tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post2604222190345867759..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: The Duchess of Yowl wants petting not pitchingJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55485138290033607032018-05-07T16:30:40.709-04:002018-05-07T16:30:40.709-04:00This was like a crash course on pitching. Thanks, ...This was like a crash course on pitching. Thanks, Janet!<br /><br />Btw, Nathan Bransford's post today is also about pitching.Cecilia Ortiz Lunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00336485056322219624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91654986503725488512018-05-07T15:35:04.898-04:002018-05-07T15:35:04.898-04:00Alina-- Ah, got it, no dragons but plenty of other...Alina-- Ah, got it, no dragons but plenty of other good stuff. I checked my kindle and I actually have the first book in the Hidden Legacy series too, so I'll start there. Thanks for the rec!<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78980155585795254782018-05-07T13:36:40.797-04:002018-05-07T13:36:40.797-04:00Thank you, Celeste! Missed this yesterday because ...Thank you, Celeste! Missed this yesterday because I was traveling...Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30605150756857295782018-05-07T12:25:02.932-04:002018-05-07T12:25:02.932-04:00Your Sharkness, Queen of the Depths, thank you eve...Your Sharkness, Queen of the Depths, thank you ever so much. It was invaluable, a rare chance to learn and tempt you with bait. May your teeth always be pearly and knife sharp.<br />Reiders, the talent in those pitches. I’m giving myself a good talking to about being more specific and less clichéd - so obvious now. Here’s a random few I admired and why (not that I’m an expert or anything about this, just what I felt when I read it):<br /><br />Sarah – the last line of your pitch, brilliant.<br />Gigi – she turns pirate, yes!<br />Karen McCoy – hooked me with Priya’s story.<br />Alina Sergachov – your fresh take on mistaken identity.<br />Arri Ffranklyn – the first line of your paragraph and the unlikely pair.<br />William Darrah Whitaker – I am actually genuflecting.<br />Mark Conard – intrigued by Owen.<br />Jennifer Rueff – that question you left open is compelling.<br />Cipher – great character’s voice in a few words. <br />Katelyn Yaeger – instantly drawn in by the contradictions you set up.<br />Miriam – everything Janet said.<br />Barbara Etlin – boy and adventure, bring on those sea monsters.<br />Julie Weathers – pitch masterclass, nailed in four words.<br />Emilya Naymark –pitch and paragraph, perfect.<br /><br />Best of luck to everyone and I hope there might be a chance for those who missed out this time to have another chance. I’m heading back to my safe cave to watch from a distance again!<br />celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311309611785512773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89196594233412532132018-05-07T05:49:21.499-04:002018-05-07T05:49:21.499-04:00
Julie, thank you for your input, it is much appre...<br />Julie, thank you for your input, it is much appreciated. I am sharpening my quill as we speak. Cheers!french sojournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14262858704848580714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32881619508109009472018-05-07T01:02:34.328-04:002018-05-07T01:02:34.328-04:00Antipodean greetings to the DoY from Monday mornin...Antipodean greetings to the DoY from Monday morning.<br /><br />What hit me is how darned hard it is to make perfectly good work stand out to a busy / skim reading eye. Which is a useful, if slightly daunting thing to know. <br /><br />The ones that did hook into my brain were:<br />- kdjames - the combination of burnt-out bad-ass trope with the dragon.<br />- Kerry Barnard - the nicely inverted concept of adult highwayman as the 7 yr old's pet.<br />- Steve Stubbs, because I want to know what's going on.<br /><br />I wrote a couple of pitches during the week, but I couldn't decide which to post, and procrastinated my way out of action, woodland creature style.<br /><br />Aphra Pellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13135216024164707901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-72267452477295977802018-05-07T00:08:59.137-04:002018-05-07T00:08:59.137-04:00Julie: 1860s I almost wrote 1960s and I knew that...Julie: <b>1860s</b> I almost wrote 1960s and I knew that wasn't right. Time to go to bedKate Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09861373649696211491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7420715690806974502018-05-07T00:00:41.242-04:002018-05-07T00:00:41.242-04:00I thought it was a great exercise! Thanks to all t...I thought it was a great exercise! Thanks to all that flash fiction we do, it was nice to 'do it' to my own work; shorten, make every word count (and word count -30).<br /><br />Julie: I'm glad you got the upside down story! It's been very challenging and educational and I love working on it. And I can't wait to read your book and how Miss Crinoline handles the misogynists of the 1850's!!Kate Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09861373649696211491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13313604718948391722018-05-06T23:36:36.257-04:002018-05-06T23:36:36.257-04:00Long day - chiming in late. It was a blast to read...Long day - chiming in late. It was a blast to read all the entries, and so interesting to see what people could do with an expanded format. Congrats to all, and thank you for sharing!<br /><br />Here are the ones that stood out for me: <br /><br />Sherry Howard<br />KdJames<br />Kerry Bernard<br />Julie Weathers<br />Miriam<br />Gigi<br />Mallory Love<br />Jennifer Rueff<br />Jennifer Delozier<br />Raina Xin<br />Barbara Etlin<br />Diana<br />AJ Blythe<br />Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23213667879851283652018-05-06T23:10:28.777-04:002018-05-06T23:10:28.777-04:00Karen, Julie, and Sharyn: Thanks heaps for your ki...Karen, Julie, and Sharyn: Thanks heaps for your kind words!<br />kdjames: Sorry, no dragons in Kate Daniels series... but lot's of humor and a badass heroine. I'm not sure why your pitch reminded me of that author. Maybe the voice. Perhaps the plot. IMHO, the Hidden Legacy series is way better. And shorter. Give it a try (and ignore the cover).<br /><br />There were lots of excellent pitches. Many of them were well-written and interesting. I just wanted to add that I mentioned only three entries not because I didn't like the rest, but rather because of my personal preferences. I picked them because I would have asked for pages. And it's very subjective. Can't wait to see what Janet chose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6918464705594918602018-05-06T22:48:14.786-04:002018-05-06T22:48:14.786-04:00For starters, I had no idea there were so many Rei...For starters, I had no idea there were so many Reiders out there writing middle-grade fantasy! I especially enjoyed seeing those pitches, as that's what I'm working on myself.<br /><br />I thought there were a ton of great pitches. Some of you are SO GOOD at this. I will be interested to see if what stood out to me stands out to Janet. Pitching is a weirdly specific skill. Being good at it doesn't *necessarily* mean you can write a good book. And vice versa. And I think some genres lend themselves better to pitching than others.<br /><br />All in all a very worthwhile exercise, and I hope we get to do it again!<br />Gypmarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10023108950501721303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10304677478769941772018-05-06T22:21:17.507-04:002018-05-06T22:21:17.507-04:00Elise, thank you. Your lips to God's ear that ...Elise, thank you. Your lips to God's ear that it ever sees daylight. I stumbled across a story about a young, firebrand woman from the south whose mother refused to give her permission to marry the man she loved. After three years, the mother finally gave in. They had a gorgeous wedding with all the elite of the south. Three weeks later he was killed. It got me to thinking about her story and that's where The Rain Crow was born.<br /><br />Hetty took hold of my heart and wouldn't let go. How could I not write a story?<br /><br />Thank you, KariV.<br /><br />Alina, once again, your lips to God's ear and thank you.<br /><br />Thank you, Karen.<br /><br />Elissa, the pitch wasn't bad, but it was catchier the first time. Odd how that happens. <br /><br /> Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17471745834235700182018-05-06T21:43:13.539-04:002018-05-06T21:43:13.539-04:00After I posted my comments I was thinking, what is...After I posted my comments I was thinking, what is it that made some of these stand out for me? Some were very well done but the story sounds like many others. The ones that I liked the best had a great story idea or a line that hooks. <br /><br />The true life murder and the Appalachian memoir with the possibly deceitful children. The woman turned pirate. The farm boy ghost. A girl mistaken for an alien. A company that turns men into superheroes. The man who finds a body in his living room and the police insist it is him. Pretty nifty ideas.<br /><br />Sharyn Ekberghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11987304898246173619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8482935104846253452018-05-06T21:15:47.500-04:002018-05-06T21:15:47.500-04:00My two cents. I was impressed with all of these an...My two cents. I was impressed with all of these and so glad Janet is doing this. <br />These are the ones I thought were very good.<br /><br />Mallory Love, well done<br />Alina Sergachov, immigrant kids gets mistaken for alien, sounds like fun.<br />KD James, temperamental dragon!<br />Emilya Naymark, good lines<br />Sophistiktty, the story is set up well in the one paragraph<br />Steve Stubbs great set up and intriguing.<br />Mori Irvine, also a movie. well done pitch.<br />Kitty I like the paragraph writing.<br />Barbara Etlin, this sounds like a good story and the pitch is well done.<br />AJ Blythe, well done.<br /><br />and these are the ones I would read<br />Jennifer Rueff (this sounds amazing and I would read it)<br />Jennifer Delozier, Superheroes Inc. A movie sale!<br />NGcornett, I’d read this Appalachian memoir.<br />Miriam, this is one of my favorites, ghost boy on a farm. I’d read this.<br />Gigi, oh yes pirate girl. I’d read this. (pick up Dust of a Hundred Dogs for fun and pirate girls)Sharyn Ekberghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11987304898246173619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-20526391320568187402018-05-06T19:38:27.995-04:002018-05-06T19:38:27.995-04:00I'm going to list the ones that stood out to m...I'm going to list the ones that stood out to me. Now, keep in mind this is really subjective and one that several people like was very confusing to me. I had to read it over a few times to figure it out. So, that means my opinion is worth spit. <br /><br />Sherry Howard ticked off all the points on the list. It's not something I would normally read, but I think she did a good job. As an aside, my youngest son was asked to appear in the Friday Night Lights movie when they filmed it. He declined.<br /><br />Alina Sergachov had an interesting pitch and the sidekicks sold me. <br /><br />Kate Higgins: Who wouldn't want to try out that story turned upside down?<br /><br />KD James: "To say nothing of the dragon." I laughed. I want to read more.<br /><br />C.M. Monson: I think this has all kinds of potential and the comps worked well.<br /><br />French Sojourn: I got images of the Pelican Brief here. So, shallow of me. Still, I liked the premise. The long sentences could be broken up a bit. You've been taking lessons from me, haven't you? Don't do that.<br /><br />Karen Nunes: Yup, I'm in. Well done.<br /><br />Sophistikitty: It's not really my forte, but I thought this was well done and sounds like a good story. <br /><br />Kerry Bernard: Well, who wouldn't want to save a pet like that? I loved it.<br /><br />Erin Price: I love it. What a fresh take on magic. Good luck!<br /><br />Barbara Etlin: Yup, I'd pick that up. I love truth is stranger than fiction stories.<br /><br />Elise: Yes, all kinds of stuff going on there and it's a new take on fantasy. I'd pick it up.<br /><br />Cipher: Yes, I'd read this. I love historical mysteries. I thought you did a good job with the pitch. <br /><br />I planned on picking out five or six favorites. See how well that worked out? I had to just stop writing things down. Y'all did a great job.<br /><br />The memoirs were heartbreaking and really tugged at me. I hope they find a home because the stories sound interesting. <br />Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-5019592527704137592018-05-06T19:30:10.756-04:002018-05-06T19:30:10.756-04:00This was fun and rather difficult. Even though, in...This was fun and rather difficult. Even though, in reality, I'm nowhere near the query phase, I feel like writing a great one is like pulling off a seamless magic trick. And some of you guys are real magicians. There were a lot of great pitches that grabbed me. I just want to give Jennifer Rueff a hug ( and read her book) because that sounds like a rough seventeen years to live through. Steve Stubbs' pitch is eye catching and sounds really enticing. Miriam's pitch reminds me of my favorite book when I was in 5th grade, Wait Till Helen Comes. Sounds really interesting. KD James's pitch had such a great voice and interesting twist. There were others I remember really liking but can't remember the specifics off the top of my head. Everyone did a fantastic job, I thought, especially considering the word limit. Can't wait to see which ones of these end up in bookstores in the near future. Mallory Lovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16282261391938135052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70615670643886715542018-05-06T19:27:52.435-04:002018-05-06T19:27:52.435-04:00I love seeing the variety of styles in the pitches...I love seeing the variety of styles in the pitches. I haven't participated in anything that's required me to pitch, but now I really want to. <br /><br />What helped the most was just reading through them all and finding what works and what doesn't. It's so interesting when the query text is exciting and then the pitch is really hard to read--it feels easier to spot where the changes need to be made. Sometimes it's the other way too--where the query feels clunky and too much and then the pitch is such a riot I would definitely read it. Each part tends to be good at showing what the other needs. <br /><br />It's hard not to like reading pitches--so much potential and excitement packed into a tiny space. <br /><br />I'm definitely playing next time! Also, hi! I haven't posted in years but been here hiding. Tony Clavellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16567479168804189982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-60447474710310999492018-05-06T19:14:43.281-04:002018-05-06T19:14:43.281-04:00I was so disappointed to miss the chance to post. ...I was so disappointed to miss the chance to post. Next time, could you please include the time zone to the time listed for when you're going to open the comments? It wasn't my 10 o'clock, and it wasn't the time zone I guessed, either.<br /><br />But still, I'm thankful for the opportunity to do this even if I couldn't post. It helped me find my story's focus. I look forward to your critiques of the ones that did get a chance to submit.April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68066359846060489962018-05-06T18:34:48.541-04:002018-05-06T18:34:48.541-04:00Several of these pitches were ones I wish I had wr...Several of these pitches were ones I wish I had written! You all are amazing, and I enjoyed learning from everyone else's words. <br /><br />Virtual petting for the Duchess... especially since I'm allergic. Oh, the shame. :)Barbara Lundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031635871739502352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28834834000771928172018-05-06T18:03:57.745-04:002018-05-06T18:03:57.745-04:00I had a previous engagement yesterday morning, so ...I had a previous engagement yesterday morning, so I didn't expect the amazing offer to be open when I was finished. I find, to my joy, that any spot I might have filled was filled by a new voice. There were so many of them and their talent rode high.<br /><br /><b>Steve Stubbs</b> sounded very polished to me, but I was in the mood for crime fiction at the time. I will be happy to read a great many of these when they make the big time. Or before if any of you need someone to run through your work. cfenner13 at the gmail thing.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14788693853230864462018-05-06T17:46:28.230-04:002018-05-06T17:46:28.230-04:00So much talent here at the reef! I know one day we...So much talent here at the reef! I know one day were going to be in a bookstore somewhere and we'll pick up a book and read the back cover and say, "Hey, wait a minute, I've heard this story before." and then we'll realize we read it here first on Janet's blog. There are a few I would buy in a heartbeat. Off the top of my head, Steve Stubbs is one and so is Jennifer Rueff's memoir.<br /><br />I'm sure many of us were waiting for 10 o'clock to arrive. I pasted my comment 3 minutes after, there were only 6 comments that had been posted. By the time I finished rereading what I wrote and hit publish a few minutes later, 40 comments had been posted! <br /><br />Janet, you're a saint for doing this. Thank you. And thanks, Hank, I did struggle, and Cecilia, you hit the nail on the head.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88349177342800451262018-05-06T17:40:38.013-04:002018-05-06T17:40:38.013-04:00Thank you, Alina. (And Karen too, for the mention....Thank you, Alina. (And Karen too, for the mention.) I think I bought the first Kate Daniels book, but haven't read it yet. I'm half afraid to get sucked into a multi-book series like that one, because I'm sure I'd love it and then get absolutely NO writing done. But man, if it has dragons . . . maybe that can be my reward once I finish a final draft.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75748865762939445242018-05-06T16:58:04.335-04:002018-05-06T16:58:04.335-04:00I forgot about it being Saturday. I did my usual m...I forgot about it being Saturday. I did my usual morning routine of barn chores and drawing, then perused my email a bit. It was almost by accident that I clicked on the blog and had my "Oh, shit" moment. <br /><br />I'd been working on a pitch, but hadn't gotten it right. Well, time was up. I did some quick copy/pasting and posted. I was like a runner sliding into home and just made it.<br /><br />I know my pitch etc. is bad, but that's the beauty of Janet having these pitch sessions. I'm learning a bunch just by reading everyone's pitches. And being forced to try to condense an extremely complex plot into a few words has been really helpful. I think the next time I sit down to write a one page synopsis, it'll feel like a breeze.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33106507145699180412018-05-06T16:30:18.653-04:002018-05-06T16:30:18.653-04:00kdjames.com, I really liked the pitch + para. Toug...kdjames.com, I really liked the pitch + para. Tough female protagonist and a temperamental dragon? Sounds fun! It reminds a bit of Kate Daniels series written by Ilona Andrews.<br /><br />And I liked Gigi's pitch about Jeanne de Clisson.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-45656175257497496572018-05-06T15:18:54.031-04:002018-05-06T15:18:54.031-04:00This was an interesting exercise. Really helped me...This was an interesting exercise. Really helped me think about not just conflict and stakes, but how to express them in abbreviated form. My main takeaway is that it's a damn good thing I'm almost never in a position where I have to "pitch" my writing to anyone. <br /><br />So many interesting entries, including a few that really confused me, but I was mostly skimming. I can't imagine being an agent and having to ponder and evaluate great numbers of these daily. Can't wait to hear Janet's thoughts and get a glimpse into that process.<br /><br />Dena, thank you!<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com