SPEED Red Light, Green Light begins!

First Red Light: Today, 9PM CST. This means get your stuff to me before then. Results of Round 1 should be announced soon after.
Here are the revised rules for SPEED RLGL.

SPEED RED LIGHT/GREEN LIGHT (not to be confused with TRAFFIC COP) is open to all tiquees – new and “re”. Also you may be agented and/or published (plenty of you guys already participate), but the work you send in should not already be published. Got it? NEW WORKS ONLY (and stuff I haven’t tiqued before so no one has an advantage here. First page crits do not count. You may sub those.) But read this first—> Do you all know how to play the game?

1. You send Snoop your first page. (pasted in an 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 with the page number, book type (i.e., PB, ER, Chapter Book, MG novel, YA), and ms title to help Snoop keep track. Snoop will give you an entry number in return.

2. Snoop will let you know when the light turns “red” here at http:www.cynthealiu.com. You will see entry numbers that have been asked to go back to the starting line. Snoop will not tell you why you were asked to go to the beginning except to say “Not right for me.” That is all. (Which is, sadly, very much like real life). You may ask him later, though, when doors are completely closed, why. You will allow Snoop time for a response.

3. Snoop will say “Green” again. 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).

4. This continues until all of the following happens… I have two winners for a PB or ER (you make it to the last page of your book). And two winners for a novel/chapter book (you must make it through the first SEVEN pages of your book). 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.

5. 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. You may even compete even 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 A FULL-TIQUE. Did you hear that? A FULL-TIQUE. (This is what I only do for my personal critique buddies. And I doubt I will offer this again soon!)

6. All other winners will receive a regular RESERVED slot for the winning work they subbed to me. This will be the winners’ chance to see comments on what Snoop thinks could still be improved in their manuscript. Yes, even green-lighted work probably could be revised (just like real manuscripts when they are acquired by editors). The reserved slots are redeemable at the winner’s discretion and pending my schedule as well. All reserved slots will expire in August and should be saved for when it’s really needed.

7. THIS RACE WILL LAST FROM TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. There will be at least 8 rounds of this competition starting from Today through Wednesday. If you work, make sure you have digital access to your manuscript(s). There will be deadlines during the work day. Expect a round deadline tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow after lunch, tomorrow in the evening. Then the next day in the morning…etc., You should plan to send something off prior to those deadlines so you can keep up with your competition. If you fall behind in a round, you simply don’t compete in that round. You will just be a page behind the others. This can happen but it isn’t the end of the world since an elimination can happen to any of your competitors at any point in the game.

8. Childrens’ fiction 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.

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.

9. Breaking any one of the rules will make you subject to complete elimination from RLGL.

10. That is all. (I just needed a number ten for aesthetics.)

Now are you ready?

SNOOP SAYS:

Red light………………. GREEN LIGHT!