The judges and I can’t wait for your entries to flood in on March 1st. We’re already up to 52 amazing agents and editors for the final round of the 2022 PBParty contest. Wahoooo!

Past PBParty finalists and some of my agent siblings want to help you prepare for the contest. So we’re having a HUGE critique and Zoom giveaway. Please thank them for their time and generosity. I love how supportive the kidlit community is.

If you’re unagented and are planning to enter the PBParty contest, you can enter to win one of the amazing prizes below! The first Rafflecopter is for writers and the second is for author/illustrators.

*Author/illustrators may enter both Rafflecopters. I’ll have Rafflecopter choose the author/illustrator giveaways first. To help spread the wealth, you can only receive one prize.

You get a critique. You get a critique. And you get a critique!

I wish I could be like Oprah and give ALL of you prizes. So I came up with a way everyone can win! Look below the Rafflecopters to learn about the PBParty PB Ranking Party. 🙂

*The number before each prize is how many people will win it. You all have SO many chances. Fingers and toes crossed for you!

Here’s what you can win on the first Rafflecopter

3 written critique giveaways from Stacy Burch [Winners: Andi Chitty, Diane McBee, and Mary Helen Berg]

2 written critiques (PB manuscript or query letter) from Nora Nickum [Winners: Rachelle Burk and Megan Stadnik]  

2 written critique giveaways (non-rhyming PB manuscript or query letter) from Allison Rozo [Winners: Brian Burak and Cristina Chan]

2 written critique giveaways (PB manuscript or query letters) or 2 half hour Zoom chats from Jyothi Nookula [Winners: Monica Freeman and Jenny Morales]

3 written critique giveaways (PB non rhyming manuscripts) from Nazneen Akbari [Winners: Emily Keifer, Molli Ehlert, and Katie Fischer]

2 written critique giveaways (PB non-rhyming or query letter) from Lindsey Hobson [Winners: Elyse Trevers and Joni Halabi]  

2 written critique giveaways (PB non rhyming or query letter) from R. G. Spaulding [Winners: Samantha Brems and Catherine Friess]

1 written (fiction) PB manuscript critique or critique/polishing/ranking of three pitches from Kerry Ferguson [Winner: Amy Olsen]

1 PB critique from Karyn Friedman-Everham  [Winner: Laurel Santini]

1 written or zoom critique of a submission package (pitch, query, and PB manuscript) from Michele Ziemke [Winner: Yolimari Garcia]

2 half hour Zoom chats from Janelle Harper [Winners: Steena Hernandez and  Jany Campana]

1 PB critique from Rachelle Burk  [Winner: Melissa Rotert]

5 PBParty entry package critiques (including query) from Adrienne Thurman [Winners: Claire Blumenfeld, Sue Newton, Rebecca McMurdie, Jess Freeman, and Jessica Watts]

1 30 min Zoom chat from Jennifer Concepcion [Winner: Emma Pearl]

1 written critique from Jennifer Concepcion [Winner: Pauline David-Sax]

1 PB Manuscript and Query Letter Critique from Laken Slate [Winner: Ellie Langford]

1 PB critique from Joni Klein-Higger [Winner: Sheza Alqera Atiq]

1 written critique giveaway (PB non rhyming ) from Nadia Ali [Winner: Cynthia Greene] a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This next giveaway is ONLY for author/illustrators planning to submit two illustrations to the PBParty contest**

Everything you do for the first Rafflecopter can count here, too–just click that you did each item to get credit 🙂

Here’s what you can win on the second Rafflecopter

2 written critiques or zoom chats  (each of 2 pb illustration spreads with copy in place and accompanying manuscript) from Marietta Apollonio  [Winners: Josette Abruzzini and Rachel Wilson]

1 written or zoom critique of a book dummy, or an illustration spread with manuscript from Michele Ziemke [Winner: Taylor Ackerman]

1 written critique of PB book dummy, or an illustration spread with manuscript from Robin Hann Leon [Winner: Julie Koon]  

1 written critique of PB book dummy or an illustration spread with manuscript from Alyssa Sinnen [Winner: Susan VandeWeghe]

1 written or zoom critique for a book dummy or an illustration spread with manuscript. If zoom option is selected, zoom meeting will be 30 min. from Melissa Escobar [Winner: Allison Strick]    

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you count them up? That’s 31 prizes in the first Rafflecopter and 6 in the author/illustrator giveaway…for a total of 37 critiques and Zooms. WOW! (UPDATE: Now it’s 38 critiques and Zooms!)

You can find out more about these generous writers and author/illustrators on Twitter (Rafflecopter will give you extra entries for following each of them…and the PBParty judges, too). Plus, many of them have a PBParty Success Story or a PBParty Cheers post.

This giveaway will end on Friday, January 28. Winners will be announced here and on Twitter on January 29. Good luck everyone!

Here’s the part where I can feel like Oprah…because EVERYONE who plans to enter the PBParty contest can participate in the PB Ranking Party. Yay!!!

I always see participants wonder which manuscript they should submit. This can help you choose! I created a Google form to help me place you into groups for the ranking party (depending on the types of manuscripts you’d like to swap, how many you’d like to share, how many in a group etc.)

The PB Ranking Party could also help you figure out which manuscript to send if you win a critique.

The form will be open until Tuesday, January 25 at 11:59 pm EST. I’ll e-mail each group on the 26 or 27. If you don’t hear from me by the 28, please check your Spam folder…then contact me if it’s not hiding in there.

Each group is welcome to tweak the rules, but here are some suggested guidelines (I’ll add more in my e-mail):

*Try to return the rankings within a week. Please let people know if you need longer than that.

*It helps to send the entire picture book…but mark where the 70 word PBParty entry will end. Some manuscripts seem strong, but don’t have a beginning that grabs attention as much as others. But…there may be a way to streamline and give the opening extra oomph (which is why it’s better to examine the full manuscript vs. the sample)

*Rank each manuscript from 1 (this is AWESOME) to 5 (this isn’t ready for the contest…yet). Sharing some brief notes on each would be wonderful. It’s up to each group if they’d like to include more than that.

*If possible, it would be wonderful to critique the manuscript you believe is the strongest from each person you swap with. A person might receive critiques on several different manuscripts if group members don’t all select the same one. Here’s a PB Critique Group Checklist that can help strengthen your critique.

*It would be good to send the query blurb as well (or the entire query). It’s up to each group to decide. But it’s just as important to get your query critiqued as it is to get feedback on a manuscript. All queries in the final round will be professional and ready to dazzle agents, editors…and the PBParty judges, too!

This will also be helpful if you make it into the final round and receive requests for additional manuscripts from agents and editors.

I hope the giveaways and PB Ranking Party will help your manuscripts and entries dazzle! We can’t wait to read them. 🙂