Dionne McCulloch
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I'm a PitchWars Mentor 2014

8/2/2014

15 Comments

 
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If you have a novel you feel ready to send to agents, you want ME as your PitchWars mentor!




Why?

I've been there.

I write a KILLER query letter. My letter got me in the door with almost everyone I sent it to (see 'How I got my Agent' post below.) I know how to pen an intelligent, interest-grabbing letter that WILL get you noticed.

My agent is a PitchWars agent!

Brianne Johnson of Writers House NYC is one of the Pitch Wars agents and as WELL as being an i
ncredible agent and all-around lovely person, she is a fantastic editor. I know what she looks for. I know what can help distinguish your book.

I've done a BUNCH of stuff.

  • As a diplomat's daughter I've spent half my life living overseas (Spain, Costa Rica, Colombia, India, England, South Africa... to name a few) and traveled even more (most of Europe, South and Central America and the United States)
  • In my 20's I traveled overland the length of Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. I was in first group of people allowed into Sudan when the borders briefly opened in the mid 90's, hitchhiked the dangerous Tete Corridor in Mozambique, climbed Mt. Kenya and met Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
  • I launched a record label and played in a rock band in LA, headlining the Viper Room, among others.
  • I worked at the White House for President Bill Clinton.
  • I made a documentaries for the History Channel about exorcism and cannibalism
  • I modeled in NYC.
  • I've birthed three children (two of them at the same time!)
  • I currently live in Bath, England (home of Jane Austen)
So if you have any of these elements in your novel, or just a fearless, adventuring protagonist, I can help make sure the story rings true.

I've been a judge in an international novel competition:

As a long and shortlist judge of the Bath Novel Award
in 2013 (and coming up again in 2014), I read hundreds of novel excerpts and a dozen full manuscripts. Early on in the competition, a book really hooked me. I championed it. Juliet Mushens of The Agency Group, London, was the final judge and chose the same book as the winner, and then went on to represent it. 

Everyone needs an editor.

I'm a great editor. I have a degree in broadcast journalism, worked at the White House editing speeches for Bill Clinton, worked in television for 7 years writing and editing scripts and producing documentaries, and have worked with an ACE editor on my own novel, who taught me both how to give criticism AND receive it. IMPORTANT.

But know this:

I will not be easy on you. If you are looking for someone to tell you that your book is perfect bar some minor punctuation fixes, look elsewhere. Unless you've been strenuously edited already, your book WILL need work.

I will give you a careful, global edit of your manuscript. I will work hard for you and expect the same in return.

Please send me:


  • YA (only)
  • Literary/Horror/Suspense/Thriller/Ghost/Real-Life/Romance/SciFi--dystopian and postapocalyptic only)
  • Stories with a strong sense of place/doomed love/strong emotional stake for the protagonist
  • Love/Heartbreak/Romance--that which pulls at the heart--I have a passion for writing about love, longing and loss and can turn your affairs of the heart to the power of ELEVEN!
  • ADVENTURE!!!
  • HUMOR!!!
  • Male OR female OR other protagonist.

Please DON'T send:

  • Erotica 
  • Hardcore SciFi (i.e. space and technology when those are the main narrative drivers. does that make sense? i mean, if you have two characters who are stranded on a broken ship floating in space and are falling for each other but will be killed by a flesh-eating virus if they lay hand on each other--yeah. i'd read that!)
  • Historical
  • Non Fiction
  • Elves, vampires or wizards. 

Last but not least:

Please tell me why you are querying me. Why do you think we'd work well together?

Do engage me on twitter: @DionneMcCulloch Tease me with your story!

Know that I'll want to see a synopsis, and possibly a few additional chapters before making a final decision. Most agents would want the same!

For more information on PitchWars 2014, agents, and how to submit your entry, go HERE.


Happy hunting, Mentees!




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15 Comments
Patrick Holloway
08/03/2014 11:32pm

I wish I could submit to you, but sadly, you aren't looking for what I'm doing (Urban Fantasy with a bit of Thriller). I really liked reading about the way you critique and your work ethic. Would have loved working with you just because you're a workhorse. Whoever gets you is going to learn a lot. I can tell.

Reply
Dionne
08/04/2014 7:36am

Is it YA Urban Fantasy? I'd be into that. I love a thriller!

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Amy
08/04/2014 9:30am

Cannibalism...yep, you're my gal!

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Dionne
08/04/2014 11:04am

Hilarious! Never been told that before, Amy. Can't wait to see your pitch.

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Stephen
08/05/2014 9:57pm

Didn't know what Pitch Wars was until I saw a friend post about it on Twitter. She's very, very excited and an excellent author. Her name is Nikki Roberti (@Nikki_Roberti) and I hope you give her novel a shot! I'm sure you'd love it.

Reply
Rochelle link
08/06/2014 10:51pm

Looking forward to pitch to you (a light dystopian that's about music and disability), but I have one question: you asked for a personalization in our query about why we chose you, but Brenda's blog says there's no personalization this year--the same form is submitted to all four mentors we choose to submit to.

Reply
Dionne
08/13/2014 6:02am

Hi Rochelle, sorry for my late response! Please ignore that--I will change in my bio. I wrote that before I realized the subs forms couldn't be personalized. And now that subs are coming through I realize this systems is actually better. It works to let the query/chapters speak for themselves. Thank you and good luck!

Reply
Traci
08/07/2014 8:20pm

Hello! So excited that you're looking for adventure manuscripts and that you don't shy away from a sprinkling of cannibalism in your fiction (and nonfiction). I'm not quite sure from your wishlist: Are you accepting fantasy if it doesn't have elves, vampires, or wizards?

Reply
Dionne
08/13/2014 6:03am

Hi Traci, apologies for my delay in replying. I do accept fantasy but prefer it doesn't have elves, vampires or wizards (i.e. that which has already been done before to great success). These are simply harder to sell to agents and pubs. Good luck!

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Ruth
08/12/2014 7:02pm

I love your writing style and would love to submit to you for a mentor. I've written a light sci-fi about college students mind hacking--think War Games meets Inception. In tone and theme I think it's YA but the 18-year-old MC is a freshman in college. (For plot purposes she has to be away at college.) In your mind does an MC in college automatically push a book into NA? Is that an auto reject?

Reply
Dionne
08/13/2014 6:09am

Hello Ruth,
Phew--tough question. To be perfectly honest, I find genres really tough to figure out, and I'm not sure the answer to your question. I believe that yes, an 18 y/o protag at college makes the book NA. Can she be 17? Very clever so she skipped a grade? NA primarily refers to that time in a person's life when they are first living independently in the 'adult' world. So is your protag actively comfortable in the adult world, or does she still have yearnings for home/family because she is younger than those around her? Perhaps this could keep it YA. If it really is NA, you should send it to those mentoring NA because they can help you better. You know your MC best, it is who she is that will place the book in the right genre. Good luck!!!

Reply
Sally
08/17/2014 2:48am

Hi Dionne!

I'm so interested in putting you at the top of my list for mentors...largely because of your international background. My YA novel takes place mostly in London, but also LA and Ireland. Would love someone with international experience (like mine) to offer a perspective on how I handle language, dialect, norms, etc. for mostly American readers.

So, just to be sure....are you interested in YA with magical realism, romantic elements, and spiritual (not religious) themes?

And I live in London...so we could actually meet!

Let me know what you think!

Reply
Dionne Pemberton
08/18/2014 2:49pm

Sorry for the late reply, am on holiday this week but that sounds great. Please send!

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BillScott link
08/17/2014 2:40pm

The Pulteney Arms in Bath is one of my favorite places. There were enough characters in there to fill a bookshelf.

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Lisa Hope link
08/18/2014 5:33pm

SQUEEEEEE I am so nervous!

Reply



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    Dionne McCulloch

    YA author rep'd by Brianne Johnson,
    Writers House NYC.
    #PitchWars 2014 mentor

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