Critique Donation AND Super Intern Contest Winners!

Before announcing the Super Intern Contest winners, I'd like to let you know that I'll be donating a critique for the Be Here Now Critique Auction!

If you want to learn more about the auction, click here.

If you want to bid for a first chapter + query critique from yours truly, click here.  And hurry, because the auction closes tomorrow! 


Now about the Super Intern Contest!

The magnificent Super Intern, Erica M. Chapman, who's an agent intern for Louise Fury with L. Perkins Agency, went beyond what we expected from her. We asked that she tell thirty lucky writers when she had stopped reading their pitches or which ones she would snatch out of the slush pile. Instead, she critiqued each query letter and first page of the participants. Her comments are beyond awesome, so go check them out. 

Also, if you aren't following Erica on her blog (link above) and on twitter (@ericamchapman) you totally should. She tweets as she reads Louise Fury's slush pile sometimes and is a wonderful friend to follow.

Erica thoughts...

This was such a tough decision, there were many great premises. I wished I could have picked you all, but I could only pick three. The queries that didn't pull me in tended to be too clunky. Queries should be concise and enticing to grab an agent's attention. Your only job is to make the agents read more. Don't throw everything in the kitchen sink into your queries. Focus on the plot. If you have an over-saturated genre, make sure you highlight what's unique about your story.

I enjoyed reading each of the thirty entries. Thank you for putting yourselves out there and letting me read your work. I know how scary it can be and applaud each one of you for taking the risk.


Erica picked her top three entries to receive critiques from Shelley Watters, Monica B.W. and Brenda Drake. Each critique is for the first ten pages of the winners' manuscript. She also has a few entries she wants to run by Louise Fury and will announce those soon.

So I guess you want to know the winners, right? Well, here they are...

 

Brenda's critique: RACE TO BUTCH CASSIDY'S GOLD, MG Mystery

Monica's critique: DEAD SISTER DAYS, Contemporary YA

Shelley's critique: UNDER THE TREES, YA Historical Fantasy Romance

Winners, please send the first 10 pages of your manuscript attached as a Word .doc to brendadrakecontests@gmail.com.