~ THE PITCH IT TO ME CHALLENGE ~

It’s been one of those summers. The kind where it feels like the kids just finished school yesterday, but then all of a sudden school has started once again. It is no wonder this next Pitch it to Me Challenge fell to the bottom of my “things to plan for” list. The result? A modified challenge I hope all you WONDERful readers will enjoy!

But first, let’s close out our last challenge where author Kourtney LaFavre dropped by to put up her pitch for the story, OLENA AND THE PEAR TREES, against my own pitch and that of super star author Jenna Grodzicki. Thank you to both ladies for participating! I am happy to report that Jenna dazzled our readers with her winning pitch as folllows:

“The people of Olena’s village are hungry. The pear trees, once carefully tended by her grandmother, are no longer bearing fruit. When Olena finds a lone pear hidden in the forest, it may be the key to saving the orchard. Guided by this mysterious pear and memories of her grandmother, Olena embarks on a journey to bring the orchard back to life and feed her village.”

Now, if you are looking for your own pitching challenge, this round I am inviting you to pitch one (and only one) of your own stories to me here in the comments section below. My favorite pitch will win a complimentary critique! It just so happens that my Little Gnome imprint at Gnome Road Publishing is open to submissions in September, so this would be a great opportunity to let me see what you’ve got. Bring on the pitches and let this fun twist of a challenge begin! You have until SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 to post – good luck!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

This isn’t me (as you can see), but I’m crossing my fingers for a fabulous challenge!

As for my very brief closing remarks, let me thank you all again for your votes in these challenges and for supporting our blog and featured authors! Until next time …

~ A Pitch Challenge to Remember ~

Thank you to all the authors and author/illustrators who stopped by the Wonder of Words Blog and left your delightful pitches in the latest round of the Pitch it to Me Challenge. It has been great fun reading about your stories! If there is one thing I’ve (re)learned after narrowing down my choices and asking for the input of my lovely critique partners, it is that the task of picking manuscripts that fit an editor’s needs is HIGHLY subjective. We all had different favorites depending on our interests.

But now I’m getting off topic and into left field, so let’s get back to the point. The winner! Actually, there is more than one winner. I made the rules so I can change them. I would love to see manuscripts (and sample art, if you are an illustrator) from:

• Dedra Davis
• Sarah Rebecca Hovorka
• Merrill Woodriff
• Anita Crawford Clark
• Abbi Lee

Check out the submissions guidelines at: https://www.gnomeroadpublishing.com/submissions and then send me your work! Easy-peasy!

The Little Gnome imprint will be opening to submissions January 1, 2021. If I didn’t pick your manuscript, or if there is another manuscript you think would be a good fit, please feel free to send it in after that time. And if you haven’t already, sign up for the Gnome Road Publishing newsletter to learn more about the people working behind the scenes and to stay informed of our happenings and wish list changes.

Many thanks to you all. Wishing our WONDERful readers a happy New Year ahead!

Introducing . . .

Yes, technically, it’s time for the next Pitch It to Me Challenge. But this is 2020, and if there is anything we’ve learned this year, it is to expect the unexpected. So this time around I have some big news to share with you and decided to skip the last challenge of the year. I hope you will be as excited as I am when you find out why!

But first, let’s name the winner of our last challenge, where Natalie Cohn put her pitch for the story GRAND DUCHESS TANGLED GALORE up against guest star Lisa Rogers and me. It turns out Natalie scored a home run and ran away with the competition. What a lovely way to end the year and prepare that query for submission! Congratulations Natalie! And thank you both for participating in The Pitch It To Me Challenge.

And now for the exciting news . . .

For over a year now, I’ve been working towards a long-time goal of opening a children’s book publishing company. Moving across states (twice!), remote learning with a kindergartner and second grader, and this pesky thing called a global pandemic have thwarted my attempts to finalize those plans. Until now. Beginning in January 2021, GNOME ROAD PUBLISHING will be open for business and accepting submissions.

Head on over to www.gnomeroadpublishing.com to get a sneak peek at what’s to come (and to view the beautiful artwork by phenomenal illustrator, Wendy Leach). If you are a picture book or early chapter book writer, make sure to look at the Little Gnome imprint and submissions “wish list”. And, of course, check out all of the Gnome Road and Gnome Wild! information, too.

Coming Soon!

I want to thank my WONDERful critique partners for agreeing to let me make the first official announcement about Gnome Road Publishing here on this blog. And as a special pitching challenge for you, dear readers, I am giving the first “above-the-slush-pile” submission opportunity to whomever writes my favorite pitch in the comments. Just leave your name, genre of the book you are pitching (PB, CB, MG, or YA), and a brief but enticing pitch of your story after this post. You have until Saturday, December 26th to leave a comment, at which time I will make my choice (probably with a little help from the fabulous ladies here on the Wonder of Words Blog). Good luck!

Until next time . . .