Sarah Hawley

On April 30th, I found out that amazing editor Carly Bornstein-Hayward had chosen my manuscript for the #RevPit contest. Almost two months later, I have a shiny new manuscript, a tight-knit group of writer friends, and a tremendous amount of gratitude. #RevPit was one of the most valuable experiences in my writing career. Here's what the journey was like.


What is #RevPit?

#RevPit is a relatively new annual writing contest. 11 editors receive 100 submissions each over the course of a few days. The submission packet includes the query letter and first 5 pages. The editors then request full or partial manuscripts and synopses from their favorites. After a week of deliberation, they pick one manuscript they want to work with for the 5 weeks of the contest, culminating in a showcase of the revised query and first 5 pages.

How did I get involved?

I found out about #RevPit on Twitter. (Side note for aspiring authors—get involved in writing Twitter! I was skeptical at first, but I've …

Part of the #RevPit contest involved workshopping my query. Here's the original query I submitted to #RevPit for THE DYING CITY:

Dear #RevPit Editors,

18-year-old Livvy would do anything to keep her clan of itinerant horse riders safe. When she’s caught using unlicensed fire magic, Livvy travels to the capital city of Trillia to register as a mage, hoping to protect her family from the repercussions of harboring an illegal magic user. But before she can register, Livvy is attacked by the soldiers of Trillia’s ruling magical family, the Lux, who see her strong magic as a threat to their power.

Livvy escapes to Trillia’s underground and joins a local gang for protection. While she likes her new street-smart friends and is increasingly attracted to Rissa, the tough girl who leads them, Livvy plans to return home once the Lux stop looking for her. She misses her clan, and no nature-loving nomad can thrive in this crowded city where the plants and animals are made from livin…