Hey!
I figured the new year should come with some kind of promotion, so I decided to start this website! Until something more interesting happens, I’ll probably just be updating you on contests I’ve entered, query letters I’ve sent and what I’m writing.
I just recently enteredDriving Change into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (hereby referred to as ABNA). It has a couple rounds of judging, so I’ll let you know the results of the first round in February. Keep your fingers crossed!
I’ve also entered a short story, Savior, into the Jr Author’s Short Story Writing Contest. Finalists aren’t announced until September, so I’ll probably have forgotten about it if I do get a call then.
I’m currently trying to finish a story to enter the Highlights Fiction Contest with, and I have to say it’s not going too well. I typically write YA, which some people may consider children’s, but I have to say that I’m not doing too well with the 6-8 year age range. I’ve spent the past few days reading stories on their website, and I think I might have something they’d want. The deadline is the 31st, so I’ll probably send it off even if I don’t feel it’s right. The possibility that it’s totally horrible is worth the $3.33 that I spent on envelopes and stamps.
Also, on Sunday I sent out about ten query letters (my first!) and so far have received two rejections (my first!). One was pretty typical, but another, while still form letterish, made me feel very hopeful. I’ll paste it here.
Dear Ms. Waites,
I have received and reviewed your query for your manuscript. I greatly appreciate you sending your ideas to us for consideration. However, because of the number of submissions our agency receives, we often are not able to take on clients who merit publication. While I believe that your ideas might have market appeal, I am not convinced that we could represent it successfully at this time.
Thank you for considering [insert literary agency]. I wish you the best of luck in all your future writing endeavors!
My favorite part was “we often are not able to take on clients who merit publication.” It makes the rejection a little easier.
Currently I’m working on what feels like eighty thousand stories, though it’s only about five. One is a short story for a contest, another is a longer short story for a contest, and the others are just random ideas I had the other day. I’ll let you know about the contests when I actually get around to entering them!