I don’t usually enter contests, but I decided to go all out this year. During the past two months I’ve redefined my understanding of the experience from both the judging and entrant viewpoints. I hope this post will help you consider whether entering contests is in your best interest at this point in your career. Next month I'll share perspectives of a judge.

Two years ago I submitted two entries in each of two contests. One was a first draft of a new book, and I just wanted to see how the concept was received. My goal was to final with the older entry. Well, both entries finaled in one contest, and the more polished entry finaled in the other. The feedback I got was mixed–a little helpful and a little confusing.

Last year I didn’t bother to enter anything, not because of the expense, or the time, or the waiting to see if two people really liked my writing. I simply didn’t feel a need for validation.

This year I decided I would enter, not for validation, but for feedback and to get my work in front of people who might be interested in acquiring it. I researched contest possibilities, studied score sheets and judging criteria, evaluated categories for entries, and Googled the judges. As you know, there are a lot of contests out there.

By the time I had my list, in order of entry deadlines, it was time to format, polish and send out my words. I sent off seven entries, then relaxed for two months because the deadline for the last two entries was much later.

 

 

 

 

Heaven:

Two weeks before the deadline for my final two contest entries, I opened an e-mail that said one of my entries had made the finals. Giddy would be a good word to describe how I felt for twenty-four hours. Then I got the score sheets for the other entry in the same contest. The first one was 135 of 140 points. Smiles.

 

 

 

 

HELL:

The second one was 66. Really? I skimmed the comments. “Writing is hard. You need to learn how to do it,” “There is no logic to this book,” “You don’t know how to world build,” were a few. I felt like I’d been hacked with my own Claymore. And I remembered why I don't usually enter contests.

Thank goodness this contest has a third judge score the entry if the first two judges differ by more than 35 points. A 128 brought me back from the edge.

It's hard to process an anonymous critique.

Did my judge have to read this entry in a genre she dislikes or doesn't read? Are they a first-time judge? Did she think about the impact of her words on someone who put a lot of time, effort and money into the entry?

What I was looking for were suggestions to improve the partials I'm planning on sending out.

What I got felt like an ice pick in the eye.

For the next two days I debated if I really want to sell a book and be subjected to reviews and comments from people who don’t like my stories. It’s one thing to get a private rejection letter or score sheet, it’s another to have someone rail against you and your writing skill. I struggled with what I wanted at this point in my life. Do I need to subject myself to the pain, the anguish of public criticism and shame? For those two days, I seriously entertained the notion of just writing for fun, without a publishing goal. And that's fine–I was there for years. But I knew I couldn't be content with that any more.

Today, two weeks later, on the deadline for the contest I most wanted to enter, I’m not sure whether to bother. The thrill of making the finals and having an editor or an agent read my submission isn’t quite so alluring.

I’ve had time to recover from that low score and  reconsidered why I decided to enter contests this year.

• My writing is ready for publication. Not just in my opinion, but by everyone who’s read it.
• I want to sell a book, and making the finals is a great way to get my writing in front of agents and editors.
• I do want constructive criticism on ways to improve my work so it can sell. The opportunity for feedback from acquiring publishing professionals is worth much more than the price of admission to a contest.

So I just sent off the final two entries. Because I have a goal. And for me, right now, a contest seems like a good stepping stone to that goal.

Do you have a contest story to tell? Have you sold because of a contest? What would you want to tell your judge about the kind of feedback that would be useful to you?

 

Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak.   Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes that she can live anywhere but the present.  As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules then watch what happens.

Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than horrors of algebra lessons gone wrong.  She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.

Fae Rowen began writing after reading her favorite author’s entire backlist in three weeks and couldn’t bear the thought of waiting nine months for the next book.  A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now enjoys sharing her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told.  Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keep her fingers on the keyboard.

You can find Fae at her website, on Facebook, or contact her via e-mail: fae@faerowen.com

Laura here, with a quick update - we have PRIZE WINNERS!!!!

Kym Lucas has won Jami Gold's 10 page critique

Pamela Stratton won a  Lawson Writer's Academy course

Becky Lower has won Kathryn Craft's Art of Falling

Yvonne Montgomery has won the ARC of Sweet on You, from me!

Tune in Friday morning for more PRIZES!

 

Thanks for coming along with us

Now the party can begin!

I'll bet this is the first moving party you've been invited to that doesn't involve packing boxes, shifting furniture, or putting down shelf paper.

Why? Because Sierra Fong and Mike Chen over at Atmosphere Websites  have already done all the heavy lifting! Take a look around - I think you'll agree they've done an amazing job! Please let us know if you see something we missed.

Laura, Jenny, Fae, Sharla and Orly, along with all our wonderful contributors, will continue to strive to bring you the best craft and inspirational writing posts on the internet here, in our new home.

So wander around, settle in, grab a slice of pizza and beverage of your choice and

let's party!

Pimp & Promote

First, as a thanks for making the bus ride over with us, we're hosting a 'pimp and promote', in the comments. Here's how it works:

• Pimp out somebody else’s work – this can be a favorite author, blogger, post or book you’ve read, a wonderful teacher or just someone who has influenced you as a writer or a person.
• Promote one of your projects that you’re excited about – a You decide. New project? Achieved a goal? Have a book of yours to tell us about?

 

How can it be a party

without prizes?

Simply by being a follower, your name will go into a hat - we'll be announcing the winners on Wednesday and Friday of this week.

Just look at what you could win from one of our amazing contributors!

• A $25 Amazon Gift Card, from the WITS bloggers
• An ARC copy of Laura's August Sweet on a Cowboy release, Sweet on You
• Author, Jami Gold, has donated a critique of the first ten pages of your novel
• Our guru of inspiration, Kathryn Craft, is giving away a copy of her debut novel, The Art of Falling
• From the Naked Editor, Tiffany Lawson Inman, is donating an online course at Lawson's Writers Academy!
• From Susan Spann, A Ninja gift pack, including: signed copies of her two books, Claws of the Cat, and Blade of the Samurai, a Ninja coffee mug, and candy! (I hear Ninjas love candy!)
• NYT author, Susan Squires, is giving away the first THREE books in her Children of Merlin Series
• Margie Lawson herself is giving away an online course at Lawson's Writers Academy!

We hope you like our new home, and stop back soon!

Now, on to the PARTY, PIMPING AND PROMOTING!

The WITS bloggers will be partying down in the comments.

 

Party bus photo credit: Jaako via photopin cc
"Shake it" photo credit: M31 via photopin cc
Balloons photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton via photopin cc

Happy Friday to all our friends here at WITS! We're doing some extra special posts this week as an advance thank you for helping us migrate to our new site next week. All will be unveiled on Monday!

Today our pal, Julie Glover, is here. *Jenny jumps up and down* Here's an example of why she's one of our favorite peeps. When we told her y'all love nice meaty posts, Julie responded with:

"I hope I delivered. I'm even hoping it's bacon. All posts should be like bacon."

Enjoy!

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by Julie Glover, @julie_glover

As a novel reader, I always believed I was meant to write full-length books. Yet I find myself entering the self-published market with a collection of short stories instead.

I wrote the first one on a lark—merely a story premise I wanted to get out of my system. But I liked the result so much, I started another. And then I got hooked, eventually completing six young adult paranormal shorts.

6 reasons you might consider writing a short story:

1. Writing short stories hones your skill for writing lean—a skill that will help you craft more effective scenes in a novel.

The limited space of short stories requires the writer to stick to what must be included and leave the rest behind. Mastering storytelling in short form can help you see your novel in a different light.

After working on short stories, I returned to edits on my book and suddenly recognized sections and scenes that didn't pull their weight. Now that I better understand how to pack punch into a shorter word count, I can transfer that skill to writing longer fiction and create a more power-packed novel.

2. Short stories appeal to the our fast-paced lives.

It's tempting as authors to expect everyone to be voracious readers like us, toting around thick books or an entire library on our e-reader. But today's world is fast-paced, and many people simply don't have time or make time to read a full novel. They might, however, be able to get through a short story and satisfy their urge for fiction.

A short story can be read on the subway or bus to work, while waiting to be seen in a doctor's office, or in those few minutes to yourself at night before you crash into sleep.

Shorts appeal to our overfull schedules and keep readers reading.

3. Your story idea is great, but not enough for a novel.

Practically speaking, sometimes this is true. You have wonderful characters in mind and a story event worth telling, but it's not layered enough for a full-length book.

Indie author Kait Nolan's most recent publications are her Meet Cute Romances, a series of shorts celebrating the first meeting of a romantic couple. She says:

"Ideally, for a novel, you'd have a full conflict and character arc that brings them together. And that's great. But sometimes, all you've got is the beginning, that moment of promise that gives you a thrill of knowing this is IT, this is the ONE. And in your head you can see it playing out—as relationships often do in real life—with little conflict worth a full dramatic story. That doesn't make the story of that relationship any less worthy of being told, it just means it needs a shorter format that zeroes in on that moment of spark."

Not every idea is worthy of 300 pages or so, and sometimes you can tell a great tale in 10, 20, or 30 pages. So don’t toss that fabulous idea! Make it a short story.

4. Shorts help maintain reader interest in between full-length books.

Self-published authors and traditional publishers have discovered how important it is to keep an author's name active in a fan's mind. Since it takes a while to write, edit, and publish a book, how can you keep your readers engaged during the wait?

More and more, short fiction fills the gap—with novellas and short stories both teasing and satisfying a loyal fan base. Many successful authors, such as thriller author Lee Child (Jack Reacher) and Kathy Reichs (Bones), have added shorts to their series as a welcome bonus for their readers.

5. Anthologies provide an avenue for gaining new readers.

Collaborating with other authors can put your name in front of potential readers. If another author's fans buy the anthology, they might give your story a shot and discover you're their happy cup of tea as well.

However, participate in an anthology because you believe in the product or cause, not merely for exposure. Best-selling urban fantasy author Jaye Wells wrote "The Werewife" for the anthology Carniepunk: "Agreeing to submit was a no-brainer because the other participating authors are good friends and the carnival theme was irresistible. The side benefits of increased exposure was a secondary consideration."

When choosing to submit a story for an anthology, Wells has this advice as well: "I've also learned that it's often best to write stand-alone short stories because writing a scene or connected story with your other books comes off as an advertisement, which can annoy readers."

You might pick up a new reader, not with a teaser story for an existing series, but for your unique voice in fiction.

6. Short stories are a powerful storytelling medium.

Remember the short stories you enjoyed? I vividly recall The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, The Veldt by Ray Bradbury, and The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. These fiction greats understood the power of short fiction to hook a reader.

Indeed, the short story market is growing. While shorts never went away, they weren't commercially viable with printing costs. The ebook revolution has given this powerful medium a resurgence, to the benefit of both writers and readers.

Why write a short story? Even with these six reasons, the ultimate reason is because you have a short story to tell. Many writers do, if they open themselves up to the idea and let their imagination go.

Have you ever written a short story? What do you like about writing short? If not, what keeps you from exploring short fiction? Who is your favorite short story writer?

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About Julie

Julie Glover is the author of "Color Me Happy," a young adult romance story in the Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior anthology, and My Sister's Demon, the first of a series of young adult paranormal shorts. She is also working on a novel and lives with her wonderful husband and two sons in her beloved Lone Star state. (That's Texas, y'all.)

Find Julie at her website or on Twitter. She loves to tweet.