The Official Post for Speed Dating with Deidre Knight -- Comment Here To Win!

UPDATE: Okay, wow. Like, we hardly know what to say. You guys are so awesome! 129 comments in 2 minutes! So, we're feeling like we need to do something special since you all worked so hard to be a part of this contest. Therefore, we will randomly draw 8 (eight) people from the names of those who left a comment at or before 8:30 WHO ARE NOT one of the first 125 to send a query letter directly to Deidre Knight. She will only reply with yay or nay, no critiques or feedback. Names will be posted by 3pm ET today, and she will reply to you by the end of the business day tomorrow.

It's the BIG day! Time to get this party started! Let's see... We need a bit of music to set the mood, something entertaining to break the ice and some sort of signature party drink...and... Wait one second. Are you actually still reading this?!?! If you've already reviewed the "Speed Dating with Deidre" rules, then you should be leaving a comment with your name IN THIS POST like NOW. Go on. Scoot! The rules are also listed at the end of this post if you need a refresher. We'll still be here when you come back.

Okay, done? Did you make it in time? If so, awesome and good luck! If not, well it's not the last time we'll be throwing a totally spectacular contest. In fact, we really like giving things away around here. On Thursday, December 16th @ 12:30pm we're holding our annual online holiday party in the chat room. Our agents, authors (possibly YOU!), their fans and TKA friends will be mingling while TKA Santa gives away TONS (and we do mean tons) of signed books.


In the meantime, we can have our own little contest kick-off party below now that you've left your comment and a bit of the pressure is released. You deserve it. As promised...


Holiday Music (insert "an agent" for "you"):



Entertainment (Lots of snarkiness in this video, but definitely LOL!):





Signature Drink (we know it's early still, so we'll keep it light): Mix orange juice and your favorite champagne to taste. A la mimosa!


Thanks to everyone who participated! We appreciate all of you for making this contest a smashing success!

CONTEST RULES---

HOW IT WORKS:


TODAY!!!!!!: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH--
1. The first 125 people to leave a comment (including their name or pen name) in the contest post on The Knight Agency Blog will be automatically entered and should promptly send in the first three pages of their completed manuscript to Contests@KnightAgency.net. You will be able to leave comments from 8:00am ET to 12pm ET to gain entry in to the contest. Your first 3 pages must be received by 2pm ET.


The name entrants choose to post in the comment section MUST ALSO BE noted in their emailed submission. If we cannot match the name provided in your email to the one left in the comment section – your entry will be deleted without notice.


2. Only the first 125 entrants will receive email notifications about contest results (i.e. whether they’ve made it to the next round or not). If you’re not one of the 125, please do not email your 3 pages – we will not reply.


DAY TWO: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND--
3. Deidre will select up to 25 entries to advance to the second round from the initial 125 entries. The names of the selected entries will be posted publicly on The Knight Agency blog by the end of the business day Thursday, December 2nd, and the selected writers will also be notified via the provided email address to submit 10 pages. The pages must be emailed to Contests@KnightAgency.net by Friday, December 3rd at 12:00pm ET.


Those not chosen to advance to the next round will receive email notifications. However, please remember this is speed dating. There will be no critiques, recommendations or explanations given as to why an entry was picked or not at any time during the contest. Please do not contact us for any type of feedback. Not being chosen doesn’t mean your literary dreams are over. It just means your perfect literary match is elsewhere. Remember, there are other fish in the sea.


DAY THREE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH–
4. On the third day of the contest, Deidre will pick an undetermined amount of entrants to send in the first three chapters of their manuscripts based on the ten pages sent by entrants the previous week.


5. The selected entrants for Day Three will be posted on The Knight Agency blog and notified via email. They must submit their first three chapters no later than 12:00pm ET, Thursday, December 9th.


DAY FOUR: MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH–
6. On the fourth day of the contest, Deidre will select an undetermined amount of entrants to submit their full manuscript. The names of those advancing to the final round will be posted on The Knight Agency blog, and they will also be notified via email. Full manuscripts must be received no later than 12:00pm ET, Tuesday, December 14th.


THE BIG REVEAL: MONDAY, DECEMBER 20TH--
7. On the fifth day of the contest, Monday, December 20th, Deidre will reveal her new client on The Knight Agency blog, and the winner will also be notified via email. If none of the material submitted meets the needs of The Knight Agency at this time, the prize of representation will be void. However, a final winner will be selected to receive a general manuscript critique from Deidre. The first chapter critique winner will also be announced.






IMPORTANT DETAILS:
- International participants are welcome.
- If another Knight agent is actively considering your query, you are not eligible for the contest (active means an agent has informed you that they are considering your manuscript and would like to review more material)
- If we have previously rejected your manuscript, please do not enter this contest unless your work has undergone a substantial rewrite
- The only genres that will NOT be accepted, are those that are outlined in our submission guidelines.Here is an excerpt from our guidelines page regarding what we do not represent:


"5. Due to the the wide range of tastes and preferences that exist among The Knight Agency's six acquiring agents, we are currently looking for material in a wide spectrum of genres. Please reference the list below for the types of submissions we are NOT currently accepting.


- Screen Plays
- Short Story Collections
- Poetry Collections
- Essay Collections
- Photography
- Film Treatments
- Picture Books (although graphic novels will be accepted)
- Children's Books (although young adult and middle grade titles will be accepted)
- Biographies
- Non-fiction Historical Treatments"
- Entries shoould be double-spaced


- Only full manuscripts can be entered.
- Contest is open to both unpublished and published authors.
- To find out what type of books the agency DOES NOT accept, please visit our submission guidelines page.
- We will check out spam filters to make sure no one gets caught there; however, if your email becomes otherwise delayed, deleted or falls through a black hole – your entry will be declared void. We are not responsible for lost entries.
- Your materials must be sent in by the deadlines outlined above. Late submissions, even by mere minutes, will result in forfeiture of your entry.
- Everyone, and we mean EVERYONE, will receive the same generic “yay” or “nay” reply letting them know whether or not they have advanced to the next round. Please don’t ask us for any additional explanation or feedback of any kind. Deidre is reading these entries as fast as she can while maintaining her busy schedule – so there’s no time for hand-holding.
- Do not send your entry to any other email address besides Contests@KnightAgency.net. Failure to follow this instruction will result in deletion of your entry.
- Multiple entries are not allowed. If you enter more than one manuscript, only your first entry will be counted.
- Corrections are not allowed. What you send in the first time is what Deidre will judge. No exceptions. Make sure you’re attaching the right document.
- Do not send pages more than we ask for at any time. If we ask for 10 pages and you send 20, your entry will be deleted without notice.
- To protect ourselves from potential viruses and other random flotsam and jetsam, the first three pages you send in should be pasted within the body of your email. Not attached separately in a Word document.


However, once we’ve established communication after the first round, subsequent pages, should be properly formatted for submission and sent as Word document attachments. The Word document should ALWAYS include a cover page with your name, physical address, genre and overall word count.


- The only information that we will ever reveal about you publicly is the name you provide. The only places we will post your name is on our company blog, and possibly in the company newsletter.


- The winner of the random drawing must claim their prize via email to Contests@KnightAgency.net 30 days from notification of their win. The critique will be returned within eight weeks after receipt of materials.


- All entrants will be opted in to The Knight Agency newsletter. The newsletter contains a link that allows you to easily opt out at any time.


If you have any further questions about this contest, please email Contests@KnightAgency.net.