The 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award, a high-profile contest with many, many cogs

I'm excited to introduce Donnell Ann Bell as our guest to Seekerville. Donnell is known all over the writing world for her humor, grace and the ability to draw the best out of anyone she meets. 2010 ushers in her eighth year of service with the Daphne. Don't hesitate to ask questions of Donnell...she's offering an extra special surprise....

Good morning, Seekerville, and thanks for inviting me here to talk about The 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Hosted by the RWA®’s Kiss of Death Chapter, this contest is very near and dear to me. One, because it involves my favorite genres, mystery and romantic suspense, and, two, it honors the legendary Suspense Author Daphne du Maurier.

Now, I’d like a show of hands, because as a contest coordinator, I come complete with an omniscient viewpoint. Thus, I can see all of you out there. How many of you fabulous Seekerville blog readers think I coordinate this contest all by myself?

That many? Wow! I would love to take all the credit for the growth of this mystery and romantic suspense contest, but the truth is, I have help – enormous, qualified and distinguished assistance. So, today I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce them. The truth is there’s a reason for the Daphne’s success, and I’m just a cog in a process that makes this contest click year after year.

INTRODUCING THE PUBLISHED DAPHNE COORDINATORS

(The published contest, divided into sub genres of: Mainstream Mystery, Single Title Romantic Mystery/Suspense, Category (Series) Romantic/Mystery Suspense, Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense, Historical Romantic Mystery/Suspense and Paranormal Romantic Mystery/Suspense. Open to published authors who have a 2009 copyrighted mystery or romantic suspense novel, The Daphne Published contest levels the playing field. It is open to self-published, e-published, traditional presses and vanity press authors. Of course the books must be bound, and you would do well to make your product look as professional as possible, but non-traditional published authors have done extremely well in the Daphne published contest.)

Kelly Ann Riley and Caroline Dunsheath are the longest-standing members on the Daphne committee. They work tirelessly January through July, in which Kelly receives the published books and distributes them, while Cee is in charge of training, coordinating and handling the score sheets for the published side of this competition.

About Kelly Ann Riley: Penning stories at an early age, Kelly Ann, received special recognition for her short stories. Later, she became a reporter and editor for her high school newspaper. After earning a B.S. in Clinical Nutrition and a MBA, she worked for years as a Registered Dietitian and Director of Nutritional Services, but never gave up her first love of writing. Before she was published, she finaled and placed in numerous writing contests, including winning first place in the Daphne du Maurier Contest and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart competition.

Kelly Ann is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and RWA's Mystery/Suspense (KOD) and Inspirational (FHL) chapters. She's been a Published Coordinator for KOD's Daphne du Maurier contest since 2002. She enjoys working with the Daphne committee and interacting with the authors who enter the contest. It's always exciting when the finalists are determined and then announcing the winners at RWA’s National conference.

Kelly’s first published novel, which won the Golden Heart in 2009 for Best Inspirational manuscript will be released by Steeple Hill as a Love Inspired Suspense in July 2010 with the title "Firestorm." She is also contracted to write a Guidepost Patchwork Mystery novel for Christmas 2010.

Kelly lives in Alabama where she writes her novels and enjoys many adventures as a youth leader in her church, wife to an engineer, and mother to two wonderful teens. You can contact her through her website at http://www.kellyannriley.com/

About Caroline Dunsheath: Cee has been involved with the Daphne since it evolved from a one-page, then a three-page contest [to its present day form]. As an entrant, judge and later a coordinator (originally Unpublished, and now in her third year as Co-coordinator of the Published Division), Cee never fails to be impressed with the breadth of talent on both sides of the score sheet. The competition stiffens every year as the Daphne’s reputation draws the best in mystery and suspense. But our judges are so amazing, giving such great feedback, that she believes even the nonfinaling entries “win” big.

Volunteering for a chapter contest is daunting, especially one that attracts a large number of entries, but Cee credits a committee filled with talented, selfless, and seemingly tireless members as the secret to the Daphne’s success and the reason the job hasn’t driven her insane (that, and having a super-productive best friend who lets her rant about late scores, lousy math and the lack of a 25th hour in a day, as a partner!)

Sanity challenged or not, she still whole-heartedly encourages writers to become a part of their chapters’ contests. It’s not only rewarding, it’s a gold mine of inspiration, motivation and on-the-job training. “I feel as though I’ve gotten a non-accredited Master’s degree in writing by judging, submitting for judging and seeing how other writers judge. There’s something to be learned in every step of the process.”

When not volunteering, Cee puts her contest-garnered education to use writing paranormal suspense. She is represented by Kelly L. Mortimer of Mortimer Literary Agency, whom she met via cell phone at Death by Chocolate, when her manuscript “SEEDS” took first place in the Daphne.

INTRODUCING THE UNPUBLISHED DAPHNE COORDINATORS

The Unpublished side of the Daphne (now 100 percent electronic) is also divided into sub genres of : Mainstream Mystery, Single Title Romantic Mystery/Suspense, Category (Series) Romantic/Mystery Suspense, Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense, Historical Romantic Mystery/Suspense and Paranormal (PTTF) Romantic Mystery/Suspense. The coordinators of these sub-genres are amazingly talented not only in coordinating the Daphne but in their professional lives. Read on:

Mainstream Mystery/Suspense Coordinator Joelle Charbonneau. Now in her second year with the Daphne, Joelle brings to this committee her tenacity, networking savvy and contagious gregariousness.

About Joelle Charbonneu. Joelle is a storyteller at heart. She has performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children’s theatre productions across the Chicagoland area. In addition to her stage work, Joelle has also performed with several bands and worked as a solo performer. While Joelle is happy to perform for an audience, she is equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use her experience from the stage to create compelling characters in her mysteries. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and toddler son while penning the third book in her soon to be released mystery series. Her first comedic mystery, Skating Around the Law, will be released in the fall of 2010 by St. Martin's Minotaur. To learn more, visit Joelle at her website http://www.joellecharbonneau.net/

Single Title Coordinator and Co-Judge Coordinator Brooke Wills. What Brooke doesn’t say in her bio is that she’s a contest finalist in her own right and she brings the same dogged exactness in being a controller to the Daphne.

About Brooke Wills: Brooke is a financial controller by day and so far a controller by night. Her interests include reading, writing, gardening and cooking. This is her fourth year with the Daphne contest, this year coordinating the Single Title, Unpublished category and helping with judges’ training. In addition, Brooke is treasurer for RWA’s Chick-Lit chapter. The Daphne contest is great because it’s not just for RWA members, but also for mystery writers in general. There is so much hope in each entry, and the feedback provided by the Daphne judges is such a huge part of the contest.

Category (Series) Coordinator Elizabeth Pina Elizabeth Pina wears so many hats it’s amazing she has hair. When she’s not helping others, she’s winning numerous contests and publishing her wonderful work. Elizabeth returns to the Daphne for her second year.

About Elizabeth Pina: A native Brit and long-time Texan, mother-of-four Elizabeth Pina lives not far from Houston. Her youngest is now a senior in high school, but Elizabeth is constantly busy with livestock, show dogs, and full-time employment. Whenever there's a spare moment, you’ll find her happily ensconced behind her laptop. She's a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and various local and on-line chapters of each, including the Kiss of Death where she coordinates the Lethal Ladies critique group. Elizabeth credits (or blames) her success on contests, and would like to help others achieve their goal of publication in the same way. She considers KOD a wonderful community and support group, and enjoys working with Donnell and the other coordinators to make the Daphne a success.

Inspirational & Historical Romantic Suspense Coordinator Jen McAndrews If you want something done, give it to a busy person. Also, in her second year, I’m amazed she didn’t shoot the Overall Coordinator for giving her two sub-genres. What’s more O.C. is still alive, AND Jen returned (of her own free will) for a second year to take on the same two sub-genres again.

About Jen McAndrews: Jen has built a career in legal and academic publishing. She is currently working as a markup specialist with a high profile science publisher, where her duties include troubleshooting, project management, and new technology development. A mystery- and romance-writing member of RWA since 2003, Jen has served in numerous roles within local and online chapters, but coordinating the Daphne is a unique treat that allows her to experience all the thrills, fun, and excitement of one of the most prestigious contests in the RWA. And if that's not enough, working with the rest of the committee is an absolute highlight of the year!

Paranormal (PTTF) Coordinator Connie Gillam brings to the Daphne a level of calm and an equal level of professionalism. What this 2008 Golden Heart finalist doesn’t mention is that she’s coordinated other contests as well and that her own compelling work is steadily rising to the top.

About Connie Gillam: After many years in the medical profession, Connie decided to pursue her love of writing and found a home with Romance Writers of America. Because her novels always contain an element of suspense, the Kiss of Death specialty interest chapter was a natural fit. This will be her third year coordinating the Paranormal category of the Daphne. The contest always attracts such excellent manuscripts, and she likes to watch the cream rise to the top. It's interesting to see the finaling manuscripts win in other contests and ultimately the Golden Heart.

A transplanted Midwesterner, Connie Gillam resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her family. You can read more about Connie at http://www.constancegillam.com/

Daphne Advisor Jean Willett Without Jean Willett, there would be no Daphne du Maurier Award. Former KOD co-president, Jean was instrumental in obtaining permission from the du Maurier estate to use the name Daphne du Maurier. Every year, Jean orders the beautiful bookmarks that go to our first place sub-genre winners and the incredible bronze scroll plaque which goes to our published Daphne Winner, and an aluminum scroll plaque which goes to our unpublished Daphne Winner.

About Jean Willett: When Jean isn’t penning her mystery and thrillers, she finds time to advise the Kiss of Death Chapter’s board, lead the Golden Heart Network as its 2010 president. A winner or finalist in numerous contests, Jean has won such prestigious competitions as The Maggie, Colorado Gold and was a finalist in The Golden Heart.

So now my secret is out. I hope now you can understand why the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense is such a well-oiled machine. Thanks Seekerville for allowing me to get this off my chest. I am but a cog in the wheel, but so proud and privileged to be affiliated with the above people as well as the Kiss of Death Chapter that hosts a contest in support of the mystery and romantic suspense genre.

The Daphne opens its contest doors on January 15, 2010. Check out: http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/ for more information.

Overall Daphne Coordinator Donnell Ann Bell has served on the Daphne Committee since 2002, serving in most every capacity to learn what it takes to run this high-powered contest. She is a multiple contest finalist and contest winner, including a final in the 2007 Golden Heart. Check out her website at: http://www.donnellannbell.com/

For those who comment or ask questions about the Daphne, Seekerville will draw one name for a free admission to either the Unpublished or the Published Contest. Make sure you include your email address with your comment!!

Aftermath..by Ronie Kendig--ACFW BTY Coordinator and Seekerville Guestblogger

Aftermath


The majority of entrants walk away from a contest feeling as if they’d walked into the middle of a battle with no armor. Expectations are high, they want the victory, but are unprepared for the outcome. So, you’re wounded, feeling a bit dejected, and maybe you’ve even toyed with the thought of hurtling your computer across the room. You wanted a window in that wall anyway, didn’t you?

But let’s step back from the aggression. Take a look at things a bit objectively. I’ve worked with contests for several years now, as a judge, a category coordinator, and as the contest coordinator. It’s been very eye opening, and I’d like to help some of you down from the ledge. I think there are many important keys to surviving, but I’d like to focus on three:

1.) Perspective

2.) Acceptance

3.) Confidence

First, you’re a writer and as such, you have to get into the minds of your characters, right? So, do the same with the judges. They aren’t there drooling and laughing maniacally to see how much they can tear you down, although it might feel that way. Truly, they want to help. And remember that whether here in a contest, or out “there” in the bookstores, your judges are . . .readers. We each have different opinions, and that diversity is a part of being a writer, too.

Second, before you can fully digest contest feedback, I think you must first accept that YOU are a WRITER. That’s your job (yes, I sad the J-word). It’s a painful and sometimes gruesome reality, but writing takes work. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you must hone your skills. Always. So, even if the feedback seemed to carve your heart out, work through it. Take what you agree with and implement it, pray over those comments that leave you a tad uncertain, and tuck aside what you really disagree with.

Confidence. I find this element severely lacking in many writers, because most writers, like me, are more prone to feeling than logic (you Type A’s, don’t roast me). It’s easier to think the judges didn’t get your writing than to accept that perhaps you have something you need to work on. But being able to do this requires finding your confidence as a writer, which is vital. I’m not talking confidence as in “I have all the answers.” I’m speaking of your identity. . .being a writer. Learning the rules. Honing your skills. Once you are grounded in that confidence, once you have your “footing,” you will find that you can face the challenges of refining a story and your skill with grace and determination, because by then, you’re concentrating on story, not on YOU (read: pride) and the lies that plague and paralyze.

Contests are out there to challenge us to press forward, to be the best and write the best that we can. But remember—you are already a writer. Don’t let negative feedback define you. Define yourself! And because I’m a Christian, I find my definition in Christ, and through his unconditional love, I am able to find my footing in areas of my life that are important—like writing.

Ronie Kendig

Ronie Kendig has a BS in Psychology and is a wife, mother of four, and avid writer. She has found her voice in writing fast-paced fiction. Ronie’s espionage thriller Dead Reckoning is contracted by Abingdon Press and slated it for a March 2010 release. Also, Ronie co-authored a true story about her husband, Brian, which appears in Allison Bottke’s God Answers Prayers: Military Edition (Harvest House). She won third place in the ACFW Noble Theme Contest in Science Fiction with her futuristic military story, Liberty’s Son. An active member of ACFW, Ronie serves as the Book of the Year coordinator and as List Hostess for the main e-loop. She also volunteers on the ACFW conference committee for the national conference, as assistant to the conference appointment coordinator, and judges in the Genesis contest.

Ronie's Web site


Ronie's Blog



Ronie Kendig, has been contracted by Abingdon Press for her espionage thriller, Dead Reckoning, scheduled for release March 2010. Deal negotiated by agent extraordinaire, Steve Laube.


Dead Reckoning...
Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and angry at the injustices of life. Her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international meltdown and forces her to flee for her life. When she spots a man trailing her, she questions who he is and how he's always one step ahead of her.


Former Green Beret Reece Jaxon now serves his country as a covert operative. His mission is entangled by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the source to a dead drop in the Arabian Sea.
The only way to prevent a nuclear disaster is to join forces with Reece. But will Shiloh violate her vow to never become a spy like her father? Will they put aside their differences to end this nightmare?

The Ultimate Empathizer by Donnell Bell-Guestblogger

Today we have another guestblogging contest coordinator. I had a wonderful time working with Donnell when she coordinated the Daphne. I am SO thrilled that she's coming back to coordinate that stellar contest. And, I'm excited for you all to get to know her more today here on Seekerville. Isn't her pooch cute!?

With that, I'll turn the table over to Donnell....

Cheryl

===

The Ultimate Empathizer


There’s an Indian proverb that says, “Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.” Good proverb, sage advice, and one I respect. Especially when it comes to contests. You see, when it comes to contests, I am the ultimate empathizer. I’ve been an entrant, a judge and finally a coordinator. So, if someone says to me, “You can’t understand,” be careful. I just might surprise you.


On being a Contestant:


My first contest, a brand new fiction writer, I entered the EMILY. That’s right. One of RWA®’s most prestigious contests. I’d come from a nonfiction background and I was pretty sure I was Pulitzer Prize winning material. I entered Loving Montana. Oh my gosh, it was brilliant writing. It contained every adverb known to man; switched POV so many times even my characters marked me down; and listed so much critical research and back story, to this day I’m still astounded I didn’t final!



But perhaps the silliest thing these Emily judges marked me down for was …get this. I didn’t have a hero. Can you believe it? On the score sheet that said on a scale of one to five, how appealing do you find the hero …two of my judges gave me zeros. One judge, out of the goodness of her heart, gave me a one. And I’ll never forget what this gracious lady said on the score sheet. … “Your writing is good. I wanted to mark you up, but we never see a hero. You need a hero. Is there a hero?”


That’s been a while and her comment still makes me laugh. So when I say I’ve been there, I have. I’ve made every mistake known to contests. What did I do about it? I honed my craft. These days before I enter, I study the score sheet, keep a grip on my galloping POV and now very nearly always include a hero.


I also learned the “alleged” rules of Romance. Now if I break them I do so deliberately. By the way, to those Emily judges. You rock!


On being a Judge:


At a chapter meeting, and again a brand new writer, one of my chapter mates asked, “Donnell, will you judge the contest I’m coordinating?” I shuffled my feet and scratched my chin and replied, “Well, I don’t know. I don’t think I’m qualified.”


She said, “You read, don’t you?”


Yes, I read. And reading does NOT qualify you to be a contest judge. Contest judges know the so-called rules; they also know when to ignore them. Contests judges know when someone’s written a compelling tale – it’s one that makes them “feel,” and for days after, they’re still thinking about that entry and crossing their fingers that it sells. Judges understand POV, understand when an entrant is head hopping, and also understand when the POV switches work. Contest judges acknowledge that an entry is somebody’s baby, somebody’s hard work she’s entrusted to you, and understand that just maybe this is a brand new writer whose spirit can be easily crushed.


Further, contest judges know that out there, some frazzled volunteer coordinator is counting on them to make that deadline, to make those kind-but-honest comments and to take the same kind of pride in judging that that oh-so-nervous contestant has done in entering.


On being a Coordinator:


For those who know me the term Mama Lion doesn’t do justice. I’m protective of my entrants, protective of my judges, protective of the coordinators I work with and very aware of the reputation of the contest I coordinate. If you enter, I ask you to follow the rules. If you judge, I beg you to follow the instructions and meet the deadline. No, you don’t get paid. Yes, it’s from the goodness of your heart. But it does earn you undying gratitude, and esteem from your colleagues in this field.


All three areas to my contest life involved a learning process. I’ve been there. When you bomb in a contest or miss finaling by a hair’s breadth, I’ve been there. When you judge the entry from hell, and worry this person will never write again because you found no redeeming value in the work, but you tried, I’ve been there. When a judge goes silent and refuses to communicate, or an agent or editor is too overworked and forgets they agreed to judge, I’ve been there, also.


I am the ultimate empathizer. What’s more, I tip my hat to all you wonderful people aiming for the stars who empathize, too.


Donnell Ann Bell is published in nonfiction, an award-winning writer and a 2007 Golden Heart® finalist. She also has held most every committee position on the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense contest, rwa.mysterysuspense.org. This year she returns as the Overall Coordinator for the Daphne. Check out her joint blog, http://fivescribes.blogspot.com/ or her web page, www.donnellannbell.com

INTERVIEW WITH NANCY FARRIER-Coordinator for FHL's IRCC Contest

I had the privilege of working with Nancy when I was a category coordinator for Faith, Hope and Love's Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest (IRCC) a couple of years ago. Nancy has agreed to guestblog with us today. Here is an interview with Nancy:

1. How did you get into coordinating FHL's contest?

Jeri Odell was the first coordinator for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest. She and I belonged to the same critique group and were both members of FHL. She asked me to be a category coordinator, which I did. When Jeri stepped down, she recommended me as the contest coordinator, since I had been involved every year. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do this. I’m not a very organized person, but Jeri helped a lot, as did Sunni Jeffers and Robin Lee Hatcher.


2. What's your favorite part of coordinating the contest?

I think my favorite part is calling the finalists. They are always so excited. You can hear the trepidation in their voice until they find out who is calling and why. Then, they are very excited. Often, I’ve called when the author is at a low point, and God uses the call to encourage them. That is always rewarding.

I also enjoy seeing all the books entered. I love books: the titles, the premises, the different genres—all these things are fascinating to me.

We have a unique contest, in that it is only for Inspirational fiction, anyone may enter, not just FHL members, and the contest is judged by readers of Inspirational fiction. There are some authors who read for us, but I try to encourage only readers, not writers, to judge. This gives a way of seeing how actual readers view the books.


3. What advice would you have for anyone considering a contest coordinator position?

Be sure you have the time. The IRCC is almost a full year position. I start getting ads ready in September or October because of the lag time for the RWA magazine coming out. Also, I have to get the changes made for the next year’s contest by December. Then, the contest really takes off in January and lasts until the awards are given out in July. I really have only a couple of months off.

Also, I don’t know about other contest coordinators, but I put in a lot of time emailing past entrants to see if they want to enter again. I also contact editors from all the publishing houses to see if they want to enter their author’s books, or to suggest they can encourage their authors to enter. Many publishers choose to do that.

A coordinator must be able to deal calmly with a multitude of problems. Be prepared to spend time in prayer asking for wisdom, etc. Every year there has been a new challenge. I love to see how God works everything out to His glory. He teaches me something new every year.




4. What advice to you have for potential entrants?

Be sure to read the rules and follow them. Every year, I have at least one entrant who doesn’t do that and their error usually means I have to ship books elsewhere for them. Also, consider the categories and where your book fits the best. It’s so important to be in the right category.


5. What advice do you have for potential judges?

As I mentioned earlier, I prefer judges who don’t write, but love to read Inspirational fiction. If you are an author and have a fan base with some who love fiction, I would suggest you email them and send them to the FHL loop to sign up. Please, if you want to judge, be aware of the timing. Every year we get those who sign up and then have forgotten or changed their minds when the actual time arrives. Look at the dates to see if they work for you. I do understand that sometimes emergencies come up. One year I had a judge who had an unexpected surgery and couldn’t judge. We do understand things like that.

Also, be aware of when you’re score sheets are due and get them in on time. Make sure the books you’re getting are of a length that you can read in the allotted time.


6. How do you think contests benefit those who enter, as well as their chapter?

It is always nice to win and have that to add to your resume. However, not that many win. This year we had 130 entries, 22 finalists and 7 winners. If you look at it from that perspective, then the contest isn’t a great idea.

I always try to tell people to consider this an outreach for new readers. Many of our judges belong to churches and share their books with other ladies in the church. Many of them put the books in the church library. You are reaching more than just four readers with your entry. Word of mouth is still the leading way to sell books and entering the IRCC can be a great way to spread the word about your books.

One of my favorite stories to demonstrate this happened years ago when I was a category coordinator. One of the books arrived and my daughter fell in love with the cover. The book was historical and she wanted to read it so much, she bought the book. She was only fourteen or fifteen at the time, so this was a major expense for her. She ended up buying all four of the books in that series and still has them. I have no idea how many people she’s told about the author and the series. She’s been a great salesman for this author’s books, and she wasn’t even old enough to be a judge, so she wasn’t involved in the contest. Imagine, how a judge would impact your books or sales.

As for your chapter, publishers take note of contests. When I was at the RWA conference in San Francisco, there were several editors I had never met, who knew the contest I coordinated. They pay attention and that is good for your members. The contest brings notice to our FHL group.


7. When does next year's FHL kick off?

The IRCC opens in December, although it’s best to enter in January. I usually don’t have my category coordinators in place until early January because everyone is getting ready for Christmas and the whole season is so hectic. Many authors do prefer to enter in December and then send their books in January after I email them instructions.

Nancy, thank you for joining us today!

Thank you for asking me to do this. I’d love to answer any questions you have.