I am a slacker. I was going to post earlier but I’ve totally been recovering from the trauma of getting up at 3.30am to pitch Mr Sheikhypants to unsuspecting editors (not to mention actually writing as much of Mr Sheikhypants as I possibly could). Naturally enough I had the usual nightmare – that I’d slept through and missed the pitch. You cannot imagine my relief when I looked at the time and saw it was only 12.30am. Thank God.
Anyway, a couple of hours later I dragged my sorry self out of bed and (despite terrible worries that the power would suddenly cut out or my computer refuse to work) managed to log on. It was a wonderfully friendly experience. I’ve never really been in a chat situation and it was fabulous that the editors were hanging out in the waiting room chatting with everyone too.
I was last on the list and around 5am eventually got to pitch. And I’m not ashamed to say that I froze. Completely. Twice. My head was full of GMC so when one of the eds asked me how my hero would pick her up in a bar, I kind of just stared at the screen going ‘huh?’ Of course AFTER the pitch I thought up all kinds of fabulous things to say such as my hero does not go to bars to pick up women! But did I say that? No. However, what I did manage to do was get across his conflict which they thought was ‘very emotionally powerful’. Cue yays from me!
The editors also gave me some good advice re the heroine and also that since my voice is ‘light’ I need to get some darkness in there – cue more yays from me since I do love the darkness.
Anyway, I think I did all right since they asked me for a partial and synopsis, which is fantastic (the partial bit, not the synopsis)!
So go the sheikh!
Congrats jackie, fabulous news. Now get that partial sent in!
Scarlet – thanks m’dear, I will! Once I’ve finished the rest…hehe.
Was it your first rodeo, J?
Congrats again on the partial!
Bugger about the time difference but yeah to you for doing well and getting arequest!!
Amalie – yeah, it was actually. Interesting experience. And thanks!
Joanne – BIG bugger on the time difference. Pretty much the worst time of night you could imagine. But hey, it was worth it. Thanks!
CONGRATULATIONS! What great news to start my lunch with 🙂
Sending luck with your partial,
Lx
Great news, Jackie, congrats. I’d be terrified of sleeping through it too. I’ve never done an on-line pitch, but just the thought makes me worry that I’d hang out in the wrong place and miss it.
Best of luck with the synopsis (you won’t need it with the partial).
Madeline x
Lacey – thank you! And I hope you had a great lunch.
Madeline – oh the girls at eHarlequin are fabulous. They give you all the info you need to get to the right place. Lol re the synopsis! You’re right, I do hate those things…
Yay yay yay!
Kerrin – hehe!
Go Jackie! Fingers crossed. Caroline x
Caroline – thanks!
Congrats Jackie, that’s awesome news!! Totally worth hauling yourself out of bed for, eh? Everything crossed for you 🙂
Yay, Jackie! Go gettum, lady!
Victoria – thank you! Yes, it totally was!
Aimee – thank you too, m’dear. I shall. 🙂
Congratulations Jackie! It would have been so awful to find you’d slept through the pitching session.
Those synopses are so difficult. I was reading one of your old blogs on writing a short synopis–as an example you rewrote your Kate and Alex synopis. It looks a great way to write short a synopis for M&B. Do you still follow this approach? (story opening, growing atraction,emotional TPs,resolution)
I think I’ve mentioned it on eharl but once again, brilliant news, Jackie. Very well done 🙂
Janet – yes, it would have been. Yes, re the single page synop, I still do (with varying success it has to be said). But keeping the the emphasis on the emotional development of the characters and not on plot details is definitely the key.
Maya – yeah, thanks! 🙂
Jackie
Glad your early morning adventures had such a happy outcome!
Fingers (and other appendages) crossed for you.
Nina x
Nina – thanks so much!