THE QUERY CONTEST — OFFICIAL RULES

Hopefully, you’ve all had time to post your queries, read the reviews, and polish them to a high luster. If not, there’s still time remaining to do that.

We have a sub-forum at AW where you can post your query for review and critique. It's the forum directly below Query Letter Hell. I hope you will use it between now and the time the contest opens to create the best query you can.

When it’s as good as it can get, stop fussing with it and consider it finished. You’re ready.

Here are the official rules of the Query Contest.
Please read them carefully before entering.

1. All entries must consist of a query for a completed manuscript.
2. All manuscripts must be either MG (middle grade) or YA (young adult).
3. All queries entered in this contest must be in English.
4. Only one entry per person will be accepted.

To enter, send an email to the following address: michaelvette@gmail.com

EMAIL INSTRUCTIONS:

The subject line of your email must read: QUERY – TITLE – YOUR NAME
(Obviously, you insert the title of your book where it says TITLE, and you insert your name where it says YOUR NAME.)

Paste your query into the body of the email.
In the body of the email, put the book title above the salutation in ALL CAPS.
Below the title, indicate MG or YA for the audience.
The salutation of the query must read: Dear Mystery Agent:
Please DO NOT include your name at the bottom of the query.

The Call for Entries window will open at 8:00 am CST on Saturday, January 30, 2010.
It will close at 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, OR at such time when 25 entries have been received, whichever comes first.

Only one entry per person will be accepted. Any subsequent entries from the same person (containing a later time stamp) will not be considered.

The first 25 entries will be posted on this site in a separate post after the entry window closes or after the first 25 entries have been received and checked for compliance with the rules. It may take a little while to process everything, but I will let you know as soon as we have 25 entries that comply with the rules as stated here.

Please DO NOT send more than one entry.
Please DO NOT send a query for anything other than a completed MG or YA manuscript.
Please DO NOT include any sample pages from the manuscript.

By entering this competition, you give your permission for use of your name and/or photo on this blog if you are named as a winner.

Any questions or clarification regarding these rules should be addressed with a COMMENT immediately below this post. If any comments reveal any discrepancy, omission, or ambiguity in these rules, this post may be revised prior to the contest opening. If any change is made to this original posting, the heading of this post will contain the word "UPDATE." After the entry window opens, the rules will remain as stated in the final post.

Thanks for entering.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!