Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest: We Have Winners!

Good morning, Ladies and Gents! As many of you know, we ran a little contest a few days ago called the Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest (read more about it here). We had some really great entries and I'm happy to announce that our guest agent judge, Lindsay Ribar, has picked her winners. And not only that, she gave us a little feedback as to WHY she picked what she did. How awesome is that? 

So, here are her choices, in Lindsay's own words:

First of all, thanks for having me as the judge for the Three Two One Pitch contest! It was incredibly fun to read all of these, and actually pretty hard to narrow it down.  In the end, though, these are the pitches that really stuck with me.

1

Kate Larkindale

STUMPED

YA Contemporary

75,000 words

After losing his legs in an accident, Ozzy knows he’s a hideous freak. Determined to prove he can still be a man despite his disability, he throws himself into dumping the burden of his virginity, but finds there’s a limited number of people willing to touch legless dudes in wheelchairs. Ozzy’s obsession takes him into the seedy underworld of brothels and escort services where he discovers the difference between sex and intimacy, and that sometimes the price you pay for getting what you want is much higher than a sex worker’s fee.

Talk about edgy, right? Not only does our protagonist have a disability that clearly screws with his own self-perception, but his coping mechanism is paying for sex.  But if the phrase “the difference between sex and intimacy” didn’t hook me (spoiler: it did), that last line sure did. I want to know what the price is.

2

Molly Pinto Madigan

OF BLOOD AND ROSES

YA UF/PR

70,000 words

Maggie Mae Carter is sick of living life timidly, adrift in a sucky sea of collegiate drudgery, so when she hears a voice on the radio that makes her feel more alive than she has in years, she knows she has to meet the singer – the mysterious Thomas Lynn. Armed with a penchant for folk music, Maggie steals away to The Hall – a labyrinthine rock club teeming with secrets – to meet the man who spins ballads into rock ‘n’ roll perfection, but when she wakes up alone on the greenroom couch, petals in her curls and her arms raked with thorns, Maggie is plunged into the strange world behind the shadows of The Hall, where words bind, where music manipulates, and where mortality hints at something more. As she struggles to unravel the mystery behind the music, will Maggie be able to save Thomas Lynn from the fey forces that threaten him, and, more importantly, will she be able to save him from himself?

Full disclosure: I did receive this as a query a few months ago, and because I’m horribly behind on my non-client reading, it’s still in my “Look At This When You Have Time, Because It Might Be Awesome” folder. Full disclosure part two: I’m 300% more likely to read anything that has to do with music and musicians. Those things aside, though, this is just a particularly well-written pitch… and I’m intrigued by the hints of magic, which feel far more otherworldly than most things you find in YA nowadays.

3

Joanna Ahleen

SHADOWS

YA PR

78,000 words

Samantha Bell is falling hard for her best friend Mark, but he’s in love with a ghost who has been dead over a century. Sam’s budding feelings for Mark are tested immediately as she is literally haunted by ghost girl-Kate who, according to a stupid prophesy, thinks Mark is destined to die and join her spirit-state very soon. To make matters worse, when Sam learns Kate isn’t the only ghost keeping an eye on her, Sam’s world shifts into something she isn’t sure she wants to be a part of: a world where ghosts aren’t merely harmless specters who slam doors and throw dishes.

It’s the viewpoint that sold me on this one – a viewpoint that reminds me of Team Human in the best possible way. And if that wasn’t enough, this Samantha person seems to think about as highly of prophecies as I do!  

Congratulations to all of the winners! And the prizes? Lindsay would like to see your full manuscripts! Yippee! Please send the material to lribar (at) sjga (dot) com. Be sure to mention you are a winner of the Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest in the subject line of your email.

Thank you, Lindsay, for being so awesome and for taking the time to judge this contest. You seriously ROCK!

Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest: Guest Judge!

Howdy! I am so excited. In only one week, We-Do-Write will host another Three, Two, One Pitch Contest! And to top it off, the fabulous judge of this contest is none other than MY super-agent, Lindsay Ribar of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Check out this interview we did a few months ago.)

Associate agent Lindsay Ribar began her career at Greenburger Associates in 2007, working primarily with science fiction and fantasy authors.  In addition to representing her own clients, she co-reps a select number of authors with senior agent Matt Bialer.

Lindsay grew up in New Jersey, where the only logical thing to do after high school was to move to New York. She majored in drama and English literature at NYU, and now works in book publishing, where she reads other people’s novels by day and writes her own by night. She owns approximately twelve bazillion CD’s, attends far too many concerts, and mainlines nerdy television shows like it’s going out of style. She is fond of wine, Ireland, musicals, long walks around Manhattan, and the color blue.

Lindsay is looking for:

- Young Adult: Paranormal, horror, thriller, and contemporary realistic (no secondary-world fantasy or "issue" books, please)

- Middle Grade: Contemporary realistic, literary stand-alones, paranormal, mystery

- No adult of any genre, please; no chapter- or picture-books

So, if you want the opportunity to pitch to Lindsay Ribar in three sentences, follow the directions here, perfect that pitch, and come back on July 25th. See you soon!

Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest: Special Announcement!

It's Monday! Which, for most of us, means the weekend has come and gone and we are slogging our way back to work or school. Hopefully, you're relaxed and ready to start your week, but if that's not even close, maybe we can help (or just get you excited and antsy, which is probably not much help at all).

Today we announce the agent who will be judging the Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest in TWO WEEKS! (If you have no idea what the Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest is, read this post) Believe me, guys, this agent is a good one. She comes from a fabulous agency that is currently not opened to unsolicited queries, so this may be your chance to snag her!

Meet Tricia Lawrence of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, the gracious guest judge of our Three, Two, One, Pitch Contest:

Tricia is the "Pacific Northwest branch" of EMLA—born and raised in Oregon, and now lives in Seattle. After 17 years of working as a developmental and production-based editor (from kids book to college textbooks, but mostly college textbooks), she joined the EMLA team in March 2011 as a social media strategist hoping to learn from Erin and Joan about agenting.

As associate agent, Tricia represents picture books/chapter books that look at the world in a unique and unusual way, with characters that are alive both on and off the page, and middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction that offers strong worldbuilding, wounded narrators, and stories that grab a reader and won't let go.

Tricia loves hiking, camping out in the woods, and collecting rocks. She loves BBC America and anything British. She has way too many books and not enough bookshelves. You can find Tricia's writing about blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, and other social media topics (for authors and the publishing industry at large) here.

So, if you want the chance to pitch to Tricia in three sentences, click this link, read the post, and follow the directions. We look forward to reading your entries!

Three, Two, One Pitch Contest: Official Heads Up!

So you think you can pitch? Once again, we'll be giving aspiring writers everywhere a chance to pitch to a literary agent. The next Three-Two-One pitch contest takes place April 25^th and 26^th. This gives you all about three weeks to get your manuscripts and pitches ready. Just a reminder to those who haven't participated before, a Three-Two-One pitch contest goes like this:

THREE - Pitch your story in only three sentences.

TWO - Two days to enter:  April 25^th and 26^th.

ONE - One agent will judge and pick a winner.

Doesn't that sound great? Well then, get those pitches ready!

Do not enter your pitch on this post. We will make an official contest entry post on April 25^th and entrants will post their three-sentence pitches (no run on sentences!) in the comments section of that post. At midnight on April 26^th, We will turn off comments and no other entries will be accepted. The winner will get a full manuscript request!

We will announce our spectacular judging agent sometime prior to the contest, so keep an eye out!

This contest is open to unagented, completed and polished manuscripts in the genres of:

Middle Grade

Young Adult

To be eligible, you must:

1) Follow this blog - go ahead and click "Join this Site" on the right if you haven't already

2) Follow Dorothy on Twitter

3) Follow Elizabeth on Twitter

4) Spread the word! Tweet, Blog, or mention on Facebook about the contest and link back to this post.

So, don't forget: Three sentences, two days to enter, one agent will judge. Good luck, everyone. We can't wait to read all of your pitches. See you back here on the 25^th of April! :)

Interview with Lindsay Ribar

Happy Monday! Joining us today is Lindsay Ribar, agent extraordinaire and the author of THE ART OF WISHING (which I reviewed last week, here, if you missed it).

Welcome to We Do Write, Lindsay! Tell us a bit about yourself.

But of course! Here’s me, in a nutshell: Associate literary agent by day. Writer by night. Concert junkie 24/7.  Lover of kissing scenes, fictional boys with magical powers and great hair, gender-bendy/queer stories, red wine, and bourbon.  Taurus.  Blue-eyed, suspicious of many things, and overly fond of vacation.

As someone who is counting down the days to my own vacation (32, if you're wondering), I don't think it's possible to be too fond of vacation. How long have you been writing?

Oh, I’ve been writing since I learned what letters were.  Seriously.  Ask my parents. But I’ve only been writing with an eye toward publication since about 2007 – the same time I started working in the publishing industry.  Before that, it was all fanfiction, all the time!

Ha! I'd love to get my hands on some of your fanfic. I bet it was great. So, tell us about THE ART OF WISHING. What’s the story about?

It’s about a high school senior named Margo McKenna, who accidentally finds out that a boy she only-sort-of-knows from school, a sophomore named Oliver Parish, is actually a genie.  Not only that, but he has become bound to her… which means she is his master, and he owes her three wishes.  They (spoilers) fall in love! There is kissing! But there is also Oliver’s crazypants ex-boyfriend (also a genie), who’s out to get him.  And Margo might just be the only one who can save him.

Believe me, folks, it's as awesome as it sounds. How did the idea of the story come to you?

I’ve long been a fan of human-girl-meets-supernatural-boy stories, whether it’s vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or what have you.  What drew me to genies, though, was the power dynamic inherent in genie magic, at least in certain stories.  They have all this magic, but they have to use it to serve the whims of masters who are, more often than not, far less inherently powerful than they are.  So the master is automatically the alpha of that relationship, not the genie.  Add romance to the mix, and… hey! Fun for everyone!

What a cool idea. I love the genie aspect and how that power dynamic worked between Margo and Oliver. Their relationship is so unique and refreshing, as compared to many other YA paranormal romances. 

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I always self-edit as much as I can before I send my work out, but yes, I’ve always depended on the kindness of beta readers.  This is largely a holdover from my fanfiction days, when beta readers were the only source of editorial advice you could get before you posted a story online – but even now that I’m working with an editor and an agent, I cling as tightly as I can to my beta readers.  I’m a very collaborative writer, so I love having as much outside input as I can get.  

Well said. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a pantser with latent plotter tendencies.  By which I mean, I usually know certain points in my books that I want to hit – usually the end, plus one or two key points in the middle – but I don’t know how I’m going to get there until I’ve already arrived.  I like to discover things as my characters do.  Makes it more interesting!

Yes. Yes, it does. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing is writing.  I may be quoting someone else on that, but I don’t know who… so hey, whoever you are? Speak up now, or I’m totally taking credit!

It's a good quote, and so true! What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Water and/or tea, and my laptop.  That’s about it.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

It hasn’t even been a week since my book hit shelves, so I’m going to go with my gut and say: The power to make everyone in the world buy my book and love it.  Ask me again next week, though.  I’ll probably have a more sensible answer by then, like the ability to fly, or turn invisible, or breathe underwater.  Or to turn into a cat.  Ooh, that’s a good one.

That IS a good one! Just think of all you could do as a cat... always land on your feet, climb furniture/drapes/people's legs, get free tummy rubs. That would rock. 

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I can’t actually recall anything particularly weird – not book-related, anyway.  But I’ve definitely spent far too many hours on TVTropes.org looking up everything I could find about common tropes in genie-centric stories.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: wish, theater, insensitive.

Only the most insensitive master would force his genie to grant a wish in the middle of a crowded theater.

Maybe that was too easy... Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... 

…at a concert.  (Or reading.  Actually, probably reading. Or maybe even reading while waiting for a concert to start.)

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to thank for supporting you throughout this process?

Well, I will say that my acknowledgments page takes up two entire pages in the back of the book – in a very small font.  All those people know who they are, and they deserve all the hugs in the world.  But right now, during release week, I especially want to thank everyone who’s kept me going throughout the Very Questionable Month of March.  My friends.  My roommates.  My very patient clients.  My favorite musicians.  And especially my agent, Brenda Bowen, who has kept me from jumping off soooooo many ledges.

Well, I guess I should thank Brenda Bowen, too! If she didn't keep you from jumping off ledges, who would keep me from doing the same?

And finally, where can our readers find you and your books online?

Well, gosh, thank you for asking!  Here are some links:

My website: http:///lindsayribar.com

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindsayRibar

My Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5771853.Lindsay_Ribar

Goodreads page for The Art of Wishing: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13530566-the-art-of-wishing

Thank you so much for joining us, Lindsay! Congratulations and best wishes (did you see what I did there?) to you and THE ART OF WISHING!

Happy Book Birthday + Review of The Art of Wishing!

Today, I am pleased to announce the release of The Art of Wishing by my awesome agent, Lindsay Ribar!

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genies's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

Okay, two words: GENIES + kissing! I have never read a YA paranormal romance with a genie as the main love interest and I was so intrigued by the premise that I couldn't wait for my preordered copy to come in the mail. So, when Lindsay asked if I'd like to read the e-ARC, I jumped at the chance.

What can I say? I love this book, and I can't wait for the next in the series. It's well written and the pacing is fast and exciting. I kept turning those pages well after my bedtime, wondering what Margo would wish for next, who was Oliver running from, and when would they kiss again.

Margo is a smart, funny, likable character that jumped right off the page. She's real. She has flaws. But, what struck me the most is she's not a pushover heroine. She doesn't live and breathe Oliver, and she even tries to give him up a few times.

*record scratch* What?!?

Yes, a YA heroine who is willing to give up her dreamboat, wish-granting, genie boyfriend! (So much <3 for Margo!)

And Oliver... I just adore Oliver. There is a certain confidence about his character that was so fun to read. He likes his job, he knows he's good at it, and he loves seeing his masters happy with his work (especially Margo). Add in the extra suspense of him being the target of a genie-serial-killer, and you have one awesome read.

If you like YA paranormal romance or even YA contemporary, I highly recommend picking this one up. And if you are interested in reading more about Lindsay Ribar, she will be back on Monday, March 25th, for an interview!

You can pick up your copy of The Art of Wishing:
IndieBound
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Don't Miss it!

Hi, everyone!

Big announcement coming later today on the Perfect Pitch contest. Be sure to check back!

Last Chance to Get to WriteOnCon

With over 800 people registered at WriteOnCon, it's hard to believe some aspiring writers haven't heard of it. But just today someone asked me what it was, so I thought I'd do a quick "Hurry up and get there" post.

WriteOnCon is a free online conference for writers where many industry pros have been giving advice, critique, and general know-how posts that are so valuable you wouldn't want to miss it. Registering at the site gives you access to the forums, where you can post your queries or sample pages and get outstanding feedback. And who knows, maybe an agent will see your work.

I hope to see you there!

Here's the schedule (via the amazing Elana Johnson) for today's fun:

Thursday, August 12, 2010

6:00 AM: Writing With a Real Life by author Lindsey Leavitt

7:00 AM: Writing Advice from PJ Hoover and the Texas Sweethearts

8:00 AM: Writing Realistic, Captivating Dialog by author Tom Leveen

8:30 AM: Author Branding by author Shelli Johannes-Wells

9:00 AM: How to have a Successful Author Event at a Bookstore by Calondra McArthur

10:00 AM: Q&A by literary agent Steven Malk

10:30 AM: Writing a Complete Story Even Though it’s Part of a Trilogy by author Michelle Zink

11:00 AM: From Submission to Acquisition: An Editor’s Choose Your Own Adventure by editor Martha Mihalick

12:00 PM: Transitioning from Adult to YA by author Risa Green

1:00 PM: Rhyme in Picture Books by author Tiffany Strelitz

2:00 PM: The First Five Pages by Kathleen Ortiz

3:00 PM: Writing Thrillers for Young Adults by author Kimberly Derting

3:30 PM: Picture Books and Easy Readers by author Shelley Thomas

4:00 PM: Staying positive in the face of rejections by author Crystal Stranaghan

5:00 PM: Avoiding Character Stereotypes by literary agent Mary Kole

6:00 PM: Creating New Mythologies by author Aprilynne Pike

9:00 PM: Panel of Professionals chat LIVE (Michelle Andelman, Molly O’Neill, Kate Testerman)

10:30 PM: The Revision Process from Both Sides of the Desk, a live Workshop with literary agent/author Regina Brooks