Things are going AMAZINGLY.
It's all smooth, it's all working well, and, above all, people are leaving AMAZING critiques and comments. You guys are awesome! Kudos to you!
Some things to be aware of:
One comment had to be deleted due to blatant bashing. Don't be that person. Be a happy and constructive person instead! List what you like as well as what you didn't like. It's important for the writer to know what's working as well as what isn't.
We're also, maybe, might, be working on something else, maybe, might, possibly, and well, we can't give anything away yet (it might not happen, after all!) but stay tuned!
Big question for you:
How are you liking Query Kombat? (Going on at Michelle's blog right now, and after June 3rd, the next round will be on MY blog! YAY!!) How do you like it?
I have never done anything like this. Ever. It is both intense and unbelievably helpful at the same time. I was hesitant to submit, afraid my skin wasn't thick enough for having my writing in such a public arena, but I am blown away by how supportive this process is. My opponent is beating me right now, and as much as I refresh the page to see if I earned another victory, I'm so happy that she's doing so well. You guys have put together an amazing contest and created such a wonderful community. Even if I don't make it through to round 2, the experience is a win. Thanks to you, Michelle, and Mike for doing this (as well as all the great judges, mentors, and kontestants that have been helping us all week)!
ReplyDeleteHeaps of praise for you three organizers and all the judges. This QueryKombat experience allows me to meet and support many fellow writers. Learning my strengths and weaknesses will help me continue to grow as a writer and I'm so glad to be in such a positive environment. Thanks for what you do! -Rob
ReplyDeleteThere's always someone who has to spoil it for everyone else. Ah, such is the human race ...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, to all those entering, remember that just because one person may not like your writing doesn't mean others won't. We are all different after all. Thank goodness!
Like Amy Pine above, I've never done anything like this. It was scary to enter and I was super nervous about letting so many people see my writing. I'm also getting beat by my opponent (who has an amazing entry, by the way), but I'm not upset by it at all. The feedback I'm getting is helpful and constructive. I can tell that a lot of the people taking the time to comment WANT to help me succeed, and that means a lot to me. I'm pretty sure I won't make it to round 2, but I'm going to keep watching...I want to see how it ends! :D Thanks for working so hard and putting this all together, it's been a great experience so far and I'm less afraid to put myself out there in the future.
ReplyDelete~The Little Red Head
Always a sourpuss! Don't let that person bother you.
ReplyDeleteCool, I think, maybe. haha
ReplyDeleteQuery Kombat has become my new obsession!
ReplyDeleteI love how involved we all get to be in this contest. There are so many that are just the sit-back-and-wait variety but this one allows the entrants to actively participate. And the feedback is priceless. I've already applied some great advice to my query and first 250 and I couldn't have done it without Query Kombat!
As a non-contestant, first let me say thanks to all the writers who were brave enough to put your work out there. My own WIP wasn't ready for Kombat, but I feel like I've learned as much from reading the entries and the comments as I would have from entering.
ReplyDeleteI really like the format of this contest. Including the query gives a much better picture of the book as a whole. I'd seen many of these first pages on other blogs and was surprised, in some cases, to find out what the story was really about.
This contest has really been wonderful for me. I wrote my query letter before I revised my novel, and I revised out the issue everyone has with it BUT DIDN'T CHANGE THE QUERY (I R dumb). Query Kombat has absolutely shown me where I need to revise my query, and people have given other really good feedback.
ReplyDeleteI've done my best to return the favor, but it's unlikely that I've given people the same "ah-ha!" gift they've given me. In short, QueryKombat has been spectacular for me. I think the format is hard. I saw a ton of queries where I thought "Oh, they've got this in the bag!" only to see that they were losing by a landslide!! So tough. And boy-howdy, this contest really drives home the "Personal Preference" side of querying and publishing.
To sum up: I think this is awesome. You guys are doing an awesome job. I think everyone posting critiques is doing a fabulous job. The judges ROCK! And basically, this has been a mindblowing opportunity. Thank you!
Just to tell you guys: I've been reading every single comment and LOVING them! Keep them coming, and thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so happy that you guys are loving the contest.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible that someone is giving such harsh feedback. I haven't had chance yet to read them. I'll try and check them out tomorrow. :D
ReplyDelete