Become an Agent (Query Contest) Has BEGUN!!! Some Guidelines

CONTEST HAS ENDED :( But keep an eye on this blog; I might run this contest again!


You have from now until Thursday night, 9PM EST to send in your queries to SC_Author(at)yahoo(dot)com!!!! GO GO GO! Actually, read number 2 on the list below before you do.

The basic gist of it is that contestants can vote YES on only one out of five queries in the 'slush pile' that is my blog. Contestant with the most YES's wins. And non-contestants can participate too! They just have one YES for every ten queries. Also, there must be some explanation as to why each person gave a YES or a NO.

Clicky click this link if you don't know what I'm talking about (because you'll want to!). This contest is going to be fun!!!

Here is the format for your emails:

Again, send it to SC_Author(at)yahoo(dot)com as:

In the subject line put "Query Contest Submission" at least. That's all I need :D

In the actual body, put it like how I have below (so I can easily copy-and-paste from email to Blogger :D)

Bolded where bolded, italicized where italicized, with all the words included (so keep in 'Title', 'Genre', 'Word Count', etc. but, of course, put in your own personal details.)

Title: My Awesome Title!
Genre: My Awesome Genre!
Word Count: My not-so-awesome word count that I'd rather not tell anyone!

Then just slap in the meat of your query under the title, genre, and word count. Throw in your bio too, because agents DO look at that when they receive queries and it DOES make an impact. I want this contest to be as realistic to what agents see as possible.

But I will delete any names or stuff, because the agent (sadly) won't know who you are. This way, if you have some friend-bloggers who get in the contest as well, hopefully, they won't be influenced as much. And all critiques will not be personal in any way. All critiques will only be on the query.

I'm counting on you guys not to tell people which is your query :) Doing so will only harm you, and I have faith in all of you that you want this contest to be constructive. But feel free to spread the word about this contest! More on the not-telling-people thing on next Monday's post, when the actual entries go up.

Some brief clearer-upper points of conduct:

1. You can submit a query for at most two novels. The winners will be picked randomly by Random.org, so it's possible that both or none of your queries will get in. If there are a lot of entrants (*fingers crossed*) I will choose only one of your two queries to be considered (so mark, in the subject line "Query Contest Submission #1" or "#2" as to which is your most favorite).
2. Queries must be in by Thursday at 9pm EST. But, as this is a lottery, you don't gain anything by sending in your query before that deadline. All queries in by the deadline have an equal chance to get in. (Although I'll be freaking out if I get no queries by Thursday, 8:59 pm.)
3. You have to be following this blog to participate in the contest.
4. HAVE FUN! PLEASE PLEASE HAVE FUN! Oh. And hope this helps you, too :D

Guidelines on voting, critiquing, and everything else will go up next Monday when the queries go up. Not much, just things I want to touch upon before the voting begins.

One little confession:

I'm scared, SO scared, that writers will take it personally if their query gets a lot of NO's.

This contest was inspired by the Authoress's Public Slushpile contest which I partook in --  I got more than 40 no's and about 5 yes's. That contest was...oh, wow! Almost exactly a year ago -- March 21, 2012 -- but I still think that contest was one of the most helpful I've been in. I was devastated by the feedback, but it would have been worse if I went out and queried with that horrendous query. That contest was amazing.

Hopefully, this contest will be the same for you guys. I hope you enjoy, truly! And don't take it personally: each contestant has only one YES to give per five queries. Yours might be great, but another might be better.

Don't enter this contest if all you want is YES's. This contest is meant to help you grow and strengthen your query :D

(By the way, for my mom's birthday last Friday, we went to a new sushi place! I have fallen in love with mochi. That stuff is the bomb. And, Sunday night, my sister and I went and made a nice dinner for her :D)

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Hope you enjoy! And I can't wait to read all your amazing queries! Put that query in the gym and get it in shape!