Perfect Pitch Contest

Hello, fellow writers! Have you been perfecting your pitches? I hope so, because the pitching is set to commence next Thursday, August 18th, right here on the blog.

Who is this contest for? You must:

• Be an un-agented writer of YA or MG
• Have a completed manuscript
• Be a follower of this blog (It's not too late to hit that "Follow" button)
• Tweet about the contest, linking to the blog

How does the contest work?

On August 18th, I will post an "Official Entry Post" post. In the comments section of that post, entrants will leave their 140-character pitch and their email address. Comments will remain open until midnight, August 19th. The judging literary agent will then peruse the entries and pick a winner, whose full ms will be requested.

And the big question: Who is the judging literary agent?

It's Mandy Hubbard of D4EO Literary!

Along with being a literary agent, Mandy Hubbard, also-known-as Amanda Grace, is the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, But I Love Him, and three other to-be-published novels for teens. At D4EO Literary, she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. And she's awesome!


I had the honor of being able to ask Mandy a few questions to get to know her a little better. Take a look!

What is your favorite thing about being an agent vs your favorite thing about being a writer?

Hmm. I think as a writer, it's conneceting with readers. There's something very surreal about writing something by myself on my laptop and then reading a review online for it from someone who lives in a state (or country!) I've never even been to. Everyone draws their own conclusions and opinions about my books and it's amazing seeing different reactions. As far as being an agent, its definitely making a writer's dream come true. Having gone through many rejections as writer, there's something very satisfying and exciting about calling a client with good news!

What are your top three tips for aspiring writers?

1. Give yourself permission to write crap. Crap can be fixed (as in, don't let yourself be paralyzed by fear-- crappy words are better than no words.)
2. Write because you love it, not because you want fame or fortune or just to be published. You have to be in it for the right reasons.
3. Never give up. I wrote several novels before Prada & Prejudice, and Prada went through 9 drafts and 26 rejections. You have to be willing to stick with it when the going gets tough!

Great advice! Okay, Imagine that Agent You and Writer You are a superhero duo. Who are the evil nemeses of each of you?

I think self-doubt can be hard to deal with, no matter what side of the table you're on. As a writer its natural but I never realized how much agents second-guess themselves until I was in the business for awhile and met a lot of them. We constantly compare notes. I think it's harder to maintain confidence as an agent than as an author!

Interesting! So, what type of manuscript are you currently eager to get your hands on?

Really dying for some great, grounded, character-driven fantasy or sci-fi. And I'm always a sucker for realistic/contemporary stories. Haven't yet found that Luxe-style historical, either. So bring it on!

You heard her. Get those pitches ready, writers! Then come back here on the 18th for your chance to win. And if you want to know more about what Mandy represents, check out her website here.

And good luck!