Pitch Wars 2019 Mentor Wishlist

Hello and welcome to Pitch Wars 2019! *cue Star Wars title music*

If you’ve come across this post, chances are you already know what you’re about, but in case this is the first time you’ve heard about this whole Pitch Wars thing, allow us to explain!

Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where publishing industry experts (writers, editors, etc.) choose one writer each to guide through the process of editing a manuscript, culminating in an agent showcase. The mentor also helps edit their mentee’s pitch for the contest and their query letter for submitting to agents. (For full info, rules, and more, see pitchwars.org)

But this competition is also about so much more than simply getting an agent. Regardless of whether you are selected or not, Pitch Wars offers plenty of opportunities to improve your craft and create valuable friendships with like-minded writers.

We believe in this community of creatives, which is precisely why we’re ready to jump in and champion a writer whose work we believe in! (Could that be you?)

Now, onto the specifics of what we’re mentoring!

We’re looking for Adult science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction.

While it’s possible we could be won over by a manuscript that isn’t science fiction or fantasy, we gravitate toward speculative settings and situations. For example, historical fantasy is much more likely to catch our attention than straight historical fiction.

When it comes to sci-fi, we definitely prefer soft sci-fi that is largely character driven (think space opera or near future), though a hard sci-fi novel with accessible science and dynamic emotional range would also pique our interest.

As for fantasy, give us your most morally complex worlds and characters. We love second-world fantasy, especially stories that interrogate old tropes or show us something unfamiliar and new.

Still not sure if your manuscript fits our tastes?

Here are some of the general qualities we’re looking for in a PW manuscript:

• Rich, character-driven stories
  • … with one or several main characters who we come to know intimately
  • … living in a distinct and interesting world
• Smart female characters with agency
  • … whose unique talents and flaws shape the story
• POC & queer characters in prominent story roles
  • #ownvoices encouraged!
• Romantic subplots that elevate the characterization and drama of the story
• Strong platonic friendships
• Snappy dialogue
• Sharp prose
• Genre fiction that changes up familiar tropes in fun ways

Additional Note: Explicit language, sex, and gore don’t bother us, but they must ultimately serve the story. Don’t toss it in for shock value.

For a better idea of the kind of stories we’re after, here is a list of books we’ve enjoyed recently:

• Circe by Madeleine Miller
• The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• The Tiger’s Daughter by K Arsenault Rivera
• The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

There are some exceptions to what we will consider, however, which you will find listed below.

Here’s what we’re NOT looking for:

• a story that fails the Bechdel test
• sexual abuse, rape as plot, etc.
  • Women in Refrigerators
    • seriously, nothing is more aggravating than when a female character gets fridged to give the male character angst or motivate a revenge plot
• Slap-stick humor or anything too silly; it’s just not something we can help with
• Genres (etc.) we’re not interested in:
  • Romance (with no speculative elements)
  • Mystery/Crime/Legal thrillers
  • Women’s fiction
  • Horror
  • Steampunk
  • Military Sci-fi
  • Literary (with no speculative elements)
  • Graphic novels & verse novels
  • Anything New Adult

What We’re Looking For in a Mentee

Publishing is a tough business. We’re looking for a mentee who’s willing to put in some serious time and effort to bring their manuscript up to the next level. Our ideal mentee values constructive feedback on their work, and is energized by improvements in their skills as a writer. They’re hard-working, flexible, and in it for the long haul.

If this sounds like you, then you’re exactly the type of writer we’re looking for!

It should go without saying, but please do not sub to us if you can’t take constructive criticism, especially as we may ask you to make drastic changes to your manuscript. For example, in 2016, Hayley asked Erin to expand her single-POV novel to a dual-POV novel. That meant Erin not only had to revise half the scenes in the novel, but fully develop a secondary character into a main character, flesh out another character arc, and write new scenes to stitch it all together. 

With that said, we will always remain sensitive to the story you are trying to tell, and will work to the best of our abilities to help you realize your vision for the book.

Why Choose Us as Your Mentors?

Hayley is a traditionally-published author with three novels under her belt, and more on the way. Her debut sci-fi novel, Machinations, was selected as an Amazon Best Sci-fi & Fantasy Novel of 2016, while her most recent novel, Make Me No Grave, has become a cult favorite, hitting #1 on Audible’s bestseller list in May 2019. 

In addition, Hayley has also provided feedback to hundreds of writers as a judge for the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge, and worked as a senior acquiring editor for an independent publisher. No stranger to the inner mechanisms of the publishing industry, she understands what it takes to succeed in this business and is looking to pass that knowledge on to her mentee. When it comes to editing, her strongest editorial talents lie in streamlining wordy prose, improving pacing, and making sure every character comes to life on the page.

Erin is a published short story author, veteran workshop leader, and an award-winning technical writer. She helped manage the writers workshop at Norwescon for over a decade. She’s a graduate of Viable Paradise and an SFWA member. She brings an eye for detail, fantastic insights into world-building, and powerful story instincts.

As former Pitch Wars alumnuses, we know that revising a manuscript on a deadline can be stressful, and we’re going to be here to answer your questions and cheer you on throughout Pitch Wars and beyond.

During the Pitch Wars revision period, we’ll work with our mentee to set a schedule for revisions. We expect to jump into Pitch Wars by providing our mentee a multi-page edit letter outlining what we feel are the highlights of their manuscript, and some weaknesses we’d like to see addressed. We may have suggestions on how to address those weaknesses, but we expect our mentee will have some ideas, too. During the revision period, we expect to do at least one more full read of the manuscript, and if time permits, to do line edits.

We’ll be available to work with our mentee in email and in private messages on Twitter or over Facebook Messenger.

At the end of the day…

… we’re looking to form a lasting relationship with our mentee that will continue into the future. In the short run, we’ll help you get your book into fighting shape for querying by passing along tips, tricks, and techniques to enhance your skills as an author. And in the long run, we’ll be by your side in the publishing trenches, ready with advice and encouragement.

If all of this sounds great, then you should definitely choose us!

(Or check out all the other great mentors HERE + Adult mentors below!)

Pitch Wars 2019 Adult Mentors’ Wish Lists

1. Paris Wynters
2. Kathleen Barber (Accepts NA)
3. Ian Barnes
4. Mary Ann Marlowe (Accepts NA)
5. Elizabeth Little
6. Hayley Stone and Erin A. Tidwell
7. Gwynne Jackson (Accepts NA)
8. Maxym M. Martineau (Accepts NA)
9. Katie Golding (Accepts NA)
10. Ava Reid and Rachel Morris (Accepts NA)
11. Carolyne Topdjian
12. Natalka Burian
13. Tim Akers
14. Alex Segura
15. Michelle Hauck and Carrie Callaghan (Accepts NA)
16. Laura Brown (Accepts NA)
17. Mia P. Manansala and Kellye Garrett (Accepts NA)
18. Kerbie Addis and Ren Hutchings (Accepts NA)
19. Susan Bishop Crispell (Accepts NA)
20. Kelly Siskind and Heather Van Fleet (Accepts NA)
21. Janet Walden-West and Anne Raven (Accepts NA)
22. Kate Lansing (Accepts NA)
23. Kristen Lepionka and Ernie Chiara
24. Alexa Martin and Suzanne Park (Accepts NA)
25. Gia de Cadenet (Accepts NA)
26. Rob Hart
27. Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton
28. Michael Chorost (Accepts NA)
29. Sarah Remy (Accepts NA)
30. Nicole Glover (Accepts NA)
31. Farah Heron (Accepts NA)
32. Samantha Rajaram
33. Keena Roberts (Accepts NA)
34. Rebecca Enzor (Accepts NA)
35. Matthew Quinn Martin (Accepts NA)
36. Denny S. Bryce (Accepts NA)
37. Meryl Wilsner and Rosie Danan (Accepts NA)
38. P.J. Vernon and Kelly J. Ford (Accepts NA)
39. Gladys Quinn (Accepts NA)
40. Diana A. Hicks (Accepts NA)
41. Damyanti Biswas
42. Stephen Morgan (Accepts NA)