This contest is now closed!
Yes, you heard that right! The contest formerly know as Critiques 4U has a new name: Phenomenal First Pages. Nothing else has changed. It’s the same monthly first-page critique contest that you’ve come to know and love, just with more alliteration.
And this month, the wonderful Marissa Graff is back to provide feedback for two lucky winners!
If you’re game to enter this month’s contest, here’s the amazing person you could be working with:
Marissa has been a freelance editor and reader for literary agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency for five years. In conjunction with Angelella Editorial, she offers developmental editing, author coaching, and more. She specializes in middle-grade and young-adult fiction, but also works with adult fiction. Marissa feels if she’s done her job well, a client should probably never need her help again because she’s given them a crash-course MFA via deep editorial support and/or coaching.
CONTEST GUIDELINES
This month’s contest will be a little different because Marissa is offering up a critique on the FIRST FIVE PAGES of TWO WINNERS’ stories!
If you’re working on a story opening (anything except erotica, nonfiction, or picture books) and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, Marissa will be able to contact you if you win. Just please know that if she’s unable to get in touch with you through that address, you’ll have to forfeit your win.
Please be sure your story opening is ready to go so she can critique it before next month’s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won’t be able to get it to her right away, let me ask that you plan on entering the next contest once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.
Two commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted here tomorrow. If you win, Marissa will be in contact to get your pages and offer her feedback.
Best of luck!
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.
This is one terrific service you offer. The 1st page s often the most difficult.
Congratulations to the winners! I am beyond thrilled to read your fabulous first five pages 🙂 Thanks to everyone who so kindly entered!
Ok! The lucky winners this time around are Mona Alvarado Frazier and Angelica Steward. Marissa will be in touch with you two soon. Thanks so much for entering, everyone. We’ll see you next month!
Fingers crossed! Great contest 🙂
Would love additional eyes on my WIP.
It would be wonderful to get this sort of hands-on direction, thank you!
Hoping there’s still time to enter. I’m wrapping up the first draft of my book (70K words) and would really love critiques on the first five pages.
Love this opportunity! Feedback from someone with your professional background would be fantastic. (:
I would love a critique of my contemporary YA. Thank you WHR and Marissa for your generosity and ALL the info you continue sharing with us.
This is amazing! I hope I win! Thank you for doing this contest.
Sounds fantastic!! Thanks.
How exciting!
I would love to win a first pages critique!
Awesome new name! I’m working on a new fantasy/sci-fi piece and would love a critique. Thank you so much!
Fab opportunity
Thrilled to have something you might like to read.
What an opportunity to see if you’re able to hook readers. I’m in!
Sounds like a great idea! I wish everyone the best. Thanks for joining us Marissa Graff!
I love the new name!
The first pages are so hard to get right so getting eyes on them is a great opportunity.
This sounds great! Love the contest!
Je suis ici–not Je suis sushi
Almost 50,000 words into a real-world thriller of sorts, and I’d love to get some feedback!
This is fantastic. I’m in! Sara Sar
I just made some tweaks to my first chapter of my YA historical dystopia, The Silence Between the Notes, and would love to get Marissa’s feedback!
Thanks so much for this offer!
I’d love to get feedback on my first five pages. What a great opportunity. Thanks.
What a generous opportunity! Thanks.
Do I need a WordPress account to enter?
Love the new name! I would love an opportunity for Marissa to read my first five pages.
The opening sentence, paragraph and page set the tone for a story. Most literary agents ask for the first five pages of a manuscript. It is, therefore, import that the pages are well polished to engage readers. This is one gift Marissa has offered us. Thank you for your benevolence.
* It is, therefore, important that the pages are well polished to engage readers. Was I sleep-typing when I wrote import instead of important. Perhaps, it is indirectly giving credence to my desire to have Marissa work on my opening pages.
The new name is great! I would be delighted if I won a critique by Marissa. Thanks.
Love the new name! A critique of the first five pages of my manuscript by Marissa would be great. Thank you for the opportunity!
Hi Becca! I’ve been working really hard on the second draft of my manuscript, an epic fantasy called The Searing Sands. I would be so happy and grateful if you’d consider me for a critique. Thanks so much.
By the way, I love the new name!
What an amazing opportunity I wouldn’t want to miss! Ladies, you are awesome.
I’m in! 😊
Great, I’m in. Working on a novel at about 20,000 words now. Thank you for all you do for writers!! Paula
Like the new name, sounds more inspiring 🙂
Good luck to everyone who’s entering the contest!