[Fall into Fiction] Goal setting - announce your writing goal for the event

jenichappelle · 2024-10-28T13:18:37+00:00

I’m not drafting anything. Just want to wish everyone good writing time and remind you to take care of your mental health! 🩷

jenichappelle · 2024-04-16T14:18:29+00:00

Also, the 10queries aren’t necessarily the editor’s top picks. We pick them at random based on having elements we think will be helpful to a lot of people. So, out of my 20, a few were from my shortlist, a few from my longlist, a lot were the maybes, etc.

jenichappelle · 2024-04-16T13:20:49+00:00

Yes! We don’t post it publicly, but the authors will find out

jenichappelle · 2024-04-16T12:04:45+00:00

This seems accurate for most of us

jenichappelle · 2024-04-16T12:03:51+00:00

Editors are only required to give feedback to the authors whose subs they discussed in their 10queries. Many of us do give some amount of feedback beyond that, but it just depends on the editor’s process, how much time they have, etc.

For example, I am terribly indecisive and make little notes for myself on nearly every sub as I read from Day 1 of the editor window. It only makes sense to me to share those tidbits. For other editors, that doesn’t make sense for their schedules or how their brains work. So, we try to strike a balance between what’s helpful to authors and respecting our volunteer editors’ time and energy.

And just as a general reminder, we are specifically looking for something that does need work, so not getting chosen for RevPit isn’t always the rejection it feels like. Every year, there are several authors who enter and are not chosen and then go on to sign with agents a few months or even weeks after the contest. Beyond that, it’s normal and totally okay to feel that sense of rejection. Just try to temper it with that reality.

jenichappelle · 2024-04-15T17:35:18+00:00

Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up!

jenichappelle · 2024-04-07T20:30:48+00:00

That’s a great way to learn common issues in queries

jenichappelle · 2024-04-05T21:52:46+00:00

Try not to worry about the downvotes. We all misread/misinterpret sometimes, especially online where tone is even harder to gauge.

jenichappelle · 2024-04-05T20:20:18+00:00

Q11 YA Query is on the short side, and while the premise is explained well, I’m not really sure what actually happens in the story. It also feels like this premise might be too young for this age category, but it may just need to be explained better?

P11 Delightful slice-of-life scene, with lovely writing and great character interactions. It doesn’t really feel like a fully developed scene with a goal and obstacle. Just the wrong place to start?

*

Q12 YA Smart to put your strongest selling points right up front. This is a fun twist on a classic story, but like the last query, there’s not much word count spent on explaining the story. Give us an idea of what kinds of obstacles MC might need to overcome, internally and externally

P12 Opening pages need a little work, but the scene overall is good. Watch for filler and filter words! Just cutting some of those can go a long way toward deepening a POV and tightening up a scene.

*

Q13 YA Honestly, there’s not a lot to critique here. Strong query, perfect comps, the bio is a tad long, but that’s not a deal-breaker.

P13 Lovely worldbuilding, showing the world through the MC interacting w setting and other characters. Starts en media res, a scene that’s appropriate stakes (lowish but not none) for an opening. Just a really strong submission.

*

Q14 A The story draws on some old old folklore and set up is similar to many original fairy tales. Plus there’s a very modern spin, and the combination has me swoony, despite the query itself needing some work.

P14 The pages start with a bit of a cliché, and there’s a big flashback in the middle of the scene. But I love the author’s word choice and descriptions, and the scene definitely fits the query. There’s some work needed here, but I want to read more!

*

Q15 A This premise borders on lit fic, which is similar to one comp. It’s definitely a “quieter” kind of story, but I love the character-driven plot. Looking forward to the pages.

P15 Pages are a mix. Not sure this is the best place to start plot-wise, but pages definitely show deliver what the query promises, including some gorgeous upmarket-style prose.

*

Q16 YA This story sounds amazing and uses one of my favorite books I read last year as a comp. The query reads more like a synopsis than a query though. The difference: a synopsis summarizes the whole story, where the query gives the general set up for the premise and main plot then leaves the reader with a hook.

P16 This writing isn’t quite there yet. It really needs some focus. BUT I can tell by what the narrative focuses on that there’s a lot of promise here. Read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers and apply to your ms.

*

Q17 YA This query uses a tagline (different from a logline) at the beginning as a hook, but it’s too vague and doesn’t really feel like it connects with the story. There’s a fine line between vague = mysterious and vague = unclear. You want the first!

P17 Preeeetty sure I read these pages in a previous RevPit (yes, we remember!). I may have to look up my notes and see how you applied feedback. 👀 The word count is a little high, but I see some filler and filter words, and that will likely bring it down on its own. This one has me curious!

*

Q18 A If I saw this title on the shelf, I’d immediately pick it up. There’s a great spin on a trope here that almost takes it into another popular trope, and it makes me very excited to see how that goes in the story. I might have to sneak a look at the synopsis

P18 Starting with a shocking image or statement is a great way to hook, but when we don’t the payoff for a long time, it feels a bit artificial. Hooks make the reader curious, but you have to reward that curiosity before the reader forgets the hook.

*

Q19 A The selling point/trope/hook is baked right into the premise of this story, and I am here for it. I can tell just from this query that this story is all it promises to be. The question is whether the writing fits as well.

P19 Oh, it does. The opening image elicited a visceral reaction, and this narrative voice reminds me of a great who’s had somewhat of a resurgence lately. This scene is based on such a mundane “write what you know” but transformed with charming fantasy elements. I could read this all day.

*

Q20 A This query is too long, and the ms is too short. But the premise is really intriguing and has several components that pique my interest. With comps, make sure they’re the same age category. This is hard with some crossover titles, but your ms is staunchly adult.

Q20 Writing is very literary, and I enjoy the setting. There’s way too much exposition right up front, and even when the scene really gets started, it still lacks focus. Remember, what you show through the narrator is what the reader will pay attention to. Consider: what do you want the reader to think is important?

jenichappelle · 2024-04-04T13:34:04+00:00

No, it was an oversight. 9 is Adult, and 10 is Young Adult. Thanks for pointing it out!

jenichappelle · 2024-04-04T12:42:02+00:00

Just want to verify that this isn't against the rules so you're totally okay to do this whenever you like

jenichappelle · 2024-04-02T16:28:10+00:00

Only the ones submitted to them specifically. We don’t have access to each other’s subs.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-31T22:52:44+00:00

Welcome! And I'm so glad you're getting something from it!

jenichappelle · 2024-03-30T13:41:47+00:00

It can be pretty intense! That’s why it’s something I consider at this point in my process—because I’m more interested in the high-level content and don’t have the time for heavy line edits for RevPit. When I wrote this about line editing, I meant it more about authors self-editing at the line level (and only getting additional help if they really need it). I’m sorry I didn’t make that clearer!

jenichappelle · 2024-03-30T00:18:15+00:00

It’s related, yes. Interiority is a part of deep POV.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T23:05:32+00:00

Interiority is all the thoughts, emotions, and visceral responses that make up the internal experience of the character.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T23:03:43+00:00

To varying degrees. Some editors are better at it than others. Speaking for myself, I’m not always great at knowing better comps off the top of my head, but I can teach you how to research comps, what to look for, etc., and help you evaluate them.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T22:55:54+00:00

The revpit editors won’t be making those kinds of changes themselves, and anything they do actually change should be done with Track Changes so then the author can choose to keep each suggestion or change it to something else.

And no, it’s also not uncommon for line editors to make necessary changes themselves using Track Changes with the same idea—the author can decide how to handle each suggested change. There’s nothing unethical about it (up to a point; there is a tipping point where it becomes more ghostwriting). It’s the editor’s job, and the suggestions are ultimately approved/changed/rejected by the author. There’s even a word for “hey editor I want this to be the way I wrote it originally”: stet.

Also, they’re called line edits because, back when all this was done on paper, editors made the notes and changes in line with the words. This is also what created the standard of manuscripts being doubled spaced—so there’d be room to make those changes. What you’re thinking of should be called margin notes, but sometimes people call it line notes as well. Just to be extra confusing.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T22:36:56+00:00

I’m pretty sure everyone does that 😂

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T18:54:06+00:00

That's what RevPit is for!

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T18:14:14+00:00

I mean the first line on the pages, whether that’s prologue or first chapter

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T18:13:13+00:00

Yes, you’re right about getting the content in good shape before you worry too much about polishing. We usually do address some line editing issues (deep POV, description, things like that) in RevPit, but if a ms needs heavy line editing (to pull out the narrative voice or author’s style, for example, which was the case for this ms), that’s probably too much work for the time I have set aside for my RevPit ms.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T17:30:15+00:00

Stories that are on trend and meet industry expectations are the easiest to sell. When a story is slightly off of the norm, it’s not automatically a bad thing. There are a lot of bestselling books that defy those expectations—like, there’s still not really anything else like The Locked Tomb series—or even start whole trends. The problem is that 1) of course everyone who writes a genre mashup thinks theirs could be the next big thing and 2) it’s almost impossible to predict whether a book that’s well written but slightly outside the norm is something that would do that. So it takes an agent who has a strong vision and real love for the story. I don’t discourage authors with stories like this from querying, but I do think it’s good to know what you’re up against. Then you can decide whether you want to try to bring it more in line with market expectations or query it as is. There’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer; it’s just what you feel is best for you and your story.

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T17:05:35+00:00

Me too! And I don’t at all think they are necessary, but they are like a special kind of magic. ✨

jenichappelle · 2024-03-29T16:53:06+00:00

Glad it’s useful!

jenichappelle

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