More on Contests, April Mystery Agent Lottery, and Nestpitch

I really enjoyed Aimee's post yesterday about contests--and I agree that they're a great opportunity for writers to get their work in front of agents and editors.

I also agree that organizing contests is a lot of hard work--and I'm lucky to have all my Operation Awesome operatives to help when we run pitch contests here (have you entered the April Mystery Agent Lottery yet? Time is running short!)

I'd also like to plug another contest I'm involved in from the other side--Nestpitch, which will be commencing April 1. It's a pitch contest with an Easter theme.

Though I'm sure the judges will be more tolerant than this egg.

More information on Nestpitch can be found here, but here's a brief run-down:

The submission consists of:

(i)    35-word pitch

(ii)    Answer to this question: If YOUR MC was an Easter Egg, what flavor would s/he be? (no more than 15 words)

(iii)   1st 300-words of your manuscript

Throughout the month of April, multiple teams will look at the entries and pick their favorites. Yours could be one of them.

And of course, you should still enter the April Mystery Lottery too, if you can.

Finally, here are some tips if you plan to enter a contest:

• Make sure you have something ready and polished. Nothing like getting a request for half-done manuscript!
• Make sure your pitch includes your protagonist, what they want/need more than anything, and what gets in their way
• Make sure you follow all the contest specifications, especially submission guidelines, which can vary greatly 

And here are some tips if you plan to be a contest judge:

• Make sure you know the full extent of what's expected
• Make sure the timetable fits into your schedule, and that you are clear on what is supposed to happen when
• Make sure that you can glean/learn something from the experience

Question for all: What has been your experience with contests? 

RAOK BLITZ! Winner

It's time to announce the winner of our RAOK BLITZ contest. 

Dramatic drumroll...

And the winner is...

*Tense silence in an Academy Awards announcement style*

NICOLE ZOLTACK

Congratulations, Nicole. You've won a either a book (or pre-order) of your choice. 

Please send me the name and author of book/pre-order of choice (and your address) to operationawesome6(at)gmail(dot)com 

Don't forget that we've got lots more contests on the way, including our June Mystery Agent!

WritOnCon Contest Of Awesome!

WriteOnCon is coming soon, but did you know there is an awesomesauce contest happening RIGHT NOW? 


No, not our August M.A. contest (although I will say you should get your pitches polished for August 1st *grins*), but the WriteOnCon gang are doing this:  


WriteOnCon has teamed up with TheReadingRoom.com to bring you a VERY special contest to kick off the 2011 Conference. 

A first 500 MG/YA words contest. Grand Prize is $1000 AND a chance to have your work considered for representation from literary agent, Catherine Drayton. I AM NOT KIDDING.
When? Contest opens today, and submissions close August 18th. Winner will be announced Thursday, September 8th during a special LIVE WriteOnCon Chat.
So here's how it works.
1. Starting today, email the first 500 words of your completed MG/YA manuscript to competitions@thereadingroom.com.
2. After the conference, a team of individuals will vote on all entries and narrow the submissions down to the TOP 5.
3. The TOP 5 submissions will be posted on TheReadingRoom.com where EVERYONE can vote.
4. Requirements? You must be a member of The Reading Room to enter. Click here to take care of that.

The grand prize winner will receive $1000 cold, hard cash in the form of a gigantic check in the form of a regular-sized check AND a chance for Catherine Drayton to consider your work for representation. 


What are you waiting for? Head on over now. I'll race you.

We're Giving Away Critiques... Want One?

It's OA contest time. And this month you get US!

I promise I'm not hyped up on caffeine/sugar (that's an afternoon activity), but it's my task today to tell you about our easy win a critique contest.

The prizes:

Amparo: A query critique.
Angie: First five pages.
Lindsay: A query critique.
Michelle: First chapter or query critique (winner's choice)
Katrina: First ten pages or query critique (winner's choice)
Kristal: First chapter critique.

The rules:

All you have to do is follow us and comment, leaving your email address. The winner will be chosen by Random.Org on June 5th.

Ready. Set. Go!

Win a Kindle!!!

No, we aren't giving away a Kindle. :o)
But I thought I'd share some Kindle opportunities out there this week.

Opportunity #1:  Angry Robot.

Win a Steampunk Kindle. Contest closes on midnight on May 15th

From their website: 

Send us your examples of cool Steampunk stuff – maybe it is a photo of you in your leather and copper get up, or a picture of a day-to-day item that you have converted into a glorious piece of Steampunk tech. Maybe it is a quick sketch you jotted down in a notebook. Hell – it could even be a Steampunk inspired song you have written and performed – or perhaps a Haiku that has been spinning round the inside of your skull for the last few months.

Pretty much anything Steampunk is eligible. Except – and this is important – for novels or short stories.

Cool huh?

Opportunity #2: Nathan Brandsford

In honor of his book's release. Contest closes tomorrow!

From his website.

Here's how to enter to win the Kindle with Special Offers:

Step #1: Follow me on Twitter (click this link)

Step #2: Re-Tweet the official contest Tweet (click this link)

Step #3: Post a tweet about how you know when you're in trouble. You MUST include the exact hashtag #YouKnowYoureInTroubleWhen

Examples:
#YouKnowYoureInTroubleWhen you break the universe.
#YouKnowYoureInTroubleWhen you land on a planet that smells like burp breath.
#YouKnowYoureInTroubleWhen you sit on your cat.

Here be the rules:

• Do not post the same Tweet more than once. 
• Use the hashtag however many times you want, but only the first entry will be considered for entry into the sweepstakes.
• The sweepstakes closes Wednesday at 7pm Pacific time
• I'll randomly select a potential winner and notify that individual by Direct Message
• You must be a resident of the United States, age 18 or older in order to enter (Sorry international readers! Sweepstakes rules!)
• Please follow the full contest rules HERE

Personally, I'm going to make a go at that Angry Robot contest. I'll share with you next week what I did. (grin)

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY Winner (and agent query critique contest!)

And the winner is...

Samantha Sotto-Yambao

Please send your shipping info to katrina (dot) lantz (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll get this baby pre-ordered for you!

Samantha won BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY as part of our Operation Awesome Month of Follower Love. 

Come back on Valentine's Day for some even bigger Follower Love!

TWO fabulous (and so generous) literary agents have offered up query critiques to help us celebrate our 300+ awesome followers: you guys! We'll have a random drawing from the comments, so be sure to stop by on Love Day!

Here's the awesomeness Samantha will be getting:

Add it on Goodreads

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Original ideas...or not. Plus more blog love with a free book!

I wanted to do a quick post on original ideas. Or, more appropriately, how ideas are never very original. No matter how hard we try and come up with something original, there is always SOMEONE out there who has done it already. So how can we write and stand out?

One idea is to mash up several common ideas to come up with something new. Kind of like the mash-ups they do on Glee.Two completely different songs to make an original, unique performance.

So I really have no profound words of insight, but to encourage you to take your book ideas to the next level. You can take a normal book structure and make it your own. You don't have to come up with a completely original concept. Why? Cause there probably isn't going to be one. You are writing about a vampire? Well, how can you make your vampire book distinguishable from the next vampire novel? Can't tell you that answer. You need to find out on your own. Cause, if I had that answer, I sure as heck wouldn't be posting it on here. (grin).

This idea made me think of this video. (Mild language warning.) Even the great composers are repeated.

And... to further our month of Blogger love for the month of February, we are going to give away a book. 

Win a pre-order of Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. 

You must be a follower (new or old).
Post in the comments section for a chance to win!

Results will be announced on Friday, February 11th.

Book is released on March 22, 2011

  Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

February Mystery Agent Revealed!

Our Mystery Agent is....

Chris Richman from Upstart Crow Literary Agency

Image from agency website.

 Chris Richman received his undergraduate degree in professional writing from Elizabethtown College, and an MA in Writing from Rowan University. A former playwright, contributor to The Onion, and sketch comedy writer, Chris broke into agenting in 2008 and has quickly made a name for himself by selling several noteworthy projects. Chris is actively building his list, enjoys working with debut writers, and is primarily interested in middle grade and young adult fiction, with a special interest in books for boys, books with unforgettable characters, and fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The winner and a note from Chris...

Thanks for having me, Kristal. The 25-word pitch is a tough thing to master, but I enjoy reading them, since they’re so similar to how I pitch a book to editors once I represent it. It’s always interesting to read a pitch stripped down to its barest form, and thinking about a story boiled down to such a small version can help a writer realize what the most crucial elements of the story are. For more on the 25-word pitch, head over to http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=1419, where I blogged about the topic last year.

Winner (Query & Full Manuscript)

Author: Claire Legrand

Title: THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
Genre: MG Dark Fairy Tale

Pitch: To save herself, her best friend, and the other “degenerates” of Belleville, 12-year-old Victoria Wright must outsmart demonic Mrs. Cavendish and her living, breathing orphanage.

I selected this pitch because it’s compact, full of necessary information, and, most importantly, sounds like it could be in line with what I’m seeking. There’s good information packed into the 25 words—the hero (Victoria), her age (12), the conflict (escaping an orphanage), the antagonist (Mrs. Cavendish), and a final, interesting detail that piques my interest (a living, breathing orphanage...sounds spooky!). Well done, Claire!

For those of you who weren’t selected, don’t be discouraged! The 25-word pitch is no easy task, and I thought many of the pitches were well constructed, even if the particulars didn’t match the types of stories I’m personally seeking. Keep writing, and I wish you all the best of luck! 

We asked Chris a little more about himself. 

Here are the questions and the awesome responses he gave. 

1.      What are some of your pet peeves in queries?

   You know, aside from some of the usual gaffes like CCing every agent in creation on the same pitch or clearly ignoring my submission guidelines and sending me things that are completely outside of what I typically represent, I’m pretty easy going when it comes to queries. Things like errors in formatting, forgetting to paste sample pages, getting my gender wrong, or spelling my last name “Richmond” earn a frown, but not an instant rejection, from me. We all make mistakes and I try not to sweat the small stuff.

   if I HAD to pick a few things that get under my skin—which I do, since you asked—I suppose I can get frustrated when by writers who approach the process of finding an agent with an air of negativity right from the beginning, either by saying they don’t like that they had to follow our guidelines, or they don’t like the whole process of finding an agent in general, or even one gentleman who had an auto-reply set up to immediately respond to my passing on his novel with a form letter back to me, saying something like he was sorry, but he wasn’t taking rejections at this moment. I get it—the process can be tough and sometimes frustrating, but this sort of negativity right upfront is a significant turn-off for me.

   2.      What are some overdone concepts you’ve been seeing?

   I’m hesitant to say that anything’s completely overdone, especially when any of the classic plots can be re-imagined in new and exciting ways. For example, I could say stories where a character magically travels to another world has been done to death, and yet two fantastic series I represent—Jacqueline West’s THE SHADOWS and Matt Myklusch’s JACK BLANK—begin in just this way. So I don’t think anything is ever completely off limits. Heck, I even read a submission for a vampire novel recently that really blew me away, although sadly I wasn’t able to sign it.

   Some things I tend to see all the time, especially because I specifically say I’m looking for books for boys, include one dimensional bullies, kids who have secret abilities, and standard takes on supernatural creatures (for fun I searched through the last two year and a half’s worth of queries for the word “bully” came up with 236 results). Again, bullies, secret abilities, and supernatural creatures can work, but they typically have to be done in a new and interesting way to stand out from all the books/films/tv shows that have come before.

   3.      Is there a dream concept that you’re dying for in a submission?
   
   I’m always looking for genuinely funny books, but recently I’ve been thinking I’ve been catching up on the show Fringe after missing it during its original airing, and I’d love for a book that successfully combines science with compelling characters and terrifically paced storylines.

   4.      What book are you currently reading?

   I actually have a really bad habit of reading many books at once, so I’m technically in the middle of about four published children’s novels, several books for adults, and loads of requested material and client manuscripts. I did, however, just pick up the final Percy Jackson book after waiting for what seemed like ages for it to come out in paperback (I wanted it to match the other editions I own). I read the first 194 pages on a train ride and am itching to finish it and see what becomes of Percy and the whole gang, although I know I’ll probably be forced to start the new HEROES OF OLYMPUS as soon as it’s over. Darn you, Rick Riordan, and your snappy pacing, great concepts, and funny dialogue!

   5.      If you could be one superhero, who would it be and why?

   I have a weak spot for Batman. He’s a terrific mix of brains and brawn who is basically a normal human wearing a costume in a world of heroes and villains with actual fantastic abilities, yet he still does okay for himself. That being said, I doubt I’d be able to handle all the bruising that comes with the job. Plus, dude never sleeps.

   So I guess I’d pick Spiderman. Why? Cool day job, some pretty smoking hot girlfriends/wives, and a decent sense of humor, even if it is overly reliant on spider-based puns. Plus, the costume is pretty cool.

   6.      Client or agency news?

   I’ve got several exciting things on the horizon, and interested readers can typically follow what’s new at the agency by checking out our blog at www.upstartliterary.com/blog/     . Very soon, however, the first in Matt Myklusch’s JACK BLANK trilogy will be available in paperback with a spiffy new cover, although readers can still grab the hardcover now. 

Thanks Chris, from all the ladies at Operation Awesome. 

You are truly....AWESOME!!

And....speaking of Jack Blank (it's an awesome book by the way). 

Our special prize is for one of our  participants...chosen at random.

Ryann Jansen

You receive a copy of Jack Blank and the Imagination. 

Let me know if you'd like a kindle or hard copy.

Claire and Ryann, please email me at ask.miss.java (at) gmail (dot) com 

for further instructions on your prizes. 

Congratulations to our winners! And thank to everyone who participated. Stay tuned for more great contests coming up this month, including more agent giveaways that you won't want to miss!

Across the Universe PRE-ORDER GIVEAWAY! - CLOSED

Update: erica and christy you won the drawing! 


It was SO fun reading your awesome word inventions.

Thanks to everyone who entered! 

Guess what comes out next Tuuuuessday!

This:

I know, right? 

I'm dying! I've already pre-ordered my copy, but I was thinking about all those other times an amazing book came out and I just didn't get around to picking it up until much after it came out, and I didn't want that to happen to you guys. 

So we're giving away one pre-order of Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

If you haven't gotten around to pre-ordering it yet, then this will be perfect timing for you! I'll pre-order tomorrow so there's a good chance it will arrive by Tuesday in the U.S. (no promises for outside the country, though, but still... a free book!) 

All you've got to do to be included in this random drawing is this:

A) Follow us if you're not

B) In honor of the epic spaceship setting, turn your WORD VERIFICATION non-word into a science fiction term at the bottom of your post. 

You can do this by leaving a comment, pressing POST COMMENT, and then EDIT your comment to include the WORDVER new definition. Don't forget to enter the word verification for the camera, too (you know, so our blog doesn't think you're a really clever robot).

Amparo will be blogging a review once it's out, so be sure to check back for that. And now for the juice of the book (for those of you who have missed all the ever-present buzz):

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. 

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Twi-White Book Winners.

So we've deliberated, voted and chosen the winners of the two sets of white Twilight Saga books.

It was really hard to choose and, had I endless amounts of cash, I'd have loved for everyone who entered to have a set. Alas, I only have enough to fund my own book habit for now. I can tell you that The Book Depository will ship these UK limited editions internationally for free. Woot.

I won't tease you by drawing out the tension, I'll just announce the names.

But before I do that...

No, really I have something important to say...

Okay, okay. The winners are:

Jen Daiker and Jamie

Jen and Jamie, please send me your mailing addresses to OperationAwesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Oh, and here are their winning entries:


Jamie:

Dearest Lindsay,

I know I shouldn't be writing for fear the Volturi will discover your whereabouts, but being apart from you is torture. I miss the days when we were together, lying silently in our meadow. I long for those days. And I promise you, we will have them again. No matter what it takes, I'll protect you. You are my life now.

But there's something pressing I need of you. Please go to my home in Ireland and retrieve documents hidden there. I know it's a lot to ask - too much, really - but I can only trust one soul with all my heart, and that is you.

Take the bound documents and deliver them to someone willing to help us. His name is Jamie, and he is indebted to me for saving his life. Please know I'm asking this of you only to protect you and our love. So do not hesitate. Gather the books and send them at once.

I must go. Alice says the Volturi know where we are. I miss you, Lindsay, and I count the moments until we're together again.

All My Love,
Edward

P.S. The documents are bound in white, with crimson-edged pages

Jen Daiker

Alice envisioned the object, miles from her reach she knew Jen would be upset to know they lay so far away. The crisp white covers lay on the freshly fallen snow, the red piercing out from the white background.
The smell of the pages filled her nostrils, breathing in the scent of the newly bound copies, her eyes closed taking in the moment. The words Jen had ached to read but yet to have the chance, Alice longed to have them in her hands to take in the luscious words written on every page.
“Wait here,” Alice whispered.
Leaping forward she glided from tree to tree, the wind rushing through her pixie cut, the destination within reach a few feet in front of her. Landing gracefully she picked up the perfectly bound books tucking them underneath her arm and returning to Jen’s side.
“For me?” Jen’s eyes sparkled in anticipation.
“Never been touched white cover Twilight books, the best around. No need to be a closeted fan any longer.” Alice says sliding the untouched novels into Jen’s hands.
“Thank you,” Jen holds them tightly resting underneath the tree to begin the magical tale.

Congratulations to Jen and Jamie.

Happy Saturday everyone. :)

Pleased to Meet You :) and A Contest!

Since today is my very first post (yay!) I thought I’d throw a little party to celebrate :D Check out the end of the post for details. But first things first….

Hi *waves* My name is Michelle. Nice to meet ya :D

I wanted to be a lot of different things “when I grew up” but looking back on it, being a writer was pretty inevitable. Books are my life and always have been. I’m perfectly happy spending long periods of time as a loner. I have a beyond overactive imagination. I love to get sucked into other worlds. I like to learn. I'm creative. I'm passionate. All of these things have been a part of what makes me ME since the day I was born. I think I've been a writer since the moment I took my first breath and maybe even before :) It's who I am. It's how I see the world. It's how I interact with people and with my environment.

Have you seen Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version)? I am soooo Belle. Seriously, it’s scary. I watched the movie with my daughter yesterday. Every time I watch this film, I’m reminded of the first time I saw it.

My whole family (parents, siblings, cousins, a couple friends) went to the theater. We filled up an entire middle row. I sat at the very end. The lights went down, the movie began, we saw the background story on the Beast….and then Belle wandered onto the screen, basket on her arm, nose in her book.

Every single one of the fifteen or so people in our group, in unison, leaned over and stared at me, laughing their heads off. And continued laughing through Belle’s enthusiastic bookstore visit.

Okay, so yeah, maybe you need a crow bar to get the book out of my hand…and maybe occasionally a trip to the bookstore (or office supply store, come to think of it) will make me go crazier than my five year old on caffeine, but hey, I am who I am. (My husband just did a full on snort at the word “occasionally.” So rude.) ;-)

My whole life I’ve had my nose stuck in a book. My mom used to find me sitting behind the couch with a stack of encyclopedias (which, fyi, are a lot more entertaining to read than one might think). I always, ALWAYS have a book. I never leave home without one :)

That insatiable love of reading turned into diaries filled with bad poetry and half written stories, and one day, several years ago, I typed the words THE END on a fully formed novel. And I was hooked.

What about you? Have you always been a writer, no matter what other professions you may have (or still do) worked in along the way? If not, what started the journey for you?

Contest Deets!

I'd love for all my new friends to meet my old friends, and according to my husband my bookshelves are in serious danger of collapsing, and we have no room for another one, sooooo, here's what I've come up with:

For every 5 new followers we get here at the Operation Awesome Blog, I will give away 1 book. Starting right now (with 153 followers), 7am PST going till 11:59pm on Sat the 24th. If we get more than 50 new followers, (because I don't know if I can bear to give away more than 10 books LOL), I'll throw in a $20 gift certificate to the online book retailer of your choice (B&N/Borders/Amazon).*

To Enter:

1. Be or become a follower at Operation Awesome.
2. Give me a shout out in the comments on this post or my post at my personal blog HERE.

That's it! :)

Winner will be announced next Sunday. Good luck!

*International entries are welcome. If an international contestant wins, I'll add $10 to the gift certificate instead of sending books.