Harlequin Intrigue Debut Author Angi Morgan: Contests, Believing, & Selling

Thanks to my friends here at THE SEEKERS for asking me to be a guest. It’s always great to reconnect with people. Pam and I go back to a contest debacle in 2000. Tina and I met through my chapter contest and we’re Golden Heart sisters. I have Debby’s Writer’s Prayer hanging in my office. I’m sure I could probably find a connection to the other wonderful writers here if I searched hard enough.
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I’ve had a couple of exciting weeks with the release of my first Harlequin Intrigue: Hill Country Holdup. But honestly, it’s been a wild rollercoaster ride of events over the past year. I officially signed the contract with Harlequin on December 1st. Yep, ten months for those of you counting on your fingers. Ten months from THE CALL to THE SHELF.
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Ten months seems like such a short time. That’s only one month for every year I was on the submission ride. I’ve been reminded by friends that I’ve worked hard for my sale. It did not happen overnight. BUT IT DID HAPPEN. There were lots of friends, family, and professionals that believed in me and never let me give up. Thanks for that.
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I’m constantly asked if I believe contests were the reason I sold. My simple answer? I sold as a direct result of a contest win. The more complicated answer that most writers don’t want to hear? I had to final first. And becoming a finalist required a lot of hard work and sticking to my guns regarding my writing. In 2009, I won, finaled and sold. The same manuscript won the Golden Heart in 2010. But the same year, the same story (yes, the very same words) received the lowest score I’d ever received. I was told by a couple of authors that Harlequin would never buy my story in its present form (yes, one month prior to selling). The ups and downs of last year should have made my head spin. But...
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In 2009 something in me had changed. I had matured as a writer. I believed in my writing, believed in my voice, believed in myself. I KNEW the sell was just around the corner. It was my year. Seriously. *MY* year. I had re-written Hill Country Holdup to its original story-line. The suggestions others made were taken under consideration, but I followed my instinct, wrote the story the way *I* wanted to read it. And it sold.
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I can’t make that guarantee for every contest finalist. You have to have an excellent story (I refer to mine very humbly)... A story that’s written with your unique flavor and voice. A story that makes it to an editor’s desk who loves it. And a story when presented to marketing, they think they can sell it.
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So if you’re thinking about entering a contest the first thing I would advise is ask yourself WHY. Friends are preparing to enter the Golden Heart and I caution that it’s not a regular contest and can't be placed in the same category as chapter contests. There's one reason to enter: FINAL. It might give some contestants the satisfaction of finishing a manuscript and having it ready for submission. But ultimately, it's GRAND to be a finalist and it opens additional opportunities.
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Chapter contests are where newer writers want to get their feet wet. They supply feedback, and still get you in front of an editor (one that you know may truly enjoy your work) if you final. The experienced writer should enter contests wanting to final and move out of the slush pile with an editor. The purpose is to FINAL and see how the editor reacts (asking for the full or placing you fourth). Winning a contest opens up more opportunities and may establish a professional relationship with the editor/agent.
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CONTESTS? I'm certain you've all heard this before, but just in case... When seeking an editor for my story last year, I sought contests by the following criteria: Final Round Editor, category specific, specific score sheets that showed off or worked FOR my writing style. At the point I was last year, I did not need feedback. But I have entered a manuscript for specifically that reason, found it wasn't working and did NOT submit to an editor. I know several published authors who also enter contests with new genre work just for the reaction of the reader.
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Those seeking unbiased feedback may need to confirm if a story is well-received or needs work. It helps point out holes in the opening chapter(s) or it may just be someone without the benefit of critique partners. The very new writer may not know they're seeking feedback... As a contest coordinator, I've listened to several new writers who fall into the bottom third of scoring. They receive the crits and listen, learn, revise and resubmit. Several contestants have gone on to sell those manuscripts.
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BELIEVING? And each time I received comments back in 2009, I stuck to my guns: my opinion, my vision for the book, my instinct that *I* knew the story better than anyone else. And it definitely helped that I had a critique partner (waving at Amy) who supported me and continually told me the story was mine.
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We’ve all experienced the hurtfulness of a stranger’s words regarding our work. I can’t say that the initial hurt ever stings less, but this past year, I laughed more than I cried. Especially when the book sold to Harlequin without me changing anything.
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SELLING? You have to know what you want from a contest to know if you received it. Writing is a business and you need a plan. One of my favorite pieces of advice that I received early on was from an editor: It's not the first or last chapter that sells your book...it's the middle. So those who sell don't just work on the beginning for contests, they take the advice they receive and apply it to the entire manuscript.
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QUESTION: What’s your mantra? 2009 was My Year. 2010 was Just Keep Writing. What’s yours and why? Leave a comment and we’ll draw from a free copy of Hill Country Holdup or an Advanced Reading Copy of .38 Caliber Cover-Up (my second Intrigue on shelves in February).
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Thanks again,
.~~Angi
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AngiMorgan.com
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Visit Angi’s website for her debut contest: Hold Up The Cover...lots of prizes.