The Chopping Blog

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Congrats to Jordan Tuck
June 30, 2022
A huge congrats to our client Jordan Tuck on the release of Goddess: Ascension!
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The Synopsis Skirmish 2022—1st place
June 27, 2022
Raynes and Riel concoct a scheme to draw a confession out of the killer, but that plan is never put into place. Instead, Riel finds himself on the receiving end of a rifle in the ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.
- Contest updates
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The Synopsis Skirmish 2022—2nd place
June 25, 2022

"Unbeknownst to Jack, however, Aya herself is no damsel-in-distress. She has an agenda all her own: to avenge her family’s murder by overthrowing the government of the very country Jack is trying to get them both out of alive."
- Contest updates
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The Synopsis Skirmish 2022—3rd place
June 25, 2022
"As Jordan’s disorder threatens to regain control over his life and upend his relationships, he finds himself faced with a difficult decision."
- Contest updates
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The Gauntlet: Beta Readers (new service!)
June 15, 2022
We're excited to launch our new service—a curated beta reader experience.
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Book Broker – an interview with Beth Marshea
June 14, 2022
"I want to feel like I'm a part of this world, so when you stop to take a page and half to tell me about the inner workings of things, it doesn't feel like I'm living it."
- Agent interviews
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Book Broker – an interview with Imogen Pelham
June 01, 2022
I’m always drawn in by the known unknowns—when I can tell something’s off, but I don’t know what it is yet, or there’s a detail which doesn’t make sense and I need to keep reading to find out what it is.
- Agent interviews
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The First Page Challenge is back!
May 29, 2022

Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: how likely am I to turn this page and keep reading?
- Contest updates
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Story Skeleton: Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
May 29, 2022
What Oates controls so beautifully in this story is the quality and intensity of escalation.
- On the craft
- Story Skeleton
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Book Broker – an interview with Victoria Skurnick
May 21, 2022
I’m old-fashioned enough to be put off by terrible grammar and sloppy technique.
- Agent interviews
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Book Broker – an interview with Sandra Sawicka
May 19, 2022
It really is 99% about the writing.
- Agent interviews
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5 Strategies for Finding Literary Agents to Query
May 16, 2022
Querying literary agents can feel grueling, especially after spending so much time writing your manuscript in the first place, but the payoff of seeing your book published is well worth the effort.
- On querying
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