March 10, 2018 Interview with Michelle Hauck of #PBParty
What is #PBParty?
Picture Book Party is an online writing contest just for picture books and chapter books to get them before agents and editors. The submission window is March 27th at 4 pm EST. Writers send by email their query letter and the first 50 words of their manuscript. Then twenty entries are selected and displayed on my blog for our group of agents to make requests.
Who hosts it?
I run this contest with the help of my friend Sharon Chriscoe. Sharon is my picture book guru. She brings the knowledge and I bring the social aspect. Sharon is the author of several picture books including Bulldozer Dreams, Race Car Dreams, and soon Fire Truck Dreams. Find her website here
How was it born?
The idea for this contest is to do something for the picture book crowd. They get left out of so many contests. I’d always get questions when running my other contests,Query Kombat, Nightmare on Query Street and Sun versus Snow on whether we take picture books. I love picture books myself and felt bad about saying no. Sharon offered to help out and build my knowledge of picture books as well as helping choose the most polished and original entries. #PBParty couldn’t take place without her.
Who is #PBParty for?
#PBParty is for any writer of picture/chapter books who is looking for an agent and has a completed and polished book. Please no self- published manuscripts. We also accept one illustration for the author/illustrators out there.
How is #PBParty different from other Twitter parties?
It’s different in that we have a set group of agents and editors taking part, and we use query letters and not pitches. We have a social party on twitter all about our love of picture books and writing, but the actual agent requesting takes place on my blog.
Do you have a favorite success story?
Hannah Holt got her agent from one of our past Picture Book Parties and you can find her book Diamond Man and the Boy on Goodreads to be released in 2018 from Balzer and Bray.
What’s your vision and goals l for #PBParty?
Our goal is to bring picture book writers together as a community to help them form connections and have some fun during their stressful querying process. And if we’re lucky there will be some happy success stories also.
What are the rules?
You can find all our rules on our announcement post here. Basically, we ask writers to follow my blog, try and join us on twitter for the party, and format their entries correctly. Also send during the submission window only. I tweet out trends that Sharon and I notice and any advice that occurs to us as we read the submissions.
Can you describe how the various rounds work?
There’s just one round with this contest. After submission, Sharon and I read all the entries and make a list of our favorites. We post the titles of the lucky few and then the entries are posted on my blog on April 4th for the agents to read. Agents will leave comments on what to submit to them for any entries they favor.
Who are some of the agents who will be participating in this year’s event? (I understand this list isn’t yet posted. I’m happy to delay posting this blog post until you’re ready to share the information, or feel free to omit this question).
We are still adding agents and editors, and in fact landed a new agent on Saturday. The list of agents will be posted on my blog around March 16th. So far we have nine agents and one editor. I will give a hint and say we have Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management. Since she’s on maternity leave, this contest is the only way to reach her with your query.
What are the key dates to know?
March 27 is when the submission window opens. April 4-6th is when the agents visit.
About how many submissions do you receive for the contest?
Usually we get 250 entries in just a few minutes. This year we are trying something different. Authors don’t have to rush and panic. The entry window will stay open for one hour. We may get a few more entries, but hopefully, the process will be smoother, without authors panicked over whether their entry arrived.
How does a participant know if their manuscript is polished and ready for pitching?
Can anyone really know that? But that’s where critique partners come in. Trading manuscripts with other writers can help you learn new writing skills, and our hashtag is a good place to meet people.
What advice do you have for someone who is considering entering #PBParty if they believe they have a finished manuscript?
Read some helpful posts or articles on writing query letters for PB writers. Remember to highlight what is unique about your manuscript and go into the contest with the expectation of having fun and making friends. We pick twentyish entries out of two to three hundred submissions. The contest should be more about learning and growing as a writer. That should be the big takeaway.
Are there any trends you’ve seen throughout the contests that would prove helpful to potential participants?
What makes a good picture book is pretty much the same from year to year. No trends, but Sharon and I always keep an eye out for personality and originality, as well as diversity. I’m hoping for some humor and some books with touching moments. We love a good biography or nonfiction and amazing illustrators. Sharon has an eye for character driven. The world needs more ownvoices and I hope we find all that plus other genres.
Where can potential participants go to learn more about the contest and stay up-to-date?
You can always visit the hashtag on twitter #PBParty and my blog for all the info. Please no DMs or emails. Questions can be left on the blog or addressed to me (@Michelle4Laughs) on twitter.
What do you want to say about #PBParty that I haven’t asked yet?
I’d like to thank all the picture book writers. I believe this is our fourth year doing this contest, and every year the PB writers are the most polite and enthusiastic of any of my contests. Also the most shy about saying hello on twitter. This party is for you. Don’t be afraid to join the discussion of our topic of the day after our submission window starts or to create your own topics to talk about. Share your favorite pictures books. Tell us your favorite characters from picture books and help others with your best writing tips. Hope to see you there.
Thanks for your time, Michelle!
Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two kids in college. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.
Her Birth of Saints trilogy from Harper Voyager includes Grudging, Faithful and Steadfast. Another epic fantasy, Kindar’s Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing.
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