Red Light, Green Light: WE LOVE LIBRARIES free-tique contest

ALL RLGL ROUNDS ARE NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED. Thanks for playing, everyone!

If you miss any round, YOU CAN ENTER THE RACE AT ANY TIME. You never know how this will turn out. Also, the results of each round are posted anonymously and your work will not be shared with anyone besides Cynthea and Snoop.

Snoop will also be giving feedback on entries submitted after the race is over, regardless of the entrant’s standing in the race. That means EVERYONE will receive some input about their work.

To participate in this free-tique round, read the following IN FULL before DOING ANYTHING.

For this RLGL game, Snoop and I are shaking things up a bit since we are also participating in the Library Lovin’ Challenge. With that said, here are the revised rules for RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT (RLGL) not to be confused with TRAFFIC COP).

1) “RLGL: WE LOVE LIBRARIES” is open to all tiquees – new and “re”. The children’s or teen FICTION work you send in should not already be published. Got it? NEW WORKS ONLY. ANYONE MAY PARTICIPATE. YOUR WORK CAN BE UNDER CONSIDERATION BY AN EDITOR OR AGENT BUT YOU MUST ALREADY HAVE PLANS FOR A REVISION. In other words, if you do not plan to revise your work, DO NOT ENTER RLGL. Please let people who really want to improve their manuscripts get a shot at winning a tique.

2) To register to play, you must leave a comment on our Library Lovin’ Challenge to show your support for libraries if you have not already, then hop on over to the PARIS PAN bookplate request form to tender your registration for this RLGL round. READ CLOSELY: In the “Feel free to leave a message for Cynthea” box on the bookplate request form, just tell Snoop, you are entering RLGL. If you have already registered, you only need to register ONCE.

BTW, if you do not wish to receive a PARIS PAN bookplate or be entered to win an autographed copy of PARIS PAN, just put NO, THANK YOU in the address lines. Snoop will try NOT to hold that against you when he reads your work later.

3) Next, in a separate email, you send Snoop your first page. (pasted in the email to SNOOP at CYNTHEALIU dot COM–don’t worry about formatting.) This would be the first half-page of your double-spaced manuscript–just like a real editor would see when she receives your manuscript. You title the email (IN THE SUBJECT LINE PLEASE!!!) with the page number, book type (i.e., PB, ER, Chapter Book, MG novel, YA), and ms title to help Snoop keep track. Like so (P. 1, PB, IF YOU GIVE A BUNNY A BANANA)

4). After the deadline for each round has passed, please wait patiently as Snoop reads your entries, gives you an entry number, and renders judgment. Your entry number is used to conceal your identity when results are revealed, so have no fear, your results will be anonymous to other people.  We do not know when Snoop will review all entries, but it will probably occur within the first 12 hours after a round deadline. Snoop will let you know when the light turns “red” here at http:www.writingforchildrenandteen.com.

Just like the real RLGL game, Snoop will send some participants back to the starting line. He will not tell you why, except to say, “Not right for me.” You may ask for more feedback following the instructions listed on the Round Results for that round.

5. Next, Snoop will say “Green” again with a new round deadline. If you’re at the starting line, you may submit a new first page of another work. Your old entry number will be retired. So don’t title it with that number. You’ll get a new number for your next submission. If you aren’t at the starting line, you email the next FULL page of your competing entry like it appears in your real manuscript. (Please include the entry number and the book type in that email. Thanks).

6. This continues until all of the following happens … I have two winners for a PB or ER at the finish line– you must make it to the last page of your book. And one winner for a novel/chapter book (you must make it through the first seven pages of your book unless Snoop declares a Sudden Death round). Remember, this is easier said than done. It should be just as hard to get Snoop’s attention as it is to get an editor’s or agent’s attention. [UPDATE: So far, two free-tiques have been won. There is one up for grabs in the PB category. But keep in mind ALL submitted works (novels and PBs) will receive feedback if you request it.

7. Bonus play for novels. Grand prize. If your novel makes it to page seven, you may continue to play against other novelists for the grand prize. [UPDATE: THE GRAND PRIZE HAS BEEN WON] You may even compete when all the winning slots have been won. But you may only have one entry competing at a time. The novelist who makes it through the most pages by a set time (To Be Determined -Snoop is checking his calendar) wins the grand prize– a free-tique, the glory of winning, and autographed copy of one of Cynthea’s books – your choice.

8. All other winners will receive a free-tique and the right to feel fabuloso about oneself, but they will not get Snoop’s John Hancock on one of Cynthea’s books. Bummer.

PLEASE NOTE: All free-tiques won will be returned at Snoop’s earliest convenience. His schedule is packed these days but he will get back to you as soon as he can.

9. THIS RACE COULD LAST FOR DAYS, POSSIBLY WEEKS, depending on what comes in and Snoop’s schedule. So get ready for one of the most exciting games of your writing life! You should plan to send something off prior to each deadline so you can keep up with your competition. If you fall behind in a round though, don’t worry, you will just be a page behind the others. This isn’t the end of the world since an elimination can happen to any of your competitors at any point in the game.

ALSO, ANYONE CAN ENTER THE RACE AT ANY TIME AS MANY TIMES AS THEY WANT (one entry per round though) WHILE THE DOORS ARE OPEN.

10. The most important rule of all: breaking any one of the rules will make you subject to complete elimination from RLGL. Don’t screw this up!

Now are you ready?

SNOOP SAYS:

Red light………………. GREEN LIGHT!