From September 22-28, we’re posting mini-interviews with some of our 2021 Pitch Wars mentors. We thought it would be fun to have them answer one question. A question that would give you an idea of their personalities. And possibly spotlight a mentor you may have missed on your exhaustive search through the blog hop for the perfect four mentors to submit to when the Pitch Wars 2021 submission window opens. Don’t know what Pitch Wars is START HERE.
Giveaway!
We’re also giving away 2021 mentors’ and committee members’ books! Go to the bottom of this post for details on how to enter for a chance to win.
Need to connect to the community?
Join the Pitch Wars forum to have discussions with some of our mentors and other writers or get your work critiqued by your peers (and sometimes mentors) or search for critique partners. It’s our gift to you for being so awesome, and we hope you find this space useful. To join the forum go here: http://pitchwars.proboards.com/
Mark your calendars!
Join us for our official #PitchWars #askmentor chats on Twitter and our live mentor video chats happening on Sarah Nicolas’ Youtube channel. Go to this blog post for dates and follow @PitchWars on Twitter for all the details.
This is the question we asked our mentors to answer:
If you could tell your younger self anything about writing or the publishing world you’ve learned or didn’t expect when starting out, what would it be?
And here are their answers …
Ashley Winstead
“Two things. The first: No matter what stage they’re at in publishing, every writer faces rejection and struggles with feelings of doubt and insecurity. Agents and editors do as well. We’re all in the same boat, so one need be intimidating. We’re all trying to do the best with what we’re given, and kindness, grace, and empathy go a long way. The second: As overwrought as it sounds, you’re an artist. Own it. Let yourself be who you are, and embrace what’s unique about your voice and perspective, even if it feels different and risky.”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Natalka Burian
“Be kind to yourself, generous with everyone else, and above all, be patient.”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
N.E. Davenport
“I’d tell myself that no trope or type of story is truly dead, and it is especially not dead for marginalized authors! We deserve to see ourselves and identities reflected in the fiction we love, so go forth and write what you love! ”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Namrata Patel
“Make patience, practice and perseverance your mantra. Whenever it gets tough, go back to those three things and see which one or two you can lean into. Waiting? Lean into patience. Rejections? Perseverance and practice. The rewards, when you receive them, will be that much more meaningful.”
Jackson Ford
“Your first book is not the be-all and end-all. It feels like it, but it’s actually just the first step in a really, really, REALLY long journey. Relax and enjoy the trip.”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Enter for a chance to win one of our mentors’ or committee members’ books. We’ll choose ten winners to receive one book each. You ARE NOT limited to the mentors featured in our spotlight posts. You can choose any 2021 mentor or committee member’s book. All you have to do is search our mentors’ and committee members’ books, pick one you’d like to receive should you win, and enter it in the rafflcopter at the bottom of this post. The book must be one from our 2021 mentors or committee members.
You can find our mentor pages here: https://pitchwars.org/mentor-status/active/ And you can find our committee members here: https://pitchwars.org/about/meet-the-pitch-wars-committee/
It’s open internationally, but only for books available on the Book Depository. Make sure to go to their site and verify the book is listed for sale there before choosing your book in the Rafflecopter. Please note: The book you choose might not be immediately available due to supply chain challenges impacting the entire publishing industry.