Title: PINK’S CHAIR
Genre: Fiction; Ages 3 - 8
Word Count: 696
Genre: Fiction; Ages 3 - 8
Word Count: 696
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
PBParty #20: SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, Ownvoices, Fiction
Title: SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS
Genre: Ownvoices, fiction, educational
Word Count: 630
Genre: Ownvoices, fiction, educational
Word Count: 630
PBParty #21: LAMB CHOPPERS, Humorous, Arthur/Illustrator
TITLE: Lamb Choppers
GENRE: Ed/Fictional PB
WORD COUNT: 370
PBParty #24: BUFFALO WILD, Ownvoices, Fiction
Title: Buffalo Wild
Genre: OWNVOICES PB Fiction
Word Count: 890
Genre: OWNVOICES PB Fiction
Word Count: 890
PBParty #25: MY SHAPE IS SAM, Gender Nonconformity, Fiction
Title: My Shape is Sam
Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 480
PBParty #26: BETTY BUILDS IT, Humorous Author/Illustrator
Title: BETTY BUILDS IT
Genre: Picture Book
Word Count: 300 words
Genre: Picture Book
Word Count: 300 words
Monday, April 3, 2017
A Goal Set- And Why Promotion is So Hard
It's good to have goals. Goals keep you moving forward, give you something to strive toward, and provide incentive to work harder.
The Chicago Cubs made their goal of winning the World Series last year. I think I can give myself a kick and try and achieve something just for me.
I've been rather lax on promoting my Birth of Saints series lately. It goes against the grain to beg people to read my books, as epic fantasy isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. (Though those who give it a try are pleasantly surprised.) I'm much more comfortable working for other folks and using my contests to try and match writers with agents, or reading and promoting for friends' books. Much easier to speak up for others than for myself. I've been told that's quite a common feeling.
Self-promotion seems like a mixture of bragging and being selfish and we've been trained since forever to put others first. By we, I mostly mean ladies. We're supposed to give, not receive. Take care of others and neglect ourselves. Not shout about our accomplishments from the roof tops.
But hey, "I GOT AN EPIC FANTASY SERIES PUBLISHED BY A BIG 5 AND IT'S AMAZING!!" (Yes, that was hard to do.)
I'm setting my goal small and manageable in hopes it inspires me to keep going. I want to see if I can get 11 more ratings on Goodreads for GRUDGING by June. That will take the overall number to 100, which is a nice round number.
Just a small goal to help me work toward getting over my reluctance to promote.
Total bonus if the ratings include some honest reviews or get copied to Amazon or elsewhere. Even better if it results in some new fans. You never know, it might help me feel a little better about promoting my own writing.
So deep breath. Here goes. I'll be checking back in with my progress. Here's the blurb and some links in case you want to help out. And if you have this same problem speaking out and self-promoting, I'd love to hear how you get over that feeling.
The Chicago Cubs made their goal of winning the World Series last year. I think I can give myself a kick and try and achieve something just for me.
I've been rather lax on promoting my Birth of Saints series lately. It goes against the grain to beg people to read my books, as epic fantasy isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. (Though those who give it a try are pleasantly surprised.) I'm much more comfortable working for other folks and using my contests to try and match writers with agents, or reading and promoting for friends' books. Much easier to speak up for others than for myself. I've been told that's quite a common feeling.
Self-promotion seems like a mixture of bragging and being selfish and we've been trained since forever to put others first. By we, I mostly mean ladies. We're supposed to give, not receive. Take care of others and neglect ourselves. Not shout about our accomplishments from the roof tops.
But hey, "I GOT AN EPIC FANTASY SERIES PUBLISHED BY A BIG 5 AND IT'S AMAZING!!" (Yes, that was hard to do.)
I'm setting my goal small and manageable in hopes it inspires me to keep going. I want to see if I can get 11 more ratings on Goodreads for GRUDGING by June. That will take the overall number to 100, which is a nice round number.
Just a small goal to help me work toward getting over my reluctance to promote.
Total bonus if the ratings include some honest reviews or get copied to Amazon or elsewhere. Even better if it results in some new fans. You never know, it might help me feel a little better about promoting my own writing.
So deep breath. Here goes. I'll be checking back in with my progress. Here's the blurb and some links in case you want to help out. And if you have this same problem speaking out and self-promoting, I'd love to hear how you get over that feeling.
A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.
The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.
On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.
The Women of the Song.
But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.
A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.
The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.
On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.
The Women of the Song.
But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.
A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
PBParty 2017 Selections
Here we go. Sharon and I tried to give this much thought and pick a good variety of entries. We kept an eye out for diversity, but also for unique concepts or interesting methods. We found entries that made us laugh and those that made us cry.
Before the reveal, I just want to remind everyone that contests are for fun and meeting other writers, building contacts. In no way are they a reflection on a story. There are only 27 picks out of 250 entries. Maybe people have entered contests and gotten no love, only to get an agent from the query slush--like me. For one thing, we are limited to the number of picks we can showcase, while an agent is not. So keep querying, keep writing those adorable picture and chapter books.
It's very tough. I know the disappointment. Hugs. Use it to keep going.
Please if your title is on the list, watch my blog early on Wednesday and check your entry for typos or formatting problems. Let me know as soon as possible what needs fixed in this post or on twitter.
So here are the picks, listed in the order in which they were received and color coded just for fun.
How a Boy and His Violin Fought the Nazis
Herbie: A Young Seagull Soars
She Looked Up
Super Old
Tulip's Garden
A Formula for a Friend
My Lost Friend
Nora Super Spy
Gracie Goes Glamping
Dragongarten
The Sea
The Great Holiday Cookie Fight
Limerick Comics
Dynamic-Duo Superheroes to the Rescue
The Perfect Pitch
Guess Who? Amazing Animal Babies
Miriam and Zainab
Elizabeth Keckly, Sewing Her Way to Freed
Pink's Chair
Seven Golden Rings
Lamb Choppers
Underwear Strike
Roxy at the Wheel
Buffalo Wild
My Shape is Sam
Betty Builds It
WhatIfs
Congrats to the finalists! Hugs to those who will be watching! See you next week for the agent round.
 |
| A writer's life in video: Happy, sad, Happy, sad |
Before the reveal, I just want to remind everyone that contests are for fun and meeting other writers, building contacts. In no way are they a reflection on a story. There are only 27 picks out of 250 entries. Maybe people have entered contests and gotten no love, only to get an agent from the query slush--like me. For one thing, we are limited to the number of picks we can showcase, while an agent is not. So keep querying, keep writing those adorable picture and chapter books.
It's very tough. I know the disappointment. Hugs. Use it to keep going.
Please if your title is on the list, watch my blog early on Wednesday and check your entry for typos or formatting problems. Let me know as soon as possible what needs fixed in this post or on twitter.
So here are the picks, listed in the order in which they were received and color coded just for fun.
How a Boy and His Violin Fought the Nazis
Herbie: A Young Seagull Soars
She Looked Up
Super Old
Tulip's Garden
A Formula for a Friend
My Lost Friend
Nora Super Spy
Gracie Goes Glamping
Dragongarten
The Sea
The Great Holiday Cookie Fight
Limerick Comics
Dynamic-Duo Superheroes to the Rescue
The Perfect Pitch
Guess Who? Amazing Animal Babies
Miriam and Zainab
Elizabeth Keckly, Sewing Her Way to Freed
Pink's Chair
Seven Golden Rings
Lamb Choppers
Underwear Strike
Roxy at the Wheel
Buffalo Wild
My Shape is Sam
Betty Builds It
WhatIfs
Congrats to the finalists! Hugs to those who will be watching! See you next week for the agent round.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Cover Reveal for Body Parts
BODY PARTS
by Jessica Kapp
Coming 15 August 2017
from Diversion Books
Genres: YA Suspense, SciFi, Dystopian
"People would kill for her body."
Coming 15 August 2017
from Diversion Books
Genres: YA Suspense, SciFi, Dystopian
"People would kill for her body."
Preorder Now :-)
BODY PARTS
by Jessica Kapp
Teen/Young Adult SciFi Dystopian
by Jessica Kapp
Teen/Young Adult SciFi Dystopian
Publisher: Diversion books
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Format: Paperback from Amazon: $14.99
People would kill for her body.
Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha’s been sculpted into a world-class athlete. Her trainers have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family, even though personal health has taken a backseat outside the training facility. While Tabitha swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, hoping to find a permanent home, the rest of the community takes pills produced by pharmaceutical giant PharmPerfect to erase their wrinkles, grow hair, and develop superhuman strength.
When Tabitha’s finally paired, instead of being taken to meet her new parents, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason for her perfect health: PharmPerfect is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs. And her friends from the center, the only family she’s ever known, are next in line to be harvested.
Determined to save them, Tabitha joins forces with her rescuers, led by moody and mysterious Gavin Stiles. As they race to infiltrate the hospital and uncover the rest of PharmPerfect’s secrets, though, Tabitha finds herself with more questions than answers. Will trusting the enigmatic group of rebels lead her back to the slaughterhouse?
About the Author
Jessica always thought her penmanship would improve with age. She even wished for it on her eleventh birthday. To improve her legibility and speed, she hijacked her grandma’s typewriter—a really cool one with white correction tape—and started creating fictional worlds. That same grandma took Jessica to her first writers’ group meeting where she shared a story about fairies. The writing sucked, but with time, her craft began to improve. Sadly, her penmanship has not.
Today she writes Contemporary and Speculative Fiction for Young Adults. Story ideas often strike at inopportune times, and she’s been known to text herself reminders from under the covers.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, March 25, 2017
March PBParty Submission Day
CLOSED!
The agent round will be April 5th - 7th. See the list of agents here.
Please be a follower of this blog. You can click the "Join this Site" button in the left sidebar. Or if that is stubborn and won't work, you can subscribe to my newsletter or follow @Michelle4Laughs on twitter. I imagine I will be tweeting hints as well as partying!
You may send two entries for different manuscripts in separate emails. That's two and only two, whether you have multiple pen names or multiple email addresses. Please be honest and not send more. Only one entry will be chosen per person. If you send two, still only one will be picked. Any attempt to cheat will result in entries thrown out (and sadly it has happened in the past.)
On March 26 at noon Eastern the submission window opens. Do not send early or your entry will be deleted. You may resend at the correct time if this happens. I'm recycling an email address as I already have too many. Please send your entry to SunversusSnow at yahoo dot com.
You should receive a confirmation email. If you do not, please contact me on twitter before resending.We want to get a good count of entries and duplicates make that harder. The window will stay open until we get 250 entries. However long that takes. It could be minutes or it could be days, but I'm betting there will be plenty of time this round.
This contest is only for finished and polished manuscripts. It has to be ready to go out to agents.
The Format:
Subject Line of your Email: PBParty: Title
Example: PBParty: Hot Tub Santa
Inside the email please bold where bolded in my example. Single space with spaces between paragraphs. Use Times New Roman or equivalent font and the size should be 12.
(Here's a trick to keep your paragraph spacing: copy and paste your entry into your email and then put in the line spaces. They seem to get lost when you copy and paste. It may look right but sending scrambles the spacing.)
Name: Sharon Chriscoe
Twitter Handle: @extracleansanta (optional)
Title: HOT TUB SANTA
Genre: (Here please tell us what type of picture book this is) Example: Board Book, Bedtime Rhyme, Nonfiction, Biography, etc. or List Chapter Book If this is OWNVOICES, please say so here!
Word Count: xxx (round to nearest ten, hundred for chapter books)
Query:
Your entire query letter here. Include your comps, bio, greeting, closing. Please be sure to note diversity and ownvoices in the query as well. (You may use whatever you want for a greeting. Dear Agent. Dear Michelle and Sharon.)
Here is your chance to make your entry shine and make the agent fall in love with your words.
First 50 Words:
Include your first 50 words for a picture book, 100 words for chapter books. Do not stop in the middle of a sentence. You may go over by one or two words to finish a sentence but not more than five. Single space and put spaces in between paragraphs. You may center or tab if appropriate.
Edit: For short picture books, less than 50 words may be submitted. Any count under 50 is allowed.
Also I will delete parts of entries after the contest ends, if requested. For those writers uncomfortable with their work being out there for all to see.
Bonus: You may attach one illustration to your email to show an example of your artwork. If you don't have artwork, don't worry.
Messed up formatting won't hurt you, but forgetting to include some part of the entry will. Double check before sending.
Now for the twitter party fun! Visit daily under the hashtag #PBParty to meet and greet and scout out slush hints.
Sunday, March 26 Tell us what genre you write and when you entered. Then share your muse. What gives you inspiration to write?
Monday, March 27th Do you listen to music when your write? Have word count goals? Set aside BIC time (behiney in chair)? Share your daily writing routine.
Tuesday, March 28th How do you handle writer's block? How many drafts do you write before finished?
Wednesday, March 29th Animal, vegetable, mineral. Tell us if your MC is human or something else.
Thursday, March 30th What picture/chapter book gives you the warm fuzzies? And shout out some books with diversity to spread the word on them!
Friday, March 31st What picture book character would you like for a best friend? What picture book do you remember fondly from your childhood?
Saturday, April 1st What's your best advice to get through querying? What keeps you sane?
Sunday, April 2nd Look for CP partners and make more friends. What are your favorite writing craft books?
Sharon and I are not sure when the picks will be announced, but it should be around Friday. We are so excited for the fun to start. As you've probably noticed we have a great group of agents and editors.
Good luck everyone!
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