ruthless pursuers and untangling a web of deception.
Brian’s goal remains focused—see Lydia safely home. She, however, is content to stay lost, tripping through the countryside with her handsome Irish protector. Can Lydia convince Brian to take a chance on love? Or will Brian close his heart to the one woman who could change his life forever?
dddddddddd
Benevolence
(85,500 YA Paranormal Romance)
When her father’s mysterious suicide leaves her family destitute, sixteen-year-old Lizzie Stone moves into an old, rundown house in a new town. After a series of odd, unexplainable occurrences, Lizzie consults a psychic medium and discovers her room is haunted by the ghost of William Miller, a seventeen-year old Patriot murdered by British soldiers during the Revolution.
Scared but intrigued, Lizzie learns William is a Muse, a powerful spirit dedicated to advancing human achievement, and fighting the Malevolents, evil spirits who torment humanity. Lizzie assumes she’s William’s latest Muse project, and revels in spending time with the handsome, kind, and generous spirit with whom she’s falling in love.
Lizzie is shocked to discover she’s actually the reincarnation of his wife, Elspeth. Reunited at last but separated by circumstance, William must use his powers to ensure that, this time, they stay together forever.
A Demon’s Redemption
(88,061 Word Paranormal Romance)
Lorelei is your typical college student – who happens to have a talent for sniffing out demons and sending them back to hell, kind of like a psychic bloodhound. But once a year, she must help one of the fallen earn their way back into heaven. How do they do that? By atoning for their sins. And so far, everything is working out for her – until she meets Azazel, son of Azazeal, a member of the Underworld hierarchy. Does the demon fall far from the seed? She has a month to find out.
Azazel has always lived in the shadows of his father’s misdeeds. But redemption is his one chance to break free of his father’s sins. If only he hadn’t promised to bring down Lorelei for his bid for freedom. Will he keep his promise to his father – or to the woman he comes to love?
Title: Not Enough
93,000 Word Regency
Isabella, believes Michael, the earl she loves, has abandoned her. Prodded by her mother, Isabella marries fortune hunter, Baron Richard Holt, who quickly reveals himself to be an abusive alcoholic.
Michael returns from war, devastated to have lost Isabella, but remains a part of her life. Michael tries to protect Isabella within society’s constraints. As he spends time with her, she learns the real reason for his leaving England and her feelings for him resurface. With no hope of love between her and Richard and she is tempted to engage in an affair with the ever honorable earl.
Richard is killed while fleeing a duel. Isabella heals during her mourning period, and she and Michael marry. Soon, Michael learns that Richard is alive. Richard agrees to remain hidden for a price. Michael, a man of unwavering integrity, must choose between living a lie or giving up the woman he loves.
What an amazing opportunity! Thanks so much for doing this competition. It’s authors, agents and publishers like you guys that give the little folk a stiletto in the door!
Now that I’m done sucking up, I’ll go now =)
Bron.