Monday, January 14, 2013

PAPfest ... really!

Yup - it's a PAPfest! Three of my buddies from over at AgentQueryConnect & From the Write Angle are hosting the Pitch-a-Partner Festival! (Don't you feel better now you know what it stands for??)

Even reading the instructions (along with the awesome illustrations) made me laugh. If you write MG or YA, you really HAVE to check it out. You pitch your crit partner's MS in order to get a request for YOUR story. Agents are involved and will be looking at the queries and first 200 words of the finalists!

Details are available at any of the blogs of the 3 brilliant minds behind this contest. Pop on over and check it out!

Mindy McGinnis - Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
RC Lewis - Crossing the Helix
MarcyKate Connolly

Good luck to everyone who decides to enter!!

So, do you/have you entered a lot of writing contests?

53 comments:

mshatch said...

what an interesting idea! I'm on my way to check it out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sounds great for those who write in those genres!

Jemi Fraser said...

Ms H - it sounds like a lot of fun!

Alex - I agree! I'm not doing those categories either right now though :)

JeffO said...

That is a great idea. Now, about that name....

I have entered a contest or two. Found a typo in the very first sentence of my very first entry, AFTER I'd sent it out. Oops.

Lisa Gail Green said...

That sounds pretty cool. I should let my crit partners know.

Jemi Fraser said...

Jeff - I know! Mindy is notorious for her acronyms - she's hilarious! :) ARGH! How frustrating!!!

Lisa - it really is! :)

Hannah said...

I've only entered a few. Very stressful. ;)

Jemi Fraser said...

Hannah - totally agree! You've got to be very strong to enter contests! I've only entered 2 :)

Michelle 4 Laughs said...

I haven't had much luck with contests. This one does look fun, though.

Jemi Fraser said...

Michelle - it does! I like the twist. :)

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Wow, this sounds intense. Pitching isn't my strongest point so I'll watch from the sidelines and try to pick up some tips. :)

Stephanie Thornton said...

I entered a number of writing contests a while back--they're a great motivator to get work polished and ready for the world to see!

Morgan said...

Awesome! It's so great to put ourselves out there and get involved like this! :D

Anonymous said...

I've entere Nano a couple times, but not last year.Just too busy. But they are beneficial.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Sounds fun and a little different.

Anonymous said...

Most interesting Jemi,
Thanks for your comment, I have been having problems with Internet Explorer for ages so changed to Chrome. Even on Chrome some blogs go straight to peoples Chrome+ . so will probably have to get someone in to look it over,

Yvonne.

Old Kitty said...

Good luck to you all entering! Sounds like a fun contest! Take care
x

Natalie Aguirre said...

I haven't entered many because I haven't had anything to query. I'm not sure if a contest or an old fashioned query is the best way to go.

Thanks for letting us know about the contest.

Jemi Fraser said...

Tricia - it does! I bet it'll be fun for those who enter :)

Stephanie - they really are great motivators!!

Morgan - it is! I think it preps people for the real publishing world in many ways!

Stephen - I love NaNo - and it doesn't have the same pressure these kinds of contests do :)

Lynda - I agree - I bet they have lots of people who enter!

Yvonne - I was able to access your blog easily this time! Hope it stays that way :)

Old Kitty - I think it sounds fun too!

Natalie - I think it all depends on your ms and your personality :) I do know a few people (including a couple of these ladies) who have agents because of contests! :)

Lisa_Gibson said...

Great news Jemi! I haven't been writing for some time but will throw the info out for those who are. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Lisa - awesome! It's nice to see you again! I hope things are going well :)

Anonymous said...

Sounds good, sweetpea. Will mosey on over. Thanks!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Wendy! It should be a lot of fun! :)

Anonymous said...

I used to enter many writing contests via snail mail. These days I might enter ones via blogs, as long as it's just a short piece I have to post.

Good look to those who enter.

Jemi Fraser said...

Medeia - I've only ever entered a couple - never quite the right timing it seems. But they are fun!

Maria said...

This all sounds fascinating. But Jemi, what's MG? I know my YA from my CR, but that's about it!

Maria

Maria's Book Blog

Michael Di Gesu said...

Sounds awesome! I write in those genres... heading on over...

Thanks Jemi!

Jemi Fraser said...

Maria - MG stands for Middle Grade - basically the age group younger than Young Adult. Usually 10 - 14 year olds :)

Michael - yay!! Good luck with the contest :)

Tara Tyler said...

ha! must check out! thanks!

Yvonne Osborne said...

Ha! I'm glad it's not what I thought at first!:)

Michelle Wallace said...

Papfest had my mind working in a different direction...
Okay so it has nothing whatsoever to do with edibles... LOL.

DMS said...

I am glad I wasn't the only one that didn't know what a PAPfest was! lol. Sounds like a great festival. I will be passing it on to some people I think will want to enter! :)
~Jess

nutschell said...

ooh! what a great opportunity. Going over to check it out. Thanks for sharing this!

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Jemi Fraser said...

Tara - I know! Totally cracked me up :)

Yvonne - me too!

Michelle - Haha!! Nope nothing to do with that... :)

Jess - these ladies always make me smile! Thanks for spreading the word :)

Nutschell - good luck!! :)

Jack said...

I might have to look into this, though right now I don't think I'd have time to do it. But it might be fun to at least read more about it! Thanks for sharing!

Ava Quinn said...

What a fun concept!

I entered one contest and got such unreliable and discrepantly opposite feedback that I haven't dipped my toe in again. One judge gave me 101 out of 102 possible points (soooo not helpful at all) and the other gave me something like a 64. In the comments she ranted on and on about the evils of the city I'd chosen as the setting for my story that it was almost funny. Almost.

Jemi Fraser said...

Jack - you're very welcome! It should be a fun one!! :)

Ava - almost indeed! Yikes, that's incredibly frustrating. I was lucky with the 2 I entered - very helpful feedback! :)

Beth said...

I don't usually enter writing contests, although I did look into the Pitch a Partner swap.

Jemi Fraser said...

Beth - I'm not much of an 'enterer' either - they make me a nervous wreck! :) But this one sounds like a lot of fun!

Golden Eagle said...

That's a really cool idea for a contest!

I haven't entered many writing contests myself--too busy trying to do other things to start agonizing over entries.

Jemi Fraser said...

Golden Eagle - I thought so too - unique :)

That's pretty much my life too - it's too busy most of the time :)

Theresa Milstein said...

I've entered a few contests and won or done well in a couple. These days, I want to keep my work more private. I wish the brave ones good luck.

Jemi Fraser said...

Theresa - they are brave indeed! It does take a special personality to be a contest 'enterer'! :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Totally brilliant. It's much easier to write a pitch and a synopsis for someone else's work that you know well than it is to write those things for your own. It is for me, anyway. Hope everyone had good luck!

Jemi Fraser said...

Carol - exactly!!! I think it would be soooo much easier - and fun too!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I've entered Writer's Digest's contests, but that was many years ago.

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - I've only done a couple of contests too - but they can be so much fun!

cleemckenzie said...

You had me going for a minute, Jemi! I'm glad for the definition clarification.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lee - I know! I snorted out some tea when I first read about this! :)

Nas said...

Sounds like a great idea...have to check it out!

Jemi Fraser said...

Nas - it is - I hope lots of MG & YA authors check it out! :)

TerryLynnJohnson said...

wow! That is a fantastic idea! thanks for shouting out about it.

Jemi Fraser said...

Terry - you're welcome - I think the idea's awesome!