A Helpful Loss

Well, I didn't win Query Tracker's Elevator Pitch Contest, which is a disappointment BUT I did notice something that may help me. One of the winners wote a pitch for a YA novel about a girl who has a crush on a ghost! It's so similar to mine that I don't feel quite so bad.

I looked at the pitch itself to try to figure out why it had won rather than mine. The thing that hit me the most was the voice. This author, though she used only one or two sentences, sounded like a teenager.

I never realized it before, but I think my word choice and tone are a little mature for Young Adult. My main character in Shadows is pretty mature for a high school senior, come to think of it. I always told myself that she'd have to be if she were facing the things I'm throwing at her!

Still, I may be hurting myself. I think this is something I need to work on.