[Contest] Revise & Resub / #RevPit

I recognize a few names on the list of editors. They're launching around the same time as #Pit2Pub. First five pages displayed shouldn't count for publication, so you'd be good there. I'll do more research. They're interesting.

(added)

#Pit2Pub has been postponed, so a bunch of more or less legit editors went without sleep this weekend to create #RevPit. Bravo for them. I'll be attempting #RevPit because 1) free editing, 2) I am a masochist.

Fair warning: most of these pitch contests appear weighted toward YA or MG work, so if you write adult genres you might not get as much traction. But it's worth a try.

They had a bit of a shuffle yesterday morning. Folks found out one of the editors had been involved in a very nasty Twitterstorm last year, regarding OwnVoices and privilege (which I'm not getting into right now.) Would-be entrants were bailing. Problematic editor stepped aside. #RevPit issued clarification statement promising they were committed to diversity and anti-bullying.

So. We'll see what happens. It's a hopeful point in their favor, after some of the contest complaints of the past.

Filigree said:

They had a bit of a shuffle yesterday morning. Folks found out one of the editors had been involved in a very nasty Twitterstorm last year, regarding OwnVoices and privilege (which I'm not getting into right now.) Would-be entrants were bailing. Problematic editor stepped aside. #RevPit issued clarification statement promising they were committed to diversity and anti-bullying.

So. We'll see what happens. It's a hopeful point in their favor, after some of the contest complaints of the past.

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Ah, so THAT is what that fuss was all about! I saw a little of the aftermath but couldn't trace back to the inciting incident. Thanks for the info.

These are some of the editors who were going to be judging in Pitch2Pub, before that contest dissolved. I had the same question about publication -- I know one of them personally and asked her about that last night, she said it shouldn't count (FWIW). I'm planning to enter!

And to Filigree's point, the MSWLs are up now on the About the Editors page, and at least a few of them explicitly say "no YA" or "looking for adult fiction".

So did I. I'm going to enter, but with a wistful note of caution and disappointment. Why? Because of a statement I read today, regarding the contest.

I'm paraphrasing because this tablet is awful for copy-paste: 'Be sure you can make the time commitment. Our editors are giving you a month of free editing, so respect their time. Some authors have taken time off work, stepped away from family for a bit, and given at least 40 hours to revising during this contest.'

And I *know* that, I really do. If I get into #revpit, I'll make it happen. But if I don't work, I don't eat or pay my health insurance. If I have loved ones who need me, I'm going to give them my time. I certainly can't afford to go on sabbatical for a month, no matter how much I'd love to. I'm in this game to get a mms that will attract attention. But I cannot set aside daily life for it.

Same as people who can't afford publishing internships, or weeks-long workshops like Clarion or Viable Paradise.

There's an undercurrent of 'It's professional development, make time for it. If you can't, you must not want it that much.'

Which is classist patronizing bullshit, when you boil it down. Stress can kill. So can poverty. One of the most insidious things they do to a person is wear down hope and resolve, and dull the ability to perceive and react to opportunity. I've been there. I'm following someone online whose health and family issues have left them homeless, ill, and exhausted...while still trying to work and be creative just long enough to make it to a safer haven. I know someone else who has limited family employment, little emotional support, a young child, and some dragging health issues....and is one of the best and most prolific writers I know. I wonder what each of these gems could achieve with a better cushion. I wish to heaven I could give it to them.

So yes, I'll be tossing my query into the #revpit ring, while being aware of the limitations of the editors. I appreciate their hard work, I just wish their statement hadn't been such a check-your-privilege moment.

Yeah, Filigree, between that statement and some of the other questionable things I've seen about this contest, I think I'll give this one a pass. It's actually not that I can't take the time, I could. But something about the statement gives me the feeling of my time not being valued. Freelancing teaches you to put real value on your time--I respect the time of those I work with, and I expect the same in return.

I suppose they're defensive because people haven't respected their time in the past. I can sympathize (oh boy, can I). But rather than make statements like this to my clients, I assume we're all professionals.

I'm sure I'll be sorry later if my current querying round goes nowhere (and as per usual, it probably will).

Having just done Pitch Wars, I'm looking at it from that perspective. It sounds to me like they're trying to adopt a lot of that PW mindset, because PW mentees are told to make sure they have the time to devote to doing real work during the editing time. I guess in the past they've had people expect to be told to move a couple commas around and do a basic polishing pass, when the edits are usually a lot more developmental and substantial. I gave up almost every iota of free time during those 2.5 months.

Asking people to devote 40 hours over the course of a month isn't TOO terrible, less than an hour a day. I don't think they meant take an entire month off work; it would make more sense to take off a day or two here and there, so you could have a 3 or 4 day weekend to devote to your project. I've thrown a random day off or two in my schedule in November so I can have more time for NaNoWriMo, for example.

All that said, I do see where you're coming from, and I'm also exceptionally privileged in that I have one full time job (as opposed to multiple jobs and/or school) and I don't have kids. I also have a supportive spouse who was cool with basically being abandoned for all that time because this was important to me. People who don't have those things would definitely have a harder time, and that would be a frustrating thing to hear.