Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Congrats and a Fun One-Sentence Summary Contest!

First things, first. Thanks to those of you who entered the giveaway of The Long Journey Home by Sharlene MacLaren. My daughter randomly selected a name out of a cereal bowl this morning (don't worry, it didn't contain milk).

And the winner is...

STEPHANIE!

Congratulations! Your book will be on its way very soon. Enjoy!


Now, I want to point you in the direction of a fun contest. If you have written or are in the process of writing a novel, and are serious about getting it published, there will come a time when you need to pitch it to an agent or editor.

One of the best ways to kick-off a pitch is with a one-sentence summary about your novel. However, coming up with this 25-word or so blurb is not as easy as it sounds.

Rachelle Gardner, literary agent, is offering a cool contest on her blog through 11:59 pm Saturday, June 5th. Simply (or not-so-simply) post your one-sentence summary in the comments of her blog. Rachelle will choose five winners, based on which ones are most effective and make her want to read the book. Winners will receive a subscription to WritersMarket.com (a $40 value).

There are samples of summaries in her blog post. You can also read through the comments so far to see the entries that are pouring in. I got mine in this morning. Here it is:

When bodybuilders start turning up dead, a crime-show fanatic and her gym-owner friend set out to uncover why the strong don't survive.

I encourage you to enter, if for no other reason than to start perfecting that pitch. I'd love to see what you come up with, so feel free to post your one-sentence summary here, as well.

Good luck!

2 comments:

Terri Tiffany said...

It sounds like a great idea and work for her! How nice of Rachelle to do that!

stephanie said...

Hooray!! I have never won anything from your blog, and I have entered a lot. Can't wait to read the book!!