Personalized Feedback Event!

It’s hard to believe there are only two months left in 2019, huh? With NaNoWriMo starting tomorrow, and the holidays right around the corner, life is pretty crazy for a lot of people. And to make it a little crazier, ALL of our editors have come together to offer something a little special to all you querying authors out there…

Between Monday, November 4th and Sunday, November 10th, we will be offering personalized feedback for every single query we receive! You read that right — if you query us, we will send you some personalized feedback on your query letter, your sample pages or both! And, of course, we might just request your full manuscript, too.

Not sure what we’re looking for? Check out our editors’ updated wish lists:

KARA LEIGH MILLER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, ALL IMPRINTS:

In Adventures, I’d love to find some contemporary MG. Give me your funny tales of adventure and treasure hunts. I’d love to find stories that tackle bullying, first crushes, and friendship break-ups. Oh, and send me all your scary MG stories, too! The spookier the better.

For Surge, I’m always looking for contemporary stories, especially romance. First love is messy, and I adore books that explore this in a faith-centered way. I’m still on the hunt for a story set during camp–summer camp, Bible camp, family camping trip. I’m also always open to dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and thrillers; bonus if the setting is forced proximity or otherwise contained. I’m open to stories that play with format–letters, texts, emails, journals, etc.–and timelines.

In Romance, I’m on the hunt for swoon-worthy heroes, slow burn romances, and anything with a touch of humor. I’d love to get my hands on a rom-com! As always, I’m a huge fan of romantic suspense, but give me something unique in terms of the suspense elements.

And I can’t say this enough — I want SERIES! Especially in MG and YA. Give me characters and plots that I can’t get enough of, that will have me demanding the next book before I ever finish the first one.

LAURA MAISANO, SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR, SURGE

I’m looking for either a SFF or contemporary with a strong sibling bond, a story of sisterly or brotherly love. I’m also really wanting something with a great voice, a main character I want to spend hours chatting with. I’d like some action too, a fantasy or sci-fi with some really epic stakes but a core emotional story for the main character(s) too.

LISA DUNN, SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR, SURGE

While I love YA Fantasy, I’ve been connecting more with Contemporary YA these days, especially from a first person point-of-view, though that isn’t a requirement. I’m open to both male and female protagonists as long as they are honest and insightful and tell their stories with a balance of wit and wonder. I’ve noticed a bit of a trend of death as a subplot in recent submissions that have captured my heart, so if your protagonist is anywhere in the grieving process or just has a tendency to contemplate eternity and the meaning of life, I might fall in love with your manuscript. A Christian message is crucial, given Anaiah’s submission guidelines, but I don’t want Jesus delivered neatly wrapped with a pretty bow. Following Christ can be difficult, and our fiction should reflect the doubts and questions, as well as the peace and confidence, that accompany well-examined faith. (That said, the story MUST end on a faith-affirming note!)

Some specific scenarios I’d love to see in Contemporary YA:

— Ensemble cast on a short term missions trip learning that their peers are more than the stereotypes they wear at home
— Homeschool hijinks (Note: You must be intimately familiar with homeschool culture, be able to laugh at yourself, and be positive about homeschooling without belittling other schooling methods.)
— Small towns with their quirks on full display
— Best friends growing apart
— Friends to enemies and back to friends
— Sibling stories
— Swim teams

I still want Fantasy—just know I’m a little pickier about this genre. I love high fantasy, but it can’t be pretentious. Think Lloyd Alexander and C.S. Lewis and leave the apostrophes and inexplicably competent underlings to other writers. I’m looking for stories that inspire faith, but the Christian elements can be more symbolic than explicit. I’m not a good fit for Sci-Fi, Paranormal, or Urban Fantasy.

CANDEE FICK, SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR, ROMANCE

I am looking for both sweet stories and suspenseful tales set in either contemporary or historical settings. In addition to our general guideline that faith should play a role in the characters’ growth, I would love to see unique twists on the familiar romance tropes. Think Hallmark movie or fairy tale meets the real world with unusual professions, distinct settings, and/or snappy dialogue all tied together with an overarching message of faith, hope, and love.

HOW TO GET YOUR PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK:

1. Check out our full submission guidelines here: https://anaiahpress.wordpress.com/submissions/
2. Send the query letter and first 10 pages of your manuscript PASTED into the body of the email. If you send attachments, they will be deleted unread, and you will not receive any feedback.
3. Please only send material that we accept and publish. So, please don’t send us your secular project and expect feedback, because we won’t give it.
4. In the subject line, please include: PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK EVENT_Book Title_Author Name
5. Feel free to address your query to whichever editor you feel would be the best fit for you and your project. Don’t worry about picking the wrong editor, though, because we’re very good at sharing 😉
6. Send your query to: submissions@anaiahpress.com

So, polish those queries and send them our way! We can’t wait to read your book 🙂