Writability: giveaway

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Fixing the First Page Critique Giveaway #42!

Photo credit: Happy Krissy on Flickr

So! Been a while since we've had a Fixing the First Page critique! I've decided I'm moving to an every-other-month schedule, but since we haven't had one since November, I'm kicking off February with a giveaway.

So let's do this, shall we?

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the forty-first public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Thursday, February 8 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #41!

Photo credit: kgroovy on Flickr

Off-schedule post because the end of November is rapidly approaching! Which means Thanksgiving is like less than a week away in the US and even better *clears throat* the next Fixing the First Page critique giveaway is upon us!

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #40!

Photo credit: Annas Ateljé on Flickr

What the hell, guise, how are we halfway through October? I swear I blinked and now Halloween is nearly here and November is around the corner. Which is bizarre. But also means it's time for the next Fixing the First Page giveaway!

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-seventh public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Friday, October 20 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #39!

Photo credit: Eldriva

We are somehow nearly halfway through September! Which means Fall is upon us and Halloween is creeping closer and it's time for the next Fixing the First Page giveaway! Yay!

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #38!

Photo credit: mr.throk on Flickr

How in the world are we nearly halfway through August? I'm honestly stunned at how quickly this summer has flown by and how I'm transitioning into an incredibly busy three weeks. But that said! The date being what it is means it's time for the next Fixing the First Page giveaway! Yay!

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-seventh public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Monday, August 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Winner #37!

Photo credit: juliet_earth on Flickr

Quick off-schedule post post to announce the winner of the thirty-seventh fixing the first page feature giveaway!

*drumroll*

And the thirty-seventh winner is…

JENNIFER RICKETTS!

Yay! Congratulations, Jennifer!

Thanks again to all you wonderful entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway in August, so as always, keep an eye out!

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #37!

Photo credit: Eldriva on Flickr

We're more than halfway through July! And I did say I'll only be posting on Tuesdays and Fridays but I also said giveaway posts wouldn't count, so enjoy this Monday giveaway post. Because it's time for the next Fixing the First Page feature! Huzzah!

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-seventh public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Friday, July 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Winner #36!

Photo credit: Cindee Snider Re on Flickr

Brief pre-post post to announce the winner of the thirty-sixth fixing the first page feature giveaway!

*drumroll*

And the thirty-sixth winner is…

JESSICA LIM!

Yay! Congratulations, Jessica!

Thanks again to all you wonderful entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway in July, so as always, keep an eye out!

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #36!

Photo credit: Sophe89

We're just about halfway through June which means we're halfway through 2017! Which is...really weird to think about! But it also means, of course, it's time for the next Fixing the First Page feature, which happens to be the 36th feature, which means we've been doing this for three years!

Very weird.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-fifth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Wednesday, June 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

6th Blogoversary Giveaway Winners!

Photo credit: Clare & Dave on Flickr

First and foremost! The giveaway was another awesome success—thank you so much to all who entered! Now, the best part of any giveaway—the time to make lots of people happy—is now here. Here are the lucky winners!

Synopsis Critique (up to 1,000 words) from Laura Heffernan: Matt Mutshnick
Query Critique from Gabrielle Prendergast: Alyssa Purcell
2 Query Critiques from Briana Morgan: Jamie Kay and V Yarrington
Query Critique + Follow-up e-mail + Synopsis critique (if wanted) from Gill Hoffs: Kelly Barina
First Chapter Critique from Jackie Yeager: Emily Moore
Query + First Chapter Critique from Akemi Dawn Bowman: Nicole Lowrey
Query + First Chapter Critique from Amelinda Berube: Sarah Pripas Kapit
Query + First Chapter Critique from K Callard: Bev Baird
Query + First Chapter Critique from Hayley Chewins: Lana Kondryuk
Query + First Chapter + 1-4 Page Summary Critique from Erica Cameron: Vanessa Valiente
Query + First Chapter Critique OR $75 towards her Graphic Design Services from Veronica Bartles: M.E. Bond
First 3 Chapters Critique from Kristi Wientgne: Cez Apollo
First 6 Chapters Critique from Megan Manzano: Brie Tart
First 50 Pages Critique from Nicole Tone: Layne
First 50 Pages Critique from Chelsea M. Cameron: Megan Trotter
Query + First 30 Pages Critique from me: Jacy Merrill
Query + First 30 Pages Critique from Katherine Locke: Bonnie Woodward

And the book winners!

ARC of Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast: Stephanie Carmichael
ARC of Karma Khullar's Mustache by Kristi Wientgne: AdikMiftakhur Rohmah
Signed Hardcover of Beyond the Red by Ava Jae: Bonnie Woodward
Pre-order of The Girl With the Red Balloon (Amazon or B&N) + Signed Bookplate by Katherine Locke: Shawn Fournier
Signed copies of Behind the Throne & After the Crown by KB Wagers: Ellie Firestone
Signed Hardcover of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin: Ingrid Cuanalo
Signed copy of The Girl Before by Rena Olsen: Mary Kate
Signed Hardcover of Iron Cast by Destiny Soria: Emily Moore

Thanks again to all who entered and congratulations to all of the winners! To those who see their names here, you should be receiving an e-mail shortly (if it’s not already in your inboxes—check the e-mails you gave the rafflecopter!).

Finally, if you entered to win a critique but didn't win, I will say I have some June and beyond openings available for big and small critiques alike, and the anniversary 5% sale (and 10% off #ownvoices) is running until May 31st—so feel free to take a look at your options.

That’s all! See you all tomorrow with a vlog.

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #35!

Photo credit: Nicolas Ciotti on Flickr

Incredibly, we are exactly halfway through May! Which means, of course, as is always the case here on Writability, it's time for the next Fixing the First Page feature.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-fifth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Sunday, May 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Year SIX Blogoversary Celebration!

Today is May 5, 2017 and exactly six years ago tomorrow I posted my very first blog post on Writability. I'm so endlessly grateful for the reach this blog has built, and it's all thanks to your wonderful support over the years. So whether this is your first post here on Writability or 1,140th (I know, right?), my thanks goes out to you!

Every year I like to do a giveaway to thank you guys for your wonderful support, and this year is no different! This time around I've got eighteen critiques and nine books up for grabs, so whether you're a writer or reader (or both!) there's lots to win.

The way this is year's giveaway will work: critiques will each go to one different person (so that's fifteen winners!) and the books will go to eight winners (one winner will win two related books), so there will be twenty-seven winners total! Some book giveaways are US only, some are international, but it's all in the same rafflecopter—you'll just need to specify whether you live in the US or internationally when you enter. All of the critique giveaways are international.

Here are the incredibly generous authors and editors who donated prizes:

Laura Heffernan—Synopsis Critique (up to 1,000 words)

Laura Heffernan is living proof that watching too much TV can pay off. When not watching total strangers get married, drag racing queens, or cooking competitions, Laura enjoys travel, baking, board games, helping with writing contests, and seeking new experiences. She lives in the Northeast with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.

Briana Morgan—2 Query Critiques

Briana Morgan is a YA and NA writer, editor, and blogger who loves dark, suspenseful reads, angst-ridden relationships, and complicated characters. Her interest in Jay Gatsby scares her friends and family. You can find her in way too many places online, eating too much popcorn, reading in the corner, or crying about long-dead literary heroes.

Gill Hoffs—Query Critique + Follow-up e-mail + Synopsis critique, if wanted

Gill Hoffs lives in the northwest of England with Coraline Cat and not enough chocolate. She is best known for her nonfiction books on weird Victorian shipwrecks (The Sinking of RMS Tayleur: The Lost Story of the 'Victorian Titanic', The Lost Story of the William & Mary: The Cowardice of Captain Stinson - both published by Pen & Sword) and related appearance on BBC's Coast. Her short fiction and nonfiction is widely available online and in print, including Wild: A Collection (Pure Slush), and her as yet unpublished novels have been longlisted for the Virginia Prize and Mslexia Novel Competition.

Jackie Yeager—First Chapter Critique

Jackie Yeager is the debut author of THE CRIMSON FIVE: SPIN THE GOLDEN LIGHT BULB which will be released on January 2, 2018 by Amberjack Publishing. The middle grade story follows the tale of five eleven year-olds on a competitive adventure almost too good to be true. She lives in Rochester, New York with her husband and two teenagers.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Akemi Dawn Bowman—Query + First Chapter Critique

Akemi Dawn Bowman is the author of Starfish. She is also a Ravenclaw and Star Wars enthusiast, who served in the US Navy for five years and has a BA in social sciences from UNLV. Originally from Las Vegas, she currently lives in England with her husband, two children, and their Pekingese mix.www.akemidawnbowman.com Twitter: @akemidawn

Amelinda Berube—Query + First Chapter Critique

Amelinda Bérubé is the author of UNDER THE ICY LAKE, a YA ghost story coming from Sourcebooks Fire in 2018. She's spent the last ten years as a writer and editor with the Canadian public service, prior to which her career path meandered through academics, carpentry, and administrivia. Amelinda is a passionate fan of YA, SFF, and all things spooky and looks forward to participating in PitchWars 2017 as a mentor!

K Callard—Query + First Chapter Critique

K. Callard is the author of Fun with Frosting: A Beginner's Guide to Decorating Creative, Fondant-Free Cakes (Skyhorse, 2016). When she's not baking, she writes YA and MG, takes care of her kids, and geeks out (mostly over Harry Potter, all things Whedon, and adorable monsters). She is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writer's House.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Hayley Chewins—Query + First Chapter Critique

Hayley Chewins writes books about magical girls with secrets. Her debut, THE TURNAWAY GIRLS, is forthcoming from Candlewick and Walker Books in 2018. She has an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University and she’s represented by Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Erica Cameron—Query + First Chapter + 1-4 Page Summary Critique

Erica Cameron is the author of books for young adults including the Assassins duology, the Ryogan Chronicles, and The Dream War Saga. She also co-authored the Laguna Tides novels with Lani Woodland. An advocate for asexuality and emotional abuse awareness, Erica also works with teens at a residential rehabilitation facility in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale.

Website ~ Tumblr ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Veronica Bartles—Query + First Chapter Critique OR $75 towards her Graphic Design Services

Author of TWELVE STEPS (YA), and THE PRINCESS AND THE FROGS (PB), has spent most of her life wondering “What If?” She believes there are many sides to every story, and she’s determined to discover every single one of them. Veronica believes every princess deserves a frog, because princes aren’t pets. And she’s an incurable optimist who loves gray, drizzly days because that’s when rainbows come out to play.

Website | Twitter

Megan Manzano—First Six Chapters Critique

Megan Manzano is currently working on her first YA book and generally likes writing science fiction, fantasy, and the occasional contemporary piece. She doubles as an editor, both in the publishing and freelance world. You can follow her on twitter, @megan_manzano, where she discusses writing/editing tips, feely stuff about her characters and the characters of others, and reviews books.

Nicole Tone—First 50 Pages Critique

Nicole Tone is the Publishing Director at REUTS Publications, a freelance editor, and a writer of upmarket fiction, book reviews, and personal essays. You can find her on twitter at @nicoleatone or blogging about books and the editing process at http://www.nicoleatone.com.

Chelsea M. Cameron—First 50 Pages Critique

Chelsea M. Cameron is an international bestselling romance author from Maine. Her hobbies include pestering her cat for snuggles, tweeting, eating red velvet cake, drinking too much tea, and reading.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Website

Gabrielle Prendergast—Query Critique + ARC of Zero Repeat Forever (US/CAN only)

Gabrielle Prendergast is the author of the award-winning and multi-nominated young adult novels in verse, Audacious and Capricious. Her next novel, Zero Repeat Forever comes out August 29, 2017 from Simon & Schuster. She lives in Canada with her family. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleSaraP or her website www.gabrielleprendergast.com.

Kristi Wientgne—First 3 Chapter Critique + ARC of Karma Khullar's Mustache (International)

Kristi Wientge is originally from Ohio where she grew up writing stories about animals and, her favorite, a jet-setting mouse. After studying to become a teacher for children with special needs, she spent several years exploring the world from China to England, teaching her students everything from English to how to flip their eyelids inside out. She’s spent twelve years raising her family in her husband’s home country of Singapore. Karma Khullar’s Mustache is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Ava Jae—Query + First 30 Pages Critique + Signed HC of Beyond the Red (US only)

Ava Jae is a Latinx tomboy who writes YA speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity. Ava lives with a chronic illness, is a recent University of Michigan grad and runs a popular writing blog and YouTube channel, where they share writing tips and bookish ramblings with writers and readers. Ava is the author of the Beyond the Red trilogy (Skyhorse), and their next novel, Into the Black, will be released Fall 2017.

Katherine Locke—Query + First 30 Pages Critique + Pre-order of The Girl With the Red Balloon (Amazon or B&N) + Signed Bookplate (US only)

Katherine Locke writes historical fiction with a heaping of fantasy. When not tending to the many needs of their feline overlords, they're tweeting, reading, or dreaming up the next story. Their YA debut, The Girl with the Red Balloon, releases on September 1, 2017. They're most often found on Instagram and Twitter as @bibliogato, or at www.KatherineLockeBooks.com.

KB Wagers—Signed copies of Behind the Throne & After the Crown (International)

K.B. Wagers lives and runs in the shadow of Pikes Peak. She loves flipping tires and lifting heavy things. She's especially proud of her second-degree black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu and her three Tough Mudder completions. When not writing she can be found wrangling cats with her husband, or trying to keep up with her teenage son.

Brooks Benjamin—Signed HC copy of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights (International)

Brooks lives in Tennessee with his awesome wife and their wonderfully spoiled dog. When he's not writing, he's teaching reading to fifth graders and sampling as much pizza from as many different places as he can.

Website | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Rena Olsen—Signed copy of The Girl Before (US Only)

Rena Olsen is a writer, therapist, teacher, sometimes singer, and eternal optimist. By day she tries to save the world as a school therapist, and at night she creates new worlds in her writing. Her debut novel, The Girl Before, is now available from Putnam! Find her at renaolsen.com.

Destiny Soria—Signed HC copy of Iron Cast (US Only)

Destiny Soria is the author of Iron Cast (Abrams/Amulet), a YA historical fantasy about magic, mobsters, and two inseparable best friends in Prohibition-era Boston. She lives in Birmingham, AL, where she spends her time trying to come up with bios that make her sound kind of cool. She has yet to succeed.

Twitter | Instagram | Website

So many critiques and books! This time around there will be two rafflecopters—one for the critiques, and one for the books. You are free to enter both, or either one—whatever you prefer. The giveaway will run until Friday, May 19th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #34!

Photo credit: thezartorialist.com on Flickr

Once again we are halfway through the month! So, as always here on Writability, it's time for the next Fixing the First Page feature.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-fourth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Friday, April 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Winner #33!

Photo credit: Ju Muncinelli on Flickr

Yet another quick pre-post post to announce the winner of the thirty-third fixing the first page feature giveaway!

*drumroll*

And the thirty-third winner is…

ELENI DATSIKA!

Hooray! Congratulations, Eleni!

Thanks again to all you lovely entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway in April, so keep an eye out!

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #33!

Photo credit: EvaSwensen on Flickr

It's that time once again! We're halfway through the month (I know, right?), so it's time for the thirty-third Fixing the First Page feature.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-first public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Sunday, March 19th at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Winner #32!

Photo credit: EvaSwensen on Flickr

Another quick pre-post post to announce the winner of the thirty-second fixing the first page feature giveaway!

*drumroll*

And the thirty-second winner is…

MARY KATE PAGANO!

Hooray! Congratulations, Mary Kate!

Thanks again to all you lovely entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway in March, so keep an eye out!

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #32!

Photo credit: smcgee on Flickr

It's that time again! We're nearly halfway through the month, so it's time for the thirty-second Fixing the First Page feature.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #31!

Photo credit: handcoding on Flickr

It's that time again! For the first time in 2017, we're halfway through the month, and on Writability it's time for the thirty-first Fixing the First Page feature.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirty-first public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Sunday, January 22nd at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fixing the First Page Winner #30!

Photo credit: The Uncommon Cakery on Flickr

Quick Thursday post to announce the winner of the thirtieth fixing the first page feature giveaway!

*drumroll*

And the thirtieth winner is…

JUNIPER NICHOLS!

Yay! Congratulations, Juniper!

Thanks again to all you lovely entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway in January (whaaat), so keep an eye out! And happy holidays to all!

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #30!

Photo credit: ballookey on Flickr

Incredibly, we are now just about halfway through the last month of the year. Snow is falling (in some places), the holidays are practically here, and on Writability it's time for the thirtieth (thirtieth!) Fixing the First Page feature—and the last of 2016.

For those who’ve missed before, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a public (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.

ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.

I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.

Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.

You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.

You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.

There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the thirtieth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Wednesday, December 21 at 11:59 PM EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway