The workshop signup is now closed!
We’re holding a query workshop here on the blog. Some talented friends agreed to help me critique your queries. We’re taking the first 38 writers to sign up on the Mr. Linky below. What do you have to do? Sign up on the Linky (if you’re number 39, you didn’t make it), and then email your query as a Word .doc to brendadrakecontests@gmail.com. Make sure to format the query as you would if sending to an agent. You have 24 hours from signing up to email your query to the contest. If we don’t receive it within 24 hours, you lose your spot, so please don’t delay.
Erica Chapman was so kind as to let me use her query as a sample query for you all. Check it out, it’s wonderful.
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Dear Fabulous Agent,
Your client and my critique partner xxxxxx xxxxx felt that my manuscript might be a good fit for your list. I was previously represented by an agent at xxxxxxxxxx, and unfortunately she has decided to pursue a different career path. I recently saw on your #MSWL tweet that you were seeking darker YA Contemporary. Due to this request, I’m querying you with TEACH ME TO FORGET a 57,000-word Dark YA Contemporary novel that blends elements of GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols with the voice of Parker Fadley from Courtney Summerβs CRACKED UP TO BE.
Ellery’s bought the gun, made arrangements for her funeral, and even picked the day. A Wednesday. Everything has fallen in to place. Now all she has to do is die.
When her plans go awry and the gun she was going to kill herself with breaks, she does the one thing she has control over–return it and get a new one. Unfortunately, the security guard who catches her with the gun is also the annoyingly perfect Colter Sawyer from her English class.
Β
Colter quickly uncovers her secret and is determined to change her mind. After confessing his guilt over his brotherβs suicide, he promises not to tell her secret. Ellery tries to fight her attraction to him, but when the reason for her nightmares shows up in town, she must choose whether her love for one boy is more important than a lifetime of pain.
My background includes an internship with literary agent Louise Fury of L. Perkins Agency, and a year as an associate editor at Entangled Publishing where I worked with Bestselling Author, Jus Accardo. I’m a blog contributor for the YA Misfits and All the Write Notes. I also have a little sister I trade book recommendations with. She’s twelve years younger, but we seem to have a lot in common. I love that you mention yours in your bio.
I’ve pasted the first 10K of my manuscript below per your submission guidelines.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Erica M. Chapman
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Here are the talented writers critiquing your work, along with the day their critiques will be posted …
11/1 – Rebecca Weston
11/2 – Rae Chang
11/3 – Karma Brown
11/4 – Cara Elizabeth
11/5 – Thomas Torre
11/6 – Trisha Leaver
11/7 – Emmie Mears
11/8 – Erica Chapman
11/9 – Nicole Wolverton
11/10 – L.L. McKinney
11/11 – Suzanne Van Rooyen
11/12 – Jenny Kaczorowski
11/13 – Erin Entrada Kelly
11/14 –Β Laura Tims
11/15 – Jolene Haley
11/16 – Maggie Hall
11/17 – Brenda Drake
11/18 – Leigh Caroline
11/19 – K.T. Hanna
Click on Mister Linky below to sign up now! We’re only taking 38 writers, so if you are 39 and on, you didn’t make it in.
I’m in! Checked the blog as soon as I got up this am. π
I hope I did this right. π Thanks so much.
You did it right, Pete. π
I made it! So excited…Thank you!!
Thanks for running these!
I’m hoping I did this right! “)
π
Thanks for doing this! I’ll e-mail my query along later today while my kids are napping.
Didn’t think I’d get a spot! Thanks for setting this up! Looking forward to it. I too will be emailing later today, during naptime. Cheers!
I’m in! Yippee!
Just signed up! My url is still at its beginning stages. Hope it’s not held against me!
This is amazing! Thank you for running this.
Just a question before I sign up: are we allowed to submit for this workshops queries for WIPs?
Thanks for doing this! Off to a college football game – will send query later, Brenda!
Whoops, ignore this! Just found the answer on Twitter. ^^ Linked~ thanks so much once again for doing this workshop.
Like others said, I hope I did this right! I’m unfamiliar with Linky, and used my brand-new, baby blog URL. Thanks for the opportunity!
Signed up.
Best. Blog. Ever.
Signed up. So excited!
Phew! Just saw this on twitter and thought for sure I wouldn’t get a spot. Brenda rocks!
Shoot! I don’t think I did it right. Am I actually in?
Thanks for another amazing resource for writers in the query trenches. I really appreciate what you are doing for the community π
As always, thanks for being a tremendous resource for writers, Brenda! π
Whew! Made it in! I’ll email as soon as I get done at the theatre with my son!
Do I have to have a website to enter? My entry won’t go through without one. I do own a domain name that isn’t set up as a website, but when I enter it, I get an error message saying my URL must start with a string of characters I’ve never seen before. Any advice?
You can use your Twitter URL if you don’t have a website.
Made it! Yay! Thanks! SO excited to have received this!
I think I made it!
Thanks for doing this, Brenda! My query needs to be whipped into shape π
I’m glad I checked Twitter. Think I got it right. Thanks for doing this!
Wow! Thanks for doing this!! π
Hopefully I sent that in correctly! It’s a little alarming to have someone review my query (especially since it’s been set aside for so long!) but it’s such a great opportunity and I really appreciate it, Brenda and agents!
I got a space but I put the wrong URL. Oh well. This will be fun!