tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post6526452843729844211..comments2023-09-02T06:33:12.322-05:00Comments on Stephanie Scott: Insecure Writers Support Group: IWSG Stephscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-9907207228116261622015-03-06T14:43:15.429-06:002015-03-06T14:43:15.429-06:00What an amazing amount of pitches to review! Hats ...What an amazing amount of pitches to review! Hats off to your group of readers. I guess the first pitch I made in person to an editor at a conference would be the most memorable because I was so nervous I almost forgot the name of the book I was pitching. thank goodness, she was very patient. And no, I didn't sell then, but eventually did to a different editor. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it.Loraleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03642869592750484556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-9832656915167211302015-03-06T11:29:56.382-06:002015-03-06T11:29:56.382-06:00900 entries @@ lots of reading. Might make your ...900 entries @@ lots of reading. Might make your eyes run together. Support and teamwork really do make a difference. <br /><br /> Thank you for stopping by for visit. I became ill with horrible virus on IWSG day. If I had not already written my posted I would have miss the posting. That why its take so long to get back to you. I really appreciate your comments. Hope you have a great day. <a href="http://www.junetakey.com/" rel="nofollow"> /Writer's Gambit Juneta </a>Juneta keyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08815758043024184034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-85575160999517365312015-03-05T18:43:56.565-06:002015-03-05T18:43:56.565-06:00Wow, that's a lot of pitches to go through! I ...Wow, that's a lot of pitches to go through! I agree with all your tips, especially about joining a group. Such support and many of levels of experience you get access to.. Gwen Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132836346305559246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-43722094536866337622015-03-05T11:51:32.203-06:002015-03-05T11:51:32.203-06:00Very cool! The closest I've come to that is se...Very cool! The closest I've come to that is seeing a writer colleague's book in Target. I was so excited!Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-19598438375187919442015-03-05T11:50:53.640-06:002015-03-05T11:50:53.640-06:00Oh, that's tough. Sometimes contests aren'...Oh, that's tough. Sometimes contests aren't the best format for certain stories, and a longer-form pitch say via querying or meeting an agent or editor at a conference where there is more time set aside to discuss is a better fit. Ultimately, I think it comes down to the writer doing their research (in agents as well as for their book) and making the decision that works best for their own career. Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-10304057472064331312015-03-05T11:49:02.532-06:002015-03-05T11:49:02.532-06:00They definitely have their place. Pitch Madness di...They definitely have their place. Pitch Madness did not offer feedback. Maybe if the entries were 250 or so and the team could divide that up, but it's become SO BIG. Given agents aren't required to provide feedback either, it's both fairly standard to not always here WHY something doesn't work, and also frustrating. I guess all this to say is, contests have their place, but aren't the end all be all. Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-43392348985821740002015-03-05T11:47:21.825-06:002015-03-05T11:47:21.825-06:00I know! Thankfully it was a team approach. My eyes...I know! Thankfully it was a team approach. My eyes would bleed at reading that many in such a short timeframe.Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-53617058536188491712015-03-05T01:30:23.785-06:002015-03-05T01:30:23.785-06:00Oh my gosh - 900 entrants! That must have taken so...Oh my gosh - 900 entrants! That must have taken some reading :)<br />Suzanne<br />Co-Host March IWSG :)Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15210964582774377295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-15034461854703646532015-03-04T17:44:35.262-06:002015-03-04T17:44:35.262-06:00Although it was scary at first, I've had prett...Although it was scary at first, I've had pretty good experiences with online pitch contests. I try to seek out the ones where even if I don't "win," I still get some kind of feedback. That way, I feel like I'm successful no matter what. The thing I like about online contests and the like is getting feedback from either agents/editors or writers who might not be as familiar with your work as your regular critique partners.Jennihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13139361928785566916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-27383468648491410622015-03-04T12:43:44.632-06:002015-03-04T12:43:44.632-06:00I still rankle at the memory of being dogpiled by ...I still rankle at the memory of being dogpiled by three agents who shall remain unnamed, in a pitch contest on a site which shall also remain unnamed. I thought it was ridiculous how they decided I'm not a good, accurate historical writer based just on two six-line pitches, and the fact that they didn't think my characters' names were accurate. Actually, the spelling Jakob is also used in The Netherlands, and it would've hardly been unusual for a German Jewish girl born in 1930 to have been named Katherine. I later found out one of these agents was involved in some rather high-profile bullying of a book reviewer, which makes me wonder why anyone would still want to query someone who behaved so unprofessionally.Carrie-Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05810154378449825641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-43402849446922678102015-03-04T11:14:17.028-06:002015-03-04T11:14:17.028-06:00I actually started to feel anxious reading your po...I actually started to feel anxious reading your post. 900 entries for pitchmadness is nuts! And you're right, it isn't any different in slush piles. But speaking of needles in a haystack, my son is a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln. He was on duty one night, reading my book and another sailor walked by and said, "Hey, I've read that book." And he replied, "Hey, my mom wrote this book." For some reason that was the first time I realized - really, truly realized - people I don't know choose to buy and read my books. Such an awesome thing!<br /><br />Happy March, Stephanie. Kai Strand, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10012304963642303041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-8713233560112013192015-03-04T10:37:06.843-06:002015-03-04T10:37:06.843-06:00I keep telling myself, it only takes one Yes! when...I keep telling myself, it only takes one Yes! when I keep getting the no's and the silences. I really have to keep pushing myself to put my query out there. But I absolutely believe if you keep working the process, the process will work for you. I'm learning so much. Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271157837542030455.post-22180935669049344422015-03-04T08:25:04.283-06:002015-03-04T08:25:04.283-06:00Way back in college, I wrote a one act play for a ...Way back in college, I wrote a one act play for a class that ended up being performed in a festival. It was the first time I ever saw my words "live" and it was an extremely positive memorable experience. :) <br /><br />Of course, I also have piles and piles of rejections, too. You take the good with the not so good, and you keep going. That's what writers do.Madeline Mora-Summontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05529397293165046430noreply@blogger.com