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American "Idol" - The Writer Edition Competition
American "Idol" — The Writer Edition Competition
Do you have the "writer's voice" to win an one-year contract/mentorship with a literary agent? If you think you do, attend these two informative workshop (one on Thursday, 2:45-3:45 and one on Friday, 1:30-3:45) where one talented participant will earn the chance to take their writing career to the next level. The competition is open to published and aspiring authors, however, you do not have to be a part of the competition to attend these workshops. The workshops will be fun and informative for ALL who attend!
Industry Panel & Judges: Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency); Louise Fury (Lori Perkins Literary Agency); Whitney Ross (Tor); Liz Pelletier (Entangled) Leah Hultenschmidt (Sourcebooks), Alicia Condon (Kensington)
Author Panelists and Mentors: Amanda Carlson, Marianne Harden, Melissa Landers, Julie Ann Walker, Jaime Rush aka Tina Wainscott, Lorie Langdon, Carey Corp
Day One: Thursday, April 12, 2:45-3:45 — Meet the panelists as they offer advice for how to make your work stand out through the different stages of the publishing process. Everyone is invited to attend whether or not you submitted your work. Be prepared to ask this team of industry professionals and this talented group of published authors any questions about the business or about the writing process. No question is too little or too large so don't hold back! After Q & A, the finalists will be announced. Then the fun begins!
Day Two: Friday April 13, 1:30-3:45 — Our panel of experts will anonymously read the first two pages of each finalist's submission aloud. Editors and agents will then offer constructive feedback for what works and what doesn't so that everyone in the audience will benefit from their expertise. (There will be no mean-spirited Simon Cowell-type judges. Only constructive feedback). At the conclusion of the readings, each attendant will have the opportunity to anonymously cast one vote. Mingle with the panels and your peers while the results are tallied, then stick around to see who will be crowned the winner.
How the Competition Works:
• You must be registered for this year's RT Booklovers Convention.
• It's preferable that you have a completed manuscript but not required.
• Writers must submit up to the first three chapters of their work for review by March 20, 2012. Contact Nicole Resciniti from The Seymour Agency at nicole@theseymouragency.com for a submission form.
• This is open to all genres. Authors' work will remain anonymous throughout the competition until the winner is announced.
• Finalists will be chosen PRIOR to the convention but will be announced at the end of the first workshop on Thursday, April 12. You must be present to participate in the finals.
• If you are selected as one of the finalists, on day two, Friday, April 13, our panel of experts will anonymously read the first two pages of each finalist's submission. Each will be judged by the agents and editors on the panel. However, in true "Idol" fashion audience participants will also vote for their favorites and the submissions that receive the most votes from the audience will receive extra bonus points to be added to the judges tallies. So encourage your friends to attend the workshops so that they can vote.
• At the end of the 2nd workshop on Friday, April 13, all the votes will be counted and the winner of the competition will be announced and receive a one year contract/mentorship with The Seymour Agency.
• This is a great opportunity for writers, both published and aspiring, to get your work in front of acquiring agents and editors and to hook them from the first page!
For a submission form and/or for more details pertaining to the workshops and competition, contact: Nicole Resciniti from The Seymour Agency at nicole@theseymouragency.com
About Nicole Resciniti: Nicole specializes in romance, YA, MG and mysteries. She loves finding new authors and making their publishing dreams a reality. Nicole is a member of AAR, ACFW, Mensa and RWA. For more information on the agency go to www.TheSeymourAgency.com.
About Louise Fury: Louise specializes in romance, children's books and young adult material, as well as pop culture nonfiction. Since starting as a literary agent, Louise has sold books to both traditional and electronic publishers. Those include Random House, Harper Collins, Nightshade, Samhain and others. Visit her at www.lperkinsagency.com
