Our mentors are mentoring, our mentees are revising, and we hope you’re making progress on your own manuscript! While we’re all working toward the Agent Showcase starting on February 10, 2021, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2020 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Bethany Jacobs – Mentee
Jake Nicholls – Mentor
Jake, why did you choose Bethany?
Bethany’s manuscript got its claws in me from the moment I first read her submission. Everything about Year of the Trick resonated with me so much—queer characters, moral ambiguity, political scheming and expansive worldbuilding. It’s exactly the sort of book I love to read, and I could not have wished for a better manuscript or author to work with!
Oh, political scheming – sounds intriguing! And Bethany, why did you choose to submit to Jake?
I was really drawn to the idea of working with a fiction editor. In addition, all Jake’s favorites books were my favorite books! They seemed to have such similar tastes to mine and a lot of the strengths they described in their editing style were exactly what I hoped to work on in my book.
It’s a good sign when someone likes the same books as you. So Jake, can you summarize Bethany’s book in 3 words?
Ambition. Corruption. Revenge.
Bethany, summarize your book in 3 words.
Hunter. Hunted. Hunting.
I love these description words! Sounds like a fun, edge-of-your-seat story. Jake, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
I have a slight obsession with corvids: crows, ravens, magpies. I just think they’re neat!
They are some really beautiful and mysterious birds. So Bethany, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
Obviously the dream is to come away with an agent, but in fact I’ve already gotten what I wanted from the experience: to collaborate with someone super smart on how to make the novel better. The lessons I’ve already learned from working with Jake have been invaluable.
I’m glad you’ve already gotten what you wanted from Pitch Wars. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the agent! And Bethany, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I’m an education technology consultant in Buffalo New York, but before that, I was a college instructor for ten years. I taught writing, as well as science fiction, with a focus on Afrofuturism. I miss teaching a lot, but my move into the private sector has given me a lot more time to write! As for what makes Year of the Trick unique? Well, it’s got a killer twist, if I do say so myself.
Thank you Jake and Bethany for the interview, and thank you everyone for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 10-15, 2021. Make sure to stop by then and check out all our mentees’ entries when it opens.