February Pitch + FIrst Page Contest Rules

•    We will take the first 100 Middle Grade/Young Adult/New Adult entries submitted in the correct format after noon EST on 2/15 to the email AYAPcontest@gmail.com. Please remember that we have many teen readers on this blog who are under 18, so keep the first pages rated PG. (I'm the last person to suggest any kind of censorship for ANY reason, but there is a level of expectation based on what readers are used to seeing here at AYAP.)

•    Only one entry per person to make sure everyone has a shot at feedback.

•    Entries will consist of a pitch of no more than 150 words and the first sentence of a COMPLETED manuscript. Please make sure to include your name, email, manuscript title and genre/subgenre.

•    The first 100 entries will all be posted on AdventuresInYAContests.blogspot.com.

•    We will invite reading, comments, love, and voting for a favorite — from anyone who wants to participate — until 6:00 AM ET on 2/22. At noon on 2/22 we announce the top 50 entries.

•    The top 50 entries will be judged by a group of respected bloggers, who will score the entries according to a standard scale with two bloggers reading each entry and a third blogger serving as a discrepancy judge if there is a wide disparity in scores.

•    The top 25 entries will be invited to send in their first page in addition to their pitch. These full entries will be scored by a group of authors according to a standard scale — two authors per manuscript with a discrepancy judge available.

•    The top 10 will move on to the agent round

•    Winners will be announced on 3/15/14.

•    All feedback, from the public, bloggers, authors, and agents will be posted as comments on the entry, but the identity of the judge making the comment will not be revealed. You'll just see Judge 1, or Judge 2, etc. You will, however, have a bio for all of the judges involved in that round.

This will give all participants the opportunity to receive feedback that they can apply immediately to their work, and give anyone who is inclined to watch the process the ability to learn vicariously.

And yes, there will be prizes. An agent critique of your first to first three chapters. And books. GREAT books. Like Stephen King on Writing and some fun things.

Good Luck!