Our First Blogiversary, Earth Day, and a Critique Giveaway!

Happy Blogiversary to us!
Mary Ann kicked off our celebration on Monday, but it's exactly one year ago today that we launched this blog. When we chose the date, we didn't realize it also happened to be Earth Day. If you missed JoAnn's Earth Day poem last week, I hope you'll stop and read it here now.

Today, finally, are the details of our special giveaway:
As a thank you to our readers, we're offering a critique of your choice from a TeachingAuthor!

One lucky winner will be able to choose a critique of one of the following:

• fiction picture book (up to 1000 words) critiqued by Mary Ann 
• nonfiction picture book or beginning of longer nonfiction manuscript (up to 1000 words) critiqued by JoAnn
• synopsis of a middle grade or young adult novel (up to two pages max, single-spaced, 12-point font) critiqued by Esther
• first five pages of a middle grade or young adult novel (up to 1250 words) by Jeanne Marie
• poetry (up to thirty lines, 12-point font)--this can be in one poem or several poems, critiqued by April 
• middle grade short story (up to 1000 words) critiqued by Carmela  

Since the manuscripts will be submitted via email, for the first time, this giveaway will be open to all our readers worldwide. However, be sure to read the rules below carefully before entering:

• This giveaway is for our readers. Therefore, to qualify, you must follow us via Google Friend connect, Facebook/Networked Blogs, or as an email subscriber. If you are not already a follower, subscribe via one of the links in the sidebar before you enter. (We will verify that you're a follower!)
• Post a comment saying how you follow us for one entry. Please indicate which type of critique you'd like to win, too.
• You may receive one bonus entry by helping to spread the word about this giveaway via a blog post, Tweet, or Facebook link. As proof, you must post a second comment containing a link to your blog post, Twitter address, or Facebook wall. (Feel free to copy the above blogiversary image to your blog.)
• No more than two entries per person. All entries must be as comments to today's post.
• Entry deadline is 11 pm (CST) Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
• The winner will be determined using the random number generator at Random.org, and will be announced some time Wednesday, May 5.  (It may be late in the day, as I'll be "out and about" at a school visit that morning.)

If you'd like to read about our qualifications before choosing your critique, see our "About Us" page.

Please note: your manuscript must be formatted in the same way you would to submit it to an editor or agent: in a standard 12-point font on 8 1/2 x 11" paper with one inch margins. For more on manuscript format, see this article. The appropriate TeachingAuthor will contact the winner via email regarding the submission procedure.

Important: Feedback and comments to the winner from the TeachingAuthor cannot be used as an endorsement in any way.

Hmm. I hope I haven't left out anything important. In case I did, feel free to ask questions in your comments. Good luck to all!

And if you missed yesterday's post, please take a moment to read it and give us some feedback on how we can make our blog even better in the year ahead.

Happy Earth Day and happy writing!
Carmela