What is Pitch Wars, you ask? Pitch Wars is a contest where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions to shine it up for agents. The mentors also critique the writer’s pitch to get it ready for the agent round. Mentors also pick one alternate each in case their writer drops out of the contest. Writers send applications (query and first chapter of manuscript) to their four mentor choices that best fit their work. The mentors then read all their applications and choose the writer they want to mentor for two months. Then we hold an agent round with over a dozen (sometimes close to twenty) agents making requests. Go to this post for the full contest schedule: http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/05/contest-schedule-yep-im-getting-organized/
This contest is open to MG, YA, NA, & Adult fiction. Completed manuscripts only.
We had so many successes the last Pitch Wars that I’ve decided to add more mentors to this round. We have 75 mentors. Yes, 75!! There will be a mentor wish list/bio bloghop on August 4-18. Each mentor will post what category and genres they will consider to mentor. The submission window to send in the applications will be open for 24 hours on August 18. For now, you can check the mentors out on Twitter by clicking on the links below.
Also, Marieke Nijkamp is putting together an “Ask the Mentors” event on the Twitter hashtag, #PitchWars. We’ll post more information and dates for it soon.
And now, here are your Pitch Wars mentors …
Update: Sean McConnell had to back out of Pitch Wars, but taking his place we’re excited to have …
Michelle Hauck
Jennifer Blackwood
Amy Reichert
N.K. Traver
Gail Nall
Diana Gallagher
Dannie Morin
Joy McCullough-Carranza
Rae Chang
Brent Taylor
Sarah Henning
Molly Lee
Eden Plantz
Mónica Bustamante Wagner
Stephanie Garber
Stacey Lee
Elizabeth Briggs
Evelyn Ehrlich
Julie Sondra Decker
Trisha Leaver
Karma Brown
Naomi Hughes
Erica Chapman
Sarah Nicolas
Jaye Robin Brown
Dan Koboldt
Renee Ahdieh
Brianna Shrum
Kara Leigh Miller
S.K. Falls
Sarah Guillory
Rebecca Yarros
Jami Nord
Fiona McLaren
Kristen Strassel
Lori Goldstein
Lauren Spieller
Juliana L. Brandt
Maggie Hall
Whitney Fletcher
Virginia Boecker
Veronica Bartles
Ben Brooks
Mina Vaughn
Meredith McCardle
Brooks Benjamin
Marieke Nijkamp
Jason Nelson
Kate Karyus Quinn
Jaime Loren
Ricki Schultz
Stefanie Wass
Jessie Humphries
Stacey Trombley
Lindsay Currie
K.T. Hanna
Natasha Neagle
E.M. Caines
Shana Silver
Emily Martin
Brighton Walsh
Rachel Lynn Solomon
Cole Gibsen
Sharon Johnston
L.S. Murphy
Catherine Scully
Jessie Devine
Kes Trester
Kelly Loy Gilbert
Ronni Arno Blaisdell
Trisha Leigh
Charlie Holmberg
Cecily White
Stephanie Scott
25 Comments
P.D. Pabst · June 22, 2014 at 8:49 pm
What a great list! It’s gonna be hard to narrow down to four!
Francesca · June 23, 2014 at 6:17 pm
Brenda – Is it possible to list what genres the mentors are willing to accept? I’m a third of the way down the list and it seems like most mentors are YA/MG. I’m seeking an adult fiction mentor.
Thx!
Rae Chang · June 23, 2014 at 9:18 pm
We will do a blog hop coming up (check the schedule!) which will list the various categories everyone will be mentoring. There are plenty of adult mentors, but we ask that potential mentees do their homework and follow the blog hop.
Francesca · June 24, 2014 at 8:59 am
Thanks Rae! I looked at the schedule, but blew right past the description! Definitely makes more sense now!
Sharon K Mayhew · June 23, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Thanks for the explanation. It cleared up quite a bit for me. 🙂
katz · June 29, 2014 at 2:26 am
Do we have any way of knowing which mentors are receiving more or fewer applications?
Brenda Drake · June 29, 2014 at 10:36 am
No, sorry, we won’t reveal how many applications each mentor receives.
Nicole · August 3, 2014 at 5:31 pm
So many to choose! I can’t wait. I noticed that there were people who will be co-mentors. When it’s time for submissions, do they count as two mentors that we are sending to or just one?
Brenda Drake · August 3, 2014 at 7:54 pm
They’re counted as just one mentor.
Singh · August 3, 2014 at 7:51 pm
Would Adult Graphic Novel (fiction) be accepted and considered in Pitchwars?
Brenda Drake · August 3, 2014 at 7:54 pm
That would be up to the Adult mentors. Check out their bios/wishlist during the mentor blog hop that starts 8/4.
Patricia LeBoeuf · August 12, 2015 at 9:12 am
I am so happy to have found this contest. I’m a little confused; I checked the contest schedule and it doesn’t say when the mentors considered genres will be posted. With the contest starting in five days I figured they would be, but I just can’t seem to find them. I’m also wondering if someone could tell me how exactly we go about submitting to our top four people.
Brenda Drake · August 12, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Here’s this year’s blog hop: http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/08/pitch-wars-mentor-blog-hop/ Just hop to each mentors’ blog and see what they’re looking for.
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