I've told everyone that you are: a) blunt, b) unsuffering of fools and c) the best mentor I've ever had in writing.
Rick Robinson
2010 Winner "Best Fiction" NY Book Festival
2010 Independent Book of the Year

Action/Adventure

Suspense/Thriller

Mystery

Political Intrigue

Quirky Humor

New Age/New Thought

Romance

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Gay/Lesbian

Christian

Erotica

Horror

Graphic Novels

Historical fiction

Western

Non-fiction

Anything with a friggin' Vampire in it

This is open to the public. If you have a book in progress -- not an idea but actual words on paper -- in any of the approved genres above, then you're invited to submit a 250 word or less synopsis of your novel. 

I will personally read each submission, as my schedule permits, in the order in which they are received at AskRod@RodPennington.net. 

Each submission will get a brief personal review and comments. It may be a sentence or two or several paragraphs depending on the material and how it strikes me.

This is by invitation only. Those who show potential in Round 1 will be invited to submit their best 2,500 words. It can be an outline, a synopsis or chapters in any combination you like. Each person will get a more detailed explanation and analysis.

Again, this will be by invitation only. I will take the best of best from Round 2 and have them send me the first 5,000 words of their novel.  From this group, I will pick one or more people to mentor.

I will review your entire manuscript and make specific suggestions and comments. Some of these comments will be tough for the novice writer to take without protest. However, if you're smart you will realize all I'm trying to do is help you create the best book possible.  Once the book is in good shape, I'll show you how to get it copy-edited, a cover created and get it posted on Kindle.  

 

Read the submission requirements carefully and give me EXACTLY what I ask for. If I request a synopsis and you send me an explanation of how wonderful your book is or what motivated you to write it, or the first 50 pages, or the complete maunscript you will be immediately eliminated from consideration and I will not critique your work.

A synopsis is a brief explanation of your story idea. It will give the set up, the beginning, the middle and the end. I don't need details or character discriptions, I just want to see if the story will work. Here's a link to a 250 word synopsis I wrote for The Fourth Awakening. SPOILER ALERT. If you have not read TFA yet (shame on you), this gives the entire story away.

Do not exceed the word count.  If I ask for 250 words or less and you send me 251 or more, you will be immediately eliminated from consideration and I will not critique your work. If you find it impossible to condense your idea down to such a few words, bear in mind in my writing class I ask for the same synopsis in 25 words or less. To prove it can be done, in the class I do all six Star War movies in 21 words. If you can't condense your idea down then it lacks focus or theme or both.

Don't be a pain in the ass. This isn't costing you a cent and you're having a bestselling novelist and former instructor in the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Workshop take a peek at your work. There will be times when I will be busy and unable to respond instantly. If you start hitting my inbox with emails, you will be immediately eliminated from consideration and I will not critique your work.   

 

If you disagree with anything I tell you, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and my comments are aimed at the work and not the writer. However, bear in mind I've been doing this for over 25 years. If you think I'm wrong and start sending me novel length explanations of why you're right, you will be immediately eliminated from consideration and I will not critique your work.  I don't have the time or energy to hold the hand of anyone who can't take constructive criticism in the spirit in which it is intended.  If you think I'm wrong, prove it by doing it your way and writing a runaway best seller.

This is no charge to submit your synopsis. However, you would be wise to read The Fourth Awakening and Secrets to Writing a Spiritual Novel. Each is available at  Amazon Kindle and iBook for 99 cents each. If you get past the first round, I will refer to these books regularly and a lack of familiarity with these title will greatly diminish your chances of getting to third round.    

Be sure your book is in one of the approved genres or it will be rejected and you will be banned from further submissions.

Send to me, in MS Word format, a 250 word or less synopsis of your work-in-progress.

If it exceeds the word count or your submission has any information other than about the actual story, it will be rejected and you will be banned from further submissions.  

All decisions by the judge -- that would be me -- is final.

*** FAIR WARNING ***

I tend to be blunt and if all you're looking for is affirmation that your book is wonderful exactly the way it is written, do us both a favor and not waste either of our time.

If, on the other hand, you would LOVE to have a bestselling novelist take a look at your work in progress and give you an unbiased opinion, start putting your synopsis together.

 

AskRod@RodPennington.net