Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful
writerly people!

It’s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need a bit of help with your first five pages, today’s the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We’ve had past winners tell us they’ve found their dream editors through this contest, and even ended up with offers of representation!)

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).

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave your contact information on this entry form (or click the graphic below). If you are a winner, we’ll notify you and explain how to send us your first five pages.

Contest Details

• This is a 24-hour contest, so enter ASAP.
• Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct.
• Six winners will be drawn. We will email you if you win and let you know how to submit your first five pages.
• Please have your pages ready in case your name is selected. Format it with 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. 
• It would help to supply a synopsis up to 500 words (a rough one is fine) so Michelle has context for her feedback.

The editor you’ll be working with:

Michelle Barker

Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and has been a senior editor at The Darling Axe since its inception. She has experience with both developmental and line editing and loves working closely with writers to hone their manuscripts and discuss the craft. Many of them have gone on to win publishing contracts and honors for their work. 

Her newest book, coauthored with David Griffin Brown, is Story Skeleton: The Classics. They are also the authors of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. Her novel My Long List of Impossible Things, came out in 2020 with Annick Press. The House of One Thousand Eyes was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year and won numerous awards including the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have appeared in literary reviews world-wide. 

Tip: Watch for Michelle’s next Resident Writing Coach post on Tuesday, May 20th…which includes an EPub giveaway of Story Skeleton!

You can find Michelle on Twitter and GoodReads.

Sign Up for Notifications!

If you’d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, subscribe to blog notifications in this sidebar. 

Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins!

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