On the TWELFTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

....a MYSTERY BOX to you from me!

I know, I know. Could I be any more vague? 

But seriously...it's a box...with awesome stuff.

How do I know it's awesome?

Because I said so, that's why ;-)

Items that could (but are not guaranteed to be) in the mystery box:

• Certificate for a query critique
• Books
• Certificate for a Skype session to ask me anything
• Books
• Certificate for a partial critique
• Books
• Janet Reid More books
• Play-Doh
• Mango the Cat More books 
• Coal
• More books (do you see a trend?)
• Certificate for an ARC of your choice (if I have it on hand)
• Nothing
• Beck, The Intern More books

Ok. I can guarantee you won't get an empty box, at least, lol. But I will say there will be at least four different items, all of which I'm sure you'll enjoy.

If you're already agented, then I'll tailor the box around that (i.e. it won't have a query critique if I was planning on putting one in there). If you hate to read, I won't put any books in there then you shouldn't be entering.

How to Enter

Tweet or leave a comment w/ your guess as to what's in the MYSTERY BOX. The catch? It has to be funny. Because I like to laugh and others like to laugh.

The craziest/funniest entry wins! (the other contests have been decided based on a random number generator)

1."It's a (Item here) ! http://bit.ly/ffOHiF #TCUHBIP" You MUST have the hash tag so i can find your entry! (or my @name -- but you can omit the @ name if you have the hash tag)

or

2. Leave a comment below with your craziest/funniest guess.

This contest is open to both domestic and international participants.

Contest will run from 10 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday December 22

GOOD LUCK!!! Thanks to all who have participated over the past week and a half!

I'll be blogging an end-of-the-year post tomorrow with winners, stats and more.

Happy holidays!

~KO

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On the ELEVENTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a SIGNED copy of THE DUFF from Kody!

There's a little backstory involved here.....

See, I made a bet with Kody about BEA (if you don't remember, click here to see photos of me...in pink). 

And she was supposed to sing RAINBOW BRITE on YouTube.

So she was here this summer, and we met up. I recorded her singing (three times, because my MacBook kept messing up), and she was AH-MAY-ZING.

But then my MacBook decided to give me the finger around October. I ran out of space. So I transferred files to my portable hard drive, and after much searching, cannot find said video.

Trust me -- NOTHING in this world would make me happier than to post a video of Kody singing RAINBOW BRITE (I wore pink, for crying out loud). But alas, it's not going to happen today. *hangs head*

SO

My intention was to debut the video with this giveaway, but that's obviously not going to happen *wails*

But I STILL LOVE KODY and want to do this giveaway, since she was kind enough to sign a few copies of THE DUFF for me the last time she was in town.

Poppy '10

 Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him.   And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
   But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
 Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. 

Kody Keplinger

     Kody was born and raised in rural western Kentucky, where she attended high school and began writing her first long pieces of fiction. She wrote THE DUFF during her senior year at McLean County High.
     Kody is now nineteen and attending Ithaca College in New York where she's majoring in writing and finishing her second novel to be published by Poppy in Fall 2011.
    She loves books, converse tennis shoes, New York City, and popular TV teen dramas. When she isn't writing, she's spending time with her friends and, most likely, doing piles and piles of homework she has neglected.
     Kody is a contributor to the writing blog YA Highway and a member of the contemporary, realistic YA fiction group The Contemps.
     You can also follow Kody on Twitter.



ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

That's not where it ends! Kody's latest sale was just announced this month!

Nineteen-year-old Duff author Kody Keplinger's LUSTSTRUCK, a contemporary reimagining of the Greek play "Lysistrata," that explores the issues of teen sexuality as high school senior Lissa decides it's time to end her school's ridiculous sports rivalry once and for all with a hook-up strike, to Kate Sullivan at Poppy, for publication in Fall 2011, by Joanna Volpe at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation (World).

Huzzah for Kody!

If you need ANY other type of convincing as to whether or not you want a copy of THE DUFF (because my telling you isn't enough? come on!), check out Jaime Reed's hilarious review here.

The Prize

A signed hardcover copy of THE DUFF and some DUFF bookmarks!

How to Enter

1. Your must follow me and Kody on Twitter and Tweet "Hey @Kody_Keplinger! Tell @KOrtizzle to give me THE DUFF! http://bit.ly/efpHjI  #TCUHBIP"

or

2. Leave a comment below stating why YOU'RE a DUFF.

This contest is open to both domestic participants, only

Contest will run from 10 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday December 21

GOOD LUCK!!!

~KO

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On the TENTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

....a copy of BALANCING ACTS by Zoe Fishman!

(I've given up on the rhyming....)

Zoe grew up in Mobile, Alabama. As a wee one, she would walk home from school and talk to herself as she verbally mapped out Barbie and Ken’s upcoming altercation(s) with Skipper. She loved homework and cleaning. She was wild!

Later, she attended Boston University, where she spent her time destroying her teeth with Swedish Fish and explaining to her peers that people actually did wear shoes in Alabama.

After college, she arrived in New York with nary a clue and an inflated sense of self-importance. Her first apartment was dubbed ‘Wild Kingdom’ because of her mouse, roach and pigeon roommates. She took a job in book publishing and, despite a brief foray into the world of web writing - touting luxury goods out of a beige office with bad carpeting in Chelsea and writing horoscopes based on planet formations from Iceland (best job ever, by the way) – never looked back.

Today, Zoe is the Foreign Rights Director and an agent for The Nancy Yost Literary Agency. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, whom she met on the subway after four plus years of trying to get up the nerve to say hello to him.Balancing Acts is her first novel.

For these four friends, yoga is just the beginning... 

Fans of The Friday Night Knitting Cluband Girls in Trucks will welcome this charming and moving novel about four women—10 years after their college graduation and in the midst of life crises—who help each other balance their former dreams with their present lives through the power of yoga and friendship.

Charlie seemed to have it all—beauty, brains and a high-paying Wall Street job far away from her simple Midwest upbringing. Then, in the middle of her “quarter life crisis,” she decides that the banker’s life isn’t what she wanted after all, quits her job and opens her own yoga studio in Brooklyn. But like any new business, finding customers is an uphill battle. When she hears about her college’s alumni night, she straps on her best salesman smile and invades midtown -determined to drum up some business.

Unexpectedly, she reconnects with three college classmates—women who, like Charlie, haven’t ended u quite where they wanted to in life. Sabine, a romance book editor, still longs to write the novel brewing inside of her. Naomi, a child of the Upper East Side, was an up-and-coming photographer and social darling, but now is a single mom who hasn’t picked up her camera in years. Bess, a California girl trying to make it in New York dreams of being the next Christiane Amanpour, but instead finds herself writing snarky captions for a gossip mag, which is neither satisfying nor rewarding. When Charlie, who has her own past to contend with, signs them up for a weekly beginner’s yoga class, they become all too aware of the lack of balance in their lives. Each has to dig deep and fight their inner demons to reconnect with what they truly want out of life.

With wit and sensitivity, debut author Zoe Fishman perfectly captures the poignancy, humor, and promise in these four women's lives. Balancing Acts is a sincere look at what happens when you’re ten years out of college but feel 100 years from who you once were.

How to Enter

1. Your must follow me on Twitter and Tweet "I want the copy of BALANCING ACTS, @KOrtizzle! http://bit.ly/dUiRwK  #TCUHBIP"

or

2. Leave a comment below stating you'd like the copy of BALANCING ACTS

This contest is open to both domestic participants, only

Contest will run from 10 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday December 20

GOOD LUCK!!!

~KO


(Last week's winners will be posted later this PM)

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On the NINTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...an evaluation of your online platform (for free).



So today's prize is (in my opinion) much, MUCH more suited for agented authors or published authors; however, it's open to everyone.

Basically I'll ask the winner to send me their web site and/or all links of their social media outlets. I'll evaluate it from a professional standpoint and essentially give you a report that an online marketing firm would give you if you were to request this service (and most firms charge anywhere from $500-$1,000 for this service). I'll tell you what I think should be changed and how to fix it / improve it.

In addition to my bio on my web site, I've also worked with improving the online presence of a handful of local magazines in Florida to improve their online presence, as well as a few indie bands, a couple of private high schools and several of our agency's authors. I work regularly with marketing firms whom have been contracted by our authors, so I know exactly what they put in these reports and am happy to help the winning author improve their online presence.

How to Enter


1. Your must follow me on Twitter and Tweet "Please evaluate my online presence, @KOrtizzle! http://bit.ly/fVj1Vw #TCUHBIP"

or
2. You must write a blog post about this contest on your own blog and then leave the link in the comments so I can find it (or if you don't have a blog, leave it in a form that won't boot you for leaving links).




This contest is open to both domestic and international participants
Contest will run from 10 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday December 17

GOOD LUCK!!!
~KO



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On the EIGHTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a 20-minute Skype chat with agents Kathleen Ortiz and Liz Jote!

Liz!

Elizabeth Jote began her publishing career at Carol Mann Agency before joining Objective Entertainment. She has helped shape the manuscripts of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and developed concepts for bestselling authors while cultivating her own list of cutting-edge clients. She is most interested in commercial fiction (women's fiction, thrillers, mysteries, young adult and multicultural books), narrative non-fiction and graphic novels. When she isn't obsessively studying and pontificating about what's going on in the zeitgeist, she can be found sipping unfortunate amounts of coffee while reading your manuscript and saving stray kittens.

Tired of my face pic...

Kathleen Ortiz began her publishing career as an intern with Fine Print Literary, Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation and the Caren Johnson Literary Agency. She then moved on to Lowenstein Associates as an assistant and is now Foreign Rights and Audio manager as well as an Associate Agent. She is most interested in children's books (specifically chapter books, middle grade and young adult), contemporary women's fiction, romance (paranormal or urban fantasy) and non-fiction (specifically entertainment, women's issues and technology). When she isn't reading your manuscript, she can be found tackling her last semester in graduate school, drinking (what should be) illegal amounts of red eyed chais and teaching her sister's cat, Mango, how to sit (true story -- we've moved on to 'lay down'. Not quite sure 'shake' will ever happen.). Contrary to popular belief, she does not have green skin.

Both Liz and Kathleen host NeoAgent, a publishing podcast series which can be found on iTunes.

(I owe you guys a post, which I hope to put up on Friday -- it's been a busy month!)

The Prize

A 20-minute Skype chat with both of us! Ask us anything you'd like relating to publishing, and you'll get two agents' perspectives on it. (This will be scheduled for after the New Year)

How to Enter

1. Your must follow @GloriousPaper on Twitter and Tweet "I wanna SKYPE with agents @GloriousPaper and @KOrtizzle! http://bit.ly/hvLvcl #TCUHBIP"

or

2. You must write a blog post about this contest on your own blog and then leave the link in the comments so I can find it.

This contest is open to both domestic and international participants

Contest will run from 8:45 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday December 16

GOOD LUCK!!!

~KO

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On the SEVENTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a Tor prize pack for you from me!
(ok, rhyming is getting more difficult)

Today's prize pack includes three recent Tor releases!

Tor - Aug. '10

Tor - Aug '10

Oct '10

How to Enter

1. Your must follow @TorBooks on Twitter and Tweet "Hey @KOrtizzle! Gimmee the @TorBooks prize pack, PULEASE! http://bit.ly/hUmUJZ  #TCUHBIP"

or

2. Leave a comment below telling me what YOUR favorite Tor book is and why! (adult or YA, either will work) and link this to your own blog.

This contest is open only to participants in the U.S.

Contest will run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday December 15

GOOD LUCK!!!

~KO

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On the SIXTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a romance prize pack from "The Godmother of Historical Romance" Nancy Coffey!

Nancy Coffey has been called the "Godmother of Historical Romance," as the editor who started it all with a little novel called THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER by Kathleen Woodiwiss -- which in its first six years in print sold more than 4.5 million copies (in the 70s!) and is still in print 40 years later.


Since then, Nancy's worked with bestselling authors such as Rosemary Rogers, Beatrice Small, Lavyrle Spencer, and Colleen McCullogh to name a few. She continues to cultivate new talent in the genre to this day with authors like Christine Blevins and Kaki Warner.






Today's prize pack includes five amazing romance novels, including the legendary THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER!

How to Enter

1. Your must follow (via RSS feed or blogger or other way) Coffey, Tea and Literary, Nancy's agency's blog.

2a. Tweet "Hey @KOrtizzle! I'd love the romance prize pack from NCLA! http://bit.ly/espnDZ  #TCUHBIP"

or

2b. Leave a comment below.

This contest is open only to participants in the U.S.

Contest will run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday December 14

GOOD LUCK!!!

~KO

This contest is now CLOSED.

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TCUHBIP Days 1-4 Winners!

CONGRATS!

Day 1: Tony Horton book: Meradeth

Day 1: Zumba book: AL Sonnichsen

Day 2: Query Critique from Mandy Hubbard: TinaLynn_

Day 3: Intern Swag Pack: Nicole Zoltack

Day 4: Ten page Critique from Victoria Marini: Liz S.

Winners: Please email me at blog.kortizzle(at)gmail.com with your prize in the subject line and your contact info (address for book winners; email for critique winners). I'll forward your info to the correct person for prize redemption.

Congrats to all! Days 5-8 winners will be posted this Friday by 5 p.m.

Keep on entering! Much, much more to give away!!

:)

~KO



**Winners were chosen by adding up Tweets (tracked via bit.ly) and comments and using a random number generator.

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On the FIFTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

.... a 20-minute Skype chat with Meredith Barnes and Kathleen Ortiz on your Social Media platform and online marketing!
(Ask any Qs you'd like)


(Great for all writers, whether you're unagented, agented, published or not yet published!)

(that was the best I could do in terms of rhyming)

So the amazing Mer-bear is pretty awesome when it comes to knowledge of the online universe, apps and such. She offered up this prize, which I think is a fantastic idea and am so thrilled to partner up with her!

Meredith and "The Feather"

Who IS the Mer-bear?

Meredith Barnes came to FinePrint in the 2010 intern class and was quickly snagged by Janet Reid to be her familiar. At present, she is learning to drink scotch without ice cubes and stalk Jack Reacher.

We frequently sword fight over books
(I just found out this pic was posted on the
Bloomsbury Facebook page. Oy)

How to Enter

You must follow Meredith (@Mer_Barnes) on Twitter and Tweet "I wanna Skype with @KOrtizzle and @Mer_Barnes  http://bit.ly/ibfH2k #TCUHBIP #SocialMediaFTW"

or

Leave a comment below describing why YOU think you should get the opportunity to Skype with us.

This contest is open to both domestic and international participants! :)

Contest will run from 9:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday December 13

***This contest is now closed***

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On the FOURTH day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a ten-page manuscript critique from agent

Victoria Marini!



The Lovely Tori!



I’m from rural Pennsylvania originally and moved to New York in 2003. I started as an Agency Assistant with Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents Inc. in 2008 and I’m working on building a diverse and talented client list. I’m looking for Young Adult, commercial adult fiction, mysteries, creative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture and humor. I have a thing for myth, high school, paranormal, supernatural, ghosts, gothic, noir, and general mayhem. Above all, I’m looking for anything with an engaging voice, compelling narrative and authentic characters… and a commercial hook always helps

How to Enter

1. Your manuscript MUST be in one of the following genres: Young Adult, commercial adult fiction, mysteries, creative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture and humor.

2a. You must follow Tori (@tor_intheory) on Twitter and Tweet "Hey @KOrtizzle! I'd love the 10 pg crit from @tor_intheory! http://bit.ly/h0yCZA #TCUHBIP"

or
2b. Leave a comment below stating the CRAZIEST holiday experience you've ever had and the genre of the MS You want critiqued.

This contest is open to both domestic and international participants! :)

Contest will run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday December 10



GOOD LUCK!!! :)
~KO


***Contest is now CLOSED. Winners will be announced Monday morning.***

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Query Update: November

As in previous posts, here are some current query numbers (note this is for both agents here at LA):

• Total queries sent from November 1 - 30:  881 (down a little from Oct; probably because of NaNoWriMo)
• Queries sent with an unsolicited attachment (aka - automatic delete unread with no response): 11
• Queries which led to requested materials: 22 (Whoa!)
• ****Queries which led to requested materials which led to an offer of representation: 1 (YAY!)

I won't be posting December's results until around mid to late January. I'll do a Jan-Nov recap at some point this month, though.

If you're curious what October's numbers were, click here.


Anyone want to take a guess at December's numbers? I haven't looked yet.....though I'm hoping to at least get through all queries through December 20 before I leave for the holidays. After that, you'll have to wait until after the New Year.


~KO

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On the THIRD day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to me......

...a Comic-Con swag pack from our intern Becky!

So our super-amazing intern of awesome, Becky, knew about this contest and VOLUNTEERED to give some swag from comic-con!!!

She's kind of amazing (and I dub her the #evilintern on Twitter for picking on me at times -- hehe -- so if you follow that hash tag, you may see some amusing Tweets).

You should follow her on Twitter.  She's pretty hilarious and super sweet and just this package of amazingness and intelligent.

Anyway...

The prizes:

Read more here.

Read more here.

Read more here. (This is a really AWESOME prize for ANY ERAGON fan)

Learn to draw the comic version of Buffy!

Super awesome Intern is also a super awesome talented artist. She's offered up to make THREE bookplates with ANY character and a personalized name. It won't be done in time for the holidays, but it's still a cute gift. Bonus points if you know these characters :)

How to Enter

1. You must follow Becky (@tiltedlamp) on Twitter and Tweet "Yo, @tiltedlamp! Tell @KOrtizzle to give me your swag! http://bit.ly/h1KiWO #TCUHBIP"

or

2. Leave a comment below stating WHICH character YOU would pick for your name plates and why.

This contest is only for U.S. participants.

Contest will run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday December 9

GOOD LUCK!!! :)


~KO


***Contest is now CLOSED. Winners will be announced Monday morning.***

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On the SECOND day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to ME...

a critique from Mandy Hubbard for your Query!

(I'm trying to stick with the rhyming, give me a break)

Mandy Hubbard is a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. She is also the author of Prada & Prejudice (Penguin 2009), You Wish (Penguin 2010), and four other to-be-published novels for teens.

This is an excellent opportunity to not only get your query critiqued, but also to have a chance to show Mandy how awesome your story is -- I'm sure if she likes the pitch, she'll pounce on it and ask to read! 

How to Enter

1. Mandy is only open to Young Adult or Middle Grade manuscripts at this time. Please ensure your query is for one of these age groups, only.

2. You must be a follower of either Mandy's Twitter or blog.

3. Leave a comment below (only ONE blog comment entry per person) OR Tweet "Hey @KOrtizzle! I have a (MG or YA <---choose ONE, only) for @MandyHubbard. http://bit.ly/dRsm3c  #TCUHBIP " (as many Tweets as you like).

This contest is open to both domestic and international writers! 

Contest runs from Wednesday December 8 at 9 a.m. to Wednesday December 8 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Good luck everyone!

~KO


***Contest is now CLOSED. Winners will be announced Monday morning.***

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On the FIRST day of TCUHBIP, KOrtizzle gave to ME...

...a health pack so I can stay healthy!

According to Cigna.com, nearly 70% of Americans

resolve to lose weight at New Year's. So I thought, why

not have a prize pack that will help you reach your goal?

Prize: Two lucky people will win their choice of either:

ZUMBA: Ditch the Workout! Join the Party!

by Beto Perez, creator of Zumba, an exercise program that incorporates Latin music and dance! As of October 2010, there are 90,000 locations across more than 110 countries which offer Zumba classes.

BRING IT!: The Revolutionary Fitness Plan for All Levels That 

Burns Fat, Builds Muscle, and Shreds Inches

by Tony Horton, creator of the P90X and Ten-Minute Trainer, which have been designed to guarantee you'll never plateau during your weight loss regiments!

Both winners will receive one copy of the book they chose, as well as a nifty NYC water bottle and gym towel! :) 

How to enter:

Via the blog comments:  If you comment on the blog, just tell me which prize pack you want (only one!). You may enter only once on the blog.

Via Twitter: If you Tweet your entry, you must Tweet the following: 

"Hey @KOrtizzle! I want the (@zumba OR @Tony_Horton <-- choose ONE, only please) prize pack, please! http://bit.ly/euZy0i  #TCUHBIP "

You may enter as many times as you like via Twitter. 

Contest runs from 9 a.m., Tuesday December 7 to 11:59 p.m. EST, Tuesday December 7.

Unfortunately today's prize is not open to international contestants (I have some stuff that you CAN compete for later this week!)

Good luck!

~KO

***Contest is now CLOSED. Winners will be announced Wednesday afternoon.***

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November Genres

So remember that blog post where I asked which genre you thought was the most queried in November? Your options were historical, urban fantasy, sci-fi or contemporary.

Well...it's somewhat split. I didn't keep exact numbers, but from just looking at everything and remembering what sticks out most, it's a definite win for the historicals with sci-fi and urban fantasy coming up in a close second and third.

I actually do enjoy historicals very much; however, if you're going to pitch a project in that genre, make sure it has a really great commercial hook. What do I mean? Well especially in YA and MG, you have to have a plot or character that the teen or child can relate with. Let's say you have a book set in the 1800s about a family who journeys out west. Great. I love that sort of thing (Um, hello awesomeness known as Oregon Trail). But unless you have some type of mystery element or really strong romance or even a touch of fantasy, it's not going to appeal to that age group.

Think about it -- when you played Oregon Trail as a
kid (or if your kids played it as a kid), what was your favorite part? do you seriously recollect the enjoyment from learning dates and names and facts? Probably not. You either loved killing off some animals or making sure your family survived. (If you actually enjoyed having to ford the river, then...sorry. I dunno what to say to that.) The video game's purpose was to educate; however, had it not had those awesome interactive/entertaining aspects (die buffalo die*) then it probably would not have been anywhere NEAR as entertaining for kids.

Same thing with books. I do genuinely believe a good YA historical can work. You just have to find that commercial hook. The one thing that's going to keep that kid/teen engaged and turning the pages.

Was it what you thought it would be?


*I swear I love animals...but it's Oregon Trail...c'mon....
**Still working through November queries, so if you haven't heard from me, don't worry! :)

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Holiday of AWESOME Giveaway! - TCUHBIP! (Say what? Bless you?)

So, I'm not sure if anyone has spilled the secret yet, but I'm a huge fan of the 

holidays

Christmas at my parents' house - 2009 (there were
about 25 of us and yes there are gifts stuffed
under and behind the tree #SuperCrazyChoas)

So regardless of which December holiday YOU celebrate, there is something here for you!

Are you a writer? I have a prize for you.

Are you just a book fan? Prize for you, too. 

Nosy blog reader who hates books? Ehh....*walks away slowly*

Seriously, though, regardless of whether you're a published or unpublished author, still working on that manuscript, OR just a fan of reading with no desire of writing, there is a prize for you.

Just shut up, Kathleen, and get to the part where

we figure out the deets.

So I'm officially dubbing this the *ahem* "The Countdown Until Holiday Break in Publishing," which shall be shortened to TCUHBIP (pronounced -- 'teh-kuh-bip').

I'll be counting down the 12 (work) days until publishing closes for the holidays (at least for our office), beginning Tuesday December 7 and ending Wednesday December 22. 

Every single day at 9 a.m. there will be a different prize*, some for writers, some for non-writers, some for everyone. Totally depends on which ones I decide to post! Contest for each day closes at 11:59 p.m. EST that same day. Winners are announced by the end of each week.

Yup -- there are not one, not two, not ten, 

but TWELVE prize packs!!

For the most part, every prize will have the same guidelines that will require commenting on the blog or Tweeting -- no worries, not both.

So why am I telling you a week in advance? Because these prizes are so made of AWESOME that you should stay tuned each day to see if it's something YOU really want! You can enter in as many of the contests as you'd like! Just watch for contest entry guidelines each day.

Why am I doing this? Because I like trying out new things and pushing boundaries, and this seems to be something awesome that can benefit everyone involved. So why not give it a whirl, right? :)


Leave your questions in the comments, and if it applies to the contest, I'll add edits here as I see them.

~KO

*Prizes include (though not a full list because I need SOME surprises): Skype chats, critiques, free (lots of) free free FREE books (all genres / age groups), random presents, and more!

**Edit: I'll try to post which prizes are open for international participants. Unfortunately I can't mail ARCs and certain books overseas :-( But there WILL be other prizes which allow me to do so! :)

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