Contests and the Aspiring Writer

As I pointed out in my 10 Commandments for the Agent Hunt post on Wednesday, one way to capture the attention of an agent or acquiring editor is to place or win writing contests. Publishing is such a subjective business. An agent may love your work and still be undecided, especially if your story is at all out of the box. If you have a few contest credits under your belt, it proves your writing speaks to others as well. It may be just the nudge an agent needs to take a chance on a newbie.

But where does a writer find these contests?

For the romance author, it's easy. Almost every RWA Chapter holds a contest every year. But not all of them cater to every subgenre. And what if you're writing thrillers or YA or a straight historical?

You may think you're out of luck.

But fear not! Let me introduce you to a great organization--PACIFIC NORTHWEST WRITERS ASSOCIATION



Their membership includes writers in every imaginable nitch! Mainstream, mystery, thrillers, romance, YA, children's lit & picture books, historical, sci-fi/fantasy, non-fiction, screenplays, memoirs, poetry, short stories, and essays. They are all about the craft of writing in whatever form that takes.

I was fortunate to be asked to speak for their conference in '08 and I gave my JOY OF WRITING SEX workshop. It was such fun (and different!) to present the material to a packed room with authors who were mostly not romance writers. (As a side note, it proved to me that every genre needs at least a subplot of romance in this market!)

And no matter what you write, I'm betting PNWA has a contest category for it!

My e-critique buddy, the fabulous Darcy Carson (without whom I would not be published) sent me an email yesterday asking me to spread the word about PNWA's contest. Here's the straight skinny:

Once again it's time for PNWA Literary Contest. Click HERE for all the categories and rules. All materials must be received by February 19, 2010.

If you're entering the romance category, you'll need to send 28 pages (including the maximum 5 page synopsis) so make every word count. As with any contest, follow the directions to the letter or your entry will be disqualified.

Every qualified entry will receive two critiques. Finalists will be judged by acquiring editors and agents (There's the brass ring for you! If they like what they see, they will ask for more!) and there is $12K in total prize money to be awarded (with $600 going to the top entry in each category!)

And here's another big deal.

This contest is open to published authors too.

The only stipulation is that the work submitted must not be under contract at the time of entry. (Who among us doesn't have some of that laying around?)

A win in this contest carries some special gravitas. NY Times Bestseller Robert Dugoni (The Jury Master, Damage Control) credits his win in the PNWA literary contest with helping launch his career.

So, good luck and I hope to see your name on the finalists' list very soon!

PS. Today is my regular day over at THE CHATELAINES. Hope you'll drop by!

Who's Going to RWA Nationals?

I am, I am! (Hopping up and down and waving my hand over my head!) I leave for DC next Wednesday morning (by way of connecting in Cincinnati--don't ask! I gave up trying to figure airlines out a long time ago.) I'm looking forward to a number of great things.

First there's a booksellers & librarians mixer on Wednesday afternoon (provided I can slog from the airport to the hotel in time.) It's always fun to meet the people who I hope will put my books in the hands of a new reader. Then there's the Literacy Bookfair at 5:30. Thanks to the generosity of our publishers who DONATE the books so RWA gets all the profit for their charity, RWA is able to support literacy projects aimed at women all over the globe. I'll be there along with several hundred of my writer friends, signing and having fun!

At this RWA, I'll meet my new agent for the first time! (Sadly, my previous agent had to close her doors due to health issues.) But I recently signed with the fabulous Natasha Kern! We've had several very productive phone calls and she's already given me many things to think about. I'm looking forward to meeting her and her assistant, Becky in person.

On Friday, I'm giving my first ever RWA Nationals workshop: Neurotica: How Adding Humor Can Jumpstart Your Career like Crazy! (It'll be Friday the 17th, 2-3PM in the Maryland C room in case you're interested!) I've done workshops for RT, PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association), New England Chapter RWA, Iowa Romance Novelists, Eastside RWA in Seattle, and Ozarks Romance Authors. But this is my first time at RWA, so I'm a little nervous about how it will go.

And last, but by no means least, I'm hoping to meet YOU! Please let me know if you'll be going to RWA in DC. I'd love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you.