Mystery Blogger Contest #5-8: Critique Winners!

Join us in welcoming the last four new Operation Awesome bloggers!


Yesterday the final four of our 8 new bloggers were introduced mysteriously. They gave us three truths and a lie, and you took your best guesses on which fun facts were LIES. 

Now meet our Mystery Bloggers, discover who won each critique prize, and find out who lied about what!

The first four Mystery Bloggers were revealed on January 29th:

Mystery Blogger #1: Angelica R. Jackson

Mystery Blogger #2: Becky Mahoney

Mystery Blogger #3: Max Gladstone

Mystery Blogger #4: Abby Annis


Here are the final four: 

Mystery Blogger #5: 

KELLIE DuBAY GILLIS

Writing reminds me of riding my favorite purple tandem bike. You can do it alone, but it’s more fun with someone along for the ride. That’s why sharing the ups and downs of my writing journey with on-line communities like Operation Awesome have been so important. My first love is the picture book and, because I’ll forever be 11, middle grade novels are near and dear to my heart. I’m pedaling along in my ride to becoming a better writer in each genre. When I’m not blogging here, you can catch me over at Verla Kay’s Blueboards or on Twitter as part of the weekly #mglitchat hostess team. My lucky number is 13 and I feel very lucky to start 2013 as a part of team Operation Awesome.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Website
Kellie will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other MONDAY.

Here are Kellie's three truths and a lie:

• Author Verna Aardema blurbed my first award-winning book.

• To date, three people have had to save my life by performing the Heimlich Manuever. Each incident involved me talking too much at the table and an oversized piece of steak.

• I single-handedly delivered a baby in less than 50 minutes in a bathroom.

• I've been in a commercial and a movie, seen only from behind a ketchup bottle in each one.

THE WINNER of Kellie's prize of 2 PB manuscript critiques {700 words or less} OR 5 pages of a middle grade novel is Haley!


Mystery Blogger #6: 

WESLEY CHU

Hello, I write, and on the side I work for the Death Star. I didn't originally want to be an author, nor a Death Star Laser Technician. If it was up to me, I'd be a NFL punter, a heir to a family fortune, or maybe just professionally beautiful.

But I'm a writer, or at least I try to be. I can't help but write for some strange reason (anyone else feel that way?). I'm currently represented by Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh with two books coming out this year: my debut, The Lives of Tao (April 30th 2013, Angry Robot Books) and its sequel (Title TBD, Late 2013 - I will totally have a contest for the title)

So, um...let's do it. I'll bring the scotch.

You can find me here:
Publisher press release
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Website

THE LIVES OF TAO
Wes will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.

Here are Wesley's three truths and a lie:

• I almost cut Rachel Weisz with a tappanyaki knife as she was being stood up for a date.

• I once hunted boar with the natives of Kauai, with nothing more than a knife and a pack of hounds.

• I broke through the 18th mile wall of a marathon without ever running a mile.

• Michael Jordan and I used to sell underwear together.

THE WINNER of Wesley's first 5 pages critique is Chelsey!

Mystery Blogger #7:

TONI KERR

Hello Operation Awesome Readers!

First, I'd like to thank the writers at OA for all the time and commitment they've put into making this place such an incredible resource for writers. I've learned many great tips for editing, revising, and writing tighter, and I've been inspired by personal experiences that cheer me up, or remind me to keep going. We all know this isn't an easy field to thrive in, but it's a heck of a lot more enjoyable (and downright hilarious at times) with a crew like this! So, while I don't consider myself an expert, I'm happy to poke fun at myself and share the things that took me years to figure out.
Facebook
Blog
Toni will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.

Here are Toni's three truths and a lie:

• I have eight years of Martial Arts training, and secretly look forward to the day my skills can be used for more than just writing. 

• I did the unthinkable by sending a nude picture in reply to an editor's form rejection.

• I love cooking, especially when the wonders of spice and flare are appreciated by my characters. 

• I built a writer's cave disguised as a treehouse, and am patiently waiting for the kids to lose interest so I can reclaim it as my own.

THE WINNER of Toni's first chapter critique is nobody! This is unprecedented, but nobody guessed that Toni really doesn't like to cook. She does like to eat (and the nude picture was not of herself, thank goodness).



Mystery Blogger #8: 

ROBYN RUSSELL writes as R.R. Russell

I’m a mom, a judo coach, and a writer for kids and teens. After thirteen years battling with the publishing industry, I think I’ve finally found a crack in its armor. My middle grade debut, Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist, will be out May 1 from Sourcebooks. I also write a YA crossover series, the Venture Books, as R.H. Russell.
I look forward to sharing the perks and perils of debut-ishness, as well as musings about writing and books, with the most awesome readers and bloggers here at Operation Awesome!
Website/blog
Facebook
Twitter
Robyn will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other WEDNESDAY.

Here are Robyn's three truths and a lie:

• When Mystery blogger’s first novel was 80% finished, her hard drive, along with her zip drive backup, were deleted by a helpful twelve-year-old. There were many bitter tears, but she pieced it back together from old pages she’d given her preschoolers to scribble on.

• Mystery blogger wrote a middle grade novel while driving with a van full of judo kids into the mountains of Idaho for a tournament. One of them asked her when she was going to write “a real book.” Surprisingly, he is still alive.

• Mystery Blogger’s favorite rejection is her query letter with “No!” written on the top in red ink.

• Mystery Blogger gathered all her old-school paper rejections and papier-mâchéed them into a piñata. She filled it with chocolate and took a bat to it when she signed her first book deal.

THE WINNER of Robyn's first 5 pages critique is letmebeyoursong!

Congrats to the winners and the right-guessers! Thank you to all of you who played along with us. Thank you to our readers for making the online writing community the coziest place on the interweb. 

We're very excited going forward with fourteen Operation Awesome bloggers, all at different stages of publishing, including authors in every genre, from picture books to adult fiction. We know our readers will enjoy the new content and fresh voices these eight fabulous people bring to OA. And you'll still get posts from the familiar voices of Angela Townsend, Kell Andrews, Kristal Shaff, Lindsay Scott, Michelle McLean, and Katrina Lantz.

2013 will be phenomenal. I can't wait. And I hope you'll let us be part of your journey, too. Come share your successes and struggles, and especially book news. We all love book news!


If you won a critique, please send the material you'd like critiqued to operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with subject line: MYSTERY BLOGGER WINNER

Shimmer of Angels, Sneak Peek

I'm so very excited to share with you today a new release, which came out only yesterday, from my fellow Month9Books author, Lisa Basso

SHIMMER OF ANGELS, a debut young adult title from Lisa M. Basso.

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Author of THE IRON WITCH, Karen Mahoney, says, “A SHIMMER OF ANGELS has a courageous heroine who finds herself in the middle of two gorgeous angels, a fascinating world, and a story that builds to an exciting climax - I'll be looking forward to more from Lisa M. Basso!"

To help celebrate the release, we on the OA are giving you a sneak peek. Take a look inside of the awesomeness.. 

ALSO, Month9Books will be highlighting this author tour each day, so remember to follow their twitter and facebook page to find out more. Each day will feature a giveaway. Sign up on the raffelcopter for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And also, don't forget our post earlier today where you can win from our new Mystery Bloggers.

And now, sit back, relax and enjoy reading the excerpt of this awesome book from Lisa Basso.  

  MNB ASOA 1st Ch LisaMBasso July 18 2012 by  

ABOUT LISA M. BASSO

Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B. Lisa M. Basso is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to A SHIMMER OF ANGELS. 

A SLITHER OF HOPE, Book 2 in the ANGEL SIGHT series will be available from Month9Books in February 2014!

ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS:

Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. A SHIMMER OF ANGELS is Month9Books’s first Young Adult release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.

LINKS:

Goodreads A SHIMMER OF ANGELS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13572197-a-shimmer-of-angels

Goodreads Lisa M. Basso: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3201662.Lisa_M_Basso
Lisa M. Basso Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lisa-M-Basso/340213186037936?fref=ts
Lisa M. Basso Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaMBasso
Lisa M. Basso Website: http://lisa-basso.blogspot.com/
Goodreads Month9Books: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/67761-month9books
Month9Books Blogger Central: http://month9booksblog.com/?page_id=477
Month9Books Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/month9books
Month9Books Twitter: http://twitter.com/Month9Books
Month9Books Publishing Website: http://www.Month9Books.com 

Mystery Blogger Contest #5-8: Guess the Lie and Win

Source

In case you missed our BIG news at Operation Awesome, we are welcoming eight new bloggers to the owlery. 

We could just announce their names, but what fun would that be? 

So instead, we're holding a Mystery Blogger contest, and you have 4 more chances to win a critique by one of the newbies. The first four Mystery Bloggers were revealed yesterday:

Mystery Blogger #1: Angelica R. Jackson

Mystery Blogger #2: Becky Mahoney

Mystery Blogger #3: Max Gladstone

Mystery Blogger #4: Abby Annis


Today we'll meet four more Mystery Bloggers! They've each given us three truths and a lie about themselves in random order. To win a Mystery Blogger's critique, guess which fun fact is really the lie. Out of those who guess correctly, a random name will be drawn for the prize critique and announced tomorrow -- along with secret identities and the real truth about their fun facts.

Four people are offering critiques today if you guess their lies correctly.

*rubs hands together*

Here are the final four: 


Mystery Blogger #5: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a choice of 2 PB manuscript critiques {700 words or less} OR 5 pages critique of a middle grade novel)

• Author Verna Aardema blurbed my first award-winning book.

• To date, three people have had to save my life by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Each incident involved me talking too much at the table and an oversized piece of steak.

• I single-handedly delivered a baby in less than 50 minutes in a bathroom.

• I've been in a commercial and a movie, seen only from behind a ketchup bottle in each one.

Mystery Blogger #6: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a first 5 pages critique)

• I almost cut Rachel Weisz with a tappanyaki knife as she was being stood up for a date.

• I once hunted boar with the natives of Kauai, with nothing more than a knife and a pack of hounds.

• I broke through the 18th mile wall of a marathon without ever running a mile.

• Michael Jordan and I used to sell underwear together.

Mystery Blogger #7: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a first chapter critique)

• I have eight years of Martial Arts training, and secretly look forward to the day my skills can be used for more than just writing. 

• I did the unthinkable by sending a nude picture in reply to an editor's form rejection.

• I love cooking, especially when the wonders of spice and flare are appreciated by my characters. 

• I built a writer's cave disguised as a treehouse, and am patiently waiting for the kids to lose interest so I can reclaim it as my own.

Mystery Blogger #8: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a first 5 pages critique)

• When Mystery blogger’s first novel was 80% finished, her hard drive, along with her zip drive backup, were deleted by a helpful twelve-year-old. There were many bitter tears, but she pieced it back together from old pages she’d given her preschoolers to scribble on.

• Mystery blogger wrote a middle grade novel while driving with a van full of judo kids into the mountains of Idaho for a tournament. One of them asked her when she was going to write “a real book.” Surprisingly, he is still alive.

• Mystery Blogger’s favorite rejection is her query letter with “No!” written on the top in red ink.

• Mystery Blogger gathered all her old-school paper rejections and papier-mâchéed them into a piñata. She filled it with chocolate and took a bat to it when she signed her first book deal.

Which one is the lie?
Guess only one lie for each Mystery Blogger, and list your guesses in a comment below.

Good luck!

(Remember, winners will be announced tomorrow along with the big reveal of who these people are and what lies they told you.) *cue ominous, mysterious music*

Mystery Blogger Contest #1-4: Critique Winners!

Yesterday we announced that 8 new bloggers were joining Operation Awesome! The first four were introduced mysteriously. They gave us three truths and a lie, and you took your best guesses on which fun facts were LIES. 

Now meet our Mystery Bloggers, discover who won each critique prize, and find out who lied about what!


Mystery Blogger #1: 

ANGELICA R. JACKSON

Hi, I'm so excited to join the illustrious Operation Awesome group and lend some credibility to my writing career! I'm looking forward to seeing the "behind-the-scenes" drama of the contests, as well as continuing to learn from the collective wisdom of my fellow bloggers and the commenters.
Where you can find me on the web:
My Facebook
My blog
My Twitter
My photo website (oh yeah, I'm also a photographer/artist)
Angelica will be blogging at Operation Awesome every other MONDAY.

Truths and a lie about Angelica:

• On her very first time volunteering at a regional SCBWI conference, Mystery Blogger introduced Well-Respected Editor without any verbal stumbles. And then as MB exited the stage, she promptly tripped over Well-Respected Editor’s purse and nearly faceplanted.

• The most cats that Mystery Blogger has ever had piled on her at one time is seven, distributed equally between her lap, feet, head, face, and shoulders. There were another five in the queue waiting for an opportunity. Or a fight to break out, which also clears the decks.

• Mystery Blogger once scared an agent on Twitter by trying to make a joke. Agent had tweeted something along the lines of “you don’t ever want to send me a query so bad it ends up on my Special List” and Mystery Blogger responded with “Challenge Accepted!” Agent tweeted back that the Special List was not meant to be aspired to and Mystery Blogger apologized profusely. They shared a laugh and became the best of friends.

• While recording a video pitch for a PitchFest, Mystery Blogger misspoke “sets a ship afire” with a bad word that rhymes with ship. And then couldn’t stop laughing for the next twenty takes. Now whenever she talks about that book, most of her brain cells are devoted to screaming, “make sure you say ship!”

THE WINNER of Angelica's query critique is Steph Scott!




Mystery Blogger #2: 

BECKY MAHONEY

I am a longtime Operation Awesome fangirl, and I am super excited to join the big leagues and become part of this amazing blog. I am an unassuming admin by day and a young adult writer by night, represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger Inc. My preferred genre trifecta is fantasy, mystery, and horror. I am a lover of good food, awesome fashion, and any and all things creepy. You can find me here:
Blog: Rebecca Mahoney - Writer
Twitter
Becky will be blogging at Operation Awesome every other FRIDAY.

Truths and a lie about Becky:

• Mystery Blogger's favorite non-writing hobbies are handicrafts, especially origami. Mystery Blogger once signed up to help out at an origami instructional workshop, and ended up teaching the class entirely by accident.

• Mystery Blogger has a serious scarf problem. She was pretty sure she had one in every possible color, until she obtained three more over the holidays. Now she has every color. Maybe.

• Despite (or due to) the many gallons of coffee Mystery Blogger serves her bosses during her day job, Mystery Blogger is forever loyal to tea. No writing session is complete without a mug of red milk tea by her side.

• This Mystery Blogger began the first book she ever queried during a 13-hour car ride across Japan with her host parents and their two very restless young children. Mystery Blogger would like to thank that manuscript for saving her life that night.

THE WINNER of Becky's first 5 pages critique is Manju Howard!



Mystery Blogger #3: 

MAX GLADSTONE

I met my agent at an Operation Awesome contest, sold my debut novel soon after, and feel that Operation Awesome does exactly what it says on the tin. In various lives I've been an EFL teacher, researcher, tour guide, translator, smart grid analyst / cube operator, and an editor. These days, when I'm not making up stories about necromancers, I'm hunting my manuscripts for errant semicolons. I just deleted one from this paragraph!

My blog: Max Gladstone - Myths for Hire
My twitter: @maxgladstone
THREE PARTS DEAD
Max will be blogging at Operation Awesome every other SUNDAY.

Truths and a lie about Max:

• Mystery Blogger has been an illegal alien in the People's Republic of China.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of the Dalai Lama.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of a Vice President.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of Stephen King.

THE WINNER of Max's 5 page critique is Eliza Tilton!



Mystery Blogger #4: 

ABBY ANNIS

I am mom to three brilliant and talented kids. No bias there. ;) I write YA sci-fi and speculative fiction. My day job is in numbers (yes, I’m one of those weirdos who enjoys math), but I love words and writing. Taking beautiful writing and making visual art is one of my favorite things to do. Photoshop is a great procrastination tool. :) And I have a tendency to overuse smilies and the word awesome.

I’ve been a longtime lurker on the blog, and I’ve learned so much from the fabulous folks here. I’m excited to be a part of the awesomeness.

Blog
Twitter

Abby will be blogging at Operation Awesome every other SATURDAY.

• My AP English teacher from my junior year in high school made me HATE writing. And though I’ve journaled my whole life, I didn’t discover that I actually enjoy writing fiction until four years ago.

• I love anything peanut butter—PB&J, cookies, smothered in chocolate, plain—but I especially love to put it on waffles with maple syrup. Yum!

• The first piece of writing I got published was a poem I wrote in tenth grade titled “Down Yonder”. It was written as a joke and it was so very, very awful, but my English teacher loved it and put it in the annual school anthology.

• I really enjoy taking things apart to see how they work. So much so, that I get a little thrill of excitement when something breaks because that means I don’t have to feel bad about dissecting it.

THE WINNER of Abby's first 5 pages critique is Tiffany!

If you won a critique, please send the material you'd like critiqued to operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with subject line: MYSTERY BLOGGER WINNER

If you didn't win, come back tomorrow to meet our other Mystery Bloggers. There will be four more winners on the 31st, when our last four Mystery Bloggers' true identities are revealed!

Mystery Blogger Contest #1-4: Guess the Lie and Win

Source

BIG news at Operation Awesome as we welcome eight new bloggers to the owlery. We could just announce their names, but what fun would that be? 

So instead, we're holding a Mystery Blogger contest, and you will have 8 chances to win a critique by one of the newbies. The first four are posted below. The last four will be posted January 30th, 2013. 

They've each given us three truths and a lie about themselves in random order. To win a Mystery Blogger's critique, guess which fun fact is really the lie. Out of those who guess correctly, a random name will be drawn for the prize critique and announced tomorrow -- along with secret identities and the real truth about their fun facts.

Four people are offering critiques today if you guess their lies correctly.

*rubs hands together*

Here are the first four: 

Mystery Blogger #1: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a query critique)

• On her very first time volunteering at a regional SCBWI conference, Mystery Blogger introduced Well-Respected Editor without any verbal stumbles. And then as MB exited the stage, she promptly tripped over Well-Respected Editor’s purse and nearly faceplanted.

• The most cats that Mystery Blogger has ever had piled on her at one time is seven, distributed equally between her lap, feet, head, face, and shoulders. There were another five in the queue waiting for an opportunity. Or a fight to break out, which also clears the decks.

• Mystery Blogger once scared an agent on Twitter by trying to make a joke. Agent had tweeted something along the lines of “you don’t ever want to send me a query so bad it ends up on my Special List” and Mystery Blogger responded with “Challenge Accepted!” Agent tweeted back that the Special List was not meant to be aspired to and Mystery Blogger apologized profusely. They shared a laugh and became the best of friends.

• While recording a video pitch for a PitchFest, Mystery Blogger misspoke “sets a ship afire” with a bad word that rhymes with ship. And then couldn’t stop laughing for the next twenty takes. Now whenever she talks about that book, most of her brain cells are devoted to screaming, “make sure you say ship!”

Mystery Blogger #2: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a first 5 pages critique)

• Mystery Blogger's favorite non-writing hobbies are handicrafts, especially origami. Mystery Blogger once signed up to help out at an origami instructional workshop, and ended up teaching the class entirely by accident.

• Mystery Blogger has a serious scarf problem. She was pretty sure she had one in every possible color, until she obtained three more over the holidays. Now she has every color. Maybe.

• Despite (or due to) the many gallons of coffee Mystery Blogger serves her bosses during her day job, Mystery Blogger is forever loyal to tea. No writing session is complete without a mug of red milk tea by her side.

• This Mystery Blogger began the first book she ever queried during a 13-hour car ride across Japan with her host parents and their two very restless young children. Mystery Blogger would like to thank that manuscript for saving her life that night.

Mystery Blogger #3: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a 5 page critique)

• Mystery Blogger has been an illegal alien in the People's Republic of China.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of the Dalai Lama.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of a Vice President.

• Mystery Blogger has shaken the hand of Stephen King.

Mystery Blogger #4: (prize for guessing right: random entry for a first 5 pages critique)

• My AP English teacher from my junior year in high school made me HATE writing. And though I’ve journaled my whole life, I didn’t discover that I actually enjoy writing fiction until four years ago.

• I love anything peanut butter—PB&J, cookies, smothered in chocolate, plain—but I especially love to put it on waffles with maple syrup. Yum!

• The first piece of writing I got published was a poem I wrote in tenth grade titled “Down Yonder”. It was written as a joke and it was so very, very awful, but my English teacher loved it and put it in the annual school anthology.

• I really enjoy taking things apart to see how they work. So much so, that I get a little thrill of excitement when something breaks because that means I don’t have to feel bad about dissecting it.

Which one is the lie?
Guess only one lie for each Mystery Blogger, and list your guesses in a comment below.

Good luck!

(Remember, winners will be announced tomorrow along with the big reveal of who these people are and what lies they told you.) *cue ominous, mysterious music*

Lessons From Dean The Handmaiden

So. This post is about SUPERNATURAL. And writing. But mostly about SUPERNATURAL. 

You've been warned. O_O

Last week, there was a special episode of SUPERNATURAL. It involved Sam, Dean, and LARPing. For those of you who don't know, LARPing is short for Live Action Role Playing. Picture a bunch of people playing an elaborate (and awesome) game featuring characters from their favorite video games, movies, TV shows, graphic novels, historical periods, etc. The point is to play not as yourself, but as a character. 

Well, if you watch SUPERNATURAL, you know Sam and Dean don't scream LARPing fans to anyone. Until they get their chance to prove everyone wrong. Dean is named handmaiden to the queen (yes, you read that right. DEAN THE HANDMAIDEN). Sam... well... Sam stayed Sam, but he enjoyed himself. Both brothers did.

Case in point:

 

That's Dean in a faux BRAVEHEART moment. It is also the very last seconds of the episode. After recovering from a horrendous fit of giggles, it hit me--Dean the handmaiden looked happier than he had in ages. He can't do what he's doing in that GIF on a daily basis. His real life sucks the fun out of living most of the time, and in this brief moment, he lets go of that suckage. 

So here's my advice to you, blogging buddies: remember to work hard, remember to sacrifice things, but please remember to have fun. I don't care what your idea of fun is. Knitting. Baking. Rock climbing. Koala watching. I DON'T CARE. Just have fun. You need it. Your work needs it.

Now go out there and find your faux BRAVEHEART moment. :)

Rejection Feedback

A few friends and I are in the middle of revisions (who isn't!), but in discussing our revision strategy, I've realized how much our views on rejection feedback has changed. We've gotten feedback in agent and editor rejections, but we are not jumping to implement it. This is quite a change from my previous views. My reaction to rejection feedback has actually gone through five different stages.


Stage One - Agonizing over rejection feedback without realizing it's a form

When I got my first few rejections, I parsed every word and I thought they revealed the truth about my manuscript. I tore my hair out because Agent A was intrigued by my premise, but not drawn into the opening chapters as much a she hoped. Agent B thought I had much to be proud of, but couldn't connect with the main narrative.

Argh!. I could make it to the next step if only I revise my opening chapters somehow, or make my main character more relatable.

Then I learned those were forms. The "feedback," positive and negative, meant nothing but no.

Stage Two - Wishing for feedback with rejection

Once I realized that general comments were forms, and I agonized because I WANTED feedback. If only the agents would tell me what was wrong, I could fix it. Why won't they tell me what is wrong? Don't I even deserve a REASON?

Stage Three - Revising to every comment

Finally! My rejections came with feedback. After every rejection, I would revise. But then the next revision had DIFFERENT feedback. How could I know what to do if everyone told me something different?

Stage Four - Wishing I didn't get feedback with rejection

And then I'd get a particularly stinging comment. Maybe it hit on a nagging problem I always suspected but didn't want to face, or is was way too blunt about something I never considered. Feedback like that got me thinking the opposite of Stage Two. Must rejections include feedback? Why isn't a simple no enough without sticking the knife in too?

Stage Five  - Just another opinion, and I appreciate all opinions.

This is where I am now. When I get feedback on a rejection, I'm grateful. I appreciate the thought and time that went into reading and commenting, and I consider the comments carefully.

That doesn't mean I revise based on them. The agent or editor did not want my work. The comment is not the real reason why -- they just didn't love it, or just didn't think they could sell it. Feedback is just extra, a little parting gift in an attempt to be helpful. Unless they say they'd like to see the manuscript again if I revise according to the comment, it's useless revising to please them. The horse has already left  the barn. I won't get another chance with that editor for this book.

So when I consider the comments carefully, I find that sometimes the reasons given by several editors contradict each other Sometimes it's clear that the book is not for them and no amount of revision is going to change that. I file those comments away.

But sometimes they are right. Some problems are fixable. But the final decision to revise or not comes from my own judgment. I'm looking for an editor who loves my work, and whatever makes that more likely is a good thing. I can't always see my own work clearly so I appreciate wise guidance wherever I get it, even if it has a big old NO attached in capital letters.

How do you use rejection feedback? Have your views on rejections changed and how?

And be sure to come back tomorrow for some big news and a contest from Operation Awesome!

Enter to Win 10 awesome Ebooks!

I am so excited to share a blog post from my good friend Angela Ackerman of The Bookshelf Muse. Not only do Angela and I share a first name we also share an awesome agent, Jill  Corcoran of the Herman Agency.  I am honored that my novel Amarok was chosen as one of the giveaway prizes!  

Hurry and visit  http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com to leave a comment for a chance to win. 

Celebrate 5 Years With Us & WIN!

Posted by Angela Ackerman

Dennisallen

Every time January hits, I am shocked to know that it's been another year of blogging for Becca and me. The same thoughts scroll through my brain: what did I do before this blog? How did I manage to function before realizing I needed to reach out to the blogging community? 

I had ties in a few forums of course, and made some wonderful friendships. Heck, Becca and I met at The Critique Circle, an online critiquing community for writers (thank you Universe for making that happen!) But really, for both of us, our world grew bigger and brighter when we met all of you! :)

Crazily enough, we've been at this now for 5 years! FIVE! And in a bizarre twist of fate, we hit two other incredible milestones this month as well:

The Emotion Thesaurus sold over 20,000 copies

&

 The blog had its 2,000,000th Hit!

~~ * ~~

CLEARLY a celebration is in order, yes? We think so too, so we're giving away a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 10 ebooks (winner's choice) from the selection below: 

MG & YA Reads:

Janet Gurtler's Who I Kissed

Susan Quinn's Open Minds

Laura Pauling's How To Survive Ancient Spells and Crazy Kings

P.J. Hoover's The Emerald Tablet

Angela Townsend's Amarok

Kait Nolan's Red
Cheyrl Rainfield's Parallel Visions
C. Lee McKenzie's Alligators Overhead
Marilee Brother's Moonstone

Adult Reads: 

C.S. Lakin's Intended For Harm
Amber West's Ruth Valley Missing
K. M. Weiland's Dreamlander

Joanna Penn's Pentecost
Steena Holmes' Finding Emma
Liana Brook's Even Villains Fall In Love
Heather Atkins's The Temple

Alex Cavanaugh's CassaStar

Reference: 

James Scott Bell's Fiction Attack!
S.P. Sipal's A Writer's Guide To Harry Potter
Kristen Lamb's We Are Not Alone: The Writer's Guide To Social Media

Roz Morris' Nail Your Novel
Jodie Renner's Style That Sizzles & Pacing For Power

Jill Elizabeth Nelson's Rivet Your Readers With Deep POV

Denise Jaden's Writing With A Heavy Heart: Using Grief And Loss To Stretch Your Fiction
Becca & Angela's Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression

~~ * ~~  

 

SO MANY AMAZING BOOKS, am I right? I am sure the winner will be very happy, no matter which 10 they pick. And hey, that could be YOU, so let's talk about how to get into the draw, shall we?

HOW TO ENTER: 

Becca and I are not big on hoop jumping, and this is about CELEBRATING ALL OF YOU, not us. So while of course we would love your TWEETS, LINKS & SHARES, it's not a condition to win. Just simply leave us a comment at http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com.  Maybe tell us about someone who has helped you recently, and if they have one, leave a link to their blog so that people can visit them.:)

Yep, that simple. :)

Contest closes on January 31st! Good luck everyone, and thank you for all your support!

2013 Excitement and Mystery...

by Jeannie Lynn Paske

Excitement this week:

• celebrating Michelle McLean's book release of TO TRUST A THIEF 
• seeing her beautiful book trailer for the first time 
• meeting our fabulous January Mystery Agent Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency 
• and Kristal shared her publisher's Show Us Your Wings contest and giveaway for A Shimmer of Angels book swag!

Excitement this MONTH! 

• Prior to all of this, we celebrated 2013 in style with the New Year's Revisions Conference, a totally free, totally online, totally archived conference themed around revision. 
• Then Michelle shared her publisher's news: Entangled has partnered with Davis Entertainment, in which Davis "gets an exclusive first look at all the titles coming out of Entangled". Entangled has also partnered with two Big 6 pubs, Macmillan and St. Martin's in which "Macmillan will distribute English language e-books of Entangled’s new publications" and "St. Martin's will launch a new joint venture imprint known as St. Martin’s/Entangled which will bring into print and publish a select number of Entangled’s digital first titles."

2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year, and we aren't even out of January yet! 

As much fun and excitement as we've had on the blog out in the open, there's been additional awesomeness going on behind the owlery drapes. Mysterious owlish stuff...

Beginning on Monday, January 28th, we're going to have some big announcements (hint: they include more contests, and that's not even the exciting part!). Note: we won't have a February Mystery Agent contest as we are just catching our breath after NYRC 2013.

We have more Operation Awesome book news coming down the pike, but that's not my news to share, so I'll let you wonder...

*insert fog machine here*

hee hee

I also have some personal news which I'm sure I'll be blogging more about in the future. It involves the publishing industry, but doesn't involve any of my books. 

Riddle, riddle, riddle. 

I'd make a terrible Sphinx. 

 

by ~Nathali

I'd love to hear from you what wonderful, mysterious things are you anticipating in 2013? (ooh, especially tell me about book releases, yours or your favorites) 

"Show Us Your Wings" Contest

Hi all!

Just thought I'd share with you all a contest that my publisher, Month 9 Books, is doing.

The info from Month 9 Books:

Month9Books is so excited about the release of A Shimmer of Angels, by Lisa M. Basso, that we are giving away the book and angel swag every day in the month of February! Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and we want you to show us what you would love to see if you saw angel wings.  You can design your angel wings many different ways, so be creative!

Readers can begin submitting their wings Tuesday, January 22nd, and a winner will be chosen every day in the month of February!  Whether you are taking a picture of yourself in wings, drawing wings, or creating wings digitally, you can submit your photo or video to mnbcontests@gmail.com.  You can also link to the files in the comments section on this page.  You can enter in a few additional ways in the Rafflecopter to increase your chances of winning.  With a total of 28 winners, your chances of winning are great!

Find out more, and enter here:

Write. Stop. Repeat.

Sometimes there are days when the words come easy. Those glorious moments where you hit your word count and still want to write more.

Then there are the days where getting just. One. Sentence. Out. is torture.

So, despite the kind of writing day you might be having, it's good to know that you are not alone in those moments.

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." 

Ernest Hemingway (Quote via Goodreads)

"Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on the good writing days nothing else matters." 

Neil Gaiman (Quote via Goodreads)

“Being a writer is a very peculiar sort of a job: it's always you versus a blank sheet of paper (or a blank screen) and quite often the blank piece of paper wins." 

Neil Gaiman (Quote via Goodreads)

The main thing to do, even when the writing is tough, is to keep on going (and remember to have plenty of snacks and caffeine on hand).

Happy writing.

Did you know our fabulous January Mystery Agent was revealed yesterday?

No?

Then check it out here

January Mystery Agent REVEALED!

It's time for our first Mystery Agent reveal of the year!! *bounces up and down* Are you ready? Okay, okay. Our January Mystery Agent is...

Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency!!

And here's Thao's winner of a FULL manuscript request:

Eric Steinberg

BETTER LIVES
YA Science Fiction
Pitch: Arrogant 17 year-old prep school student Marc is abducted and replaced by aliens to avert a future where he’s the president who starts WWIII.

CONGRATS, Eric!! Please send your full manuscript to thao (at) dijkstraagency (dot) com!!!

Thao was awesome enough to answer a few pressing questions. Here's what she had to say:

  

 

1) If you could pick one book that every writer should read, which one would it be and why?

Any book by Diana Wynne Jones because every single one of her plots are so intricate and complicated, yet despite the many twists and turns, in the end they all come together perfectly. She definitely knows how to keep the reader guessing and I love that.

    

2) What are you dying to see in your slushpile right now?

I’d love to see a manuscript with a new spin on teen superheroes. I also find myself very attracted to unique retellings of fairytales, myths, and folklore.

3) Favorite TV show?

Of all time? Battlestar Galactica. When that show ended, it left a hole in my heart that no other TV show has managed to fill. I’m also currently loving The Walking Dead’s season two and for guilty pleasure I cannot deny those sexy vamps on Vampire Diaries.

4) Chocolate or candy?

Candy. I like the artificial fruit flavors. I can pretend they have vitamin C.

5) Any tips for writers struggling with their one-line pitches?

Avoid clichés and hook me with a cliffhanger or mystery that makes me want to read more to find out what happens.

6) Do you have any exciting client/agency news to share?

I’m REALLY excited about THORN JACK, the first book in a planned trilogy by debut author Katherine Harbour, which I just sold to Harper Voyager. It’s a beautiful modern retelling of the Scottish ballad, Tam Lin and I think fans of Melissa Marr and Maggie Stiefvater would just love it.

A huge thanks to Thao for being our January Mystery Agent!!! Want to know more about Thao? Check out the following links: 

Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Twitter

 

Book Trailer Reveal for To Trust a Thief

Minuette Sinclair thought her biggest problem was getting out of her aunt’s finishing school a proper Victorian lady. But her parents are in trouble and her fake fiancé is too. A legendary lost necklace might be their salvation, and Min is determined to find it and use it to buy her family and fiancé out of their misfortunes.  

Unexpected competition in the form of master thief Bryant Westley has Min tripping over her own feet to get to the treasure first. Desperate, she can’t refuse Bryant’s offer to partner up in the search – even though she knows she can’t trust him. Things become more complicated when Min realizes that her convenient engagement means more to her fake fiancé than her. Worse, she’s in love with Bryant, a distraction she can’t afford. Besides, if she can’t trust him with the treasure, how can she trust him with her heart?