Got Me A Daddy Map Crowned
Query Kombat Grand Champion!
My disbelief began when my query and first 250 words for my unpublished middle-grade, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, was chosen out of 400+ submissions to kombat during the 2018 Query Kombat contest that pitted one query and opening words against another in a series of rounds. I was super excited that Kara Reynolds, young-adult novelist, had plucked my entry out of the sea of hopefuls to be a member on her team of kombatants. After all, those vying to compete included young-adult and adult novelists of manuscripts with all kinds of explosions and intrigue. And my middle-grade? Well, it's what you'd call the quiet sort, (at least, if you keep my main character's temper out of the equation). That's why I was surprised Got Me a Daddy Map was chosen. Honestly, though, I didn't think it would go very far.
And then the judges began to vote. And this is where my disbelief grew. Daddy Map advanced, round after round! It remained when 64 entries were whittled down to 32, 32 to 16, 16 to 8--all the way down until it was one of two entries battling it out for the win!
And then the judges began to vote. And this is where my disbelief grew. Daddy Map advanced, round after round! It remained when 64 entries were whittled down to 32, 32 to 16, 16 to 8--all the way down until it was one of two entries battling it out for the win!
And man, was the last round intense--hour after hour, Daddy Map was neck-in-neck with Assassin Mom, an adult thriller that seemed ready for a Hollywood screening. Then--during the very last nail-biting hour--Daddy Map was crowned the victor--the Query Kombat Grand Champion!!! Only by one vote, but still! (And yes, I kept recounting the judges votes because I simply could not believe it.)
Of course, I am realistic. I know the victory doesn't mean my manuscript will for sure snag an agent or find its way to publication. (Only three agents requested a read of my manuscript during the Query Kombat agent round, whereas others received as many as 16 requests.) Nonetheless, my query was greatly improved, thanks to the insightful comments of judges and fellow kombatants along the way. My confidence in my main character's voice and story was certainly boosted. And the entire experience encouraged me to consider writing my main character into Book 2, even though Book 1 is yet to find a permanent home on an editor's desk.
In honor of the win, I'll be hosting Kara Reynolds here on my blog very soon. She'll be sharing what she loved about hosting Query Kombat 2018, and why she decided to add Got Me a Daddy Map to her Query Kombat team. So stay tuned!
Of course, I am realistic. I know the victory doesn't mean my manuscript will for sure snag an agent or find its way to publication. (Only three agents requested a read of my manuscript during the Query Kombat agent round, whereas others received as many as 16 requests.) Nonetheless, my query was greatly improved, thanks to the insightful comments of judges and fellow kombatants along the way. My confidence in my main character's voice and story was certainly boosted. And the entire experience encouraged me to consider writing my main character into Book 2, even though Book 1 is yet to find a permanent home on an editor's desk.
In honor of the win, I'll be hosting Kara Reynolds here on my blog very soon. She'll be sharing what she loved about hosting Query Kombat 2018, and why she decided to add Got Me a Daddy Map to her Query Kombat team. So stay tuned!
