Monday, October 28, 2013

Nightmare on Query Street Concludes!! Closing Stats & Critique Opportunity

I am beyond proud of Nightmare on Query Street and the writers that made up our teams.

75  84 requests amongst 30 entrants. 75  84 requests!!!!!

Huge thank you's go out to all the agents that made this such a success!!! Really, we couldn't have done this without you. You all were so generous and kind; thank you for giving your time to this contest! And we hosts seriously hope there are success stories to come.

For those of you who don't know:

The agents could request for a 10 page partial by giving a 'shiver', a 50 page partial by giving a 'shriek', or a full manuscript request by giving a 'scream'.

Here are the statistics for the hosts and their teams:

Mike's Monsters got 23 25 requests in total: 10 shivers, 12 13 shrieks, 1 2 screams
Michelle's Minions got 28 32: 9 shivers, 18  22 shrieks, 1 scream
I (SC's Spooks) got 24 27 requests in total: 10 shivers and 14 17 shrieks.

So, I guess, *grumbles*, that Michelle's team won. Woo hoo! Yay! I want to say congrats to Michelle, you were a worthy winner :) (But we'll get them next time, don't you worry my Spooks!)

I don't feel sad that I lost in the slightest. Each of us got more than double the amount of requests than the number of entries we had up; that is incredible to me. And we couldn't have done it (obviously) without an amazing crop of writers to chose from, so thank YOU!

I want to say: If any of you guys get a success story because of the contest, please please please tell us!

 Email me at SC_Author (at) yahoo (dot) com and share your story (don't email the Nightmare on Query Street address, we won't be checking that as regularly). Please please please do this, no matter how 'small' your story may seem. We hosts love doing contests, and much of the reason is because we want to see success stories come from them. So share!! And don't forget!!

Call out: if you didn't make it into Nightmare on Query Street and want a brief critique on your submission, comment on this post with the name of manuscript you submitted.

I'll search for it in the email account and I'll reply to you with the critique :) The critiques will be brief, and some of them will be short. Many times it was subjective, and many times it was simply, "The competition is too fierce. This submission is really good, but there's only one spot left and there's another one that caught my eye."

I think this is a good way to have all the participants in the contest benefit from taking part in it :) We did it with Query Kombat too.

Thank you all so, so much, for the most fruitful contest we've done! We hope to deliver again next year with Query Kombat (and Nightmare on Query Street 2014). Again, huge thank you's go out to the agents! You guys ROCKED.

Hope you had an awesome time! Thanks for making this contest fantastic! (And go SC Spooks. WOOT WOOT.) 

35 comments:

  1. Hiya SC! I would love to hear any feedback on the entry I submitted. Thanks for doing this and for hosting a kickass contest! This was actually the first contest I've ever entered and even though I didn't make it, I had a blast and gained some pretty cool tweeps :D

    Oh yeah, my entry was THE OATH TAKER :)

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    1. Critiqued! I'm so glad you had fun :D Thanks for the awesome complements!

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  2. Hey SC! That was an awesome contest. Congratulations to you three and all those who received those requests. 75 requests! That's very cool!

    Like Madseasongirl, it was my first contest as well.

    Umm... Well, I'm aware my entry was awful. I recently found several flaws in my query myself with help of critiques from a couple of authors. I feel very embarrassed by the awful query I had sent in NOQS. That query is something I want to leave behind. I have totally replaced that query in my latest draft. (Hence, I'm happy that agents didn't get to look at it, just yet!)

    But you three are experts on queries. So I would love to hear your opinion on my entry. Especially on my first 250 words. My entry was titled "WALLS OF INFINITY."

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    1. Critiqued; hope it helps! Thanks so much for participating XD (And your entry was not awful at all!)

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  3. Seventy five! And I had two of them! *does happy dance*

    I definitely keep you updated, SC! Positive or negative!

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  4. Oh wow! SEVENTY FIVE! That's so impressive! Thanks so much for hosting the contest and for picking TERRIFYING TORA as one of your Spooks :)

    Seriously, I can't tell you how grateful I am and what a boost in confidence it is to have gotten shivers and shrieks over it. I've been querying for a couple months and I mostly got rejections (some partial requests). Granted, I haven't queried that much yet but I was beginning to think my query was flawed, but this contest has shown me that isn't the case. I just wasn't finding the right agents at the right time. So thank you so much for that!

    I'll keep you posted on any updates.

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  5. Wow! Great results. Congrats to all the "winners" :)

    Any feedback you could give would be amazing. My submission was a NA Fantasy called SHATTERED.

    Thank you for hosting this event!

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    1. Got it! Critique has been sent :) Thanks for participating!

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  6. I'd love to hear your critique of my entry, A TEMPORARY CONVENIENCE. Thanks for the offer!

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  7. Congratulations to everyone who got requests!

    Thanks for the offer of a critique...I wonder if my word count is still a problem? It's HAUNTED EVER AFTER.

    Thanks!

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    1. Finished :) Your word count was a little bit of a problem but it wasn't really a factor in (at least) my decision :D

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  8. Wow. What an awesome success!!

    I would be grateful beyond belief for a crit of PROTECT HER.

    Thanks a bunch for everyone's time in hosting this SPOOKY contest. :)

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    1. Done :) (Love the title, by the way; fits so perfectly with the book.)

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  9. Oh pretty please do my entry SC! My entry was Tin Year and your advice would be really appreciated.

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  10. SC, I was hoping you'd offer this again. I have a feeling my somewhat high word count and sort of dystopian setting might have been part of the problem. I'm trying to figure out how to undystopianize my story because I think my characters work. Anyway, my entry was IF I PROMISE YOU THE SUN. Thanks a bunch!!!!

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  11. This was great fun - good job all three of you! I love any opportunity to get feedback and learn, so yes please! MIGHTY MIKE AND THE INTERSTELLAR CANDY DISPENSER.

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  12. Congrats to all of you on a contest well-run.

    My submission was GHOST GIRL, and I'd love a critique of the entry. Thanks!

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  13. Hi SC,

    Thanks for hosting! Congrats to all of the winners.

    Would love a critique of my entry, ASPIRIA

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  14. Congrats all winners. Would love feedback: All Hallows Lane.
    Thanks
    Darren

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    1. My email: dpgannuch@gmail.com: All Hallows Lane
      Thanks again,
      Darren

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  15. Congratulations to everyone! I'd love a mini-crit for Gone Wild; thanks in advance.

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  16. 75 requests is incredible. Congrats to all the teams, and to you guys for running such a fantastic, successful contest!

    I'd also like to take you up on your offer of a critique. My entry was THE RIVER WAS WHITE AND RUSHING.

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  17. Congrats to everyone! 75 requests is pretty amazing!

    And thank you, SC, for offering to do a critique. Mine was A MURDER OF ANGELS. Seriously, being willing to do critiques after all the work involved here is pretty amazing. Thanks again ahead of time.

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  18. I'd love a critique of THE ALLIANCE.

    And thanks so much for running this contest - it was lots of fun not even being in the top 30 entries! And congrats to everyone who got requests. 75 requests is incredible!

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  19. You guys are great hosts! Congrats on 75!

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