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Four teens judge your story . . . with three editing prizes up for grab!

Thursday, 30 June 2011  |  Posted by Brenda Drake
http://picture-book.com/content/morgan-gaynin-6
Auntie B’s Book Club Contest
July 17 -20 

It’s the final summer for the seniors in my book club that I started with my niece when the girls were in fifth grade. Three of her friends go off to college this fall, while my niece and her other friends will be seniors. Its hard to believe we’re at the end of the book club. We’ve read so many books and had tons of laughs. I’m gong to miss my girls. So at our last meeting, I asked them what made them choose the books we read.

Their first answer was, “You did.” 

I smirked and said, “Okay, the times when I don’t force what you read, what inspires you to buy a book?” 

They just sat there blinking and picking at their pizza. When finally the quietest of the girls spoke up. “I read the back of the book and the first page before I decide. It really has to whisk me away, and the characters can’t be lame.”

While I sat there listening to what they considered lame, an idea hit me. How cool would it be to have a teen pick what would stand out for them in a book store? So I asked the girls if they would like to be judges in my next contest on my blog. They were so excited they wanted to do it right there and then. Well, without going on and on about how this contest came about, here are the deets.


How it’s going down…

On July 17 post a 35-word pitch (logline) and the first 250 words of your manuscript on your blog. Get feed back from your followers, and then hop around and critique the other participants’ entries. When you’re ready to post your entry, come back here and post it to the entry post. It will be up on July 17, and you’ll have until 11:59 PM EST on July 20th to enter it. The girls will then read each one and pick the top three that caught their attention.The ones they would pick up and buy in  a book store. And, if they have time, they’ll visit your blogs and tell you what they think. Just sign up on the linky below to join in all the fun.

What genres can you enter…

My girls love it all. If your main character is 12 to 25,  the girls will read it. Any genre. Please no profanity.


Well, yeah, of course there are prizes for the top three…

The winner will receive a 10 page plus a synopsis critique, and two runners up will receive either a 10 page or a synopsis critique from the fabulous Cassandra Marshall agent intern/editor/cover art designer/writer extraordinaire. Cassandra’s edits and critiques are so awesome, they’re like having a writing coach. With her suggestions and by her pointing out my weakness, I was able to take my writing to a higher level. Plus her services are affordable.

Meet our judges…
Choir Girl:  Able to hit a high note in a single breath. She’s the baby of the group. Next year she’ll be a senior. Her interests are romance, historical, and really cool memoirs. She does love vampire stories as well.

 

Drama Girl: Able to shed a tear on command. She’ll be going to California to college in the fall. Her interests are anything Jane Austen, mysteries, thrillers, and of course, anything with hot boys in it.

Book Girl: Able to read a book in a day. She’s going back East to college in the fall. She loves all genres! She’s read the Harry Potter series like five times or so. Her favorite genre is anything fantasy. She wanted me to tell you it isn’t about the genre for her, but more about the story and characters.

Sports Girl: Able to out run all of us on a basketball court. She’s off to Colorado for college in the fall. She loves anything to do with sports and boys. She likes strong female and sarcastic male main characters. She likes more of the edgy stuff. If it’s gross, she’s your girl. 

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

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