Current competitions and critiques.

Two new Agent competitions have recently been posted.

 Madeleine Milburn is looking to represent a debut writer in the Crime/ Thriller/Psychological Suspense field here.

Over on writer Ruth Lauren Steven’s site, 30 winners can post a query letter and the first 500 words of their Picture Book, MG, YA or Adult (sorry, not the Erotica writers though) in July, for 10 agents to view. ( Just to digress a minute; I often see competitions where they state that Erotica writers can't take part. Given the current boom in "mummy porn" and the mahoosive sales of E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey, I'm wondering whether Erotica writers will soon be allowed to play with the other kids...?)

For those that aren’t looking for the competition, but instead would like to try for the prize that is feedback, then  Nicola Morgan is currently critiquing some query letters ahead of the launch of her new book  Dear Agent.  (For any aspiring  authors out there, who haven’t yet discovered Nicola’s blog, I can’t recommend it enough. Pure sense on a page.  Fact. )

For regular critiquing competitions - many of which include anonymous agents’ comments - there is also Miss Snark's First Victim, recommended to me by my Lovely Crit Partner and now a staple in my blogdiet.

For the űber-courageous there is also Query Shark. But that requires a brave heart and full armour - yup, right down to chainmail knickers . Should be safe enough to view from a distance though...

Today’s Distraction Tool;.children