It’s February! That means the PBParty contest entry day, February 22, will be here soon. Wahooooo! The judges and I can’t wait to read your entries. But first…we want them to be as strong as possible. We hope the Rating Parties and this HUGE critique giveaway will help!
Here’s detailed information about the 2024 PBParty contest, plus a helpful FAQ.
Here’s the list of 67 participating agents, editors, and art directors. Wahooooo!
I love how supportive and generous the kidlit world is, and can’t thank everyone enough for donating these amazing prizes to help you prepare for PBParty. I hope you’ll show them your gratitude! There are so many ways to do that:
*You can thank them here and on social media
*Share their good news
*Buy their books
*Mark their books ‘Want to Read’ on Goodreads
*Review their books
*Request their books at your library (or check them out if they stock them)
*If you win a critique from someone with a critique service and you love their feedback, shouting out about it on social media & giving them a testimonial to use on their website is a wonderful way to thank them.
The great thing about entering this giveaway is that you not only have a chance to win an incredible prize…but many of the donors will follow you back on social media, so you’ll have more kidlit friends online! You can do a few things to help with that though…
*Have a profile photo
*In your bio, state something to show you write, illustrate, etc. picture books and other genres. I always follow people back if I see things like PB, MG, YA, SCBWI, kidlit, 12x12PB, Storystorm, Storyteller Academy, and of course PBParty, too. 🙂
*Interact with them by liking/commenting on/sharing their posts
If donors are active on Twitter, that’s what will be linked to the Rafflecopter. If not, they’re linked to BlueSky, Instagram, or Threads.
The first Rafflecopter is for unagented writers and author/illustrators who plan to enter the PBParty contest. You have until Saturday, February 3 at 11:59 pm EST to enter. Here are the prizes you can win (get ready to gasp)! We have 88 prizes total.
Update: Winners have been chosen and are listed next to each prize.
Congrats everyone!
2 winners for a written critique (PB manuscript + query) by Callie Dean (Gesse Stark-Smith & Elise Derstine)
3 winners for a written PB manuscript and query letter critique by Kelly Lee (Kamilla Milligan, Rhett Trull, Hannah Lorenzo)
One winner for a ranking of up to five manuscripts, a critique of the top manuscript, and query critique by Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell. Good luck! (Lisa Davis)
2 winners for a non-rhyming picture book critique by Kari Ann Gonzalez. (Mikki DeFever, Sarah Meade)
One winner for Live Ranking Zoom chat of up to 3 manuscripts followed by written critique (query+manuscript) of your #1 pick by Christine Alemshah (Emily Starr)
1 winner for AMA Zoom chat with Blair Williamson (Darla Christie)
1 winner for choice of Zoom chat or critique of your submission by Carolyn Fraiser (Kathleen MacEachern)
2 winners for a written manuscript and query critique by Rachel Shupin (Angel Gantnier, Hannah Roy)
1 winner of a manuscript and query letter critique by Kim A. Larson (Stephanie Jones)
2 winners for Zoom chat & critique with Dana Marie Miroballi (Charmaine Langlois, Sara Van Note)
3 winners of a Picture Book critique by Katie Walsh (Emily Dunckle, Rose Cappelli, Marla Yablon)
3 winners of a query critique by Emily Holi (Sara Braas, Kate Darfler, Marcia Berneger)
1 half an hour critique over Zoom for one manuscript and help with the query letter by Rinat Hadad Siegel (Effie Koliopoulos)
One winner for a written critique of a fiction picture book and query letter by Heather Stigall (Patricia Nozell)
1 winner for a written critique by Suhasini Gupta (Nova Sheppard)
2 winners for a written critique by Rebecca Ensign (Jacinta Patterson, Jessica Iwanski)
2 Picture Book Critiques 700 words or less fiction & 1,000 words or less NF (not including art notes) by Melissa Trempe (Sarah Frances Hardy, Carrie McCullough)
1 Submission Shine package: Melissa Trempe will read up to 3 manuscripts, ranking them in order of “”submission ready”” & giving feedback on the strongest to submit to agents. (Katherine Lobur)
2 written critiques (including query) by Tonnye Fletcher (Kelly Lee, Becki Kidd)
1 winner for choice of Zoom chat & critique or ranking up to 5 manuscripts by Sadia Heil (Maria Marshall)
2 winners for a written critique (non-rhyming PB + query letter) by Pooja Nukala (Mary Rudzinski, Abby Mumford)
1 winner for a zoom critique by Alexia Andoni (Laura Hunt)
2 winners for a manuscript & query critique by Alicia Meyers (Suhasini Gupta, Michele Meleen)
1 winner for a written critique by Katie Lee Reinert (Jana Campana)
1 winner written critique and Zoom chat by Steena Hernandez (Terri Eichholz)
1 winner ranking up to 5 manuscripts by Steena Hernandez (Stephanie Flom)
1 winner of a written manuscript and query critique by Jocelyn Rish (Emily Keifer)
1 winner for a written critique of a query and non rhyming pb manuscript by Andrew Hacket (Aileen Stewart)
1 winner for a written critique (rhyming or non-rhyming) by Nathan Christopher (Marie Claire Kaiya)
1 lucky winner for a critique or 20 MIN Ask Me Anything by Nadia Salomon (Becca)
1 winner for choice of single manuscript and query critique OR ranking up to five manuscripts by Kara Sibilia (Lauren Simmons)
2 winners for a fiction, non-rhyming PB critique – Madhu M (Kris DeCaro, Tara Cerven)
2 winners for a picture book and query critique by Ashlee MacCallum (Marilyn Wolpin, Gayle Krause)
1 winner for a written critique by Jasmine Fang (Maureen Straka)
1 winner for written query and critique by Korena Di Roma Howley (Mary Helen Berg)
2 winners for ranking up to 5 manuscripts by Anne Weaver (Joyce Frank, Aimee Larke)
2 winners for a written PB critique by Jay Davison (Amy Miller, Lorraine McCown)
1 winner for a PB critique and ranking up to 5 manuscripts by Jay Davison (Kellie Beggs)
1 written manuscript critique and query critique by Peggy Archer (Jim Chaize)
1 winner for a written critique by Jacquie Sewell (Cynthia Reeg)
2 winners for choice of Zoom chat or manuscript + query critique by Malcolm Newsome (Lauri Meyers, Kristin M)
2 winners for a written critique by Traci Huahn (Robyn Hallowell, Anne Lipton)
1 winner for a Zoom chat manuscript & query critique by Cindy Chambers Johnson (Jennifer Gautam)
2 winners or a written PB and query letter critique by Tracy Newman (Stephanie Jackson, Jeanette Jones)
2 winners for a written PB critique (rhyme or prose) by Teresa Rodrigues (Thelia Hutchinson, Scott Wolf)
1 winner of a picture book manuscript and query package critique, with the option to also rank 3 manuscripts by Kalee Gwarjanski (Josie Gawlowski)
1 winner gets ONE MONTH OF FREE ACCESS to Ebony Lynn Mudd’s on-demand, 5-star, picture book classes via The PB Retreat–with unlimited on-demand access to 115+ one-of-kind picture book video lessons on craft, live publishing chats, Q&As, and more! (Megan Adcock)
2 winners for a fiction PB critique by Ana Siqueira (Maria Altizer, Meredith Epstein)
1 PB critique (rhyme or prose, 500ish words) by Jenna Waldman (Michelle S. Kennedy)
1 30 min. AMA with Jenna Waldman (Carol Peszko)
2 winners for a written critique or zoom meeting by Dee Knabb (Robin Larin, Brian Burak)
1 winner for a half hour Zoom by agent & author Joyce Sweeney (Jessica Russo)
1 winner for a query critique with Jamie Rodarte (Kevin Matchett)
1 winner of a critique with Joni Klein-Higger (Lauryn Hill)
1 winner of a written critique by Mary Helen Berg (Susan Shapiro Jaslove)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here’s a Rafflecopter just for unagented author/illustrators to enter. Any task you do to earn entries on the first Rafflecopter, you can claim here, too (such as sharing this giveaway on social media, leaving a blog comment, etc). You have until Saturday, February 3 at 11:59 pm EST to enter. Here are the awesome prizes you can win:
A zoom critique for an author/illustrator by Ian Webster (Jason D. McIntosh)
2 winners for a zoom critique of dummy and query with Emily Chibwana (Andrea Yomtob & Jessie Lehson)
1 winner of a written critique of their complete PBParty entry (including manuscript, query, & illustrations if applicable) by Ellen Seal (3x finalist!) (Brian Kirby)
1 winner of an illustration critique of a single piece, portfolio, or dummy by Ann Koffsky (Jess Burbank)
1 winner for a written dummy+query critique by Carolyn Lê (Nena Hy-Boyer)
2 winners for a choice of 30 mins Zoom chat or critique with Bo Lu (Morgan & Audrey Suau)
a Rafflecopter giveawayGood luck to everyone entering! I’ll shout out the winners on Twitter on Sunday, February 4. If anyone isn’t active on there, I’ll connect you via e-mail. If a winner hasn’t connected with their donor by Wednesday, February 7, please let me know.
Don’t forget our next PBParty New Draft Challenge & Critique Train will be February 8 – 10! That’s inspiration to write a new PB or two and receive feedback on a PB (just in time for PBParty entry day–wahoo)! Everyone is welcome to hop on the PBParty Critique Train, even if they aren’t entering the contest.
Stay tuned for lots of PBParty tips and a PBParty prep Zoom!
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