Winner Winner Nightmare Query Dinner

The Nightmare on Query Street mini contests is over and now it is time to announce the winner.  Before I do though, I want to give a one man round of applause to the runner up of the mini contest, Sonia Hartl, for her short story, Beautiful Cruel. Check it out below.

BEAUTIFUL CRUEL by Sonia Hartl

Sam was a loyal employee of the Limb and Organ Regeneration Organization, a for-profit company that paid their regenerates good money, plus stock options, for their particular talents. Adhering to his contract was simple, until beautiful, cruel Sandra walked into his life. 

Sam met Sandra in a spring park, where he attempted to eat an egg-salad sandwich with only one arm. When their eyes met, she smiled. Not the pitying kind others often gave him, but a genuine smile. It was all Sam needed to fall in love.

They spent as much time together as the days would allow. She would push his chair during leg regrowth, spoon feed him during arm regrowth, and even write him funny love notes during ear regrowth. Proposing seemed like a logical step.

He waited through knee regrowth, so he would have one to get down on. Instead of saying yes, she spilled the secret she’d been keeping from him. She couldn’t plan a future. Born with a heart defect, death was certain as she couldn’t afford LORO’s prices. Unwilling to let cruel circumstance take his beautiful Sandra, Sam made arrangements as organ season drew near.

“You already have my heart,” he said.

As Sam stepped into the dingy motel room where the unlicensed surgery was set to take place, he thought twice. But she gave him that smile. It was worth the risk.

“I’ll come back when LORO is gone,” she said. “They’ve been watching us this whole time.”

Spending a week on ice in a cracked bathtub, Sam waited for his heart to regrow. He passed the time by dreaming of Sandra.

When he recovered, he called her phone, but it had been disconnected. Panicked, he sped toward her house, but his new heart was not yet strong enough to take in the scene of his beautiful Sandra embracing someone else. Sam’s tender heart swelled and broke to pieces. She caught his eye and smiled. Not the spring park smile he’d loved so much, but a sneer, a cruel smile. She’d gotten what she wanted.

Sam returned to work that week. With his contract violated and his swollen heart broken, LORO suspended Sam until they could decide how to proceed. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. A young female came in needing a new heart due to complications from a black market transplant. LORO often donated less than desirable organs, and they were eager to be rid of Sam’s broken heart. Sam was desperate to be rid of the pain. During prep for transplant, he was wheeled past the woman whose life he was about to save, where he was met with the beautiful, cruel smile of Sandra.

In taking his heart, they took his love for Sandra with it. The anguish she caused him had been surgically removed. Sam left the recovery room fully healed, with a fresh dedication to his work.

As for Sandra, she spent the remainder of her days drowning in the sorrow of her own heartbreak. 

*

Though I can't offer you much, I can ask all my followers to become your followers. That would be pretty awesome, right? So everyone, follower her on Twitter @SoniaHartl1. Also Sonia, email your query letter to NightmareOnQueryStreet (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll give it a critique. I'll try to convince Michelle to critique it too. She's a lot more practiced at it than I am.


And now for the winner of the mini contest... (drumroll please) 

UNTITLED by Pasha Westbrook

My sister tucked a plate of apricot couscous under my arm. It is the mark of a happy occasion among us, the Lyrians. She said, be brave my dear sister, you are doing a noble thing.

what if i conceive?

do not worry sister, if you come back pregnant, you come back pregnant with a god.

but father will not approve.

we don’t care what father thinks. this is a new world, little sister. our world. we do as we please.

I wish she were with me now, my brave sister Kai, here in this other land where rumbling clouds and ashes reign. The couscous is a day old now, warm and soggy under its plastic covering. I grip it in my hands, my fingers slick with fear, her excited whispers still in my ear: gods, my sister, they are gods.    

They don’t look like gods. These armed men in makeshift uniforms greedily eyeing us. There’s ten, maybe twenty of them. I don’t lift my eyes very high to count. Their leather boots are caked in mud and animal dung. It’s dark in here. Roasted pig scents the air, its blood drippings still fresh on the ground beneath the dirty table.

they’ve been watching us this whole time, the girl to my left says with her dark night skin and white snow teeth, see how they surround us? we have the power to make their world good again.

She smiles with feverish eyes. Like my sister.

I nod, wishing it were yesterday when I still had a choice.

Then she’s whisked away from me. From us. A horde of girls stuffed in a too cramped space. Her cries are heard from the next quarters, but even still she’s giving thanks, screaming it to the sky, applauding it for her sacrifice. The girls around me nervously shuffle their bare feet.  

And now it is my turn.

I lift the veil of pure, white cloth from my face. The men say, ahh, except for the boy in the middle. He stares with disgust, not at me, but at the men around. The way he is standing with his hands clasped before him and the sweat beading on his forehead tells me this is his first time. The men shove him forward, clapping their hands and stomping in place. Their calloused palms leave pig grease on his tan uniform creased to perfection. Their oily mouths shout in celebration. Not the boy’s. His is silent. His eyes ask mine for forgiveness as he comes near.

oh kai, you were wrong, I whisper to the night; I whisper to this boy’s cheek made of human bone and skin. 

*

Everyone follow Pasha on Twitter @PashaWestbrook. Pasha, you can also email your query letter to NightmareOnQueryStreet (at) yahoo (dot) com for a critique by me (and hopefully Michelle). Congratulations and great job Pasha. Your short story grabbed me up and still hasn't let go. I'm so SO eager to read more. Good luck in the contest. I'll keep an eye out for you.

Big thanks to everyone who submitted short stories. It was a pleasure reading all of them. I wish you all the best of luck in the contest.  Until next time...later days!

My Take On...Starting A Writing Contest

When I had the idea for Query Kombat, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue but I had absolutely no idea how.

Of course, there was a lot of fear involved before even taking the first leap, and at every milestone littered throughout: Will agents respond? Will enough writers respond? Can I really do this? What if my partners and I can't agree on a key part of the contest? How can we divide the exposure and workload fairly and around each others work schedule? What happens if the contest falls through after we've spread the word?

Those fears paralyzed me for about a month. I mean, I was a new blogger with no followers, few writerly friends, and to top it all off, I'm an introvert.

About a week or two later, I entered SC's contest. One thing led to another, throw in five seconds of extroverted courage, and SC was on board with the contest. Not only that, he was EXCITED about it.

SC invited Michelle to lend her wisdom and help us out and, as you all know, she said yes as well.

At this point, I realized that taking the official first step to kicking off Query Kombat was very similar to standing at the base of Mt. Everest. I was too afraid to start something of that magnitude on my own, but with Michelle and SC standing at my side (though the fear was still there), I felt like it was possible. Not easy, just possible.

Maybe I'm out of line to say this, but I'm almost positive that a team is behind every big and medium sized writing contest out there, even if only one person hosts it. I wish you could see the HUNDREDS of emails SC, Michelle, and I sent back and forth. They would truly amaze.

Admittedly, I got lucky when it came to finding a great team. We were able to share, alter, disagree, question, expand on, and implement each others ideas without argument. And a lot of our ideas were left up to the popular vote.

Finding agents was the easy part. Explaining the entirety of the contest and their roles in it was a bit more difficult. It was almost like writing a query letter. We had to explain everything clearly but succinctly. I have to tell you, we each probably read and tweaked the email we would sent to agents a dozen times each. Same goes for each blog post concerning the contest.

Timing was also a challenge for us in more ways than one. Not only was sending and receiving time-sensitive emails impossible at times, but announcing and spreading the contest news (to the public) in a way that would keep us relevant was strategic. Too far apart and you feel like the contest isn't making enough ripples. Too close together and you feel like you're being bothersome...and if you announce all the info too soon you won't have any ripples to make later on.

Scheduling was very difficult because we were sandwiched between two holidays and had the run time of other contests to consider. Not only that, but we didn't want the contest to run longer than a month. Throw in the fact that we had to work around twenty-five other people's schedule AND we didn't really know what to expect from the judges in each round and you can see why the schedule was made to give us time to deal with any miscommunication (which there was a good amount of), mistakes, and problems.

Dividing the workload and exposure went particularly smoothly. We each had a reason for taking the round we did, and the two not hosting the round helped out the best they could. We (sort of) alternated between who wrote blog posts, emails to mentors, agents, judges, reminder emails, nudge emails, etc.

Disappointment is hard to deal with, and I think everyone can expect to have some disappointments with their first big contest (especially if their first big contest is their FIRST contest). The agent round (in our opinion) wasn't as spectacular as we hoped it would be. By no stretch of the imagination was it the agents' fault. Rather, it was our lack of experience with contests that led to a less than uber awesome round...

BUT!!!!!!

We learned. From all of our downfalls, mishaps, and failure, we learned. And when we come back next year, Query Kombat will be better. And it will only get better every year we bring it back.

All in all, Query Kombat was a difficult experience. I won't lie to you and say it was more fun than difficult, because it wasn't. It WAS rewarding though. Seeing queries get better, watching writers connect, and watching the AMAZING interactions with opponents was heartwarming. The writing community is truly like no other.

So, if you're interested in starting a writing contest, you should be nervous and afraid. Both of those feeling will help you, challenge you, and let you know whether or not you're up to the task. Sit on the idea for a few weeks. If after those weeks you haven't convinced yourself not to go through with it, talk it out with someone. See if your idea is feasible and unique in some way. Then look for agents, judges, mentors, etc if that's what your contest requires. Do that before you even announce your contest, because you shouldn't even think about conquering Mt. Everest without the right support. After that, be prepared to work. SC, Michelle, and I did share a few laughs along the way. But in between those laughs was hard work, frustration, and (at the end) relief.

Nightmare On Query Street Agents

Feel the fear because here they are! The agents of Nightmare on Query Street, live and in the flesh. 


If you haven't heard the news yet, Michelle, SC, and I are at it again with a Halloween contest called Nightmare on Query Street. You can find all the info here! It's gonna be awesomely spooky and we hope you help us make this a success.

Be sure to take a look and see if your genre is represented.

Currently, we have EIGHT agents signed up for the contest. With any luck, we'll have more come October 19th. Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...the agent list.

Jordy Albert of Booker Albert Literary Agency

Jordy Albert is a Literary Agent and co-founder of The Booker Albert Literary Agency. She holds a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She has worked with Marisa Corvisiero during her time at the L. Perkins Agency and the Corvisiero Literary Agency. Jordy also works as a freelance editor/PR Director. She enjoys studying languages (French/Japanese), spends time teaching herself how to knit, is a HUGE fan of Doctor Who, and loves dogs. 

She is looking for stories that capture her attention and keep her turning the page. She is looking for a strong voice, and stories that have the ability to surprise her. She loves intelligent characters with a great sense of humor. She would love to see fresh, well-developed plots featuring travel, competitions/tournaments, or time travel. Jordy is specifically looking for:

* Middle Grade: contemporary, fantasy, action/adventure, or historical.
* YA: sci-fi, dystopian/post-apocalyptic, contemporary, historical (Though I am open to looking at other sub-genres, I'm looking for YA that has a very strong romantic element).
* NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE.
* Romance (contemporary and historical).

Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management

Molly has been working closely with Folio authors’ projects since 2008, and is an Associate Member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR). In addition to building her selective but growing list of clients, Molly utilizes her editorial background, previous work experience in the e-publishing industry, and intimate knowledge of the Folio list in her position as Folio’s Co-Director of International Rights. She actively pursues sales of international and audio rights and attends all major international book fairs, helping Folio clients’ books reach wide audiences in as many formats as possible. Molly is an avid reader, and when she’s not devouring manuscripts, she can usually be found camped out in the aisles of the Union Square Barnes & Noble (until they kick her out at closing time).

* Middle grade and YA fiction. Interest in paranormal

Pooja Menon of Kimberley Cameron & Associates

Pooja Menon joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates as an intern in the fall of 2011, with the aim of immersing herself in the elusive world of books and publishing. She soon realized that being an agent was what she was most drawn to as the job was varied and challenging. She represents both fiction and non-fiction for Adult and YA markets.

Her passion for reading inspired her to acquire a BA in Literature and Media from England. Her love for writing then took her to Los Angeles where she pursued an M.F.A in Fiction from the Otis School of Art and Design.

In fiction, she is interested in literary, historical, commercial, and high-end women's fiction. However, she's most drawn to stories with an international flavor, vibrant characters, multi-cultural themes, and lush settings.

In fantasy, she's looking for original, layered plots with worlds as real and alive as the ones that were created by J.K Rowling and Tolkien.

In YA, she's looking for stories that deal with the prevalent issues that face teenagers today. She is also interested in fantasy, magical-realism, and historical fiction.

Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary, Inc.

Bridget Smith began her career at Dunham Literary, Inc. in June 2011.

Previously, she was an intern at Don Congdon Associates, worked at a secondhand book store in Connecticut, and evaluated short story submissions for Tor.com under Liz Gorinsky and Patrick Nielsen Hayden.

She graduated from Brown University in 2010. While there, she studied anthropology and archaeology, worked as a radio DJ, fenced on the varsity team, and helped design an experiment that she later performed in microgravity at NASA.

A lifelong fan of children’s books, she’s looking for middle grade and young adult novels in a range of genres, including fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, romance, and contemporary, plus anything that bends the rules of genre. She is actively seeking books with underrepresented or minority characters.

She is also seeking fiction for adults, especially fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, and literary women’s fiction.

In accordance with her college degree, she’s interested in informational, literary nonfiction, especially science or history written by experts for a general audience.

Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency

Sarah Negovetich is fully aware that no one knows how to pronounce her last name, and she's okay with that.

Her favorite writing is YA, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty, it's accurate if not exactly motivational. 

Sarah's background is in Marketing. FYI, your high school algebra teacher was right when they told you every job uses math. She uses her experience to assist Corvisiero authors with platform building and book promotion.

Sarah is only accepting MG and YA fiction manuscripts.

She is open to any genre within those age groups, but prefers speculative fiction.

Contemporary is not her favorite, but she will look at it. She is not interested in seeing poetry, novels in verse, short stories/novellas or anything focused on saving the environment (she's all for recycling, but doesn't want to represent it).

Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency

Victoria is currently representing only digital-first titles.

I was born and raised in Queens, New York and graduated from the City University of New York, Queens College. Before joining the Bent Agency, I completed internships at Serendipity Literary and the Carol Mann Agency. In my spare time I can be found teaching dance classes for young students or watching re-runs of The Office.

I love books that teach me something, whether it be about a culture I don’t know, event in history or about the dynamics of a tumultuous young romance. I want to root for your characters -- connect with them and the problems they face. I'm looking for characters as complex and interesting as those I meet in real life.

Historical Fiction
YA
New Adult
Contemporary Romance
Humor
Thrillers
Mystery
Women’s Fiction

Rebecca Scherer of Jan Rotrosen Agency

Rebecca Scherer’s time at JRA began as a part-time internship during her junior year at the Macaulay Honors Program at Hunter College. She was working toward a degree in Political Science and Literature as she busily debated which law schools to apply to when the time came. As Rebecca fell for the agency’s charm, she took on more responsibilities and quickly realized that she enjoyed novels more than legal briefs and plots more than torts. When she expressed her reservations to Jane Berkey, the response was simple: “Well then you’re going to come work for me for real now, right?” And with that, Rebecca happily accepted the siren call to join the fabulous Rotrosen team full-time after graduation. She now works for Meg and Andrea as an associate in the editorial department, enjoying all aspects of the job, from queries to contracts to the whimsical wallpaper throughout the office. Rebecca’s favorite genres include women’s fiction, thrillers, and literary fiction, with a particular interest in historical and geopolitical events.

Emily Gref of Lowenstein Associates

Emily Gref is an Agent at Lowenstein Associates, as well as our contracts and royalties manager. She also handles foreign and subrights. Her interests are wide and varied. In Young Adult and Middle Grade she is looking for all genres, but has a weak spot for fairy tale, folklore, and mythology retellings. Emily is also interested in fantasy and science fiction, as well as literary and commercial women's fiction.

Thanks a million to all the agents who found the time in their busy schedules to make this contest happen. You are all AWESOME. 

Tweet your thanks using the #NightmareQuery hashtag on Twitter.

PS Don't forget I'm holding a flash fiction contest to secure a spot in the 100 entries we will accept. I've already got some great entries. I'd love to read yours!

I'm out

The Game

So, I occasionally play a game with a buddy of mine. We give each other a sentence, quote, or topic and the other person has to write a short story (no more than 500ish words) including/about the given sentence, quote, or topic.

Below is the first story I wrote for him. Highlighted is the quote he gave me. 

The Dutch Colony (For a mature audience...or at least one that doesn't mind cursing)

“Your guards think I’m a masseuse,” Nadia said as she entered the room and shut the door behind her. She tore off her gloves and jacket and threw them into the nearest chair without looking up. The television mounted to the wall to her far left whispered news regarding one of the presidential candidates but Nadia made it her goal not to get sucked into the seeming chaos surrounding the election. “but I guess there is some truth in it because I’m always giving you a happy ending.” Nadia looked up at her boyfriend sitting at the end of the bed sipping bourbon and utterly engulfed in whatever garbage was being spewed on FOX news.

“It’s ten in the morning and you already cracked open a bottle. That’s unbecoming of the President.”

President Nathan Filgrim ended his staring contest with the television and looked over a Nadia. She bent over to pull off her heels, giving him a little peek at the supple bronze breasts tucked inside her blouse.

“It’s celebratory.” The President said taking another swig.

Nadia walked over to the bed and climbed into Nathan’s lap. She coyly grabbed the glass from his hand, toasted silently, and tossed the contents back. She hated the taste of bourbon but once her boyfriend started drinking, it was hard for him to stop. And she couldn’t send him off to his Thursday morning Cabinet meeting intoxicated.

“Ahh. So what have we just celebrated?” She threw the empty glass towards the middle of the bed.

“Three things,” he replied, giving her thigh a suggestive rub. “You, my dear, will soon be the First Lady; Senator Hyrtle is no longer in the running for President thanks to a slightly racist remark; and I just secured the Black vote ensuring a second term.”

Nadia didn’t hear anything after First Lady. Her mouth fell agape as she stared into the eyes of her beloved, searching for some sign or hint of a lie. But he was being sincere. She was to be his wife. She was to be the First Lady of the United States of America.

*

“You did well Senator.” Yuri said in a deep Russian drawl as he stood over the hyperventilating man.

“I…just willingly…threw…the Presidential election.” Senator Hyrtle gasped. He was drenched in sweat, making him look sickly and pale. Every now and again the senator thick bulbous tongue would slither out and wet the corners of his mouth before snaking its way back in. Yuri was tempted to put a bullet in Jack Hyrtle’s head just so he wouldn’t have to see the disgusting display again but the Dutch Colony would flay him alive. Yuri was fond of staying alive.

“President, what is being President of America when you can own him?”

Angry, Jack stood quickly and threw his mug of coffee at the wall. “I would have been the most powerful man in the world. God, what the fuck was I thinking?”

Yuri took a step back, not out of fear, but because Hyrtle smelled lightly of the salmon he had for lunch. Yuri hated fish.

“Ruling people is not power. Why rule the people when you can rule government? That is what the Dutch Colony offers. You made wise decision in this, Hyrtle. I promise you that.”

The senator calmed down quickly before reclaiming his seat. “So what do we do now?” he asked softly.

“We do nothing. I must finish my part and you must wait.”

The senator’s tongue shot out again. Yuri looked away but couldn’t get the image out of his head. He felt the corner of his mouth curl in repulsion. It took everything he had to wipe the look of disgust off his face.

“What’s your part in all this?”

“My part is simple: I get the parts, wire the money, and let Sergei handle the rest. Then I go back to Mother Russia a very rich man.”

“Sergei, Sergei. Who the fuck is Sergei anyway? Why hasn’t either of us met him?”

“I was told you will meet him when you get a seat in the Colony. They are very secretive,” Yuri said. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if the senator would meet him or not. He just wanted the conversation to end so he could do his part and get the hell out of America. He hated the people, he hated the way English tasted on his tongue, and he hated American food.

“Will you have a seat as well?” Hyrtle asked. It was clear he hoped Yuri would say yes so he saw at least one familiar face in the Colony. He had no such luck.

“In my country, we worship God, power, or money. I am a godless man and I don’t need power, Hyrtle. I worship money and fuck beautiful women. I need nothing else to make me happy.”

*

Senators and Congressmen were already congratulating the president on a two-term office as he and Nadia meandered through the White Ball arm in arm. Their relationship was ‘leaked’ to the press two weeks after Senator Hyrtle’s racist remark went viral. Most headlines harped on their relationship being the White House’s first interracial relationship but some, mostly smaller media sources, thought it was a ploy to secure the unclaimed black vote. Nathan called it killing two birds with one stone. Nadia didn’t particularly like constantly being followed around by Secret Service and her life story being continuously looped on the news, but if it was the price she had to pay to be with Nathan she would pay it gladly.

“Everyone’s congratulating you on your second term already,” Jack Hyrtle said. “I would be a sore loser not to do so as well.” The Senator and President shook hands.

“The media is brutal. You were giving me a run for my money,” Nathan said cordially. “I won’t say I’m not relieved because we both know that would be a lie. I will say however, you would have made a fine President.”

“You are too kind Mr. President,” Jack glanced at Nadia for the first time. “And who is the lovely lady accompanying you?”

“Oh, my apologies, this is my fiance, Nadia. Nadia, meet Senator Jack Hyrtle.”

“Ah, so you were the Senator keeping Nathan away from me. Your campaign was all he would talk about for hours at a time.” Nadia leaned in a little. “He won’t admit it but you had him against the ropes.”

The Senator laughed. “I’m sorry, Nadia. If I had known he had such a lovely lady like you at his arm, I wouldn’t have run such a hard campaign.”

Nadia playfully slapped Nathan on his arm. “See, if you didn’t try to keep our relationship a secret you wouldn’t have gotten so many gray hairs.” The senator laughed again.

“Well, Senator Hyrtle, if you’d excuse us. I promised I'd introduce Nadia to a lot of wives.”

“Oh, sure. Good luck with your second term, Mr. President.” Hyrtle watched as Nadia and the President walked away. “You’re going to need it,” he muttered to himself.

Considering my hand is in a cast for the next six five weeks (and because we have a query contest coming up), I figured I could have a mini contest for a spot in the Nightmare on Query Street contest (and the winner's story will get posted on my blog so I don't have to write anything...YAY!!!)

Win-win, right?

So if you haven't guess by now, in order to win a walk on spot in the contest, you must write a short story (500 words or less) containing the phrase below and email it to me using the nightmareonquerystreet (at) yahoo (dot) com address. Put 'The Game' in the subject bar (no quotations) so I know it's a mini contest entry.

 I will pick my favorite, post it to my blog, and the writer will celebrate. 

Here's the phrase:

"They've been watching us this whole time."

This contest will close on September 25th. I will pick my winner on or by the 28th. 

Good luck.

Note: Winner gains a free pass into the 100 submissions we will be accepting, not my top ten. That being said, if you win, you definitely have my undivided attention.

Nightmare on Query Street Contest

The QK Crew is back with an awesome Halloween-themed query contest, Nightmare on Query Street!!!!!!!!! Don’t have a scary manuscript, DON'T WORRY. This contest is about fear. What is your main character really afraid of?

I know. It's scary.

The Details:

The submission window opens at 12 noon (EST) on October 19th. The window will close at 8pm or when we receive 100 entries, so please please please send early. (If there is a great demand of people in different time zones wanting to have two submission windows, we'll talk about it.)

We are accepting all age categories and genres, excluding picture books and exotica. But be sure to check our list of agents when it goes live to see if they represent your book's genre.

Michelle, SC, and I will make ten picks each, and those ten picks will go up on our blogs from the 25th through the 27th, where agents will make requests :DDD

If you plan on participating in the contest, you have to be following all our blogs (Michelle, SC, and I).

It's pretty simple, actually. But there's a catch.

Along with your query and 250, you must write a SHORT paragraph (no more than 100ish words) about your main character. This is the question you must answer:

What is your main character most afraid of?

The Format:

Send all your submissions to nightmareonquerystreet (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Here's how it should be formatted (yes, include the bolded and everything!) Please use Times New Roman (or equivalent), 12 pt font, and put spaces between paragraphs. No indents or tabs are needed.  

Title: MY FANTASTIC BOOK (yes, caps!)

Genre: YA dystopian (This means age category and genre. YA is not a genre.)

Word Count: XX,XXX

My Main Character's Greatest Fear:

My MC's greatest fear...

Nicki Minaj as a cat...and a telemarketer.

Query:

Here is my fantastic query!

First 250 words:

Here are the first 250 words of my manuscript, and I will not end in the middle of a sentence, even if I hit 252 words :)

And that's it! Send in that email during the submission window and you're ready to go :)

Send all your submissions to nightmareonquerystreet (at) yahoo (dot) com. Only one submission per email address/person is allowed.

This should be FUN. This is a Halloween-themed contest, so please please please, spend time on the MC's Greatest Fear paragraph!!!! It should be a LOT of fun. If you're writing a funny book, make a funny twist on the question, or say your MC is scared of strawberries or something. If it's a serious/sad book, you should have a field day, because the MC's fear might be so heart-wrenching.

Make us want to know more about your MC, to spend hundreds of pages with them because they are so interesting. This is a new way to pitch, so have fun with it (and don't stress out over it like its a query or something).

So go over and follow our blogs (Michelle, Mike, and I) and our Twitters (Michelle, Mike, and I) (we're Tweeting under the hashtag #NightmareQuery) to stay in touch with all that we're doing. 

I AM VERY VERY VERY EXCITED. I can't wait to see your answers to the question!!!!