No Query? No Pitch? That's No Problem For This Contest.

For the fifth year, Serendipity Literary Agency and Sourcebooks Inc. are hosting their YA Novel Discovery Contest.

The idea being that querying and pitching are different skills than writing, and this is a chance to have the first 250 words of your YA novel speak for themselves.

They're running the contest all of November, as a get-your-butt-in-that-chair incentive given that it's NaNoWriMo.  (But you'll want to make sure that what you submit to the contest isn't your first draft!)

Last year’s winner, Lori Goldstein, received a two book deal. Her first book BECOMING JINN will be published by Feiwel and Friends.

Check out the contest details (including the prizes and the editors who read the top 20 submissions) here.

Good luck, and Write On!
Lee

Serendipity Literary's YA Novel Discovery Contest

In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Regina Brooks, agent, founder of Serendipity Literary Agency, and author of WRITING GREAT BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS, is offering a contest for YA novelists--and no pitch or query is necessary. Instead, says Regina, "this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words."

Here are details:

• The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors (see below). 
• Of the 20, judges will choose the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary. 
• These five winners will also receive a free one-year subscription to THE WRITER magazine. 
• ONE Grand Prize Winner will win a full manuscript reading and editorial consultation from Regina Brooks and free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop. 
• The first 100 writers to enter will receive free autographed copies of WRITING GREAT BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Entries via website only.
(click here for the form)
The deadline is November 30th.

Judges (in addition to Regina Brooks):

• Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press
• Nicole Raymond, Editor at Candlewick
• Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books
• Leila Sales, Editor Viking
• Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin
• Leah Hultenschmidt, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks

This is a great opportunity to get your work seen by some wonderful editors and a top agent--and win some great prizes. To learn more about Regina Brooks and Serendipity Lit, check out the website. For more information on the contest, click here.