Year Four Blogoversary Celebration!

So as I mentioned on Friday, last week was Writability's fourth birthday! And this week I'm celebrating with a huge giveaway focused on the most popular giveaway item here—critiques! All the critiques!

After doing a call on Twitter for editor-types who'd be willing to help out, I have seventeen prizes to give away from some really generous editors and interns. And here they are!




Michelle Hoehn—Query critique

Michelle Hoehn was born on a Monday, married on a Saturday, and last seen purchasing what has to be (in her opinion) the most delicious mini watermelon on a Sunday. For the past year, she’s worked as an editor with REUTS Publications. Michelle loves all kinds of storytelling, especially animation, comic books and television.

Twitter: @mah_hoehn
Blog: http://www.asleuthofbears.com





Megan Easley-Walsh—5 Query critiques

Megan Easley-Walsh has over seven years experience helping others improve their writing and content editing is her speciality. She is a certified English teacher, who has taught a writing course to international college students in Dublin, Ireland by request. She is also an author and poet, won her first computer in a writing contest in college, and has had her work requested for use in classrooms in the United States and South Korea to demonstrate writing techniques.





Cait Spivey—Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis, first three chapters)

Cait Spivey is the author of the paranormal horror novella series “The Web” and the forthcoming New Adult dark fantasy, From Under the Mountain (October 2015). She is also co-owner of Bear and Black Dog Editing LLC and a lead editor for REUTS Publications, and has interned for The Bent Agency and Corvisiero Literary Agency. She loves dark stories, unlikeable protagonists, and tragic romances.





Phil Stamper—Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis, first three chapters) 

Phil Stamper is a public relations professional who fled the States with his love of books to earn his M.A. in Publishing at Kingston University in London. He acts as the managing editor for RiPPLE, an annual literary magazine, and he is also an editor and proofreader for Booktrope, where he is actively taking on new projects. You can find him on Twitter, where he exclusively talks about 90s movies, British culture, and sometimes books.





Liz Furl—First 20 pages critique 

Liz Furl is the founder and editor-in-chief of Real Talk Magazine and the co-host of the Getting There podcast. She is also a freelance writer and editor, and blogs at Furl Unfurled. You can find her on Twitter at @LizFurl.





K.T. Hanna—Query + first 25 pages critique

KT has been a New York City Agency intern since August 2014, ecstatically devouring manuscripts and filling in reader reports. After realizing her love of editing, she became one half of Chimera Editorial Services. Her debut novel, Chameleon (The Domino Project #1), releases August 4, 2015.





Ava Jae (me!)—Query + first 25 pages critique

Ava Jae is a YA and NA writer, an Assistant Editor at Entangled Publishing, and is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. Her YA Sci-Fi debut, BEYOND THE RED, is releasing March 2016 from Sky Pony Press. When she’s not writing about kissing, superpowers, explosions, and aliens, you can find her with her nose buried in a book, nerding out over the latest X-Men news, or hanging out on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, GoodreadsInstagram, or YouTube channel.




Nicole Tone—First 50 pages critique

Nicole Tone is a NA and WF writer, MFA Writing candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design, an Editor at Pandamoon Publishing, and an Editorial Intern at REUTS Publications. Her NA Contemporary debut, LAKE EFFECT, is releasing Winter 2016 from REUTS Publications. When she's not writing or editing, she's playing tourist in her city or hunting for her next book idea. She's doing book reviews and travel writing on her blog, www.nicoleatone.com, and be sure to her on Twitter at @nicoleatone.






Jackson Eflin—First 50 pages critique

Jackson Eflin graduated from Ball State with an degree in Creative Writing and is trying to support his community in any way he can while assisting a teacher at an afterschool program for at-risk elementary students.  He's usually in the middle of four or five different speculative fiction books and was published in No Horns on these Helmets, an anthology of Viking Fiction, this May. Follow him on Twitter here!





Anya Kagan—Query + First 50 pages critique


Anya Kagan loves helping others shape the gems of their writing, working to draw out and enhance the author's vision. Since graduating from Brandeis University with a degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian Literatures), Anya has worked with authors such as Simon Quellen Field, Gabriel Böhmer, Aubrie Dionne, Sarah Andre, and many more. She is cofounder of Touchstone Editing.





Jami Nord—Full MS critique

Jami Nord has interned for Entangled Publishing, Bree Ogden, and a NYC Agency she’s pretty sure is Voldemort, since she’s not allowed to say their name. She comprises half of Chimera Editing, and still spends her nights curled up with great books.




Kisa Whipkey—Full MS critique

Kisa Whipkey is a dark fantasy author, a martial arts demo team expert, and a complete sucker for Cadbury Mini-eggs. She's also the Editorial Director for YA/NA publisher, REUTS Publications. Her personal blog--featuring sarcastic commentary on all things storytelling--is located at www.kisawhipkey.com.





Nicole Frail—Proposal + Full MS Critique (for fiction or non-fiction)

Nicole Frail is an editor of both fiction and nonfiction at Skyhorse Publishing in New York City. She acquires mainly cooking and lifestyle/hobby, adult genre fiction, and young adult fiction. Main interests include reading, writing, sleeping, and eating!

Note from Ava: Also, Nicole is my editor. So. Just saying. ;)

So many critiques! I've decided this time to put everything into one giant rafflecopter this time, so you only have one to enter. :) The giveaway will run until next Monday, May 18th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally, if you don't have anything ready for critique, you can still enter to win hardcovers of Trish Doller's Something Like Normal and Where the Stars Still Shine as well as an ARC of The Devil You Know in this guest post! If I wasn't hosting, I would totally enter. Just saying.

Thanks for all of your awesome support! Happy entering. :)

53 comments:

Alyssa said...

Oh wow, wow, wow. I'd been haunting this blog for a bit because of all the teasers you dropped in the last post and on Twitter, but I seriously did not expect something this awesome? So a huge thank you to Ava and everyone else who made this possible.


As for my favourite Writability post ... I CAN'T TELL. THEY'RE ALL FABULOUS. But basically all the vlogs and all the diverse representation posts.

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome, Alyssa! I was really overwhelmed by the response on Twitter when I asked for volunteers. This community is really wonderful. :)


Ha ha and thanks! I'm so happy to hear you're been especially enjoying the vlogs. I had no idea if it was going to work when I started, so it's been great to see people happy with them! And the diverse representation posts have been some of the hardest, but most rewarding posts to write. I'm glad I shared. :)


Good luck!

Jessica said...

Holy smokes! What a fantastic giveaway! Thank you, Ava. I've only been following Writability for a little while, but you have so many insightful things to say. So, yay!

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome, Jessica! And I'm very happy to hear you've been enjoying my blog so far. :) Good luck!

Julia E. said...

Yay! I love these giveaways. Thank you for offering this, Ava. I would love to win one of these for my new project ...

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome, Julia! Good luck! :)

Laura Rueckert said...

An amazing giveaway on an amazing blog! My favorite post so far? Something about kissing? Or villians? Or kissing villians? ;-)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Laura! And the kissing post! Yes! That will always have a special place in my heart. Also villain posts are fun. I love writing about villains. >:D

Emmy Neal said...

Four years!!! That's amazing. Thanks for the giveaway! Maybe it's the fantasy nerd in me, but I always love Worldbuilding posts--both writing and revision-wise :)

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Emmy! It's all kind of wonderfully surreal. :)


Worldbuilding posts! Great reminder. Maybe I'll play around with those more...

Faydra said...

I have a shiny new manuscript that would love edits, but an ARC of Devil You Know would be amazing too-- Love Trish Doller's work!

Sheena Boekweg said...

Dude! What a great giveaway. I found your blog from the miracle cure trope post. .Congrats on your anniversary!

Ava Jae said...

Yay for both giveaways! I would totally enter the Trish Doller one if I wasn't hosting. Good luck!

Riki said...

My favorite Writability posts are vlogs when you are speaking to the Community of Awesome! Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Mary said...

I love the advice and everything you give! It's very inspiring. :D

Saratu Buhari said...

Congrats on your anniversary!!! The giveaway brought me here for the first time and i am reading awesome andinspiring advices. Will follow and keep reading.keep up the good work.

Karrie said...

Wow. You all are beyond generous for these donations. Thanks much and congrats on the blogoversary!

Maja Hampson said...

Awesome contest and congrats on the anniversary :P

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome, Riki! You're the second person to say that about the vlogs, which is so great! Very happy to hear you guys have been enjoying them. :)

Ava Jae said...

Aw, thanks, Mary! I'm happy to help however I can!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Saratu (and welcome to Writability)! I hope you enjoy—if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. :)


Good luck!

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome, Karrie! I'm delighted to be able to share this with everyone. Good luck!

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Maja! :)

E.G. Moore said...

Congrats on 4 years! Thank you for offering all these goodies!

MK said...

This is amazing, I want ALL THE CRITIQUES!!

MK said...

And thanks for all the new writerly people to follow!!

Katy Pool said...

Congrats on 4 years! I've loved following your writing advice on tumblr!

cassandra newbould said...

congrats on 4 years! here's to many many more!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you! And you're very welcome! Good luck! :)

Ava Jae said...

:D Good luck!

Ava Jae said...

You're welcome! :)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Katy! ^_^

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Cassandra!

Vanessa Barger said...

Awesome Contest! Thanks for putting this together!

Ava Jae said...

You're so welcome! Good luck! :)

Katie Doyle said...

You want me to nail down one post? The entire site is invaluable! Great contest, and happy blog birthday again=)

Elizabeth said...

Congrats on 4 awesome years, Ava Jae! It continues to blow my mind how much time you put in to helping fellow writers and readers -- not just with giveaways like this, but all your blogs and vlogs and reviews :-) We appreciate it!!

Ava Jae said...

Aw, thanks Katie! :) Good luck!

Ava Jae said...

Thanks so much, Elizabeth! I've really enjoyed sharing my blogs and vlogs with everyone and I'm delighted that you've found them helpful. :) Good luck!

Kathleen S. Allen said...

My favorite is the vlogs. I like the advice you give. Do more giveaways because those are fun! Congrats on four years blogging!

Ava Jae said...

I have to say, the vlogs are definitely a surprise popular answer. But I'm very happy to hear it. :)


Thanks, Kathleen! Good luck!

Heather said...

4 years?! Wow! That is an awesome effort. Congrats on the milestone :)

Don King said...

Congrats on the FOUR years! Nothing but more success for you in the future! These r the kinds of things I want to do in the future as well. Thanks for offering these critiques. It's a great way to get better at your craft.Blessings, Don

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Heather! Good luck! :)

Ava Jae said...

Thanks so much, Don! It's been a really wonderful experience. And yes, I agree critiques are a fantastic way to improve your writing. :)


Good luck!

Don King said...

Even the BEST writers get better, right? Have a great weekend!

Ava Jae said...

Yes indeed! And thanks—you too!

Elesha Teskey said...

Thanks for this opportunity. Congrats on four years of blogging :)

Mary Liles Eicher said...

Four years of awesomeness! Here's to many more. Happy blogversary, Ava Jae. Thanks for sharing this opportunity with us all. :)

Shelly Bourland Steig said...

Congrats Ava Jae. I really appreciate that you look at the writing world from two perspectives!

Ava Jae said...

You're welcome! And thank you!

Ava Jae said...

Thanks so much, Mary! And you're very welcome! :)

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Shelly! Good luck! :)

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