November Contest Update

Three days left to this birthday party! It's been a wild month of living on cake and ice cream. Today we're going to talk about the rest of the year. 63 days until January 1. 

What's your contest agenda look like for the upcoming weeks? Any contest finalists/and winners out there care to raise their hands and encourage us along by sharing their lates news??  Don't make me out you.

I'm emptying out the vault today and I have books to give away. Leave a comment and let me know you want in. Two packages of books. Two winners. 

And there's a first chapter critique, (first 15 pages only, industry formatted) for two writers, up for grabs. All winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Published Manuscripts


The RWA RITA Contest will open for entries at 11 a.m. CT,  Nov. 1, 2016. (You must register to judge in order to enter.)

NRCA is open. Deadline December 15. 
 
Readers' Choice Contest is now open. (Formerly Beanpot) Deadline January 6, 2017

Golden Quill is now open. Deadline January 13, 2017.

Booksellers' Best Award is now open. Deadline January 19, 2017.

Attention Readers! 

• Interested in judging the  (New England) Reader's Choice Awards? Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.  

•  Interested in judging the NRCA? Check this page for the form. 

See Julie Lessman's testimony here. 

Unpublished Manuscripts 

Hook, Line & Sinker. Deadline November 1. Open to Published and Unpublished authors. Hone your skills in hooking an editor with our Hook Line and Sinker contest. Three judges, at least two of them published, will critique your first three pages. The top five entries will be ranked by Allison Lyons from Harlequin.  Open to nonRWA writers.


Emma Merritt Contest. Deadline November 30. Open to published and unpublished authors. Each entry must be an unpublished work – it cannot be published or under contract in any form or format, not in digital or print prior to the entry deadline. Entry must be the first 5,000 to 8,000 words.

Contemporary:  Piya Campana, Senior Editor, Harlequin Super Romance; Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Tara Cuskaden, Editorial Director, Entangled Select-Otherworlds; (agent TBA)

Suspense/Mystery: (editor TBA); Marisa Corvisiero of the Corvisiero Literary Agency
Historical: Tara Gavin, Executive Editor, Kensington Publishing Corp.; (agent TBA)

LGBTQ: Angela James, Editor in Chief, Carina Press; (agent TBA)

Women’s Fiction: Susan Litman, Senior Editor, Harlequin Special Editions; Danielle Marshall, Editorial Director, Lake Union Publishing, an imprint of Amazon Publishing

Inspirational: Raela Schoenherr, Acquiring Editor, Bethany House/Baker; Cori Deyoe of 3 Seas Literary Agency


Young Adult (YA): Susan Chang, Senior Editor, Tor/Tor Teen; Louise Fury of the Jenny Bent Literary Agency

 
Romance Me Novel Writing Contest. Deadline December 15. Open to published authors. "Be it historical or contemporary, a grand love story or the gripping tale of a torrid affair, through December 15 submit your Romance novel for the chance to win prizes and be read by judges from Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Hachette Book Group." Submit the first thirty pages. One entry per person. NO FEE! Cash prizes awarded to our top three writers. Everyone else will receive AUTHORS.me basic service; your submission viewed by multiple publishing professionals; and access to future contests and writer services. Winners will be announced on Valentines Day, February 14, 2017. 
Final editor judges:

Marissa Sangiacomo-Macmillan Publishers

Lexi Smail-Hachette Book Group

Katherine Pelz-Penguin Random House


The Golden Heart Contest-   Contest opens on December 1- Deadline January 1. The Golden Heart requires a full manuscript and is open to RWA members. The cost is $30. Once again Seekerville will provide an opportunity for entry reimbursement to writers who enter the Golden Heart in the category formerly known as inspirational. We're going to reimburse 8 entries -if the category makes it. So please consider entering! Read the rules here.

How it works. You enter and send us proof of entry. After the January deadline, RWA will announce if the category made it. If it does, we pick 8 writers to be reimbursed. We will email them privately. Winner's names are not announced on the blog in an effort to preserve contest integrity.


Let's start getting ready for the ACFW Genesis Contest which will open January 2016. The first 15 pages and a one-page synopsis!


Great Expectations Contest. Open for entries October 30, 2016. (No information on website when this post was written.) Entry and payment must be received January 4, 2017. Unpublished and Published authors. ***INFO IS ON THE BLOG***

If you've been working on the same novel for the last 24 months..it's time to write the next book.

Other Writing Opportunities

Attention K Mart Shoppers: The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing is currently Free on all retailers. Here is the Amazon link:https://amzn.com/B015QOF860 This is the updated version.

 CWA Thanks to editor Lonnie Hull Dupont for letting us know about the Cat Writers' Association. Here it is!





In the Pennsylvania area? Check out the Keystone Christian Fiction Writer's Conference, coming in November. Love Inspired Editor, Emily Rodmell is taking pitches! 

Check out FaithWriters for more writing opportunities!

Angels, Miracles, Cats, Dogs, Canada and more... The Chicken Soup upcoming topic line-up can be found here.

Keep your on on this site, #MSWL for writing opportunities. Manuscript Wish List where editors and agents let you know what they're looking for. It also keeps you apprised of trends in the industry.

Another way to keep up with the changes in publishing is to subscribe to Publishers Market Place. Check it out here. Or you can simply sign up for the weekly FREE newsletter, Publishers Lunch. Sign up here.

 "Publishers Lunch is the industry's "daily essential read," now shared with approximately 45,000 publishing people every day. Each report gathers together stories from all over the web and print of interest to the professional trade book community, along with original reporting, plus a little perspective and the occasional wisecrack added in."


And here's some fun. The UK Novel Writing Competition. The 'X Factor' for Writers.

~~~

Introducing the November Contest Diva, Renee McBride!

Ahoy, Seekervillians! Renee McBride, here, your Contest Diva for November.
May I be honest? When Tina asked me to wear this coveted crown, I laughed. You see, I’d entered seven contests this year, but have never actually won. 

What’s that, you say? Never won a contest?   

  Sadly, it’s true. I have nothing to show—nothing to display on my website, no impressive winnings for my signature line; nothing, nada, nil! 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re out there swimming the treacherous contest waters, gulping down pond scum, and fending off attacks from flesh-eating contest Piranha. Why would anyone listen to a writer as battered and bruised as Renee McBride? Hmmm…when you put it that way, I see your point.

Okay, then. So, we all agree. We should follow successful people, like the Seekers, not someone as pitiful as this: There I was, polishing my manuscript to a fine sheen. It was the greatest story to hit Christian publishing since the conversion of Francine Rivers. You know the feeling. You’ve farmed out that manuscript to your trusty entourage of critique partners, chewed off a few fingernails, then finally—in a rush of adrenaline—pressed “SEND.” 

Like me, you may have thought, Oh, no! I forgot to change the font size in the header! Panic soon gave way to the realization that your story is so good it speaks for itself. About this time, an exhilarating breeze of endorphins blows through your hair and it dawns on you that you have nothing to wear to the awards banquet. 

I can guess what you’re thinking, you’re way smarter than that. No way you’d ever open your contest results and find yourself crumpled on the bathroom floor, clutching a box of tissues repeating the words, “They just don’t get me.” But I digress…

Maybe it didn’t look exactly like that for you, but chances are your first plunge into the Piranha-infested contest waters didn’t go as planned. Rest assured, after the initial sting of rejection, we all realize some important things. First, you can write to a deadline! And second, two editing passes does not a polished manuscript, make. 

So, where do you go from here? After all, our delicate egos can only take so much. Why should we continue to expose ourselves to ridicule—and pay good money to do it? Well, when you put it that way, I do have a credit card bill to pay off, along with an unworn evening gown. Just in case you’re interested. That’s beside the point. The point is that if we continue to enter contests, someone, somewhere, at some time will inevitably ask to see the full manuscript. 

I know this to be true because this year I received three “Revise and Resubmit” letters from contest judge editors. Shouldn’t that be the goal anyway? 


Renee McBride writes wholesome romance for the cowgirl at heart. Follow her journey to publication at: www.ReneeMcBride.com. 

 Tina here: Dear Renee is correct. Winning isn't the goal. Selling is. Three Revise and Resubmits are something to stand up and cheer for. And being a diva is not about taglines. It's about having the courage to enter. For that Renee McBride, I stand up and cheer for you! YOU ARE A DIVA!

This post was brought to you by Diva Tina Radcliffe, who hopes you take serious steps toward your tomorrow-- today.

You may sign up for her newsletter if you want to be a cool cat diva. http://bit.ly/2angfWP

 That's it! Now go forth and contest!