Tuesday, August 4, 2020

SECRET AGENT CONTEST -- Coming Up!



Hello, writing friends!

Submissions for our next Secret Agent Contest are 3 weeks from yesterday (where has the summer gone?). Here's everything you need to know:

(Please note: This is NOT the call for submissions! The contest will open on Monday, August 24.)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES (please read carefully):

*To enter, please use THE SUBMISSION FORM HERE.
*THIS WILL BE A LOTTERY: The submission window will be open from NOON to 6:00 PM EDT, after which the bot will randomly select 50 entries.
* PLEASE NOTE: You are responsible for figuring out your own time zone. "Time Zone differences" are NOT a reason for not getting your entry in.
* Submissions are for COMPLETED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. If you wouldn't want an agent to read the entire thing, DON'T SEND IT. If an "entire thing" doesn't exist, you shouldn't even be reading these rules.
* You may submit A DIFFERENT MANUSCRIPT if you've participated in any previous Secret Agent contests in the past year.
* Only ONE ENTRY per person per contest. If you send more than one, your subsequent entry(ies) will be rejected.
* Submissions are for THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. Please do not stop in the middle of a

GO HERE to submit via our web form.

As always, there is no fee to enter the Secret Agent contest.

This month's contest will include the following genres:

MG and YA Historical Fiction
MG  and YA Fantasy
MG and YA Narrative Nonfiction
MG and YA Epistolary
Adult Upmarket (NO genre fiction--high fantasy, romance, etc.)

Please ask your questions below!


14 comments:

  1. So exciting! Could a MG contemporary/fantasy mix be counted as "fantasy"?

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  2. Yay! These contests are always so helpful. Thanks for doing another one.

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    Replies
    1. And thanks for helping to spread the word! :)

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  3. Sorry for the newbie question, but this would be my first time submitting: Anything else accompanying the first 250 words (like a synopsis)?

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    1. Hi, nolahn -- never apologize for a "newbie" question! Just your first 250 words -- nothing else. The submission form has a place for you to enter the title and genre of your work.

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  4. Hi. Can we submit a MS for a self-published novel? Sorry if I missed this rule somewhere!

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    1. Hi! I'm not sure what the motivation to do that would be, since the Secret Agent will be reading these with an eye to choose winners who will receive requests from the agent for more pages/chapters, up to the full manuscript. If the novel has already been self published, you don't need an agent, yes?

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  5. Does mainstream historical fiction qualify as adult upmarket? Thanks for considering this question!

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  6. My adult novel blends many genres (mystery, romance, women's fiction, chick lit), would it be considered adult upmarket?

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    Replies
    1. Have you reached the maximum number of entries? I get a blank page when I click on your submission form.

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    2. The submission window doesn't open until next Monday (August 24). ;)

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  7. I'm another newbie (take that as a kind of disclaimer). I understand that the selected submissions will be posted and open for critique. I've been trying to find previous submissions, but I think there must be a limited time and then they are deleted (except perhaps for the winning ones, as I have found some, but not an entire list). Is this right? Is the timeline announced on the day of opening?

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