Catching Up with Our Now-Published Contest Winner

Amy Sue Nathan was one of the five winners in our April 2010 contest with agent Jason Yarn. She went on to become one of Jason's clients, and her first novel, The Glass Wives, came out yesterday. We're pleased to be able to find out how far she's come since our last interview with her!

Tell us a little bit about your novel and where people can learn more about it and where they can get it. 

THE GLASS WIVES is about Evie Glass, a divorced mom whose ex-husband dies suddenly leaving her the only parent of ten-year-old twins. Then, when Evie finds she’s strapped for cash, she takes in her ex’s widow and baby, so they can share living expenses and childcare. Troubled by this decision, Evie’s friends and family try to intervene, forcing Evie to walk out on long-time friendships until the widow causes a ruckus of her own. That’s when Evie has to decide who she can trust, and what really makes a family.

On May 14th THE GLASS WIVES became available in bookstores (indies and Barnes & Noble) as well as at Target stores. It's also available online everywhere books are sold.

What inspired you to write The Glass Wives? Where did the idea for this story come from? 

Like my main character, Evie, I’m a divorced mom in a suburb where everyone is married. And like Evie, my ex-husband passed away suddenly. When I divorced, I felt that some people were uncomfortable having a single mom for a friend. When my ex-husband died, well, they just didn’t know what to do with me, or my kids. We didn’t fit into any of the fixed suburban circles and frankly, I think the sadness in our lives overwhelmed them. Writing this novel allowed me to put this kind of discomfort—and its ramifications—on display and show that families are equal no matter their parts, and that the term broken home is outdated. There may be a few cracks in our walls, but broken? No way.

The sales aspect of writing—producing a good pitch and query and providing a great excerpt—can be very challenging for some writers. How did you learn to produce such catchy material? Were there any particular resources you used?

I have always belonged to writing groups and online forums, but I'd say in the years leading up to up querying my novel, the best resource was Backspace, where traditionally published authors (Karen Dionne, Randy Susan Meyers, Keith Cronin, and A.S. King, for example) and a few literary agents, were kind enough to give me tips, guidance, and advice that I always took to heart.

Do you have a writing routine?

When I'm on track I write fiction in the morning and non-fiction—essays, blog posts, interview questions, and interview answers (like these)—in the afternoon and evening. Working at home and being a single mom means I have to be flexible. Today my daughter had a doctor's appointment in the morning, so I did my fiction writing in the afternoon.  But my preference will always be morning. I'm an early bird!

What is the single best piece of writing advice you've ever gotten?

Recently, while working on the beginning of my new novel, I kept thinking about best-seller trends and what my editor would be looking for.  I considered fitting elements like magical realism or a heated romance, into my new story. And then Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy and co-founder of Writer Unboxed told me something very simple: separate the craft from the business. I wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it to my computer. She was right. I couldn’t worry about whether the book would sell, all I could do, at that moment, was to tell the story I needed to tell. And for me that story does not include zombies or a hot shirtless hero. At least not today.

What has been the hardest or most surprising thing you've learned on the journey between the time Jason began submitting to editors and your publication date?

That patience in publishing is not simply a virtue, it's a necessity.

What is the most important (or surprising) thing you've learned about publicity as you near your publication date? Do you have any advice for others on publicity?

I've learned there's no such thing as too much publicity. I'm not sure about "any publicity is good publicity" adage, but we'll see!  My advice would be to seize every opportunity to build relationships with readers and other writers because in the long run that will go farther than hundreds of "buy my book" tweets.

Are you working on any new projects? Can you tell us anything about them?

Absolutely! I'm always working on a few things, and right now I'm writing a novel about a blogger who tells lies online and keeps secrets in real life and what happen to make her finally truth. I'm also jotting down notes for two more book ideas I'm excited about. I know if I don't write down my ideas I'll lose them. Sometimes my best scenes are written on the backs of envelopes or napkins while I'm standing in the kitchen or parked in a parking lot!

Visit Amy Sue Nathan on her website, Twitter @AmySueNathan, or Facebook!

May YA Contest Winners!

Agent Roseanne Wells from the Marianne Strong Literary Agency judged our last QueryTracker Blog contest on May 9, 2011. We had 244 Young Adult entries. We will contact the winners directly as well as posting them below.

Ms. Wells chose three winners to receive a critique of their first 10 pages!  We will be listing those winners below, as well as contacting them directly and supplying them with an email address to which they should send their pages.

Ms. Wells also found a few entries that intrigued her enough that she is going to be contacting the authors directly to request material.  If you are one of these people, you will get an email directly from Ms. Wells by Saturday, June 4th. Please do not contact her to inquire whether you are on that list -- you will get an email from her if you are.


WINNERS: Please send your first 10 pages (QT will provide you with the address in an email).

On to the winners of the 10-page critiques -- drumroll please!

Winner 1. Darkest Light by Rebecca Sutton (YA Paranormal)

First page:

"Hi, my name is Ava and I'm," I say, pausing to pick at a splinter sticking up from the wood podium.


"Hi, Ava." The crowd responds in a monotone unison.


I know I'm supposed to continue. But what's the point in me saying it? We all know why I'm here. One of the tracks of fluorescent lights flickers and I look up. The ceiling of the church basement, filled with brown water stains, sags with age. The smell of one of those gross flavored coffees (hazelnut or creme de nasty) and mildew make me want to gag.


Someone coughs in the front row. A clear your throat kind of cough meant to get attention. Leonard, the man who runs the meetings is staring at me, his eyes bulging, nodding for me to continue. Beads of sweat collect at the top of his shiny, bald head.


From the moment I met the guy he was pushy. Play by the book, stick to the schedule. Trust the system. If it weren't for him I wouldn't even be up here introducing myself like this is some goddamn AA meeting. At first glance, this meeting looks like a regular support group, but it's far from it.


Ignoring the fact that Leonard's practically falling off his chair to get my attention now, I take a deep breath and say,"...and I'm here because I made a deal with the Devil."


Winner 2. Seeing by Nik Johnson (Quinn) (YA Paranormal Thriller)

First page:

I didn't know who she was, or what the f--- she was doing in my room, but she was naked. The shirt I was holding slipped from my hand and I stopped short.


She was in front of the window with her head cocked to the side, looking right at me, like she had been waiting for me. White-blonde hair, parted in the middle, fell to her waist. Her left breast was covered, but the other one, I could see. My eyes drifted lower. She was shaved. No hair. None.


"Who"--I took a breath and began again--"who are you?"


"My name's Alice," she said. I glanced up at her face and she smiled, straightening her head."Don't be afraid, Eden."


Alice seemed like a nice name. A girl named Alice wouldn't hurt me. I wasn't afraid. I was more focused on the fact that my jeans were getting tighter. Normally, I guess I'd be embarrassed getting hard in front of someone, but she was naked; we were past that.


My mind wasn't working right ... I couldn't really piece together my thoughts. I didn't know her. I'd never seen this girl before. I thought of walking back out of the room; instead, I stepped into the room and closed the door.

Winner 3. The Silent Sister by Megan Macijauskas (Paranormal)

First page:

It is eight-oh-six a.m. Visiting hours have just begun but the waiting room is empty. I sit in a squeaky plastic chair as my mother fills out my release papers. The nurse behind the plexiglass divider slides a bottle of pills across the counter. Mom shoves them in her handbag without looking at them.


The nurse's voice is high-pitched and annoyingly bright. I hear her say things like psychotic break and catatonic state and sink low in the chair. If she knew what I was capable of, she would not be signing over my freedom so cheerfully.


I'm wearing the standard-issue white t-shirt and gray sweatpants that everyone wears here. They take the strings out of the pants, but the elastic is so tight, an angry red groove digs into my waist. I don't know how the extended stay patients endure it. No wonder they're crazy.


When my mom is finally done with forms and instructions, she turns to me and jerks her head toward the door."C'mon. Let's get out of here."


Outside, the morning sunlight is hard and white and makes me ache everywhere. It's not warm. Or comforting. It burns my eyes, which are used to florescent lights and darkened windows.


The second we are out the door, my mother grabs me by the shoulders and shoves me against the hospital's brick wall. I stop breathing. Her face is inches from mine. She bunches one hand tight in my t-shirt and pulls it right up to my chin. Her knuckles are as white as the cloth they're wrapped around. Behind her, a startled bystander mumbles under his breath and quickly shuffles away.


"Do you have any idea what you've done?" My mother's voice is a brittle shard."You can't ever, ever lose control like that. Do-you-understand?" She draws out each syllable of the question through clenched teeth.

* * * 

A huge congratulations to all the winners, and thank you again to Ms. Wells!

YA Contest Winners Announced!

Thank you, Anna Webman of Curtis Brown Ltd! Ms. Webman judged nearly 500 pages of material and shared this:

It wasn’t an easy decision. I have to say that I was very impressed with the overall quality of the writing and plotlines of the entries—clearly you have a very talented readership.

The winner of the Grand Prize (and full submission) is:

Jill Lawrence for her entry ON THE BEAM (Contemporary)

The runners-up (and partial submission winners) are:

Katherine Zane for A FOURTH OF AIR (Alternate History)

Alyssa Kirk for DEMONIC ATTRACTIONS (Urban Fantasy)

John Sankovich for GIFTS (Paranormal Fantasy)

Jane George for WELCOME TO CIRCUS FANTASTIQUE (Fantasy)

Congratulations to the winners! I will send you an email shortly with details of how to submit your material.

Thanks to all who participated. Keep an eye on the blog; we will have more contests in the future!

Elevator Pitch Winners per Agent Mollie Glick!

Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media was kind enough to serve as judge for our most recent contest on elevator pitches.

After carefully considering all of the fabulous entries, she's selected her 11 favorites.

These lucky winners will be asked to submit their partial manuscript to Ms. Glick!

Drumroll please...

And the winners are (in alphabetical order by username)

acarthur (YA)

Krystal Bentley has a crush and he’s everything she ever wished for, he’s movie-star cute, laughs at her dry humor and listens to her rantings about her divorced parents without judging. There’s only one problem—he’s dead.

alh719 (narrative fiction/memoir)

On December 7, 2007, I was slugged by a drunk frat boy. In that instant, I realized that living with 65 college women wasn't as glamorous as I thought it would be.

SORORITY HOUSE MOM is the tale of my two-year romp as the house director for a female version of Animal House. While celebrating all that is good, magical, and enchanting about sorority life, it also tells what can happen when things go terribly wrong.

auntpeapie (Adult Fiction)

Olivia Howard transitioned from obedient Air Force brat to dedicated wife and mother, but her orderly life is disrupted when she learns her teenage son and his girlfriend are expecting a child. When the idea of adoption is mentioned, she supports their choice, but no one anticipates her proposal to raise the child as her own—a suggestion interpreted as selfless to some, yet selfish by others, including her husband. AN IMAGINED LIFE explores how her decision threatens to unravel the stability she’s endeavored to achieve.

bgheald (Adult Fiction)

Shelby Holt knows she can’t trust her heart but when she meets Chad Graham she doubts she can trust her head either. The new ranch hand looks uncannily like the man she loved--a man whose death she’s determined to prove was no accident.

collie (Literary Gothic)

After her sister's suicide, Doril is sent to care for her reclusive and delusional great grandmother in Swale Hall on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. She becomes immersed in the old woman's imaginary world, gets to know the still passionately loved, long dead,Tristrum, and discovers the misconceptions that caused such anguish in their relationship.

fictionwriter (YA)

A fifteen-year-old American boy vacationing in Paris stumbles into a murder attempt, and plays a dangerous game to solve a puzzle and prevent an international crisis in THE FOGGED MIRROR.

kerribookwriter (YA)

When troublemaking fifteen year old Tina Lilly is sent to live with her grandmother, she has trouble adjusting to the slow way of life in small town Texas . Things suddenly take a turn after she discovers an old journal in the attic which reveals a murder her grandmother committed fifty years earlier.

In this “My So-Called Life meets Veronica Mars” coming of age romantic suspense novel, Tina will learn that sometimes living a lie is the only way to survive the truth.

kph555 (Adult Fiction)

HUNGER IN THE HEART OF GATOR TOWN is a Southern literary novella, with a finished sequel, about a young boy coming to terms with the consequences World War II has had on his family.

His beloved, shell-shocked, and unpredictable, father stages continual games of war to train his son, his bigoted, alcoholic mother blames the misfortune in her marriage on the black soldier whose life her husband saved, and his manipulative, cantankerous grandfather stirs up constant trouble between the two, while Coleman Puttman Bridgeman, III, is in the center of it all, fighting a personal war of survival.

When the boy’s father is suspiciously shot and killed, his grandfather accuses his daughter-in-law, and a bitter estrangement between Coleman and his mother is set in motion, tempered only by the family’s wise gardener and a neighbor girl with family problems of her own.

lauramcneal (Mystery/Suspense)

A young woman is kidnapped and disappears without a trace; three years later, a senator dies mysteriously, their paths linked by fate and the colliding ambitions of others – the head of the state lottery who will stop at nothing to become the next governor and the missing woman’s sister, whose relentless quest to find the truth threatens to bring him down.

Number_One (YA)

With his dad unemployed and money too tight to buy the comic books he pores over with his friends, Prentis Porter thinks eighth grade at his lousy new school can’t get any worse -- until a deadly cafeteria shooting not only leaves him questioning how he mysteriously survived, but his father’s miraculous appearance as it all ended.

His parents now constantly arguing as more losses pound his family, the imaginative teen finds himself increasingly alone, struggling with sometimes terrible revelations about his best friends, teachers, and family as he pursues the greatest secret of all -- the one he's begun to believe his father holds. Is it even possible, or is Prent the victim of his own imagination:

Is his father some kind of real-life superhero?

StevenLevy (YA)

President Lincoln was stabbed to death before being reelected – that’s what history books would say were it not for two daring, clever, and accidentally reeking children from our own time.

Ted and Carin, preteens living with their emotionally broken father in rural Washington State, find an antique key that opens the door on a sweltering afternoon in the other Washington (DC), where the Civil War is raging and conspirators are plotting to kill the president. Somehow, between stumbling into the sewage-ridden Washington Canal, sneaking into the loosely guarded White House only to lose each other in the vast building, and dodging a soldier still angry over his war wounds and a medium who claims she can reveal their future, these two children, out of place and out of time, must stop a murder that would change history – and find their way back home.

Ms. Glick also compiled a list of honorable mentions. They include:

aliciamuhlestein (YA)

Sent to live with her grandmother at Tamlin Manor, Anika learns that someday she will assume her role as heiress of Tamlin and caretaker of the earth--Mother Nature.

When William Shakespeare sends his son to take over his responsibilities at Tamlin and an Arthurian knight is spotted spying, Anika finds herself in the middle of a few mysteries, an ancient love story, and an admirer who is sworn to a secret not even the myths can know.

Amanda_Sullivan (Narrative Non-Fiction)

Families with children diagnosed as having “mental health issues” such as Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, or any of the other devastating names that are becoming so common to our vocabularies, tend to become lost in the psychological community. Usually they have searched for years looking for answers and they are tired and confused by the lingo, the meds, the social difficulties, the entire family feels it and suffers. This book is a parent’s “guide” through counseling and a Pollyanna approach to finding the true beauty in their child.

aprilannerwin (Adult Fiction)

Kianna Ravencamp’s dream has always been to find The One – but being plus-sized is a real hindrance on the romance market; add in the fact that every relationship around her is dysfunctional and she gives up hope that true love like her parents’ is still possible. Instead, she focuses on the next best thing, her dream of being a songwriter. God has bigger things in mind though – like Nick, Jason and Derek - and her journey to fulfill one dream may just upset everything she believes true about romance, herself, and The One.

chazley (YA)

High school holds as many secrets as a UFO crash site, and no one keeps her mouth shut better than Em Hopkins, a lone shape-shifter in a world of ordinary people.

Em can be anyone you want, from Barack Obama to Avril Lavigne; when the need to shift engulfs her, she can be anyone but herself. HOWEVER YOU WANT ME is a novel about identity, lies, and falling in love with the Hawaiian boy next door (or his brother).

cncurtin (YA)

THE UNICORN TAMER is where Greek mythology meets Pokémon, a young adult fantasy about a 13-year-old girl named Emma Brown, whose destiny is to rehabilitate all the endangered species - from the ordinary blue whales to the extraordinary griffons. The problem is her destiny clashes with a Hunter named Theron, who's destined to wipe out the animal race and prove that man is the most powerful beast of all.

When Theron kidnaps her parents, Emma attempts to rescue them and, in the process, inadvertently discovers a leprechaun city, saves a baby unicorn, and changes the fate of all endangered species - ordinary and extraordinary.

dutchhenry (Adult Fiction)

The cancer is winning, and she'll be gone by fall -- but they have one last summer. One hot summer to consummate a lifetime of love, to cry together, laugh together ... remember together. But when a troubled young girl and an injured horse turn to them for help, Mary and Sam Holt's eloquent final goodbye will embrace the labors of lovingly nursing the horse and leaving an enduring, healing mark on the girl.

harriet (Romantic Suspense)

A sgian dhub dagger links the murder of a handsome 34-year-old man in present-day Boston to a vow made by a Scottish ancestor 700 years earlier. The victim’s widow and his wealthy, powerful best friend are determined to uncover the reason for the senseless killing and avenge it. United by a mutual goal, the two find it increasingly difficult to resist a powerful attraction to each other.

LorettaWheeler (Historical Paranormal Romance)

It is the 1800’s in the heart of New Orleans, where above ground graves guard their secrets with moss cloaked tenacity, and where Deidre Devereaux has not only inherited a plantation, but something more…something wicked…something long dead; something that wants her, and her soul.

LynnRush (YA)

Maybe if Emma Martin hadn’t witnessed vampires kill her first true love, she’d be more willing to fall in love again. Despite her best efforts to resists him, Jake Cunningham steals Emma’s heart. But when his family starts triggering her mystical tattoo, which detects the undead, she may be forced to hunt them.

Congratulations to all! Winners, please email me at the address in the sidebar for details on your submission prize.

Big thanks to Mollie Glick for serving as judge, and thanks to everyone who entered. Remember, even if you didn't win our contest you can still query Ms. Glick with your complete and polished project!

Mollie Glick

After graduating from Brown University, Mollie began her publishing career as a literary scout, advising foreign publishers regarding the acquisition of rights to American books. She then worked as an editor at the Crown imprint of Random House, before switching over to "the other side" and becoming an agent at JVNLA (The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency) in 2003. Mollie's list includes literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and a bit of practical non- fiction. She's particularly interested in fiction that bridges the literary/commercial divide, combining strong writing with a great plot, and non-fiction dealing with popular science, medicine, psychology, cultural history, memoir and current events. She's very hands-on, working collaboratively with her authors to refine their projects, then focusing on identifying just the right editors for the submissions. In addition to her work as a literary agent, Mollie also teaches classes on non-fiction proposal writing at Media Bistro, and a copy of her instructional article on non-fiction proposal writing will be featured in this year's edition of the Writers Digest guide to literary agents.

The Best of The Worst

Holy laughing gas, the entries for the World's Worst Query Letter contest were amazing! Before we get to the winners, I have to post some of the most rib-tickling lines from individual query letters. These made my day, made me smile, and/or made me spew soda right on the screen. If one of them comes from your query letter, consider yourself a winner!

I use grammar and punctuation very loosely and creatively, giving my novel an original voice.

Don't take this as a threat but I sent this to 368 other very carefully researched agents so you best hurry up with that contract!

I am a master of those sometimes annoying “25 Thing” notes on Facebook.

I don't want to get a new puppy because you have to go through that whole shoe chewing thing.

Capesh?

I could probably be one myself, do you guys make a lot of money?

I repeated two grades, so they let me enter extra times.

Hey Pretty Lady!

This book is going to be wibbletastic (my book is so great I had to make up a word to describe it!).

I’ve already finished writing the first twenty books of the series, and planned to do at least fifty more.

Now's your chance to get even.

Word to your mother,

I forgot to mention that I enclosed a rose and a few trinkets from my homeland.

Some might think that the story is close to the book Charlotte’s Web but I assure you that it is different.

I was going to use the Austrailia Yowie at first but I haven't been to Austrailia yet and didn’t know what it looked like but I went to mexico once and visited a really cool pueblo for spring break where they told this super cool story about the Chupacabra and its always stuck with me.

I myself am qualified to write this equerry for her because I just decorated my house in the victorian style.

I learned to type in high school.

Dear Big E. (You don’t mind me calling you that do you?),

I’ve also read it out loud to my many many cats (pictures enclosed), and they loved it two.

I am attaching all of my book, even though my computer has had a few virus problems, as long as you have McAfee or something similar, it shouldn’t be any problem to download my book.

I’m uniquely qualified to write this fiction novel because I love too eat ketchup (I keep packets in my car for a snack while driving to my job at the IRS.)

So, what did you think of the latest Star Trek movie?


Aren’t those lines great? They all came from different letters so you can see the “quality” of the worst that we got!

Here are the winners!

First place: Query Critique by Jim McCarthy of Dystel and Goderich. (See what he's looking for below.)
The winner had me on the floor, clutching my ribs and horse-laughing just with the title. Or maybe it was the booty shorts. Either way, the winner is Justina Ireland!

Dear Dream Grantor,

I am writing you at the recommendation of the girl who sits next to you in yoga class, the one who wears the booty shorts. She read an early copy of my manuscript and told me I should forward it to you.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be abducted by aliens that look like Zach Ephron, taken to their home planet, and used as part of their breeding program?

I have and do, so I have written TAKEN TO AN ALIEN PLANET POPULATED BY ZACH EPHRON CLONES AND THE OCCAISIONAL GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE THE HOT GUY FROM GOSSIP GIRL AND USED FOR SEXY STUFF, a novel complete at 130,000 words.

The novel is a semi-autobiographical account of what happens when an average girl from Ohio is kidnapped by an alien who looks like Zach Ephron and taken to his home planet for sexy stuff. The planet is almost exactly like the High School Musical town, only without women.

My novel is the next Angels and Demons, and readers have commented that “it’s like Lord of the Flies, only better. With, you know, hotter guys.” User qtpie34 on the Zach Ephron fansite called it “hawter than a 1000 suns. Srsly.” My mother said it was so good it made her cry, and my pastor called it “The most amazing thing I have ever read since the Bible.”

I have been writing seriously for the past four years and have gotten gold stars on every paper since my freshman year. Last year I wrote an essay on Jane Eyre and my English teacher thought it rocked. I’ve also been named best hair by the school newspaper and on MySpace. On Facebook I got an award for biggest sweetheart.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this. The complete novel is attached. You can check out my website at www.kandihart.blogspot.com or friend me on Facebook, I’m Kandi Hart O-girl.

Thanx so much!

Second Place: One Year Free QT Premium Membership
The genres in this one had me rolling. And the winner is... Christauna Asay!

Yo Mr./Mrs. Agent/Editor whom it may concern,

I’ve been writing this fiction novel for fifty-nine years and figured I’d let you be the lucky one to have it. It is 10,789 pages long (single spaced) and I wrote it for a completely new audience as it has science fiction, history, romance, mystery, non-fiction, splatter punk, horror, western, and pretty much encompasses all of the genre’s out there. This is for sure the next Twilight.

Why would someone want to buy poo? Why would Mina leave the comfy confines of her comfy home on a comfy quest of this sort? My fiction novel is about this one girl, which is sort of like me since my life has been really interesting. The main character is really in love with this one guy and he totally likes her but aliens take him away and she spends the rest of the book pining away for him on her comfy ranch.

I have 12 dogs and 25 squirrels and we live on a ranch in California where I write only when the fancy takes me. It took me a long time to write this book since I don’t think creativity should be rushed. I’ve started on a sequel that I’m hoping will be as long and as good as this one. I never really went to school but I think it helps with my writing. I use grammar and punctuation very loosely and creatively, giving my novel an original voice. I met this movie star once who told me I should write a story about my life and she would totally play a main role in the movie. So I wrote the book and even though I haven’t been able get in contact with the movie star again, I hoped you would since you’re an agent/editor.

My mother and best friend told me this was the best book they ever read in their lives and they read lots and lots of books. They said it was better than Twilight and Harry Potter put together. Here’s what one of them said, “My little girl is so talented that anyone who rejects her will probably receive cookies laced with arsenic in the mail.” Arsenic is her secret ingredient. I think with the book being so long, lots of people will like it since they’ll have a lot more to read.

I am including my entire manuscript. I know you only want a query, but since I know you’ll love it from the first page to the last page I’m sending the whole thing in an extra large box with lots of glitter for your entertainment. I don’t have email or a phone but you can call me between the hours of 5:15 a.m. and 5:36 a.m. at the store near my home. I’ll be waiting by the phone everyday until I hear from you.

Peace out,

Third place: Steve Weber’s book, Plug Your Book: Online Marketing for Authors.
Congrats to Amy Sonnichsen!

To Whoever This Stroke of Genius May Concern:

"Snarling, snatching, dreaming, matching
Holding, pleasing everyone, but not hatching"

That is an excerpt from my book, which is a book made up of lots of little clever, cute rhymes. I just included that one to wet your whistle (*grin*). The book is called POEMS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA: A PERSONAL MEMOIRE WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN CLEVER CUTE RHYMES FROM THE HEART AND MIND OF MELISSA LLOYD LAMBELLA and is completely finished at 11,622 words.

Melissa Lloyd Lambella is my nome de plum (sp?) because I dont want people to recognize my real name, because then I'd be in the grocery store writing a check and the clerk would start yelling, "Are you serious? Are! You! Serious? You can't be Chrissy Sue Miller! Not the one who wrote POEMS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA: A PERSONAL MEMOIRE WRITTEN ENTIRELY IN CLEVER CUTE RHYMES FROM THE HEART AND MIND OF CHRISSY SUE MILLER!!" And then I'd have to explain AGAIN that I WAS THAT Chrissy Sue Miller, sign autographs, yadda yadda yadda.

And -- segway (sp?) -- I WILL be famous. TRUST ME. I live in South Dakota, which is a HUGE NICHE MARKET. And I will drive whereever I have to drive (as long as the money comes in soon enough to buy me a new car, 'cause the one I have now ain't gettin' there) to make sure this book sells. And believe me, IT WILL SELL.

WHY? Because there's nothing else like it out there. This is an absolutely NEW IDEA. NOBODY has thought of putting their life out there in front of the world in clever cute rhymes before. And that's what America wants. America wants NEW. NEW sells. Right now I work in the shoe department of a large department store. The women that come in want NEW. NEW SELLS SHOES. NEW SELLS BOOKS.

I know after reading this you're going to be hitting that REPLY button as fast as your little finger can hit it. Because you want to read MORE of what I have in STORE (*wink*). To save you the trouble, I'm just going to slip my ENTIRE MEMOIRE in the padded UPS envelope (and a few HOMEGROWN BEETS for you and your pals at the office to munch in your spare time). Just let me know when you're ready and we'll be on the road to publication and BIG BUCKS in no time.

And if for some reason I don't hear back SOON, just know that I have seven or ten other agents who are DROOLING over this book. They are CLAMMERING for it. I told them to wait until I heard back from YOU, so take the hint and feel special.

Dying to hear back...... xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now, if you didn't win, never fear! Mr. McCarthy is actively building his client list. Send your not-so-worst (that means best, well-edited, and serious) query to him. Here's what he's looking for.

As an avid fiction reader, his interests encompass both literary and commercial, adult and young adult works. He is particularly interested in women's fiction, underrepresented voice, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, humor, memoir, paranormal nonfiction, and anything related to architecture, planning, or real estate.

QT Blackout Contest Winners

QueryTracker's longest blackout is well-behind us now, and we can finally laugh about it.

Laugh outrageously hard, if given the chance to read what the QueryTracker community came up with for their one paragraph essays on "How I survived the QueryTracker Blackout."

I know people say it all the time, but it was seriously SO hard to make a decision on this one when we received so many worthy entries.

So without further ado:

First prize, a query letter critique by Lindsay Davis of Writer's House...

Goes to Mercedes M. Yardley!

I remember the Query Tracker Blackout of 2009 like it was only last week. It was a tough time, but I’m a tough woman. The first thing I did was throw a blanket over my head and pretend that I was camping. When one is camping in the woods, one can’t possibly surf over to Query Tracker, can one? One also can’t do the same thing when one is suffocated. I ditched the blanket and moved on to the next stage of grief…er, coping by doing the following Very Adult Thing: I cursed. I cursed like a demon, like a pirate, and like great-grandpas who are known for their cursing. I even stamped my foot once, hard. This hurt my tender heel, thereby swinging me into a new bout of cursing. Then I begged QT not to leave me. Ever. I promised to be kind to it, to only check it one or two times a day. I apologized for smothering it. I confessed that I’d be agentless forever without it, and oh my, doesn’t QT look simply stunning in purple? But there was no answer. I fell on the floor and stared at the ceiling. A life frittered away on looking agents up page by tedious page without outside help simply wasn’t a life worth living. “Take me, afterlife, I’m yours!” I screamed. Then I realized that Query Tracker would most likely come back up in the future. Nothing is really forever. And I had made some fresh cookies, and they certainly wouldn’t last forever, either. I pulled myself together and forced myself to make the long trek to the cookie jar. I had to be strong. I had to look to the future. I had to recheck QT’s main page another 2000 times that day, promises of “giving it space” be hung.

Second prize, a year of QT Premium Membership.

Goes to Jim Duncan!

Frustrated beyond belief (ok, not really, but who doesn't need an excuse to do something absurd), I spent the first several hours tracking down where these server folks were hiding out. Discovering they were rather conveniently located in the back room of my local Waffle House Diner, I proceeded to do what any irate internet geek would do. I packed up my army of mechanical garden gnomes and proceeded to lay siege. Garden gnomes as you most assuredly know, are both ingeniously clever and easily distracted. Once the front gates of the server vaults had been breeched, I was forced to spend the wee hours of the morning berating my lieutenants to keep my server repair crew on the task at hand and stop turning pancakes into aerial assault vehicles. Needless to say, the servers were successfully brought back on line, and I have only now finished hosing off the syrup after the celebratory pancake war ensued. Happy querying everyone!

Third Prize, Steve Weber's Plug Your Book: Online Book Marketing for Authors

Goes to Ed Conte!

Sure, according to Webster’s, I “remained alive” and you might even say I “continued to function” during the Great QT blackout of 2009--despite the hardship and deprivation of losing the indispensable link to my essential agent data base and publishing network. I experienced a set of symptoms so strange and incongruent with my objective to generate and dispatch 10 queries that day. I knew I’d have to find a different focus during that down period…not knowing for how long I’d have to restructure my priorities. I found some release reading obscure blogs on the history of cursive writing and the origins of broccoflour. Checking back more frequently than I ought reveal to see if the QT server was up, I used the intervals between QueryTracker website inspections to read ship manifests of Ellis Island immigrant records and to see if I had outlived high school and college classmates on the Social Security Death Index. I became obsessed with survival and knew I needed to take a break from the computer. Drawn to the garden I began to look for others signs of new life and endurance…any symbol of growth and resilience to carry me through the blackout. I made it and so did the a head of that hybrid, pale green vegetable cluster…broccoflour…on my dinner plate that night as a pristine icon of survival in the computer age.

Congratulations to our winners and many thanks to everyone who entered for a lot of laughs!

And big thanks to Lindsay Davis, who generously donated a query critique for our first prize winner!

Lindsay Davis is a literary agent at Writers House. Before joining the agency, she worked in the children's marketing department at Harcourt and taught fourth grade as a member of Teach for America. For the past three years, Lindsay has apprenticed with Steven Malk in the West Coast office of Writers House, where she's had the opportunity to work with some of the very best authors and artists in the industry. She's now building her own list and is actively seeking picture book, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts. She's always been passionate about children's and young adult literature, and, as an agent, she's eager to help bring fresh voices, characters and stories to a new generation of readers.

One Line Winners!

First of all, I'd like to shout out a big thank you to literary agent Brendan Deneen for judging 300 entries. Brendan, you rock!

Without further ado, I give you the winners:

10 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Submission of one chapter & a synopsis, if you have one

#10 Retrieving a priceless sword buried in a mysterious sculpture garden is 14 year old Emma Walker's answer to her family's financial problems, but when she pulls it from the earth where it lay buried for decades, the sword sends her back in time where Emma must battle the man who created the magic sword to stay alive and save the future.

#14 After an attempt on his life, Ben Grange and his friends are thrown headlong into a conflict that they don’t entirely understand, leaving them alone to deal with issues of loyalty, friendship and responsibility in this A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE meets THE HILLS young adult epic fantasy.

#20 The day the world ends, a young man's battle against a mythological evil begins.

#22 A widowed farmer's efforts to build a new life and safely raise his daughter are irrevocably destroyed when his daughter is killed and he pleads guilty to a crime he didn’t commit in order to reach the man in prison who murdered her.

#25 When Grace’s ranger father disappears, she uses her wilderness survival skills to uncover a conspiracy that threatens the nature of her beloved mountains and her chance at first love.

#26 As a freshman, Alex MacLaren has never had a sword tear open her flesh, seen razor-sharp ice daggers shatter against a magical shield nor stared into the smiling face of pure evil, and she’s certainly never been coronated LordHeir before millions, abducted by her closest friend nor sexually craved another woman, yet all that would change the day she sat next to Kara on a plane bound for Chicago.

#33 An amateur Victorian magician had the key to returning Grace to her home in the 24th century - if only they can find where it got to.

#36 In "Apocalypse School," mousey, tomboyish Reena and football captain Zack tumble into a time-space warp inside their junior high where they discover a long-missing classmate, and the three must stop the bizarre,lost world from expanding before they can find their way home.

#38 Young, handsome portfolio manager with Harvard MBA and narcolepsy blows whistle on secret society of top 50 hedge funds controlling $1.2 trillion who meet at Harvard Club to invest money for the Bildergberg Group by rigging stock markets in Wall Street meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

#45 Jim Colburn has sold the company that he and his darling wife Allie founded twenty years ago, and he is set to live out his life, in the perfect way, with the two thing he loves, his airplane and Allie, until the engine explodes over the forest in Mississippi,when the airplane goes down the night mare begins.

5 RUNNERS UP
Submission of 3 chapters & a synopsis, if you have one

#7 As the victims of a local serial killer begin to haunt 17 year old Rachel Bronson, she must overcome her fears of the supernatural in order to help them, deal with her involvement in a love triangle between two bitter enemies, and also try to escape the grasp of the murderer in this SIXTH SENSE meets GHOST paranormal thriller.

#8 Gangs, blood oaths and loyalty test three teenagers searching for a kidnapped sister in post-apocalyptic London, unaware that as they unravel the mystery of her whereabouts, they are uncovering London's darkest secret.

#40 Seventeen-year-old Tyford Hayes is the resourceful Sixth Sense kid operating in the high-tech grunge of Minority Report—the only one of his kind who can help the dead find peace; the catch is the dead aren't dead, not yet, that is—they are simply marked for it, providing Ty a narrow window of opportunity to intervene on their behalf.

#42 What would happen when you cross Holden Caulfield with James Bond?

#46 Seeing the future is cool, but changing the future is cooler; who wouldn't become a sixteen-year-old super villain?

WINNER
Submission of whole book & a synopsis, if you have one

#32 She spent six years undercover, in the murky world of black market weapons, to find her husband’s killer and avenge his death – only to come face to face with him on the wrong side of an arms deal.

Please note that the numbers with the pitches correspond to the list of 50 semi-finalists and will help me contact each of you. That's right, no need to comment or email anyone, I WILL CONTACT YOU TO LET YOU KNOW HOW TO SUBMIT TO BRENDAN DENEEN!

I'd like to thank everyone for participating and wish you all a heartfelt congratulations!

Query a Tune Winner!

Okay, QT's- I have reviewed the wonderful entries to the Query a Tune Contest. I have forced friends and family members to obsess over them as well.

It was VERY difficult to choose a winner. In case you have not yet read all the entries, I submit the following facts in evidence:

The honorable mentions:

JPM didn't query a specific project, but gave us a lovely parody about the query process in general

To the tune of “Copa Cabana” by Barry Manilow:

Her name was Lola, she was an agent
With yellow cushions on her chair and many manuscripts over there
She would make sales and writers moola
And while she was looking for a star, she got my query from afar
Across five states or more, she wanted chapters 1 through 4
His writing was so fun, but could she take on yet another?
And yet she asked for more!

It was the query, query I sent her
A great idea put in the letter
It was the query, query I sent her
Format and action had caused a strong reaction
To my query….she fell in love

Kat Harris shared her amazing video of a song she wrote and performed...

Windsong's entry intrigued me, as I wasn't sure whether it was a frog who made the promise, or that the prospects of obtaining a frog were promising.

There was no moon
No roses
No wine
No shooting star
To show you were mine

Chorus:

Just an emerald necklace
And the promise of a frog
Just an emerald necklace
Emerald necklace and a song

When I looked at you
White feathers
A beak
Surely a jest
For birds cannot speak

I had no promise
Of your heart
Just the
Word of a frog

Chorus

Now I see you
Bird outside
Girl in
In the game of my life
I'm going to win

Chorus (repeat twice)

I loved the images and language in this one from Nisa

The following is to the tune of "The Riddle" from the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel and depicts my novel "Power's Touch". -

See the dreams pass before her eyes
See the youth stripped clean with the lies
Angels speak no words
In a land so cursed

Just trace a portrait of darkness
You'll have an image of yourself
Betray the night
Gain a sense of right

Oh we all can taste bitter-sweet scars
Like moonlight spilling 'cross falling stars
I need more
One thing that is sure

The power, glitter, they lead us
In a dance trapping away trust
We cast our lot
And with luck it will pay off

And I am sorely disappointed that the video associated with this entry from Janet Lane never made it online. It sounds like AWESOME performance.

It's to the tune of "Chapel of Love" recorded by the Dixie Cups in 1964.
I had three women singing, a la the Dixie Cups, with two men as back-up for the "whoa, whoa, whoa's."

GYPSY TO THE CHAPEL ... to "Chapel of Love" by Dixie Cups, 1964. New lyrics by Janet Lane

CHORUS
Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get married
Goin' to the chapel
And we're gonna get married
Chose to be a Gypsy
And we're gonna get married
Goin' to the Chapel of Love

Fall is here
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Time for bliss
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Break the tile
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
And then we'll kiss
But Big John says, "Something's amiss!"
And my Gypsy King is headed to jail! So now we're ...

CHORUS:
Goin' to the gallows
And we'll never get married
Goin' to the gallows
And we'll never get married
Lookin' for the chalice
And that naughty monk's secrets
Lookin' for the chalice, and LOVE!

Two days left
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
A big surprise
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
My Gypsy King
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Told me lies!
That surly knight is always right
And the chalice is finally in our hands!

CHORUS
And now I found a true lover
But we'll never get married
Found a true lover
But we'll never get married
I'm half Gypsy
Will I ever get married?
Lookin' for the Chapel of Love.
(Yeah, yeah yeah yeah)
Lookin' for the Chapel of Love
(Yeah, ONE MORE TIME!)

(Slow, with full harmony): Lookin' for the Chapel of ... Loooooove!
(Baritone): Whoa, YEAH!

But for sheer entertainment value (plus extra marks for bravery and enthusiasm), the winning entry:

Angels, Demons, and Beauty Queens*
* With Michael Jackson clawed hands swaying back and forth to the tune of “Thriller.”
(Lots of wolf howls)
It’s close to mid-night and Linny’s on a very scary plane
Out of her body, she sees a sight that makes her want to faint
She wants to run, but Elvis imp-er-sonators take the plane
She starts to scream, but Lycra stares her right between the eyes
She’s mortified!

Cause it’s a thriller, a real bone chiller
Agents jump to read it, oww
And publishers scream for it, yoww
It’s a diller, a real thriller yarn
But my query really sucks
I’ll have to rip it up
Toooonight!!!!
(Jackson howl)

Back on the airplane, Mary melts the bomb with laser beams
Annette raises a dead man and wonders if her powers are a dream
They want to run, but the FBI believes they’re double agents,
They strategize, but an evil demon stalks them from the skies
They’re terrified!

Cause it’s a thriller, a real bone chiller
Agents please, please read it!
And publishers scream for it(in a good way)
Cause it’s a thriller, a real genuine chiller
I want to win that book cause’
I need another, another, another hook!!
Tooonightttt!!!!
(Jackson howl)

by Taryn L. Hook

So, congratulations, Taryn! You've won a copy of Agent Demystified by Authoress of Miss Snark's First Victim.

So watch your email for instructions!

And seriously, all the entries were beyond awesome. I was blown away by your amazing creativity and willingness to take risks. I loved them all. BIG thanks to everyone who "pitched" in.

You guys rock. Literally.

One Line Winners!

Wow, everyone should be thinking good thoughts about Ms. Stampfel-Volpe. Talk about a lot of reading. Not only that, but she's volunteered to do a guest-blog post for us on writing the pitch! So watch for that to be coming soon to the QueryTracker blog. Thanks Joanna!

Winners, please email me (Elana) at my querytracker address (the same one you sent your entries to) for specific submission details and instructions.

Here's what Joanna had to say:

This was a very difficult contest to judge! In the end, there were twenty-seven pitches that I really liked, but I still had to whittle that number down to the four winners out of a serious variety of genres and themes. What won out in the end is high concept and something fresh or with a fresh twist. But I still have to reiterate--it was freaking hard!

To everyone that participated, thank you so much for making this a fun experience for me. And although I may not have picked your pitch, I hope to still see queries from you in the future.

Cheers,

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe

3rd Place: Submission of first 10 pages
Danny Bryan - On their way to happily ever after, the Princess Detectives must first contend with a mysterious death, an impossible jewel heist, multiple kidnappings, a very inconvenient poisoning, and a jester's truly horrific jokes.

2nd Place: Submission of first 30 pages
Jocelyn Rish - After the body she discovers in the woods disappears, seventeen-year-old Breanna must prove it was not the product of her notorious overactive imagination, but rather the handiwork of a killer who plans to silence her.

1st Place: Submission of first 50 pages
Leanna Weissmann - Sixteen-year-old Lily McPherson is skating for Olympic gold - on a pair of skates she shoplifted from Robinson's Supercenter, the store where her cop father died during a shoot out.

Grand Prize: Submission of full manuscript
Katie Anderson - When you look into someone's eyes, you see his soul, but when sixteen year old Emerson Taylor kisses their lips, she sees their pasts.


Winners, please email Elana (elanajohnson@querytracker.net) for specific submission details and instructions.

Congratulations everyone! Thanks again Joanna!

Winner of Plug Your Book drawing!

Don't forget our Agent Contest judged by Joanna Stampfel-Volpe will begin at 9:00 am today (that's in 5 minutes!). A post with details for submission to the contest will follow this one.

Last week we asked you to let us interview you.  In the interview, we asked you to share things like what you wrote and what you'd like us to ask the agents and authors we talk to.  And we got lots of wonderful responses!  We drew one name randomly from the commentors to win a copy of Steve Weber's Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors. And the winner is...Ritu!  Ritu, please email me (ckaufman) using the querytracker email address listed at right with your full name and mailing address.

Disappointed you didn't win this round?  No problem, because next week we're going to give several copies of Plug Your Book! away on April 23rd when we interview the author.  Stay tuned!

And again, don't forget to enter our Agent Contest...more details in a few minutes!