Contests--a valuable tool

In 1997, as green as a gourd in spring, I joined Romance Writers of America and immediately entered my first manuscript in a contest. When the entry came back, I ranked 38th out of 40. I was shocked. I’d expected to win. LOL I could fill a page with the problems the judges saw in that chapter. Some quotes: “Very long and, I’m sorry to say, boring chapter.” Ouch. “Back story dump.” What? “Start the book here.” Ah. “Dialogue is stiff and formal.” Sigh. “POV switches.” What? No doubt those judges pulled out huge hanks of hair as they read my chapter, but they also found something positive to say. I clung to their encouraging words and revised.

I’m not admitting all this because I’m proud, at least not of my many mistakes. But looking back I am proud of me. I found out POV stood for point of view and learned what that meant. I learned to sprinkle in back story and leave the reader guessing. I learned to read dialogue aloud. I learned the importance of conflict. I reworked that book for a year, but it never did final. 

The lesson—move on. Write another book.

Then I entered that second manuscript. Not that I agreed with every judge on every point, but I found invaluable nuggets that helped me improve my craft. As I got savvier, I entered contests with editor judges I wanted to target. In 2001, I placed first in Windy City’s The Four Seasons and won overall with the contest’s highest score. In 2005, I was a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart, which gives no feedback, but the recognition was thrilling. And best of all through the Golden Heart I met Tina, Myra and Julie. In 2006, I was an American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis finalist and a once again a Golden Heart finalist. I didn’t know it at the time, but these were to be my last unpublished contests. I sold my debut in 2006, nine years after I wrote that first book.

Nine long years of ups and downs, of rejection. But the contests I did well in kept the process exciting. Those I tanked in taught me plenty and toughened up my hide. I now have that rhino hide Mary Connealy talked about in an earlier post, a definite plus for a writer. Even after selling.

I still have contest fever. As soon as my debut novel, Courting Miss Adelaide, a Steeple Hill Love Inspired historical, is released in September 2008, I’ll enter it in contests for published authors. There’s the Rita, Peoples’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best... A gal’s got to reach for the stars.

So live your dream. Enter those contests. Open yourself to criticism. The rewards far outweigh the cost.