by Stephanie Morrill

We were rather shocked when we closed down voting yesterday afternoon and learned that 992 votes were cast in this contest. And I was grateful to discover that Google forms tallied the results for me so we don’t have to rely on my iffy math skills.

The top three pitches, and the winners of Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book are:

Overwhelmingly first place:
#24 Fleeing an unwanted marriage, Eden Trenton stows away aboard a pirate ship. Terrified, yet determined, she sets sail with a notorious captain into the unknown. – Heather Manning

These two entries tied for second:
#25 In a country where twins are outcasts, identical princesses masquerade as one girl – Rylie, heir to the throne. A secret not even their father knows. – Aidyl Ewoh

#7 Lenora Hood, daughter of Robin Hood, had three successful years thieving. Stealing the prince’s fortune should have been easy, but then she fell in love. – Christina

Third place:

#19 When a villain realizes he is a stereotyped bad guy, he sets out with a clichéd superhero to defeat their true enemy. The author. – Allison E.

And here are the other entries who were in the top ten:

#21  In the future children are controlled by remotes for their whole childhood. Julius, sets out  to destroy the Dictator and find the truth about life. – Anonymous
#10 In medieval France, a timid monk races to hide the bishop’s illegitimate daughter before the bishop disposes of her, the only evidence of his sins. – Olivia H.
#6 Briar unintentionally journeys to an altered past and views Abraham Lincoln murdered before Gettysburg; those assassins from the future then chase down the witness: her. – Gretta Kissell
#1 A home-schooled teen thinks she has her life figured out, until disaster strikes, and she has to survive in the real world of high school. – Lydia H.
#23 Four writers. Four novels. One premise. They have six months and a prize to dream of: representation from a prominent literary agent. Who will win? – Anne-girl
#12 Harvey was just an Aryan Nazi before he fell for a Jew; Elsie. There’s one problem – He’s supposed to turn her family into the gestapo. – Summer A.
#4 Two best friends survive a hurricane that devastates the east coast. Alone and desperate, they journey cross-country seeking normalcy, safety, and a new life. – Kaitlin S.
Congratulations to all the finalists! If you finalled but your entry isn’t listed above and you’re curious about your rankings, please send me an email and we’ll talk privately.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered and voted for making this such a fun contest!
Next week we’re continuing the celebration of our release, Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book, by going on a blog tour! You’ll have lots of chances to win free downloads of the book and to discover some great blogs that are run by young writers.