Contests

2015 Holiday Giveaway — Bookapalooza

KWhipkey 12 Comments

Books!

As most of you know, I do giveaways twice a year — one in the spring (in celebration of my blog’s birthday) and one in celebration of the holidays. Which means it’s time to introduce the Holiday Giveaway for 2015! Yay!

In previous years, this has been the giveaway where things like editorial services and other goodies have been handed out, but unfortunately, I have such a backlog of projects from previous giveaways that I can’t feasibly add any more without also adding a massive dose of guilt to my already Atlas-sized ball. So this year, I’m going to do a bookapalooza giveaway instead. Below, you’ll find four different eBook bundles, categorized by genre. These are some of my favorite reads, and I’m really excited to share them with you. I would have loved to give them all away as physical copies, but shipping costs have become prohibitively expensive, and I wanted this to be open to everyone, not just to those in the US. Therefore, all books will be delivered in the digital format of the winner’s choosing.

On January 8th, 2016, I will select four winners — one for each bundle. These are some truly fantastic books, no matter which genre you select. Many have been reviewed here, so feel free to locate them in the archives if you want to see my opinions in detail. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to peruse the titles up for grabs before sending you off to enter via the link at the end. Happy shopping!

(Note: each set of books contains a mix of YA & NA, so I would say these are appropriate for age 16+. Some contain swearing, some contain sexual situations, and several contain both, so be advised. 😉 )

The Four Options

Romance:

Meta-Fantasy:

Dark Fantasy:

Science Fiction:

Got your favorites picked out? Good. Now go enter!

ENTER HERE

Nightwolf’s Corner Turns 3! (Also, Celebratory Birthday Giveaway)

KWhipkey 26 Comments
Image of Birthday Candles

“Birthday Celebration” by Cédric Boismain | Copyright 2013

 

Last week, I asked you to weigh in on what my birthday giveaway prize should be. The results are in, which means it’s time for the actual giveaway to kick off. First, thank you to everyone who voted. Your input definitely swayed my decision, as I always find those kinds of insights exceedingly fascinating.

So, what were the results? Well, some of you may have clicked on the little button at the bottom of the poll to find out, and therefore already know. But for those who didn’t, here’s the breakdown:

By and large, everyone went exactly for the prize I suspected — the full edit giveaway. I really wasn’t surprised by this, as I know a large portion of my audience is comprised of writers, and editing is one of the most expensive parts of the publishing process. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to get that for free?

But, in a surprising turn of events, the reader’s choice of three print editions from the REUTS Publications library came in a close second. Okay, maybe not that close, but still. I wasn’t expecting readers to make up such a large portion of my audience. I mean, obviously, everyone loves free books too, but I was pretty sure the editorial service options would dominate. Consider me schooled. 😉

Okay, let’s get to the fun, shall we? Here are the prizes (yes multiple) I’m giving away this year, along with the rules/stipulations for each.

Prize #1: A Full Edit Package (Structural edits, line edits, & proofreading)

To the surprise of exactly no one, I took your resounding suggestion and am offering the prize most of you said you wanted. However, there are a few things you have to do to qualify for it.

  • You must have a completed manuscript, or one that will be completed by May 31st, 2015.
  • If you have previously won a read report or other prize from me, you are allowed to enter the same manuscript here. Should you win, that previous prize will be upgraded; if you don’t, no worries, you still have the prize from before.
  • While I will try my best to provide a reasonable turnaround time, this is a volunteer/pro bono gig, and as such, will be subject to the whims of my schedule. Which means that there may be times when I will not be able to work on your project, and you will need to be okay with that. If that’s not something you’re willing to do, then might I suggest opting for one of the other prizes instead. 😉

Prize #2: Winner’s Choice of 3 Print Edition REUTS Publications Titles

Since this one was almost as popular as the first choice, it seemed only fair that I include it as well. The difference being that two people will have a chance at scoring this one. But, just like above, there are some rules.

  • You are allowed to choose any three books from the REUTS Publications Library (including the hardcover anthology), but they have to have been released in print by the time the contest concludes.
  • The exception to the above rule is Off Book by Jessica Dall. It will be released in paperback shortly after the end of the contest, so it will be included as well, with the clarification that choosing this one may result in a slight delay.

And that’s pretty much all there is to it. Thank you again to all of you — for your votes, for your support, and for just being plain old awesome. The giveaway will end at midnight on 5/8/15 and the winner’s will be announced that day. Best of luck!

Click Here to Enter!

Reader’s Choice Poll: What Should I Giveaway?

KWhipkey 2 Comments

Hello! Feels like I haven’t seen everyone in ages. Even though I’ve been posting things from the archives, it’s not quite the same as actually creating new content and spending time with you lovely folks. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back in the swing of things around here, and have plenty of new topics and ideas floating around to craft into insightful, probably snark-infused posts.

But first, I believe I mentioned a giveaway coming up . . . no? I didn’t? Hmm, weird. I was pretty sure I’d let that slip during our journey through the land of subgenres. Anyway, my three year blogiversary is fast approaching (May 2nd, in fact), and that means it’s time for one of my two annual giveaways (the other happens in December). Excited? Everyone loves free stuff. Don’t lie. You know it’s true.

The problem is that I’m not currently sure what I want to offer as the prize. I have some ideas, and I could copy what I’ve done before, but what’s the fun in that? So instead, I figured I’d give you, the readers who have loyally stuck with me while my schedule was blown to smithereens and then repaired, a chance to tell me what you want.

Below is a poll listing some of the options I’ve been toying around with. There’s also an “other” category, so if you have an idea I didn’t list, feel free to pitch it. The ultimate decision will be mine, but knowing what interests you guys will most definitely help me figure out the best prize for the job.

So, that’s it. For now. Vote away, and I’ll be back next week with something new. Promise. 😉

 

Announcing the 2014 Holiday Giveaway Winners

KWhipkey 4 Comments

Congrats Wooden Letterpress Concept

 

Welcome, and happy Friday! The long awaited moment has come — it’s time to reveal the winner of my 2014 Holiday Giveaway. First, let’s do a quick refresh of what that particular giveaway was, shall we? 😉

One lucky person is walking away with the following:

  • A comprehensive, top-to-bottom, full manuscript edit (structural & line edits)
  • A polished, publish-ready eBook cover design (generously donated by Ashley Ruggirello of Cardboard Monet)
  • Assistance creating the all-important book blurb
  • A final proofread of the type-set, ready-for-print galley (typesetting/formatting itself is not included though)

And, because that’s not enough, I have a last minute, and exceedingly generous, donation to add to that list from REUTS Publications Marketing Director and author of the upcoming debut Link, (Book 1 in The Shadow of Light Trilogy) Summer Wier. That lucky winner will now also receive marketing assistance — including a marketing plan, a book trailer, and teasers. Everything a self-published author needs to help their release day make a splash. Are you floored by the generosity yet? That’s essentially everything you could ever need (except for layout), FOR FREE. Someone’s day is about to get a whole lot better, I think.

So . . . who is this lucky soul everyone is going to hate? Well, ladies and gentlemen, after much consideration (remember, I was looking for the person I felt would most benefit from a package like this, not necessarily the most polished — and let me tell you, you all had some amazing entries, making my job a billion times harder), the winner of my 2014 Holiday Giveaway is:

 

The Grave Clothes Laundress by Talynn Lynn

 
Let’s all give her a round of applause! Come on, I know you can do it. 😉

BUT, because you all impressed me so much, there’s more! If you ran away in disappointment, you’re likely to regret that choice in a minute, because I’ve decided to give six — yes SIX — people surprise runner-up prizes. It’s not as spectacular as the grand prize, perhaps, but hopefully will provide some value. I’m offering these winners a free Reader Report, which is an analysis of the full story from the point of view of an acquisitions/developmental editor. It doesn’t provide line edits, but I can tell you areas that could possibly improve your work and potentially land that elusive book contract. (And, for those that like to know the dollar amounts, it usually costs $200-500.) That’s not too shabby, right?

The lucky winners of these prizes are:
 

The Portal by Emily Pichardo

Embers by Kiran Oliver

Identity Crisis by Susan Nystoriak

Hello World by Tiffany Rose and Alex Tauber

Beyond the Wild by Kelsey Simon

Between Realities by Crystal Christie

 
And there you have it. I wish I could have given all the entries a prize, but my schedule just wouldn’t allow it. I truly enjoyed reading all of them though, and urge you to continue your paths to publication. You are all talented writers, and you’ll find success. It’s only a matter of time. (In fact, for those of you who also submitted to a certain small press I represent, you may be hearing good news of a different variety in the very near future.) Thank you all for your support of the giveaway! It was a monstrous success, which means I’ll likely do it again at some point. But for now, I’m off to another weekend in the editing cave. If I listed your name, expect to hear from me this next week with more information on your prize.

Until next time! 🙂

Holiday Giveaway Round One Winners!

KWhipkey 11 Comments

Welcome back, everyone. And Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic, safe, joyous holiday season. 🙂

Traditionally (because more than one year of doing something makes it a tradition, right?), this would be the week when I detail my writing-related resolutions for 2015, and compare my successes (and/or failures) against the list from 2014. But the truth is, I haven’t made any resolutions yet. Shocking, I know. So we’re going to postpone that for another week and get right down to the thing you’re all waiting with bated breath for — the winners of the holiday giveaway. Well, Round One, anyway.

All total, I received 525 entries, making it by far the most successful one I’ve done to date, thanks in part to the generous donation of a custom cover design from Cardboard Monet’s Ashley Ruggirello, and the fact that this really is a pretty cool prize. If it weren’t my giveaway, and I had something that was actually finished, I would have entered! But, since it is my giveaway, that obviously isn’t allowed. It’s not as much fun as helping someone else if I keep the prize for myself. 😉

So, as I’m sure you recall, there are two rounds to this particular giveaway. The first, which ended last night at midnight, required contestants to enter via a variety of ways listed on the Rafflecopter widget. The second will be different. But, before I tell you exactly what that means, let’s find out who those lucky Round Two participants are.

The Round One Victors

Anne Tilney

Tammy Walsh

Catherine Oliver

Magali Frachette

Tiffany Treichel

Danielle Roy

Susan Nystoriak

Kelly DeVos

Anna Patrick

Amanda Tatman Carney

Teressa Aune Ewing

Mary Ellen Wall

Nicole Tone

Erin Deeds Beaty

Emily Pichardo

Kelsey Simon

Kelly Heinen

Stacie Hanson

Amelia

Crystal Christie

Mary Liles Eicher

Talynn

Katherine Pisana

Priya Kanaparti

Thank you all so much for entering, and congratulations on surviving the first round of cuts! 🙂

The fun’s not over though. Now we get to the real meat of the competition — Round Two. If your name is on that list above, I’ll need you to submit a query and the first five pages of your manuscript (or a synopsis) by January 15th. I’ll review all the entries, looking for the person I think would gain the most benefit from this prize, and the ultimate winner will be announced, here, on January 30th. Best of luck! (And don’t worry, there will be an email detailing this heading out to the winners shortly.)