Welcome to the mentors’ wishlist blog hop! From today until submission day, use the linkies below to hop to all the mentors’ websites/blogs to read their bios, wishlists, and what categories and genres they want to mentor.
For those unfamiliar with Pitch Wars, it’s a contest where published/agented authors, editors, or interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions on how to make the manuscript shine. The mentee then revises their manuscript for two months under the guidance of their mentor. The mentor also critiques his/her writer’s pitch and query letter to get it ready for the agent round. To do this, the mentors read all their applications and choose the writer they want to mentor and to get ready for the agent round on November 1-7.
Want to find out about the fabulous agents joining us this year? Go to Meet the Agents Part 1 and Meet the Agents Part 2 to find out.
Need instructions? Go to this post here.
Want to donate to support Pitch Wars and get extra applications? Go to this post here.
Surprise! We have a great new hang out for our Pitch Wars community. It’s a forum to have discussions with mentors and other writers, a place to get your worked critiqued by your peers and sometimes mentors, and a place to seek critique partners. So here’s our gift to you for being so awesome, and we hope you find this space useful. Join us today! Cheers!
http://pitchwars.proboards.com/
Also, we’ll be launching the new Pitch Wars website next week! Hope you’ll join us for the fun reveal!
Pitch Wars Live! Some of our Pitch Wars mentors will be chatting live with with the wonderful Nikki Roberti starting July 17 with the final one on August 1. The fun will be happening on the hashtag #PitchWars, and if you miss one, we’ll post the recorded chats here, too. Make sure to watch and get to know the mentors. Follow the #Pitchwars hashtag during the chats to ask questions for the mentors. Here’s the schedule:
Want a chance to win a mentor? Participate in the Mentor Blog Hop Scavenger Hunt!
We’re so excited to bring back this special game. After all the mentors make their mentee picks, we’re holding a drawing and picking three lucky writers to go through the mentoring process. Only those who enter Pitch Wars can enter the scavenger hunt. This is a random draw. So anything goes! And anyone can win! That’s one writer each from the middle grade, young adult, and adult/new adult pool of submissions. The winning writers will go through two months of revisions. If the winners are able to get their manuscripts and pitches in great shape with the help of his or her mentor, we’ll make room for them in the agent showcase in November. The final manuscripts and pitches will be presented to our anonymous judges to determine if they are ready for the showcase.
How can you enter for this amazing chance? Easy. Or not so easy. You have to go on a scavenger hunt for words that will spell out a famous writer’s quote from his/her story. During the mentor blog hop, search for a word somewhere on each mentor’s post. Gather the letters and fill in the blanks below to reveal the quote and fill in the author and book the quote belongs to. There are two puzzles. For each one you solve, you’ll get an entry into the drawing.
Please don’t share the answer or post it on social media. If we see a tweet or a post or whatever, you’ll be disqualified from the drawing. Thank you!
Blue Puzzle: Find the words in blue font somewhere on the mentors’ blog hop post and fit them into the puzzle below.
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _! / _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _! / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _! / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _, / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _, / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _’_ _ / _ _.
Author: _________________
Book: _________________
Red Puzzle: Find the words in red font somewhere on the mentors’ blog hop post and fit them into the puzzle below.
_ _ / _ _ _ _ _’_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _,” / _ _ / _ _ _ _. / “_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _. / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ / _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _. / _ _ _ _ ‘_ / _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _’_ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _, / _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _, / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _, / _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _, / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _. / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _’_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _, / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _’_ / _ _ / _ _ _ _, / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _’_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.”
Author: _________________
Book: _________________
Enter your answers to the puzzle in the form at the bottom of this post.
Meet the teams mentoring the winners of the scavenger hunt drawing …
Middle Grade Scavenger Hunt mentors, C.B. Catalano and Shauna Holyoak
After C. B. Catalano realized she spent more time daydreaming than living in the real world she decided to finally write those dreams down, and is now ready to share them with everyone. C.B. writes MG and YA and is represented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media. She can be found wandering around the Pacific Northwest with her 3 kids, husband, and beastly muppet puppies. After moving 21 times over the span of 7 states and 18 years she thinks she may have finally found a place to call home (for now) and aims to explore all that Washington has to offer.
Shauna Holyoak received a master’s degree in English Literature with an emphasis in creative writing from Brigham Young University, but more importantly, frosted sugar cookies and movie popcorn make her heart sing. She was a humor columnist for more than ten years, but quit when it stopped being cool for her children to read about themselves in the paper. Fiction, apparently, is safer. So Shauna writes middle grade and young adult novels which are happily critiqued by her first beta readers–The Offspring. Currently she lives in Idaho Falls with her husband, six of her children and two naughty dogs. And more books than will ever fit in their house.
Young Adult Scavenger Hunt mentor, Laurie Dennison
Laurie Dennison is a YA writer, freelance editor, and former English teacher. She currently works in desktop publishing and website coordination. Laurie loves to read and write about determined characters with complicated relationships. Her latest manuscript PISTOL CANDY won the 2017 SCBWI Florida Rising Kite Award for YA fiction. She is represented by Danielle Burby at Nelson Literary Agency.
Adult Scavenger Hunt mentors, Marty Mayberry and Léonie C. Kelsall
Marty Mayberry writes adult and young adult novels, and infuses them with romance. When she’s not dreaming up ways to mess with her character’s lives, she works as an RN/Clinical Documentation Specialist. She has a BA in International Affairs in German and an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. She lives in Maine with her husband, children, three neurotic cats and a Yorkie puppie. She’s a member of YARWA and a PRO member of RWA. Give her a long walk on a powdery beach, an ancient ruin to explore, or a good book, and her life’s complete. Her young adult sci-fi thriller won the ‘15 YARWA’s Rosemary Award for speculative fiction. Her NA Urban Fantasy has finaled in the YARWA’s Rosemary Award in the NA category ’17. She’s represented by Jessica Watterson of the Sandra Dijkstra Agency.
Léonie is a professional counsellor. She writes upmarket adult, new adult, and young adult fiction and is represented by Amanda Barnett of Donaghy Literary Group.
And here are your 2017 mentors…
Please be respectful to our mentors. Ask brief questions, but do not ask for feedback or for them to go to links to read stuff.
For YA mentor Jeanmarie Anaya, her link is busted. 🙁 Kindly GO HERE instead for linky #58.
Your Middle Grade Mentors:
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Your Young Adult and Young Adult/New Adult Mentors:
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Your Adult and New Adult Mentors:
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The best way to say thank you to our mentors is to buy their books! You can find a list of them on this Goodreads list.
We hope to see you August 2 for submission day!
You get an entry into the drawing for each puzzle you solve. Enter your answers in this form here:
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22 Comments
Bethany Simonsen · July 19, 2017 at 1:44 am
Just a heads up, under Adult mentors, Katrina Carrasco’s blog doesn’t seem to have a blog hop post? I tried searching the blog for one, but I didn’t find anything.
Leslie · July 20, 2017 at 2:10 am
this might be a dumb question, but do mentors pick manuscripts based on the query and chapter or will they ask to read the whole thing before choosing?
Jenna · July 20, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Some will request more (partial or full, usually full), some won’t
Susan · July 21, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Hi, A quick question. On the website it says the query won’t be personal but it seems that some of the mentors are requesting a personal query. Should our queries be personal to the 4 mentors we’re subbing to? Thanks so much!
Heather Cashman · July 21, 2017 at 7:35 pm
Susan, most mentors will ask for a full and read it before choosing their mentee. Do not personalize the query. Dear Mentor is fine. You’re welcome. Good luck!
Jen Schafer · July 24, 2017 at 9:57 am
Just wondering if we should receive a confirmation after we enter the scavenger hunt with the puzzle solutions.
Brenda Drake · August 1, 2017 at 11:00 am
You won’t receive a confirmation. It just says on the screen it’s entered.
Matthew · July 24, 2017 at 11:52 pm
Are there any mentors that aren’t looking for sci-fi and fantasy? I have a contemporary Upmarket Fiction book and I’m having trouble finding a mentor.
KR · July 26, 2017 at 12:54 am
I’m confused about the New Adult genre. I didn’t notice a single mentor who said they take this genre.
Brenda Drake · August 1, 2017 at 11:26 am
We have YA and Adult mentors who will also take New Adult. Here is a list of them:
Brighton Walsh
Caitlin Sinead
Diana Hicks
Emma Wicker
Heather Van Fleet (Powell)
Jami Nord
Jennifer Blackwood
Laura Brown
Laura Heffernan
Layla Reyne
Mary Ann Marlowe
Melissa West
Sandi Ward
Tracey Enerson Wood
Diana Gallagher
Colleen Oefelein
Lindsey Frydman
Marie Meyer
Samantha Joyce
deb4chico · August 6, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Hi Brenda…I really appreciate this opportunity. Sadly, I missed the July 19 – August 2: Mentor Bio/Wishlist Blog Hop as I just found out about this. I have a manuscript and synopsis ready….however, I’m struggling to find information about the genres that each mentor wants.
Brenda Drake · August 6, 2017 at 12:07 pm
The mentors are listed here too: pitchwars.org
Elora Cook ?? (@eloraflora13) · July 27, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Hi! In your Blue Scavenger Hunt paragraph, there is no room for a seven letter word you need. I’m wondering if this is missing?
Thanks!
Elora Cook ?? (@eloraflora13) · July 27, 2017 at 11:40 pm
Never mind! I realized what it was. But, you should know one of your mentors said the word was blue, when it’s actually a read word.
briaburton · August 4, 2017 at 12:58 pm
I noticed that as well. The word “because” was listed as a blue word, but it was supposed to be a red word.
Heather Cashman · August 4, 2017 at 2:51 pm
Thank you, Bria! I’ll look into it.
Lara D. Elliott · August 10, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Laura Heffernan’s clue “because” is supposed to be red but is currently blue.
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