IS NOW CLOSED. :)

Our winners are:

Shannon Lee Alexander, for "Unknown Variable"

Linda L. Graham, for "Voices Beckon"

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, for "An Unlikely Goddess"

Allison Sample, for "Clean Breaks"

Julie Lawson Timmer, for "Here When You Need Me"

To read their work, see the synopses and excerpts pasted below.

She Writes first-ever “We Love New Novelists!” contest, a writing contest open to emerging authors and members of She Writes with the first 2,000 words of a novel (complete or in-progress) ready to show agents and editors, drew 407 entries!

Through our first-ever “We Love New Novelists!” contest, She Writes has leveraged its relationships with publishing industry – specifically with passionate, talented agents and editors we respect and admire – to give five unpublished, un-agented first-time novelists the chance to skip the slush pile and sail straight to the top.

The five winners will receive “coverage” of their first 2,000 words and novel-synopses from two literary agents and an editor at a major publishing house, as well as guidance and advice about what to do with the project next.

HUGE THANKS TO OUR AGENTS:

Sally Wofford Girand, Brick House Literary Agents

Sally Wofford-Girand founded Brick House Literary Agents eight years ago. Prior to that she served as the Director of International rights at a boutique literary agency in Greenwich Village where she worked with such writers as Salman Rushdie, Grace Paley, Kim Edwards, Peter Carey and Ben Okri.  She handles fiction, memoir and narrative non-fiction.  Brick House writers include Kim Barnes, a Pulitzer-nominated memoirist and poet whose novel, KINGDOM OF MEN is forthcoming from Knopf.  Kate Braestrup, author of NYT Bestseller HERE IF YOU NEED ME; Claire Davis, the author of award-winning WINTER RANGE; Vanessa Diffenbaugh, whose first novel, THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS will be released in September in the U.S. and is already a best-seller in Italy, Holland and Germany; and Ellen Sussman, author of FRENCH LESSONS.  

Eleanor Jackson, Markson Thoma Literary Agency

Eleanor Jackson joined the Markson Thoma Literary Agency in 2008. Previously, she was an agent at the Queen Literary Agency and at InkWell Management. She is a graduate of Colby College and the Columbia Publishing course. Her list includes debut, award-winning and bestselling authors of fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of categories, including literary, commercial, young adult, memoir, art, food, science, history and illustrated/lifestyle. She looks for books with deeply imagined worlds and for writers who are not afraid to take risks with their work.

AND OUR EDITOR:

Sara Weiss, Grand Central Publishing

Sara Weiss is an Assistant Editor at Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, where she edits both fiction and nonfiction.  Her titles include TIGER HILLS by Sarita Mandanna and SEMI-SWEET by Roisin Meaney, both published in Spring 2011; for November 2011, a business book called EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS I LEARNED FROM THE GRATEFUL DEAD; and in 2012, a memoir by Marie Tillman entitled THE LETTER.   She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago.  She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE CONTESTS FROM SHE WRITES!