Monday, June 18, 2012

Christmas in July Agent-Judged Blog Contest!

It's time to announce a HUGE agent-judged competition that's so big it's going to need two blogs to contain all the awesome. No prizes for guessing that my co-host is Ruth Lauren Steven. So if you don't follow her already, then you'll be wanting to (also, what is wrong with you?)

As you can see, we're calling it Christmas in July. Why, you ask? Because we love our followers so much that we want to give you ALL THE GIFTS, but Christmas is too far away.

Here's the tagline:

                  30 pitches, 10 agents, 1 week. 


Yep, we'll be choosing 15 entries each to post on our blogs. The entries will be up for a whole week, and there will be ten, yes 10 agents dropping by to make requests!

This is where it gets even more exciting.

Because there are 10 agents (did I mention that?) there's a wide scope for genre here. Which means that we'll be accepting MG and YA (all genres), and Adult submissions of ALL GENRES (except erotica)!!

You'll need a query letter and the first 500 words of a completed manuscript to enter.

More details on the submission window and what we'd like to do with the entries before they go live to follow in the next post, which will be on the 25th of June. In the meantime, we're using the hashtag #XmasinJuly to talk about it, hook up on Twitter and TELL EVERYONE : D 




44 comments:

  1. This is awesome!!!! Hopefully I'll be done my book before the contest opens :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get to work, lady! I want to see your book in the slush pile!

      Delete
    2. Same here!
      I can't wait to read all the great books-to-be.

      Delete
    3. Me three! Can't wait to read the entries.

      Delete
  2. You guys are amazing! Off to spread the word!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds great and I'm so glad my last query letter bombed because at least i've had a chance to put it right before this awesome contest! BRING IT ON!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. OMG I seriously love this and can't wait to enter. :D Wooot!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do love Christmas. No matter what month it falls in.ha

    ReplyDelete
  6. Zowie, this is HUGE! If I weren't off the market, I'd be clamoring all over myself to enter. SO MUCH AWESOME:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Humm. Does that mean it starts on June 25th? I'm afraid I will not be done with this blasted revision of mine for three weeks at least. :/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope, the contest is in July. More information, such as the identies of the agents and submission window stuff, to follow June 25th and the week following. So...you're in luck! Hope to see your entry!

      Delete
  8. OMG! Amazing...I am soo entering this. . Kudos to you and Ruth for being so awesome all the time!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is awesome! So exciting. You guys are the best! Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's a cool contest, Michelle. It is very nice of you. By the way, I added your blog after we connected on Goodreads.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very cool. Can't wait to see official guidelines!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sweet! Awesome contest Michelle and Ruth! I can't wait to read the entries.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fun idea! I can't wait to see who the agents are!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Details to follow soon! Suffice it to say they're AWESOME!

      Delete
  14. Sounds great! I'll spread the word!

    ~Gina Blechman

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, this sounds epic and awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sounds like a great contest. I will lock myself away furiously getting my MS ready for this. Thanks ladies.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like a great contest, even though I no longer celebrate Christmas. I hope at least one of the agents is into historical!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and a few looking for picture books too (according to Ruth). Cant wait to see who they are :-) Hurry up 2nd July!

      Delete
  18. This sounds fantastic! I'll definitely be spreading the word. Thanks for such a wonderful opportunity! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sounds amazing! Just one more reason to get off my behind and work-work-work on the manuscript.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I need a bit of Xmas! Great idea! : )

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ack! I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere, fighting off bugs and bears...maybe I'll get someone to submit on my behalf. What an opportunity - can't be missed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not going to let a little Muskoka wilderness get in the way : )

      Delete
  22. Question:
    For the query letter part of the entry, do you want just the main "meat" of the query? Or do you want everything including brief author bio?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go ahead and send along whatever you would sent to an agent (if you feel comfortable doing that, of course!). We'll be sure to redact anything like names, etc.

      Delete