It's that time again: Pitch Wars time!

I am so grateful to be mentoring again this year after the fabulous experience I had in 2017. So, if you're interested in potentially subb'ing to me, you're in the right place.

 So who am I and why would you want to choose me as a potential mentor? Why should you trust your work to my eyes and use one of your precious chances when there are almost 50 fabulous YA mentors? 
Below you will find the top 11 reasons —updated for 2018.

​1. Last year, I was a mentor in MG. Though my mentee's situation was a bit unique in that she'd already made a connection with her agent-to-be, my mentee did share that the agent loved the work we'd done and that the revisions contributed to their sealing the deal. This is what she said when I checked in to ask if she minded my referencing our experience here: 

Meanwhile, I’m simply grateful that Adrianna allowed me along for her ride on the Pitch Wars whirlwind.
 
 2. I’m walking the wire and dancing through the fire. In other words, I know exactly what it feels like to be in your shoes because I’m literally in your shoes. As writers, we sometimes think we’ll reach this point where we’re finally there (does anyone even know what there is?), but the fact of the matter is, this is one long experience. Sure, there are milestones, but regardless of whether we have been in this industry for a short time or a long time, we're all dealing with the same things. We’re all subbing our work and hoping for yes’s. We’re all dealing with rejection and difficult feedback and just waiting for that next bit of good news or next step along our path. Now, that may sound discouraging, but it’s not. In fact, it’s liberating because it means that we never need to judge ourselves on where we are. And, if we keep the right mindset, we can enjoy every step. That’s why I LOVE the metaphors of walking the wire and dancing through the fire (and yes, I got those from two different songs—bonus points if you can guess which ones).
 
This writing thing is full of challenges, and it’s up to us to decide if it’s going to be a terrible ride or a party.
 
I choose to party. Want to join me? 
 
3. I love YA, and I’ve written almost nothing but YA in the last few years. My first novel-length book, BROKEN CHORDS, a YA horror came out in 2017, and my official debut novel, TEN AFTER CLOSING, a YA thriller comes out (eep!) in LESS THAN A MONTH. I’ve also been included in a YA anthology for which I wrote a sweet romantic piece.
 
4. No one wants a crabby mentor. If you know me, you know I strive to inspire and motivate writers. I do it with my blog, I do it with my memes, I do it with the free chapter critiques I give away each month to people on my newsletter list. My Number 1 Motto is: You can’t fail if you don’t give up. I believe 100% that if you want to be a published author you will, as long as you keep at it. That’s the spirit I’ll bring to this competition.
 
5. Because I’m a psychologist, one of my strengths is in creating authentic, realistic characters that drive the action of the story. Being either a character-driven or plot-driven author is so last year; I want to help you be both.
 
6. This is my dog. As anticipated, he was no help last year, but he is so darned cute ...
 
7. But seriously, I’ve written 14 books and 9 short stories, and I’ve been published in four anthologies. My Number 2 Motto is: Finish what you start. Revise what you finish. Then revise it again. And send it out there into the world.
 
I also serve as an editor for Allegory Magazine, which is now in its 20th year! Since last year when I mentored in Pitch Wars, I received a promotion to Senior Editor, and I’m so proud to serve writers in this role, helping them to have their yes-moment.
 
8. Pizza and donuts. Pizza goes without saying, but I figured I needed to update my comfort food for 2018, so I give you donuts.
 
9.  I’m looking to develop a real relationship with my mentee. Our friendship won’t end when the competition is over. Once I work with you, I’m going to be so excited to hear about all your doings and happenings. I hope to be a resource for the long-haul. (And don’t be surprised if, down the line, I bug you to be a resource for me. It’s all about writers helping writers.) 

10. I still love to eat. Pizza (as above), ice cream, donuts, cheese. All the cheese. And coffee. I make a MEAN pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. But, most of the time, I’m into eating healthy. I’ve tried at least half the recipes on Skinnytaste.com, and I’m huge into working out. It’s my foundation. I’m a grunge rock girl at heart, but I love modern dance music and current rock groups. I can’t seem to get enough of Panic at the Disco, Imagine Dragons, or Fallout Boy. I’m also a bluegrass fan (especially “New Grass.” Crooked Still is one of my all time favorites. And Nickel Creek.) I love SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, PROJECT RUNWAY, TOP CHEF, DEADLIEST CATCH, FAMILY GUY, SILICON VALLEY, BUFFY, WEST WORLD, PORTLANDIA, MONTY PYTHON.
 
11. I did not start out as a writer. I don’t have an MFA. I didn’t study writing in college or grad school. But writing a book was something I always wanted to do, and one day, I said: Let me see if I can do it. And that started me off. I’ve been writing for only eight years, so I know what it’s like to be a constant learner. I’m still learning. So, unless you’re Shakespeare, I totally expect that you’re still learning too.
 
I’m a practicing, licensed clinical psychologist. I work with people every day on figuring out their strengths, understanding their barriers & things that limit them reaching their potential, and setting the kind of goals that work. On the education front, I’ve been teaching and mentoring students at all levels (from college to post-grad) for over ten years. My Number 3 Motto is: It’s not about being good. It’s about getting better.

- Kindness and honesty. I’m the person who’s not afraid to tell you that you have broccoli in your teeth (and if I do, PLEASE tell me, okay?), but learning should never be punitive. You can expect a collaborative experience where I’ll tell you all my thoughts, but work with you to make your book the best it can be no matter what.
- When I read your book, I’ll be looking to understand the book as you envision it, then work with you to further hone the things that are already working well and identify places where you can bring out the heart of your vision even more.
- Once I’ve read the whole thing, I’ll send you an edit letter with all my thoughts. I’ll give you some time to read through it, then we can communicate about it (video chat, phone, email—whatever) and come up with a solid revision plan.
- Once you complete your revisions, I’ll read through the book again and give you comments in the margins.
- We’ll pay extra attention to your first chapter and your query; I’ll also do a line/copy edit of your first 30 pages, and then you can take those suggestions and carry them through the rest of the book.
- I’ll be here to cheer you on the whole way, including providing support during the hardest part of the competition—the waiting phase. We’ll get through it together with pizza, donuts, wine, and all the cheese.

​​Are you ... ?
- flexible and open-minded about revisions? Listen, when you sign with your agent (and you will, I know it), you’re going to continue to get tons of feedback on your work. Then you’ll sell your book (totally, it will happen), and your editor is going to have a ton of changes for you to make too. So, revisions are a normal and natural part of the writing process. (Personally, my favorite parts of all my books are born in revisions.) So, if you’re open-minded and willing to do an overhaul if it’s in the service of your vision, I really want to work with you.
 
- not afraid to work hard? There’s a timeline in Pitch Wars, and you will likely be eating, sleeping, and breathing your book. Are you reading this saying, Bring it on!--good!
 
- serious about your writing career? I can’t promise that if you work with me you’ll get an agent and a book deal. I can promise you’ll learn from this experience, and your book will be better than when you started. So, if you don’t sign, are you still going to be as motivated to keep trying as you were the day you entered this competition? Will you keep querying that book until you find your dream agent? Will you write a new one and query that if this one doesn’t get you there? Yes? Then send me your book, my friend.
 
Let’s get to work.

 WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
- I’m definitely looking for genre books, but within that context, I’m excited to read stories with diversity of any type, including #ownvoices books.
- I will accept YA and NA
- My biggest request will be thrillers. I’ll take action-based thrillers, psychological, techno thrillers, and a tiny bit of sci-fi (sci-fi isn’t my favorite, but it can be amazing,so the right book could do it for me). Books like THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL (Maxine Kaplan), PEOPLE LIKE US (Dana Mele), THE BAKERSVILLE DOZEN (Kristina McBride), or mysteries like DIVESMACK (Demetra Brodsky) and SEE ALL THE STARS (Kit Frick).
- I’m also open to paranormal YA and full-on horror. Books like DREAD NATION (Justina Ireland), THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE (Amelinda Berube), THE CALL (Paedar O’Guillin), THE DEVIL AND WINNIE FLYNN (Micol Ostow), and books by Kim Liggett.
- I love combining humor with more serious stories, so if you have something along the lines of SCREAM ALL NIGHT (Derek Milman) or THEIVING WEASELS (Billy Taylor), especially if there’s a thriller element, send it to me.
- I’m also open to magical realism or light fantasy as long as it’s at least mostly rooted in the present time and a contemporary world: THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST (Holly Black) or THE HAZEL WOOD (Melissa Albert).
- These books are just examples; there's no need to know them to sub to me if your book fits my overall categories.

​WHAT I’m NOT LOOKING FOR
- Anything that’s NOT YA.
- Quiet books. I’m a genre girl, so I’m looking for books with thrills and scares.
- Pure contemporary. I love these books (think SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE by Lindsey Champion), but I’m not looking for that this time around.
- High fantasy.
- No vampires or werewolves (UNLESS it’s a silly take on the trope. Think FAT VAMPIRE for or something like Molly Harper’s books for YA.)
- No space stories.
- No dystopians, please.

There's nothing wrong with these types of books, and my preferences have nothing to do with the chances of these kinds of books getting you an agent or book deal, they're just not my favorites and therefore you're better off using one of your submissions on a mentor who'd be a better fit. 

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to get to know me. I can't wait to read your submission!!!! And remember, the links to all the other YA mentors' blog posts are BELOW.

Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Apple Store  /  
Walmart  /  Target  /  Indiebound  /  Book Depository  / Books-A-Million  /  Booktopia ​​

- A Cafe Flores mug
- A TEN AFTER CLOSING key chain with the Cafe Flores mug charm, a clock charm, and other colorful beaded charms
- A signed copy of TEN AFTER CLOSING

All the prizes above AND something to go in your mug (coffee or tea--winner's choice)

TEN AFTER CLOSING will be available on September 4th, so the last day to pre-order is September 3rd, 2018. The prize winners will be chosen on the 27th, and I'll get them all in the mail promptly. Giveaway is US only.

And, last but not least, THANK YOU again for your support! 

If you have questions, just let me know: jessicabaylisswrites@gmail.com.

Holy moly, I can’t believe it’s Pitch Wars Blog Hop time! I’m super excited to be mentoring in Pitch Wars this year in the MG category. It’s my first time, so I know that means it will be the BEST! 

If you’re still new to this whole Pitch Wars thing, let me give you a little info. This is an awesome competition where you enter your manuscript for a chance to get paired with a mentor who will help you get your book into the best shape possible. Then, you ​get to go to the agent round where a captive audience of agents (not literally captive, though, because that would be creepy—in a bad way) reviews all the subs and requests fulls. In other words, if you get chosen in Pitch Wars, you have an excellent chance of getting an ADVANCE TO FULL REQUEST card.  And even if you don't sign, there's a lot you will LEARN, so let's get started.

For more information about Pitch Wars, click HERE.

Here are the top 11 reasons.

1. 11 is my lucky number.

2. I’m a new mentor this year, but I was selected as a MENTEE in a very similar competition last year, Pitch2Publication. As a result of that, I signed with my dream agent, Dr. Uwe Stender, president of Triada US Literary Agency. He went on to sell my P2P book, TEN PAST CLOSING, which will be published next spring by Sky Pony Press. 

Because I’ve been in YOUR shoes, I know how nerve-wracking and exciting and scary and hard this whole thing is. I’ve been on the receiving end of a massive edit letter and line edits up the wazoo. I worked my butt off and then worked my butt off some more. And a little more. Then I waited. OMG, I waited, and I wasn’t sure if I’d make it. But. I. Survived. (So will you.)  And I want to be there with YOU when it's your turn.

This is going to be awesome!

3. I love MG. (Here’s a secret. Even though my debut is a YA, my first ever book was a MG portal fantasy; my heart lives there still). I’ve also published a (silly) horror short in an MG anthology.

4. No one wants a crabby mentor. If you check out my blog, you’ll see I strive to inspire and motivate writers. My Number 1 Motto is: You can’t fail if you don’t give up. I believe 100% that if you want to be a published author you will, as long as you keep at it. That’s the spirit I’ll bring to this competition.

5. Because I’m a psychologist, one my strengths is in creating authentic, realistic characters that drive the action of the story. Being EITHER a character-driven or plot-driven author is so last year; I want to help you be both.

​​6. This is my dog. He’s not going to be helping out with mentoring this year (which is a very good thing because he can't read no matter how much he fakes it), but he’s a cute little bastard.​

7. But seriously, I work really hard at being a writer. I’ve written ten books (in addition to my official debut, I have YA horror coming out with a small press in the fall) and nine short stories (six of which have been published). My Number 2 Motto is: Finish what you start. Revise what you finish. Then revise it again. And send it out there into the world. I’m also an Associate Editor for Allegory eZine, so I’ve gotten to practice looking out for gems hidden in the slush. 

8. Pizza. 

9.  I’m looking to develop a real relationship with my mentee. Our friendship won’t end when the competition is over. Once I work with you, I’m going to be so excited to hear about all your doings and happenings. I hope to be a resource for the long-haul. (And don’t be surprised if, down the line, I bug you to be a resource for me. It’s all about writers helping writers.) 

10. I love to eat. Pizza (as above), ice cream, donuts, cheese. All the cheese. And coffee. I make a MEAN pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. But, most of the time, I’m into eating healthy. I’ve tried at least half the recipes on Skinnytaste.com, and I’m huge into working out. It’s my foundation. Finally, thanks to a friend in my writing group, I recently got into Bullet Journaling because colored markers and stickers and washi tape, and OMG, it’s so fun.

11. I did NOT start out as a writer. I DO NOT have an MFA. I didn’t study writing in college or grad school. But writing a book was something I always wanted to do, and one day, I said: Let me see if I can do it. And that started me off. I’ve been writing for only seven years, so I know what it’s like to be a constant learner. I’m still learning. So, unless you’re Shakespeare (you're not are you? Because if so, OMG, vampire), I totally expect that you’re still learning too. 

I’m a practicing, licensed clinical psychologist. I work with people every day on figuring out what their strengths are, understanding their barriers & things that limit them from reaching their potential, and setting the kind of goals that work. On the education front, I’ve been teaching and mentoring students at all levels (from college to post-grad) for over ten years. My Number 3 Motto is: It’s not about being good. It’s about getting better. 

- Kindness and honesty. I’m the person who’s not afraid to tell you that you have broccoli in your teeth (and if I do, PLEASE tell me, okay?). You can expect a collaborative experience where I’ll tell you all my thoughts, but work with you to make your book the best it can be no matter what.
- When I read your book, I’ll be looking to understand the book as you envision it, then work with you to further hone the things that are already working well and identify places where you can bring out the heart of your vision even more.
- You can expect a combination of questions to help you think more deeply about your plot and your characters along with actionable items--specific, concrete ideas of things you can try.
- Speaking of character, it's one of my specialties. I may even share my special Character Map with you. (Who am I fooling, I'm totally going to share it.)
- Once I’ve read the whole thing, I’ll send you an edit letter with all my thoughts on what I love, your characters, character interaction, pacing, plot weaknesses/inconsistencies, etc. I’ll give you some time to read through it, then we can communicate about it (video chat, phone, email—whatever) and come up with a solid revision plan.
- Once you complete your revisions, I’ll read through the book again and give you comments in the margins. 
- We’ll pay extra attention to your first chapter and your query; I’ll also do a line edit of your first 50 pages, and then you can take those suggestions and carry them through the rest of the book.
​- I’ll be here to cheer you on the whole way, including providing support during the hardest part of the competition—the waiting phase. We’ll get through it together with pizza, donuts, wine, and all the cheese. 

 ​- I’m definitely looking for genre books, but within that context, I’m excited to read stories with diversity of any type, including #ownvoices books.
- Voice, voice, voice.
- My number 1 request is some good MG horror or anything creepy/scary/eerie.
- I’m also looking to see contemporary books full of thrills.
- My favorite type of horror is paranormal/supernatural, so bring on your ghosts and demons.
- Witches in contemporary settings are great too.
- I’m a SUCKER for a haunted house story. (My secret ambition is to write the world’s best haunted insane asylum book, but if you beat me to it, send that baby over here please.)
- I’ll take my horror with a dose of silliness or keep it straight. I love HECK, WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO (by Dale E. Basye and Bob Dob) and THE MONSTER SQUAD, so feel free to send me your humorous horror.
- I’m open to MG horror with a more literary vibe too, like A MONSTER CALLS (by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd).
- I’m all about seeing creepiness in the mundane, so more subtle stories or MAGICAL REALISM are very welcome (e.g., DOLL BONES by Holly Black).
- I’m open to portal-style books like THE SPINDLERS or LIESL AND PO, both by Lauren Oliver. Books like the SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (Holly Black) would be great. 
- Adventures and thrillers? Yes, please. I’m dating myself here, but I’d love to read the next GOONIES. OMG, if you wrote STRANGER THINGS for MG, that’s for me. Or STAND BY ME. Or something like CLOAK AND DAGGER.
- Scavenger hunt stories would be fun (especially if there’s a creepy element).
- I’m a sucker for kids getting stuck somewhere and having to survive something (lost in the woods, stranded on a desert island, accidentally locked up somewhere—OMG, if they’re accidentally locked somewhere and there also happens to be a ghost or monster, that book is for me. Clearly there’s a theme here.).
- I will take fantasy if it’s rooted in the contemporary world (e.g., SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES by Holly Black).
- I’m open to some SCI-FI, but again, rooted in the contemporary world.
- Detective stories, especially with humor. My favorite movie of all time is CLUE. If you’ve written CLUE for MG readers, me wants…

​That's it for me. You can read ALL the MG mentors' bios and wishlists at the bottom of my page. 

Please read my WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING for list below.

Are you:
- flexible and open-minded about revisions? Listen, when you sign with your agent (and you will, I know it), you’re going to continue to get tons of feedback on your work. Then you’ll sell your book (totally, it will happen), and your editor is going to have a ton of changes for you to make too. So, revisions are a normal and natural part of the writing process. (Personally, my favorite parts of all my books are born in revisions). So, if you’re open-minded and willing to do an overhaul if it’s in the service of your vision, I really want to work with you.

- not afraid to work hard? There’s a timeline in Pitch Wars, and you will likely be eating, sleeping, and breathing your book. Are you reading this saying: Bring it on!—good! 
​
- serious about your writing career? I can’t promise that if you work with me you’ll get an agent and a book deal. I can promise you’ll learn from this experience, and your book will be better than when you started. So, if you don’t sign, are you still going to be as motivated to keep trying as you were the day you entered this competition? Will you keep querying that book until you find your dream agent? Will you write a new one and query that if this one doesn’t get you there? Yes? Then send me your submission, my friend. 

Let’s get to work!

- Anything that’s NOT MG. I love books for all ages, and even though my forthcoming books are YA, I’m only mentoring MG this year.
- Quiet books. I’m a genre girl, so I’m looking for books with thrills and scares.
- Pure contemporary. I love these books (think BFF BUCKET LIST by Dee Romito or THE SLEEPOVER by Jen Ramone), but I’m not looking for that this time around. 
- High fantasy. 
- No vampires or werewolves (UNLESS it’s a silly take on the trope. Think FAT VAMPIRE for MG or THE MONSTER SQUAD.)
- No space stories.
- No dystopians, please.
- Books full of grammar errors and typos and that are overall poorly written. Pitch Wars is for books that are complete and somewhat revised (but perfection is not expected, so don't worry if there are some errors). If your book requires too many basics to get it into shape, we just won't have the time. So please, read and edit your book now before the submission window opens.

There's still some time before the submission window opens. until then...

Read ALL the MG mentors' bios and wishlists right here.