Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful writerly people! It’s time for our monthly critique contest. This month, we have a HUGE prize.
3 winners will receive feedback on 20 pages from a professional editor. So exciting!

This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to be notified when the next one goes live, consider subscribing to the blog (in the sidebar).

PLEASE NOTE: We’ve changed our process for entering this contest.

If you’d like a chance to win feedback, use this link or click the graphic below to reach our ENTRY FORM:

When you enter by form, double check that your email is correct so I’ll be able to contact you if I draw your name. (If I can’t reach you, you’ll have to forfeit your win.)

The editor you’ll be working with:

Stuart Wakefield

With 26 years in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching under my belt, I have a visceral understanding of what makes stories work, and I’d like to share it with you because writing a novel doesn’t always have to be difficult and daunting, especially if it’s your first time. Understanding the process, getting started, and seeing it all come together can seem like an impossible mountain to climb.

As an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, I’m passionate about helping new writers craft stories with passion and purpose, momentum and meaning. I have an MA (Distinction) in Professional Writing, and my debut novel, Body of Water, was one of ten books long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. My latest novel, Behind the Seams, was a 2021 BookLife Fiction Prize Contest semifinalist.

My first TV show is airing on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2023.

So, if you have a story in your heart, just waiting to be shared with the world, I’m here to offer you guidance and support from developing your story right through to pursuing publication. You can find my website, blog, and free self-editing cheat sheet right here: https://linktr.ee/thebookcoach

** My new course, “Emotional Echoes: The Art of Character Backstory,” opens Monday 18th September and is available for the special price of $47 until Monday 2nd October – when it goes up to $97! ** 

Contest Guidelines

• Comments will NOT enter you in this contest. To enter, fill out this contest form. (One entry per person.)

• Have your first 20 pages are ready to go. 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. Feedback will consist of in-line comments concerning what’s not working and what is.

• You’ll need to supply a synopsis (a rough one is fine) so Stuart has context for his feedback.

• This contest only runs for 24 hours, so enter by form ASAP.

We use Random.org to draw winners, and post the names in the comments tomorrow morning. If you win, I’ll be in touch!

If you’d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar). 

A huge thank you to Stuart, and good luck to all! I can’t wait to see who the winners will be. 🙂

PS: To amp up your first page, grab our  First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more help with important opening elements, visit this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.