Welcome to the second week of Novel Boot Camp! This week we’ll continue with homework assignments designed to improve your novels. We will also be moving on to our second workshop.
If your first page has not yet been critiqued in the first workshop, don’t panic. I may continue to post them this week or I may wait until next week. It depends on how many query letters are submitted and how long it takes me to get through them. Please be patient. Thank you! Continue reading
It’s almost Halloween! As grown-ups, we’re too old to get free candy (sad and unfair), but we’re not too old for grown-up prizes!
If you come trick or treating to my door (AKA the comment section) between now and midnight on October 31st, you will be in the running for some awesome prizes!
GRAND PRIZE: Free edit of your novel’s first 25,000 words.
SECOND PLACE: Free edit of your novel’s first 10,000 words.
THIRD PLACE: Free edit of your novel’s first 5,000 words.
PARTICIPANTS: Free critique of your query letter as a reply in the comment section.
Since this has gotten hundreds of views and only one entry (what???), I figure you guys must not have your query letters ready. So…for second and third place only, all you have to do is Tweet about the giveaway to enter (make sure you include my handle: @keytopservices so I can count your submission).
I will randomly choose the winner. You can Tweet up to 3 times per day.
Leave a comment with your query letter or a short pitch (if you’re self-publishing, you can use your back cover blurb). I will be judging the entries based on who impresses me the most. Consider this a practice run for your query.
*If you do NOT want your query to be public, you may email it to me: ellenbrock@keytopservices.com
The free query letter critique will be performed as a reply to your query in the comments section. The critique only applies to true query letters and back cover blurbs (not alternative/informal pitches).
You may delete your query letter after the contest ends if you choose to.
The winning entries will be announced on Friday along with an explanation as to why I found their query letters the most intriguing.
The Grand Prize, Second Place, and Third Place prizes must all be redeemed within one year of my announcing the winners or the prizes expire.
Due to already scheduled work, January will be the earliest the free edits can be performed. I advise scheduling your free edits as early as possible.
If there is a high number of entries, it may take me a week or more to provide all the query letter critiques.
Share this contest on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and beyond! I really appreciate it!
Ellen Brock 