From September 22-28, we’re posting mini-interviews with some of our 2021 Pitch Wars mentors. We thought it would be fun to have them answer one question. A question that would give you an idea of their personalities. And possibly spotlight a mentor you may have missed on your exhaustive search through the blog hop for the perfect four mentors to submit to when the Pitch Wars 2021 submission window opens. Don’t know what Pitch Wars is START HERE.
Giveaway!
We’re also giving away 2021 mentors’ and committee members’ books! Go to the bottom of this post for details on how to enter for a chance to win.
Need to connect to the community?
Join the Pitch Wars forum to have discussions with some of our mentors and other writers or get your work critiqued by your peers (and sometimes mentors) or search for critique partners. It’s our gift to you for being so awesome, and we hope you find this space useful. To join the forum go here: http://pitchwars.proboards.com/
Mark your calendars!
Join us for our official #PitchWars #askmentor chats on Twitter and our live mentor video chats happening on Sarah Nicolas’ Youtube channel. Go to this blog post for dates and follow @PitchWars on Twitter for all the details.
This is the question we asked our mentors to answer:
If you could tell your younger self anything about writing or the publishing world you’ve learned or didn’t expect when starting out, what would it be?
And here are their answers …
Carly Heath
“A huge part of publishing is waiting and delays. These delays can actually be a blessing. They give you a chance to re-read and re-think your manuscript. I know it feels like everyone else is moving really fast and getting things out there but it’s absolutely essential to cultivate patience and put in the time to make sure that your manuscript is absolutely the best it can be before querying or going on submission.”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Co-Mentors Emily Thiede and Lauren Blackwood
Wishlist Link
Emily: “I’d tell her that while this industry is tough, getting through the rough patches can make the wins feel even sweeter, so hang in there. Also, what Lauren said! I had no idea how much STUFF I’d have to write beyond the book!”
Lauren: “One thing I never expected after getting a book deal for fiction is that I’d have to write so much nonfiction. So. Many. Essays! It’s like being in school again, haha!”
Co-Mentors Rosiee Thor and Emily Grey
Wishlist Link
“We’d tell ourselves that writing doesn’t have to be a lonely isolated process. A lot of people talk about writing as an activity for introverts because you do it by yourself, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Finding critique partners, friends, and mentors to build a community with is what really pushes us to continue to grow and do our best work.”
Rosiee’s Mentor Page | Book Link
Skyla Arndt (Co-mentoring with Alex Brown)
“Dear Past Skyla, Tunnel vision isn’t your friend! It’s so easy to focus on the Next Big Thing. The hard truth is that even after you reach your current goal, there will always be another one waiting around the corner. It’s an awful cycle of “things will be great if I can only get X…oh, wait, I have X now, scratch that, what I really need is Y.” Here’s a secret: this never ends. Remember to celebrate the past as much as you strive for the future.”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Kylie Schachte
“Needing to take breaks doesn’t make you lazy or a slacker. Your mental and physical health are not inconvenient distractions from writing–they are the things that ENABLE your creativity in the first place. And, turns out, being mean to yourself doesn’t make your book get written any faster! Who knew!! Oh, and read new releases in your genre & age category (not just the best sellers)”
Wishlist Link | Mentor Page | Book Link
Enter for a chance to win one of our mentors’ or committee members’ books. We’ll choose ten winners to receive one book each. You ARE NOT limited to the mentors featured in our spotlight posts. You can choose any 2021 mentor or committee member’s book. All you have to do is search our mentors’ and committee members’ books, pick one you’d like to receive should you win, and enter it in the rafflcopter at the bottom of this post. The book must be one from our 2021 mentors or committee members.
You can find our mentor pages here: https://pitchwars.org/mentor-status/active/ And you can find our committee members here: https://pitchwars.org/about/meet-the-pitch-wars-committee/
It’s open internationally, but only for books available on the Book Depository. Make sure to go to their site and verify the book is listed for sale there before choosing your book in the Rafflecopter. Please note: The book you choose might not be immediately available due to supply chain challenges impacting the entire publishing industry.
