Second Day Recap

Whew! What a fantastic second day at the Read for Relief auction!

We are so grateful to the donors who graciously gave to the auction, and we are very, very thankful for your bids! (Keep 'em coming!) There will be a batch of new items posted tomorrow, but you can still bid on today's items until Thursday at 10:00PM EST.

A few housekeeping items:

• Please remember to include your email address when you bid. This way, we can get in touch with you if you win!
• If you'd like to donate to the auction, we are still taking items! Please fill out this form and we'll contact you once your item goes live. Thank you so much!
• A blog reader pointed out yesterday that the American Red Cross donation page only accepts U.S. credit cards. Fortunately for our international participants, organizer Erin Bowman found a way around this! If you are an international bidder who wins an item, please choose "Amazon Payment" as your pay method on the Red Cross site. Then hit "Continue" and you will be redirected to Amazon where you may make your donation. (Thanks to Bec Sampson for bringing this up!) 

Be sure to check in tomorrow where we will have some awesome items up for bid, including a query and 10-page critique from agent Sara Crowe, a group critique and ARCs from The Apocalypsies, and a 30-page critique from Nova Ren Suma, author of IMAGINARY GIRLS! 

Day 2, Item 10: Query/First Chapter Critique and Signed Copy of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL

From YA writer Suzanne Young:

Win a signed copy of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and a query/first chapter critique.

Suzanne Young is a brilliant scientist. Not really. But she is a former middle school teacher turned zookeeper (mother). When Suzanne’s not fending off zombie squirrels she can be found writing obsessively. Suzanne is the author of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL and several other YA titles.

Learn more about Suzanne at her blog and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.  

Day 2, Item 9: Editor 10-page Critique

From editor Sarah Dotts Barley:

Win a critique of the first 10 pages of a children's manuscript (YA, MG, chapter or picture book) by associate editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, Sarah Dotts Barley.

Sarah Dotts Barley is an associate editor at HarperCollins Children's Books. Authors she works with include Georgia Byng, Holly Cupala, Gwendolyn Heasley, Geraldine McCaughrean, and with her editorial director, Donna Freitas and Joyce Carol Oates. Recent books that she has edited include DEAR BULLY: 70 AUTHORS TELL THEIR STORIES, edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones and DON'T BREATHE A WORD by Holly Cupala.

Learn more about Sarah Dotts Barley on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 8: Signed Copy of THE NEAR WITCH

From YA writer Victoria Schwab:

Win a signed copy of THE NEAR WITCH.

Victoria is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, she has been known to say “tom-ah-toes”, “like”, and “y’all”. She also tells stories.

Learn more about Victoria Schwab at her website and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 7: A 30-page Group Critique

From writing group Operation Awesome:

Win a 30-page groupcritique from the six writers of Operation Awesome.

Operation Awesome is a group of authors in various stages of the publishing journey. On their blog, they share author interviews, book reviews, writing tips, book tours, and host a monthly Mystery Agent contest. Their goal is to strive for awesomeness... one word at a time.

Learn more about Operation Awesome at their blog and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 6: Set of LGBT YA Books

From writer Robin Talley:

Win a prize pack of four LGBT YA books:

LUNA by Julie Anne Peters
BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan
I AM J by Cris Beam
ASH by Malinda Lo
* Items in this prize pack can be switched out for other queer YA novels if you already have any of these four. So no need to worry about duplicates!

Note: This item is open to U.S. bidders only. 

Robin Talley writes young adult fiction focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters. She is represented by literary agent Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich. 

Learn more about Robin Talley at her website and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 5: Agent Query Critique

From agent Joanna Volpe:

Win a query critique from agent Joanna Volpe with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation, who represents authors like Veronica Roth,  Kody Keplinger, and Lee Nichols.

Joanna is a literary agent with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation. She represents a variety of children's and adult books, fiction and non-fiction.

Learn more about Joanna Volpe at her agency's website and blog.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 4: Signed copy of INKBLOT

From YA writing team Johnson Naigle:

Win a signed copy of YA suspense novel INKBLOT.

Eighteen-year-old web entrepreneur Ronnie Wright owns the virally popular website, INKBLOT. Determined to sweep local newspaper reporter, Chelsea Pressman, off her feet, he tries to wow her with his internet success.

Chelsea has one goal, making it big as a reporter. Unfortunately the editor isn’t tossing any good stories her way. Her luck changes and she is first in line to cover a string of bizarre crimes. The notoriety she’s gaining from the front-page stories is addictive.

The police finally trace the crimes to a common link – INKBLOT.

Now, Ronnie has to clear his name as the number one suspect in Chelsea’s headline crimes.

Johnson Naigle is the writing team of Virginia authors, Nancy Naigle and Phyllis C. Johnson. This is their first novel together.

Learn more about Johnson Naigle at their website and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 3: Signed Hardcover of OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW

From children's writer Kate Messner:

Win a signed hardcover of OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW, coming out this fall from Chronicle Books.

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow exists a secret kingdom of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals that live through the winter safe and warm, awake and busy, under the snow. Discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter’s snowy landscape in this magical book.

Note: This item may also be personalized!

Kate Messner is a middle school teacher and the award-winning author of several books for young readers, including Sea Monster’s First Day, the Marty McGuire chapter book series with Scholastic, Sugar and Ice, and E.B. White Read Aloud Award winner The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. (both from Walker/Bloomsbury), and the forthcoming Eye of the Storm. Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family.


Learn more about Kate Messner at her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 2: Copy of THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

From YA writer Lynn Colt:


Win a copy of Betsy Lerner's THE FOREST FOR THE TREES: AN EDITOR'S ADVICE TO WRITERS.

Lerner worked as an editor at Houghton-Mifflin, Ballantine, Simon & Schuster, and Doubleday. Now working now as a literary agent, she shares an insider's perspective on the publication side of writing. Definitely not a "how-to" book or a style manual, this chatty, informal volume is anecdotal and encouraging to the novice or amateur writer.

The first part describes various types of writers Lerner has worked with over the years and how a writer's personality influences both the writing and the ability to get published. The second covers the process of manuscript submission and offers concrete advice about literary agents, query letters, multiple submissions, working with editors and publicists, and dealing with rejection and writer's block.

Note: This item is open to U.S. bidders only.

Lynn is a YA author in the Washington DC area, repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd. She writes about selkies and cheerleaders (though not at the same time. Yet!). 

Learn more about Lynn Colt on her blog and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.   

Day 2, Item 1: Full MS Critique

From Rachel Bateman:

Win proofreading/line-editing critique on a FULL manuscript. Rachel will note in detail any issues with punctuation, grammar, consistency, misspelling, word choice/appropriateness, structure (sentence, paragraph, and overall). She will also make minor notes on plot and character development, voice, setting, and dramatic tension, but the real focus of the edit will be on the line level.

Rachel Bateman is an aspiring author and freelance proofreader. She also previously worked as a line editor for a publishing company.


Learn more about Rachel at her website and on Twitter.

This item will close on Thursday, September 15th, at 10:00PM EST.