Pitch Wars … Susan’s Mentor Wish List!

Once again, Brenda Drake is hosting the Pitch Wars competition for authors with finished manuscripts who are ready to seek representation by agents!

And once again, I’m joining in the fun as a pitch wars mentor. This morning, all of the fabulous mentors (you can find the full list, with photos, below) are posting “wish lists” to let author-entrants know what kind of manuscripts we’ll be looking for in the early rounds. (Note: if you’re here looking for Publishing law, come back tomorrow – I’ve delayed by a day this week because of the mentor wish list announcement.)

In addition, we’re sharing a little about ourselves (though if you’re here as a regular visitor, you probably know me by now). So, first things first:

Susan Spann is the author of the Shinobi Mystery series, featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo. Her debut novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT, released in July 2013. BLADE OF THE SAMURAI is currently available for pre-order and will release in July 2014. 

Susan is also a publishing lawyer and founder of the weekly #PubLaw Twitter feature, in which she provides publishing legal and business information for authors at all stages of their publishing careers. She lives in Sacramento, California, but regularly speaks at libraries and conferences across the United States on topics ranging from writing historical and mystery novels to publishing contracts and author-agent relationships.

TL;DR: I AM THE NINJA MENTOR, YO. LET ME HELP YOU SHIV YOUR IMAGINARY FRIENDS.

During Pitch Wars, I’ll be taking on adult fiction only – by which I mean “fiction for adult readers” – not the type you’d find behind the curtain in an adult bookstore. More specifically, I’m looking for books targeted at an adult audience in one (or more) of the following genres:

– Mystery

– Thriller

– Historical

– Suspense

– Science Fiction

– General Fiction with some unique twist.

I’m not looking for fantasy specifically, but I do love magical or supernatural elements in any of the categories listed above. My tastes range pretty broadly, but I respond most to works that have strong characters, fast pacing, and an unusual hook — show me something cool and we’re in business.

Also, and to override everything I’ve said before: if you’ve read my blog, or my Twitter feed, or my Facebook, and you think your book would appeal to me for any reason – PITCH IT. The worst I can say is no, and I’ll say it nicely. I’d rather see what you’ve got if you think you have something that you think might catch my attention.

Also? This post is brought to you by: the Secret Letter “E”

If you want to take part in Pitch Wars, you can find the submission guidelines at  www.brenda-drake.com. If you’d like to learn more about the other mentors, click on the picture or link below:

PITCH WARS MENTORS 2013:

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