Get Your QUERY Seen!

Welcome to The Storyteller’s Query Writing Contest!

Let us help you make 2024 the year you see your publishing goals come true!


Get your query in front of top-tier publishing professionals and take a major step toward getting your manuscript into the hands of agents and editors. The Storyteller’s Query Contest offers you the opportunity to receive expert feedback and industry insights that will refine your pitch and boost your chances of success!

In this contest, you’ll …

🏆 Get Your Query in Front of Top-Tier Industry Professionals:
Your query will be reviewed by New York Times bestselling authors and experienced freelance editors. Finalists will have their queries reviewed by literary agents from Root Literary and Word One Literary—an incredible opportunity for exposure in the competitive publishing world!

📢 Receive Constructive Feedback with Actionable Insights:
Every participant receives a detailed score sheet, with feedback broken down into specific categories, allowing you to see what’s working in your query and where to make improvements. This structured critique helps you hone your pitch and increase your chances of success in future submissions!

✒️ Confidence in Your Query:
The feedback you receive will help you gain confidence in your pitch, providing clarity and direction on how to craft a more compelling query for future agent submissions (or giving you assurance that you’re already on the right track)!

🚀 Additional Feedback for Semi-finalists and Finalists: Those who score into the semi-finalist and finalists rounds will receive score sheets from those rounds as well!

🏆 Grand Prize: You could win an unparalleled opportunity! The Grand Prize includes:

  • An Exclusive Publishing Consultation:

    • A 30-minute one-on-one virtual consultation with Kurestin Armada, literary agent with Root Literary, where you'll receive personalized advice on your career path!

  • Query Letter & Manuscript Feedback:

    • Receive detailed, professional feedback on your query letter and the first three chapters of your manuscript from a professional editor.

  • A One Year Membership in the Red Herrings Society:

    • Giving you access to networking opportunities, monthly masterclasses, mentorship, and industry resources!

  • Social Media Promotion Package:

    • A tailored social media marketing package from LemonPOP Social, including a content calendar and custom graphics for a month, designed to build your author brand.

🥇🥈 Second and Third Place Prizes:

  • Editing Services: Professional editing services to polish your query letter and two page synopsis.

  • Bookstore Gift Card: A $50 gift card from Barnes & Noble.

All Contestants:

  • ALL contestants will receive feedback on their entries

💰 Entry Fee: $25 per entry (each person can submit up to 5 individual entries)

“I am a first time author who is horrible with criticism, but decided to enter a contest from The Writer’s Sanctuary. The encouraging and constructive comments I received gave me confidence and made this an unforgettable experience.” ~Ashley

Contest Structure:

Our Top Tier Industry Judges:

  • First Round: Judged by freelance editors and bestselling, published authors.

  • Semi-Final Round: The top 25 semi-finalists will be reviewed by New York Times bestselling authors Marissa Meyer and Jodi Meadows.

  • Final Round: The top 10 finalists will be evaluated by literary agents Samantha Fabien (Root Literary) and Barbara Poelle (Word One Literary), providing direct access to industry professionals.

Submission Details:

  1. Pay the Low Contest Fee to enter.

  2. Submit Your Proofread Query Entry (300 words or less) via our easy-to-use submission form.

  3. NOTE: All Submissions must be in by September 30th at 11:59pm PT.

  4. Semi-Finalists Announced: The top 25 semi-finalists will be announced on October 16.

  5. Finalists Announced: The top 10 finalists will be revealed on October 30.

  6. Receive Feedback: All first-round and semi-finalist feedback will be returned to participants by October 31.

  7. Winners Announced: The grand prize winner, as well as second and third place, will be announced on November 11.

  8. Final Feedback: All participants will receive their detailed feedback no later than November 20.

About the hosts:

The contest is hosted by The Writer’s Sanctuary, LLC, a writing community founded in 2014. Led by NYT bestselling author C.J. Redwine and multi-award-winning author Mary Weber, the community offers educational and networking opportunities for writers at all stages. C.J. and Mary’s latest book, The Storyteller’s Weekly Journal, releases on October 29, 2024, through Union Square & Co., in conjunction with Barnes & Noble.

Don’t miss this chance to take your writing career to the next level! Polish up your query, submit your entry, and get valuable feedback from industry professionals. Whether you’re looking to refine your pitch or land your dream agent, this contest is the perfect opportunity to showcase your hard work and take a step closer to publication. 

Enter today and make 2024 the year you go after your publication dreams!

For a complete list of contest rules, see https://www.the-writers-sanctuary.com/contest-rules

Sorry! This contest is now closed.

Meet the Agent for the Winner’s 30-minute call!

Kurestin Armada spent time as an assistant at The Lotts Agency before becoming a literary agent at P.S. Literary in 2015. She then joined Root Literary in 2020, where she partners with storytellers who combine artistry with the drive to build a lasting body of work. Kurestin is based in New York City and spends most of her time in the city’s thriving indie bookstores. She specializes in science fiction and fantasy, as well as graphic novels for all ages; some of her recent titles include the Hugo award-winning Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh and Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie Lin. 

Meet Our Finalist Judges!

PRESIDENT & CEO
Barbara Poelle opened the doors of Word One Literary in 2023 after 16 years with the Irene Goodman Agency. She has found success placing literary and upmarket fiction, suspense, horror and thrillers, and is actively seeking her next great client in those genres, but is passionate about anything with a unique voice. Barbara is also the author of Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Publishing Industry where she demystifies the mysteries of this career for authors at every stage.

Samantha Fabien (she/her) is a literary agent at Root Literary, representing award-winning and bestselling authors. She's interested in high-concept, commercial, and upmarket fiction with all-or-nothing stakes for adult, young adult, and middle-grade readers. Belonging to several intersectional identities and surrounded by an equally diverse community, Samantha has a deep-held passion for stories that feature, highlight, and uplift marginalized and underrepresented voices. Her background includes a Bachelor's in PR and Journalism from Seton Hall University and a certificate from the Columbia Publishing Course. Previously, she was the International Rights Manager at LDLA and also interned and worked at various agencies, such as Ayesha Pande Literary and Writers House. From these experiences, Samantha fostered a love for sharing diverse, lasting, and inclusive stories with the world—both in the U.S. and abroad. Samantha also works and volunteers with organizations, including Gotham Writers, Authors Guild, and the New York Writing Room. Currently, she serves as a co-director of the Mentorship Committee within AALA and LAOC, which is devoted to increasing the promotion and retention of historically underrepresented groups, particularly people of color, in the agenting profession.

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, The Renegades Trilogy, and Instant Karma, as well as the graphic novel duology Wires and Nerve. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a MA in Publishing from Pace University. In addition to writing, Marissa hosts The Happy Writer podcast. She lives near Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and twin daughters.

Meet Our Semi-Finalist Judges!

Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and the NIGHTRENDER duology (Holiday House). She is also a coauthor of New York Times bestsellers MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, and other books in the Lady Janies series (HarperTeen). She lives in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Visit her at www.jodimeadows.com

CONTEST RULES:

  • Void where prohibited

  • Up to 5 separate entries per person (at $25 per entry)

  • Query submission must be on 1 page, up to 300 words TOTAL - including your opening and signature, 12-point Times New Roman. Your query letter can simply be addressed to "Dear Agent."

  • All feedback forms from judges are final within the contest (questions and resubmitting queries for additional evaluation will not be accepted)

  • All submissions are final (revised submissions will not be accepted), so proofread carefully before submitting!

  • Entries must be submitted on time. No queries will be accepted after the deadline, and no reimbursements will be given for entries that were not submitted or were submitted late.

  • The Contest hosted by The Writer’s Sanctuary, LLC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Meta, X, TikTok, Squarespace, or any other social media company

  • Entrants must be 16 years or older

  • Entries must fully meet all Contest requirements, as specified in the Official Rules

  • For a complete list of contest rules, visit The-Writers-Sanctuary.com/contest-rules