Official DECEPTION Contest Blog Post

IT'S HERE!!!

:::dances:::

Check out my shiny new web site.

[yes, I would like my blog to have the same template. Working on it :) ]


In honor of this new web site, I have some awesome friends
who have offered to participate in a CONTEST!


DECEPTION Contest Deets


Click the DECEPTION book cover on my web site page OR right here (so you won't get lost clicking) --------->


Watch the video.

Discover the SUPER AWESOME PRIZE.

Leave your contest entries below!!!

(Warning: The video is 5 minutes BUT it's 2 min of interview w/ the lovely Lee Nichols, 1 minute of contest deets, and a min and a half of contest rules/how to enter)

Thank you SO SO SO SO much to the amazing Mandy Hubbard (author as well as agent at D4EO), Victoria Marini (associate agent at Gelfman Schneider Lit), and Lee Nichols for all their help!

~K


***Edit: Grand prize winner is for YA/MG, only.

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Apologies for the wonkey layout/changes - I'll be updating the blog over the next few days to a new system. 

Keep up w/ me on TWITTER for an announcement on when it's back in working order.

~K

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QueryTracker Contest Follow Up

So first of all, I'd like to give a shout out to the fabulous Patrick and Suzette of QueryTracker.com, because they are mad crazy organized when it comes to not only setting up the contests, but also e-mailing the winners' entries to me. 

Second, thank you to the winners for their....well, most of their....patience :) It took longer than I thought it would, because I thought a post-contest roundup would be good so people could get an idea of why I reject, why I request, and what some numbers look like. A few last-minute work items came up, which prolonged my reading, but it's done. Everyone (should) have their feedback. If for some reason you did NOT receive an email from me, please leave a comment below or e-mail me at blog.kortizzle(at)gmail.com

On to the stats!

We'll start with genres. In Middle Grade, I received some animal, mystery, and boy stories; however, the following definitely took the lead: Sci-fi (4), Contemporary (5), Paranormal (5), and Fantasy (11).

In Young Adult, I received some magical realism, fairy tale retelling, sports, dystopian and historial. The leaders were Suspense (3), Sci-fi (6),  Contemporary (14), Urban Fantasy (13), Fantasy (14), and Paranormal (29).

Paranormal and fantasy included ghosts, dream walkers, 

wizards, witches, time travel, mermaids, vampires, immortals, fairies, pixies, and some creatures I've never heard of, which were actually quite unique.

Note that the numbers may be a bit off, because some people decided to lump categories. Sometimes they would call it 'contemporary' when it was clearly involving some form of supernatural element. I didn't have time (nor enough information from the first chapter) to pick it apart that much. So I just took the notes based on information provided and what I read.

Reasons for rejections. I'm going to bullet these, as I'll explain what they mean. The numbers will add up to more than 100, because sometimes I had multiple reasons for rejecting:

• Word count was too high: 11 (I'm not reading a YA submission at 120,000 words) (QueryTracker actually just blogged about word count from several agents' and even an editor's point of view)
• Word count too low: 3 (a YA sci-fi at 30,000 words? Really needs to be beefed up) 
• Voice: 26 (I think Nathan Bransford describes voice in this post better than I've seen anywhere else)
• Not for me: 13 (In this instance, it doesn't mean there was anything standing out at me about the writing or voice. It's just a simple case that the subject matter or plot just didn't stand out enough for me to really want to read more)
• MC: 13 (I didn't connect with/become emotionally invested in the main character)
• Plot: 9 (Plot was all over the place / not well formulated for me to continue reading)
• Backstory: 7 (The entire section sent was either backstory or a prologue, both of which I usually skip)
• Telling instead of showing: 9 (don't tell me your MC is mad, show me they're mad; don't tell me your MC is sad, show me they're sad. There needs to be a fine balance between the two.)
• Age: 9 (stated it was a YA when it was definitely more of a MG and vice versa)
• Action: 6 (ok, I definitely want to be grabbed from the get-go, but you can't have TOO much going on to the point that I don't know who the characters are, what their importance is or who's doing what.)
• Other: didn't include pitch (if you can't follow instructions, then I won't bother reading), too many cliches, and dialogue wasn't convincing for the age group.

On a happier note, what did I request? Total, I requested 14 partials.

• MG: 3 (animal, magical realism and mystery)
• YA: 11 (some paranormal (specifically creatures/situations I've not seen in YA - except for ONE vampire one...it was just captivating, different and I was shocked it pulled me in), contemporary, and a fantasy. Contemporary definitely was the higher requested group.)

These are great odds, considering there were 100 entries; however, I went based on the first chapter and a one-sentence pitch. I have no idea if the plot is something I'm interested in or if the rest of the story will match. Lately I've noticed that the first 1-30 pages are AMAZING and then the story falls apart. I have a feeling this is a result of so many contests out there for opening page critiques. I'm so not against that (obviously), but if you receive constructive feedback and choose to apply it to your manuscript, you must apply it to the entire manuscript. Just the opening pages are not enough.

Obviously, I'm hoping all 14 are super fabulous :-D I need more clients in the KOrtizzle Army.

I'd like to clarify a few items:

• No. I'm not a fan of "space or alien" stories. Why? I haven't come across one that is unique enough and captivating enough to draw me in. Before agenting, I was quite turned off by the first person POV - and my clients broke me of that with their amazing manuscripts. So I don't advertise as to what I'm not usually a fan of reading, because tastes change and the right manuscript can easily sway my interests.
• Yes. I really enjoyed this contest. I loved the wide variety of manuscripts, and the opportunity to work on a unique contest/prize that I've yet to do. 
• No. I don't need to always read the entire first chapter to figure out if it's something I'll like. However, if I stopped at a certain point (usually between pages 2-4), I do skim the rest just in case something catches my eye and gives me a reason to read. Teens won't keep reading if they don't like it, and neither do I. I want to love the things I request. But I can't love it all. However, it's a really subjective business. What one person may love another may not, so that's why you should query widely.
• Yes. I requested to see more from the 14 winners for the following reasons: good voice, unique and their plot sucked me into their world.
• No. I was not surprised that a lot of writers don't know what a genre is. "Young Adult" and "Middle Grade" are not genres. "Edgy" is not a genre. "Fantasy," "Mystery," and "Historical" are genres. 

I'm not writing this post to point fingers or call people out. It's definitely more so you can get an idea of what I saw from my point of view.

If anything, there are three things you should get from this:

1. Paranormal is clearly still a front-runner in unsolicited submissions. So if you're going to write in that genre, it has to stand out even more than if it were another genre.
2. Regardless of the genre or age group, the writing is what stands out the most. As I said above, there were a couple requests where I really don't know if it's something I normally would have requested - but the writing was enough to make me want to read more.
3. I really do like slush. I wouldn't have offered to do this contest otherwise.

What do you think of the stats? Do you see anything you've done in the past? 

Next blog: Book Trailers: NOT Movie Trailers

~K

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Photoshop + Friends = HIlariousness

So I missed two good friends' graduation from grad school because of BEA foreign rights meetings this year. I was sad to not be in the stands to cheer them on, but I was able to make it to the after party (I swear it wasn't.... convenient or anything....)

These four ladies (3 who work in publishing, as well) welcomed me to NYC with open arms and I love them for it! Further more, they were so thoughtful and decided to Photoshop me into their group photo so I wouldn't feel as though I missed it!

Hehehe.

Friends rock.

Their Facebook caption? "Kathleen would have been included in the group hug, but her t-rex arms couldn't reach."

Happy Tuesday all!

~K

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QueryTracker Contest Update

You may recall that on June 4 I made a very bold statement in a blog post:

hope to have answered everyone no later than Monday June 14

Alas, that has not happened* ::sobs:: After a Saturday of reading entries, I took a day off on Sunday to clear out the mind (no one can read for 48 hrs straight and stay sane) and attend an 'interactive art festival'. <--- that was interesting...I'm not hippie enough for that sort of thing...two words: Glitter. Pool. (friend jumped in and came out looking like a Cullen Vampire in the sun)**

Read some more today, and I'm definitely not going to make the 11:59 p.m. deadline.

Grr.

However, based on the number I've read so far, I feel happy with saying that I'll be done with the rest by Wednesday June 16.

I hope the entire 48 hr delay doesn't screw with anyone's schedule ;-)

~K


*If you didn't notice, I was being sarcastic. I just wanted to let people know what the deal is so I don't get a rush of "I think my response was lost in e-mail land" emails.

**If you don't get the Cullen reference, then congratulations: you're one of a handful of people who have yet to read/see/hear/joke/see about Twilight.

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Why so picky?

I get it.

I really do.

First you write this amazing, unique, can't-put-it-down-I'm-so-frickin'-into-it manuscript.

Then you edit. And beta. And edit. And beta. And maybe throw something at the computer screen. And edit again. And cuddle it. And then maybe, flip it the bird. But in the end, it's still your baby.

Then you have to write this fabulous, earth-shattering query that will knock the socks off of any agent who reads it. You should leave them salivating for more.

Then you (hopefully) receive that e-mail all writers hope to get:

I want to see more.

This is, obviously, a good thing; however, what you do next can make/break an agent's opinion of you.

Just like you (hopefully) followed submission guidelines, you should also follow partial/full guidelines.

But what if the agent doesn't give you submission guidelines for a requested partial/full??

Here are a few tips if the agent gives no specific instructions outside of "I'd like to read the first pages":

• Stick to the number of pages requested, whether it's 10, 30, 50, 75 or 100. Each agent is different and has their reasons for requesting a certain number of pages.
• Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, indent paragraphs.
• Just because the agent gives a page limit (example: 30) doesn't mean you should stop in the mid... (it's cool to stop at the end of a sentence if it takes another page. It doesn't mean you should include another entire page worth of information, though.)
• Unless something severe has happened (death in the family, you're in the hospital, you're on vacation for 8 weeks), send the requested material within 3 business days. It looks really bad if you wait an extended period of time, and usually my initial response is, "Wow. They didn't have a completed manuscript." If you're nervous and just want time to edit/give it another read, then it wasn't ready to submit in the first place.
• Attach as either a .doc or .rtf - it's a pain to open a document in any other format.
• Write some type of reply in the body of the e-mail. Don't just send an attachment. It would help to re-paste the query in the body of the e-mail so it makes it easier for the agent to refer to the information.

Again, these are basic guidelines if the agent does NOT give specifics when requesting a partial.

What brought this on?

I have pretty specific guidelines to ensure I can read the partial with no setbacks. I request one word document (or .rtf) with the query as the first page, followed by the 3-5 page synopsis and then followed by the first 30 pages. 

Why?

It's easier for me to just drag and drop from e-mail to ereader so I can read it later on. When I open the document, I don't have to scratch my head and wonder which partial this is that I'm about to read. I can refer to the query and either read the synopsis or skip to the sample pages. It's all right there in one little organized package.

I've held and participated in several contests recently, and several queries/partials have led to my requesting to read more. I give the same guidelines for submitting, and amazingly, several people just disregard. I get everything from the query in the body of the email with two attachments (one synopsis, one partial) to everything pasted in the body of the email.

This shows either you can't follow directions, or you just didn't care. Either way, it's a red flag to me.

I'll still read the partial; however, if I have 50 partials to transfer to my ereader and about 10 of them didn't follow directions, I'm not even going to bother to put them together. They get left in my "to read" folder on my desktop and eventually when I have a moment, I'll read them. However, I'd much prefer to read them on my ereader when I'm on the go or even if I'm just hanging out at the park or at home and have an urge to sift through submissions.

I want to find something good. I do. I've found some frickin' amazing things in the slush and I signed them. I want more like that. I want to sign you. But you have to start by showing me you can follow simple submission guidelines.

What do you think? Are agent requests for submission formats/directions too harsh? What would you do if faced with 50 incoming submission requests in 50 different forms?

Next blog topic: book trailers

~K

**Edit: Just want to clarify that Erinn hit the nail on the head in the comments section. I'm not saying I won't read or even consider a partial or full which hasn't been properly submitted. (Queries, however, I will delete without reading if you don't use the online form). Because if the writing is good, then it's good and that's the #1 item that counts. However, I'm going to question the lack of direction following if I move to offer representation. And it's definitely going to be added to my "I'll read this later" pile, because again - if it doesn't go on the e-reader, it's going to take longer for me to get to it.

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YA Erotica?

So if you're out of the loop, I'm currently answering questions on the Ask Agent AW thread.

Imagine my surprise when I come across this one...





Hi Kathleen!

I’ve completed my YA book at 98,000 words but can’t figure out the genre. It’s a multi-racial romance paranormal, set in a post-apocalyptic future, about a drug-dealing, old soul who is in love with an evil dark witch. All my beta’s think I should be querying it as erotica because of the hot smex scenes.

So my question is, is there such a thing as YA Erotica? Because my characters are both 17.

Thanks!

PS - I hope you had fun on vacation





I seriously had a ::jaw-droppage:: moment.

Then I laughed my face off.


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to ponder revenge on some sneaky clients....

~K

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Query Tracker Contest - Update

For those who got through and won one of 100 spots in the Query Tracker contest:

I'm currently out of the state and not due to return to NYC until Monday. I'll be sifting through entries (in no particular order) and hope to have answered everyone no later than Monday June 14. Entries will be read out of the office, and I do have other partials that are first in the queue. I want to ensure I give myself enough time to get through all of them.

You will receive one of two replies:

• I will highlight where I stopped reading and give a brief reason as to why. = rejection (Please note that if you choose to re-query in the future, that's fine; however, there's no guarantee I'll ask to see it again. Also, if my response is 'this is simply not for me,' then that's exactly what it means. Sometimes a particular subject/topic/plot just doesn't grasp my interest and does not mean your writing/style isn't good. It just means it's not for me. Don't read into it. It is what it is.)
• I will ask to see more = partial or full request

I will post another message on June 14th to confirm I have replied to everyone. If you don't hear from me by then, by all means feel free to let me know. However, I wanted everyone to know the time frame so they didn't see others posting they received a response and then wondering why they haven't heard back (it's 100 first chapters. It'll take some time).

Thank you to Patrick and Suzette for all your hard work and for inviting me to participate!

Thanks!

~K

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Contests All Around

So I want to plug one contest I'm part of and one I'm not (specifically because the one I'm not part of is one I want to enter LOL)


Contest #1: Hosted by QUERY TRACKER! Contest opens at 9 p.m. EST TONIGHT and is open only to the first 100 people. Enter at their contest page. EVERYONE WHO ENTERS IS A WINNER:

This contest is not for whiners! It is only open to those who are willing to receive honest feedback. Ms. Ortiz will:

• Treat every entry as a partial submission
• Read every entry TO THE POINT SHE WOULD NORMALLY STOP READING on a partial submission
• She will tell you why she stopped reading
• She will request more of the manuscript only if it is something she would normally request.

The chance to enter a partial and then have me tell you exactly where and why I stopped reading? I personally think it's helpful...


Contest #2: Hosted by the fabulous Laura Fitzgerald of the digital marketing department of Tor. She's hosting a contest on her brand-new, sparkly, awesome, pretty, cool blog Ink In All Forms

I'm diggin' the blog name. Very cool.

You get points for a variety of actions, including answering one of the following Qs: "Who is your favorite author?" or "What is your post-apocalyptic society survival skill?" Hilarious, right? I look forward to reading those comments.

The prize? TWELVE YA BOOKS o_O

Twelve. Doce. 12. One-Two. 1-2. Douze. a dozen. zwölf. 十二 (Shí èr). dodici. 열두 (yeoldu)



Laura's contest ends this Friday, so enter while you can! :)


Have a fabulous week everyone!

~K

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