Monday, February 14, 2011

Follower Love Month: Agent Query Critique CONTEST!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! 

We here at Operation Awesome have so much love to spread, and we decided to give it to the fine folks who make this blog awesome: YOU! In honor of reaching 300+ followers, we're throwing yet another contest to celebrate. *fist pump*

Ladies and gents, welcome to our Query Critique Contest!

Not only are we going to offer critiques, but we found TWO AMAZING AGENTS to help us out. 

The amazing agents are...



Natalie M. Fischer is an Assistant Agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. She started as an intern at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in 2007, after which time she left to write author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune. Finding that journalism was just not for her, she returned to work full-time at the Dijkstra Agency in April 2009, and started building her own client list in September of that same year. She made her move to the Bradford Agency in February of 2011. Natalie's interests include talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-YA/Teen), romance (contemporary and historical), historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy in YA or romance only, fairy-tale/legend spin-offs, and “beautiful dark” novels. She will also consider select nonfiction (has to have a fantastic hook and an even more fantastic author platform) and that amazing project she never even knew she was looking for! She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots. 


and...


Josh Getzler of Russell & Volkening, Inc.!!! (remember our interview with Authoress Anon? Yep, he's her agent). From his Publishers Marketplace page: After almost three fascinating and productive years reacquainting myself with the world of publishing at Writers House, I joined Russell and Volkening, Inc. as a (mostly) fiction and young adult/middle grade agent and their director of Film/Television rights in November of 2009. I represent fiction and nonfiction (mostly fiction, more than half of which is crime-related (mystery, thriller, creepy...)), adult, and YA/middle grade (though not picture books).  I am particularly into foreign and historical thrillers and mysteries, so send me your ruthless doges and impious cardinals... and your farmhouse cozies! Give me atmosphere, let me learn something about another time or another place (or both), and kill off nasty Uncle Mortimer in the process--I'll be yours! I take middle grade or YA adventure series, but not so much fantasy, and definitely not picture books. (There are many others who specialize in these books). And please don't send religious fiction--I don't have contacts in the Christian book market. 


Both these amazing agents will critique one query each. AND us over here at OA will be offering the following prizes:

A first chapter critique by Kristal
A first chapter critique by Angie
A query critique by Lindsay
A query critique by Katrina
A query critique by Michelle
A query critique by Kelly
AND yet another query critique by me :)

The rules to enter the contest are:

1) Be a follower

and

2) Leave a comment on this post with your manuscript's genre (no one-line pitches necessary)


The nine (yes, nine!) winners will be chosen randomly and announced one week from today, so make sure you get your entry in before then. 

Thanks for all your incredible support, and we hope you have an awesome day!! 

106 comments:

Ben Langhinrichs said...

What a wonderful and amazing offer. I'm in, and will tweet about it. My novel is middle grade fantasy.

funny in the 'hood said...

What an awesome contest! My manuscript is commercial women's fiction.

Thanks,

Tracey

Renae said...

What a great contests ladies! Good luck to everyone!

Taryn said...

Yay, Happy Valentine's Day! My MS is YA Contemp thriller

Steph said...

Thank you for this contest! I have a completed YA paranormal manuscript.

E. Arroyo said...

Awesome! Mine is YA Contemporary.

Loralie Hall said...

What an amazing contest - thank you for hosting it ^_^ I'll make sure to spread the word.

My manuscript is Urban Fantasy

Marquita Hockaday said...

This is such a cool contest :) Thanks for doing this! My novel is historical young adult.

Elena Solodow said...

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've got a YA fantasy.

Laura Pauling said...

Awesome! Thanks for the contest.

genre - Contemporary YA

Kate Haggard said...

Great contest. I've got a YA sci-fi.

Nicole Settle said...

Thanks for the contest!
Genre: YA Contemporary

Rachel Harris said...

I'm in! :-) My novel is a YA Contemporary Romance.

A. Lockwood said...

Very cool! Genre: YA Fantasy

Kelly Polark said...

Wow! Great contest!
I have a humorous contemporary middle grade.

Sarah Ahiers said...

OMG! Crazy exciting!

Genre: YA Fantasy

Racquel Henry said...

What a fantastic contest! My novel is literary fiction.

Laura said...

Great contest! My novel is women's fiction.

Misty Nelson said...

Cool! Mine is YA Paranormal. :)

Matthew MacNish said...

I don't want to be entered officially, because my query is in good shape, but I will play along, just because this is an awesome contest.

My MS is a YA Rural Fantasy.

Best of luck to all who enter!

Meradeth Houston said...

Great contest! Please drop my name in the hat :) YA Urban Fantasy. Thanks!

Lori M. Lee said...

Wow, how awesome! Genre: YA urban fantasy.

Christine L. Arnold said...

What a great contest! You guys are all so generous with your time! My manuscript is a completed YA fantasy.

Scott said...

I'm in: cozy mystery.

Bluestocking said...

I'm feeling the love. Thanks!

Historical Romance

Kristine Asselin said...

I'm in. Great stuff!

YA Contemporary.

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

YAY for over 300 followers ladies!!! =)

My young adult novel is urban fantasy.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

~Jessica

John Sankovich said...

My novel isn't complete, but I do have a first chapter and a rough draft of a query so I'll enter.

Genre: YA Supernatural

Shallee said...

So great! I'm in too. My genre is YA Dystopia.

Cheyanne said...

Awesome contest! My genre is YA Paranormal

Melissa Hurst said...

Wow, thanks for having this contest! My genre is YA Dystopia.

Kate Larkindale said...

Great contest! Mine is YA contemporary.

Lisa_Gibson said...

What a great opportunity! My genre is YA Contemporary.
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

Alicia said...

What an awesome contest. My MS is YA Urban Fantasy.

Angie said...

Woot! Great contest.

My novel is a YA paranormal.

Thanks, angie
adktd2bks@yahoo.com

Margie said...

Great contest. My novel is YA contemp.

Amie Borst said...

you guys RAWK! mine is a YA Dystopian :)

Ricki Schultz said...

Thanks so much for this opportunity!

Contemporary YA for me. :)

Anonymous said...

::Fist Pump::

Mine is YA contemporary

Vicki Tremper said...

Awesome, thanks so much! Mine is YA (like Bamboo People).

Jami Gold said...

Wow, thank you for this! My completed project is a Urban Fantasy (adult).

Rachel Searles said...

Fun, thanks for the contest! My genre is YA sci-fi.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

What a great contest. I have a complete Chapter Book.

Mariam MacGregor said...

Better than a Valentine's Card!

Middle grade adventure

Janet Johnson said...

Do you guys never stop? You're amazing! Or should I say "Awesome"? :)

So my ms is Contemporary middle grade

SM Johnston said...

Fantastic contest! I've been hanging out for this one as I missed out on the last one (Dang time zone differences between Australia and the US!)

Mine: YA Science-Fiction with a paranormal feel (Like I Am Number Four and Virals).

Elizabeth Briggs said...

Thanks for the contest! My book is YA Sci-fi.

RJ Holland said...

I love contests!! Congrats on 300 followers!!

My current completed ms is a Fantasy Children's Chapter Book. Certainly on the goofy side of fantasy though!

Theresa Milstein said...

Hi. Congratulations on 340 followers!

Wonderful contest. My manuscript is YA fantasy.

Alicia Gregoire said...

OMG, this is only 20 thousand kinds of awesome!

My manuscript is YA contemporary.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

What a super contest. I have a YA fantasy novel.

Marie Rearden said...

Great, great contest! My baby's New Adult Paranormal Romance (what a mouthful).

JJ said...

Wow awesome contest! Mine is a young adult fantasy :)

Unknown said...

What a great contest! Oh, and I've shown up several times as "not a follower" on this blog, but I totally am. ;-)

My manuscript is a YA Fantasy Thriller.

Unknown said...

I'd like to participate as well.

My genre is YA dystopian sci-fi.

Josin L. McQuein said...

I'll go with the YA fairy tale remix, as I'm in fairly good shape with my other query.

feywriter said...

Wow, awesome prizes!

My novel is a traditional fantasy.

Anonymous said...

wow - so generous!
YA - realistic

alexia said...

Yay! Very exciting contest. My novel is adult urban fantasy.

Alison said...

this is terrific!!! My novel is adult urban fantasy.

Natascha said...

So excited! Commercial suspense.

Blazer67 said...

You are all indeed awesome. YA Fantasy.

Stina said...

Cool contest. YA contemp. Does the book have to be finished yet?

Danielle DeVor said...

Awesome contest, YA fantasy

gretchen said...

So glad I found your blog! Mine is middle grade magic realism.

Bree said...

Super exciting contest! YA Science Fiction

Meredith McCardle said...

Oh my gosh, this is awesome! Thank you so much! YA historical fantasy.

Eliza Tilton said...

Ya fantasy : )

Rebecca said...

Yay! Mine is YA Contemporary, bordering on chick lit, if that even makes sense.:)

Anonymous said...

I so love the contests here. Operation Awesome is... well... awesome!

YA urban/contemporary fantasy

LizG said...

Thanks!
MG Fantasy

Jenn said...

Thanks for having another great contest! My novel is a YA Contemporary Romance.

Noelle Pierce said...

If the book doesn't have to be finished (as in edited), I have Regency-set romance novella I'd like to enter.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Thanks, all,

This is amazing. MY novel is M/G fantasy.

Michael

Janice Sperry said...

I'm in! MG fantasy.

Danyelle L. said...

Thanks! Mine is a middle grade fantasy. I'll tweet/facebook this as well. :D

Angelica R. Jackson said...

You always have the greatest contests! My book is YA historical/paranormal.

Beth Overmyer said...

Awesome sauce! My manuscript is a middle grade adventure.

A.J. said...

Great opportunity! My novel is adult urban fantasy

Roberta Walker said...

Thank you! My novel is paranormal romance.

Jessica Silva said...

YA fantasy

:) Thanks for the great opportunity, girls!

Tatum Flynn said...

MG historical (with spec. elements)

Donea Lee said...

Ah, thanks!! What a great opportunity. Hope I've got a little luck on my side this month ~ my MS is a YA contemp. fantasy.

Laura Espinosa said...

Gah! I love the owls on this blog! :) So glad I found you through a post in my writer's group. Definitely following you from now on. :D

Manuscript: Urban Fantasy

(PS: I hope you see me. I'm following your blog through my Twitter ID, but they're only letting me post under my Google Account. -_- sigh)

Unknown said...

Sounds amazing (plus the added benefit of finding a new blog :).

MS: YA magical realism

Esperanto said...

Great contest! Mine is women's fiction.

Erin L. Schneider said...

What a fab-u contest, ladies - thanks so much for putting it together!
My manuscript is YA.

Violet said...

Great contest! Mine is MG Mystery.

Brenda St John Brown said...

Terrific contest. My manuscript is YA Contemporary.

Ann Braden said...

Thanks so much!
My manuscript is a MG Historical Mystery.

gailecn said...

Thanks for this contest!
My manuscript is MG Contemporary.

jen said...

Love it. Glad I skated in under the deadline.

My manuscript is Urban Fantasy

The Survival Mama

new follower...thank goodness!!

Anne R. Allen said...

Mine is historical mystery.

Ami Hendrickson said...

Way cool! My ms. is a darkly comic contemporary Women's Fiction.

Empress Awesome said...

My ms is YA Contemporary. This contest is awesome! You don't even have to do anything to win!

Anonymous said...

Operation Awesome...

Thanks for creating this great opportunity! My ms is YA Contemporary.

Jaime Loren said...

Yay for contests! My manuscript is paranormal romance. :D

Tara said...

What a great contest!

I have a completed contemporary romantic suspense.

Sophia Chang said...

wee!

YA Fantasy

::crossing my fingers::

Deb's Doings said...

Great opportunity, and at the perfect time. I am currently crafting my thriller query, and will do so with Jeff in mind! Awesome!

Emy Shin said...

Congratulations on 300+ followers! And thank you much for this contest. :)

YA Sci-Fi

Ruth Donnelly said...

Truly an awesome blog--and what a great contest! My genre is middle grade paranormal.

Norma said...

What an amazing blog, no surprise you're doing so well!

My genre is YA SF/F

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Anonymous said...

Great contest, thanks for the opportunity! My novel is YA time travel

Anonymous said...

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