TOPIC: Why enter writing contests?

Again and because contest season is just around the corner, another re-post, this time one about why enter writing contests - previously entitled, "Do you have the contest bug?"


This is a timeless topic often discussed among writers - the value of entering contests.

RWA Valerie Parv Award

Some are for entering them and are vocal advocates of the benefits of doing so, others advise against entering as many seem to "encourage writers to write to the contest" or they see the writer receiving little value out of them.

I fall into the former category of advocates. The name "contest diva", "contest queen", or the more affectionately yet derogatory "contest sl**" was often mentioned in the same sentence as my name (*grin*). In the course of my unpublished career as a writer, I entered almost 100 contests over the nine years since tackling my first.

When considering whether or not you should enter a contest ask yourself this - why are you entering?

RWNZ Clendon Award

Is to get feedback on your work? Is the contest aimed at judging 3 chapters, a short story or a full manuscript? Is it to final? Is it because your want to get in front of a particular agent or editor? Is it to get a contest resume under your belt?

Let's consider each question.

• Feedback - entering can be a cheap way to get feedback on your work, particularly if you find a full manuscript contest that gives comments (eg. RWA Emerald Award or the RWNZ Clendon Award).

WHRWA Emily Award

If you belong to a writing organisation, ask yourself this - can I get feedback any other way besides through contests?

Some writing organisations have mentoring schemes, critique groups or critique partner schemes running, so this might be another avenue for you to pursue in your quest to get feedback.

• Contest criteria - entering a specific type of contest can help your craft. I avoided entering any sort of synopses contest, purely because I hated writing them. But because it was a weakness I'd identified in my craft skills, I forced myself to enter several of these to get feedback before I sent my work out on submission.
• To final - this is a feather in any writer's cap. I used this as a benchmark to see whether I was improving in my craft but then, in the context of where I was as a writer (geography and isolation, not the level of skill) and the services I had access to this (era of time) proved to be the only option available to me to measure this. (So context is important.)



RWA Emerald Award

• Getting your work in front of an editor/agent - if you have the budget, you can enter as many contests as you like, and some have done this. Most writers don't have unlimited funds, so choosing which particular contest - based on reputation or final judges or specific feedback - and this may determine your decision on whether you enter or not.

Toward the end of my unpublished contest career my goal for entering was driven by who the final judge was. I wanted to get my work in front of an editor or agent who acquired my genre.

RWA Golden Heart

• Contest resumes - racking up finalist kudos, placings or wins is certainly a way to impress potential editors and agents but it doesn't always help. Some take no notice of your achievements. I admit, one of my main goals for entering contests, in the latter part of my unpublished career, was to build a resume for each manuscript but it wasn't the only avenue I relied upon to get my work in front of editors/agents.

I think the secret of entering any contest is to identify why you're entering it, what you're hoping to get out of it as a result and to understand that it's one of many strategies, not the only one, to help you in your journey to publication.

So, with the RWAustralia and RWNZ contest season about to start fresh, I know there will be some of you keen to try the contest circuit (and good on you, go for it!). There are a wide range of ones for you to enter here and overseas.

Keeping that in mind, here are a few links you might like to explore to find the sort of contests you'd like to enter:

Romance Writers of Australia contest page
Romance Writers of New Zealand contest page
Romance Writers of America contest page
Stephanie Smith's contest page for author

RWNZ Clendon Readers' Choice Award

But, just remember, I've seen many friends who've taken the contest circuit route in the attempt to get published and I know of others who haven't entered any contests yet been picked up through submitting their work.

There are valid reasons to try both paths, one isn't better than the other.

It's whatever works for you.

TOPIC: Do You Have the Contest Bug?

This is a timeless topic often discussed among writers - the value of entering contests.

RWA Valerie Parv Award

Some are for entering them and are vocal advocates of the benefits of doing so, others advise against entering as many seem to "encourage writers to write to the contest" or they see the writer receiving little value out of them.

I fall into the former category of advocates. The name "contest diva", "contest queen", or the more affectionately yet derogatory "contest sl**" was often mentioned in the same sentence as my name (*grin*). In the course of my unpublished career as a writer, I entered almost 100 contests over the nine years since tackling my first.

When considering whether or not you should enter a contest ask yourself this - why are you entering?

RWNZ Clendon Award

Is to get feedback on your work? Is the contest aimed at judging 3 chapters, a short story or a full manuscript? Is it to final? Is it because your want to get in front of a particular agent or editor? Is it to get a contest resume under your belt?

Let's consider each question.

• Feedback - entering can be a cheap way to get feedback on your work, particularly if you find a full manuscript contest that gives comments (eg. RWA Emerald Award or the RWNZ Clendon Award).

WHRWA Emily Award

If you belong to a writing organisation, ask yourself this - can I get feedback any other way besides through contests?

Some writing organisations have mentoring schemes, critique groups or critique partner schemes running, so this might be another avenue for you to pursue in your quest to get feedback.

• Contest criteria - entering a specific type of contest can help your craft. I avoided entering any sort of synopses contest, purely because I hated writing them. But because it was a weakness I'd identified in my craft skills, I forced myself to enter several of these to get feedback before I sent my work out on submission.
• To final - this is a feather in any writer's cap. I used this as a benchmark to see whether I was improving in my craft but then, in the context of where I was as a writer (geography and isolation, not the level of skill) and the services I had access to this (era of time) proved to be the only option available to me to measure this. (So context is important.)



RWA Emerald Award

• Getting your work in front of an editor/agent - if you have the budget, you can enter as many contests as you like, and some have done this. Most writers don't have unlimited funds, so choosing which particular contest - based on reputation or final judges or specific feedback - and this may determine your decision on whether you enter or not.

Toward the end of my unpublished contest career my goal for entering was driven by who the final judge was. I wanted to get my work in front of an editor or agent who acquired my genre.

RWA Golden Heart

• Contest resumes - racking up finalist kudos, placings or wins is certainly a way to impress potential editors and agents but it doesn't always help. Some take no notice of your achievements. I admit, one of my main goals for entering contests, in the latter part of my unpublished career, was to build a resume for each manuscript but it wasn't the only avenue I relied upon to get my work in front of editors/agents.

I think the secret of entering any contest is to identify why you're entering it, what you're hoping to get out of it as a result and to understand that it's one of many strategies, not the only one, to help you in your journey to publication.

So, with the RWAustralia and RWNZ contest season about to start fresh, I know there will be some of you keen to try the contest circuit (and good on you, go for it!). There are a wide range of ones for you to enter here and overseas.

Keeping that in mind, here are a few links you might like to explore to find the sort of contests you'd like to enter:

Romance Writers of Australia contest page
Romance Writers of New Zealand contest page
Romance Writers of America contest page
Stephanie Smith's contest page for author

RWNZ Clendon Readers' Choice Award

But, just remember, I've seen many friends who've taken the contest circuit route in the attempt to get published and I know of others who haven't entered any contests yet been picked up through submitting their work.

There are valid reasons to try both paths, one isn't better than the other.

It's whatever works for you.

Who's That Girl? interview with Michelle de Rooy

Please welcome, contest diva, fellow RWAustralia member and Jedi apprentice, Michelle de Rooy. 

RWNZ Clendon Readers' Choice

Name? Michelle de Rooy. 

Where are you? South-east Queensland. The cold part! :) 

How many years have you been a member of our organisation? I have been a member of RWA(Oz) for four years now; RWNZ for two; and RWA for two.

What genre/s do you write? Mainly Fantasy and/or Sci-Fi romance. Have written contemporary, and Romantic Suspense also. I like all the genres, but I keep coming back to spec-fic. Although I must say I loved the adrenaline rush of writing an assassin. 

Who are your favourite authors? Okay, hard question! There are so many that I have to give the die-hard faves and the most recent faves.

These are in no particular order: Anne McCaffrey; Julian May; Andre Norton; Raymond Feist; George RR Martin; Robin Hobb; Tolkein; JR Ward; Christine Feehan; Susan Mallery; Anne Stuart (LOVE her Ice series); Terry Brooks; Isaac Asimov... The list never ends! 

What inspired you to write romance? I can't say anyone in particular inspired me to write romance; it was just that I had these stories in my head.

I would read, then re-read my fave spec-fic stories and re-imagine them in my head for weeks (sometimes months) at a time with the original and different cast of characters (I'd casually delete the ones I didn't care for too much and reinsert ones I made up!).

I had no idea what fan fiction was - this began when I was 12 years old. Waaay before the Internet, LOL. I loved my fantasy books with my whole being, but I thought something was lacking. I couldn't put my finger on just what it was, though.

It dawned on me in my senior year of high school that it was the lack of a romantic relationship. Oh, there were some that had the required, "Will die/fight/insert whatever battle you like here for a princess," etc, but there was never any emphasis put on the developing relationship. It was just...there. And you never really SAW the girl.

So I started to write my books in my head. The one that is doing okay in contests at present has been in my head since I was 17; that's a long time for a story to percolate! The poor heroine underwent a few major changes in that time, too. Personality, race, name, which planet she came from, LOL - but her hair was always blindingly red. 

If I am to credit anyone with the actual romance side, I would have to say there are two novels I read in high school that really affected me.

One was a Desire - about a Venetian(?) palazzo owner and a foreign girl. I remember the gondolas. I re-read that book a dozen times or more. I can't remember the name of it, and I was gutted when my mum took it to a recycle book shop without me knowing. It was published in the mid to late eighties... I must try and find it.

The other is one called JENNY'S CASTLE. I don't know who wrote it (Kylie says: I do believe that was Elizabeth Sinclair), but I cried and cried. No matter how many times I read it, I still cried. I kept it for YEARS, and it got lost in one of my many moves after Uni. Had a yellow cover. Was an early to mid nineties Harlequin book. 

Who's your dream agent and/or dream publisher? Ahh, that's a loaded question!

I have a list, one agent on the top (Shhh! It's a secret!), but any agent who loves my book as much as I do is going to be hard to beat. I want the relationship a boutique agency offers. The in-for-the-long-haul attitude. I want someone who will guide me to make great business decisions, will teach me what I need to know about the industry, and isn't afraid to kick me up the rear if I need it. I don't need hand-holding as such, just guidance.

Publishers - the same. Someone who believes in my book; my voice. Someone who is prepared to say, "This one is IT. This one has loads of potential." 
 
What's the best thing about going to conference? I LOVE CONFERENCE!!! The first one I went to in Sydney, I felt like I'd come home. There were people there who GOT me. Who understood. Who didn't want to lock me up because I had all these wonderful characters in my head saying, "Hey! Write ME!!!"

The amazing exposure to craft help (and believe me, I needed it! Still do...); the published authors who came up and introduced themselves to a wide-eyed and terrified newbie and made her feel like one of them; the meeting of friends I'd made over the loops.

These are only the tip of the iceberg. I have made some very close and lifelong friends through Romance Writers of Australia and this is a fact I'll never forget. The networking with amazing agents and editors that I never though it get the opportunity to meet. This is what I love. 

And lastly, finish these statements... 
My greatest strength as a writer is...strong characters, and dialogue. Sometimes my settings can be a little light on the fizz, something which my wonderful CP's pull me up over VERY quickly, with an, um, excuse me??? 

The eyes have it...

A sexy hero needs...eyes to die for. And a sexy butt!! I admit it, I'm a butt girl! And usually thick, raven hair...
My latest WIP (work in progress) is about...an awesome space-fighter pilot who finds himself in a rather unique situation, he's in love with the woman who was to be his adopted sister; and a heroine who has loved him for many years, who goes missing...
When I write I like to...  play new-agey type music, no lyrics or I'll sing along and write the lyrics instead of my ms! Also, the LOTR soundtracks get played a lot.
My best writing milestone to date is...I'm going to be greedy here and take four: Actually FINISHING a ms; winning the RWNZ's Clendon Award Reader's Choice Trophy; finaling in the RWAustralia Emerald Award top 3 two years running; and finaling in my first US comp - the RWA Emily - coming fifth.

Michelle, thank you for taking the hot-seat this week!

Good luck in all those finals and see you in Melbourne (and Auckland!) in August!

Top Picks for 2010

Top 10 Books I Read in 2010...(in no particular order)

RAPTURE - Jacqueline Frank
PLEASURE UNBOUND - Larissa Ione
ABANDON THE NIGHT - Joss Ware
BEYOND THE NIGHT - Joss Ware
EMBRACE THE NIGHT ETERNAL - Joss Ware
THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS - Kelly Gay
UNDER FIRE - Jo Davis
SWEET SURRENDER - Maya Banks
BRANDED SANCTUARY - Joey W.Hill
BEYOND THE SHADOWS - Jess Granger

*Interesting to note all but one of these are new authors for me.

Top 10 Guest Authors on my blog in 2010...(based on stats & in no particular order)

Helene Young

Helene Young (Australian romantic suspense)
Joss Ware (apocalyptic paranormal romance)
Christina Phillips (ancient historical romance)
Tracey O'Hara (dark urban fantasy)
Erica Hayes (urban fantasy) x 2
Mel Teshco (erotic paranormal romance)
Cathryn Brunet (erotic contemporary/paranormal romance)
Maree Anderson (erotic paranormal romance)
Nalini Singh (paranormal romance)

Top 10 Personal Milestones in 2010...(in no particular order)
Publishing with Berkley (& working with my editor Leis Pederson)
Finding my super/wonderful/amazing agent - Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency

RWA Golden Heart®

Winning an RWA Golden Heart® (paranormal romance section)
Meeting many of the 2010 GH "Unsinkables" in Orlando, Florida
Winning the WHRWA Emily contest & "The Best of the Best" (which led to Leis Pederson requesting my work!)
Placing in 6 of the 8 RWA® contests I entered
Attending the trifecta of romance writers' conferences in USA, Australia & New Zealand
Pitching at all three conferences
Fulfilling my writing goals for 2010
Growing my blog

Top 10 Popular Posts of 2010...(based on stats & in no particular order)
Winter Rose Finalist
Guest Author: Christina Phillips
Guest Author: Helene Young
Guest Author: Nalini Singh
Guest Author: Tracy O'Hara
Poison Kissed: Erica Hayes
Agents, Editors & Book Deals...oh my!
Guest Author: Mel Teshco
Rotorua, NZ
Have You Read A Good Sci-Fi Romance Lately?

WHRWA Emily-Best of the Best!

I never thought the last week or so could get more exciting than it already has been but this morning I received an email from Laura Gompertz, Emily Paranormal coordinator, to inform me that my entry was judged Best of the Best of the entire contest! (all the 1st place manuscripts in all the genres are rejudged for this title)

On top of that she tells me Leis Pederson from Berkley is going to crit the first three chapters and synopsis, AND that one of the judges (Kay, Assistant Asst. Manager at the Barnes & Noble from the Galleria on Westheimer, Houston) was so impressed with our winners that she's willing to send all 1st place winners to her contact at Dorchester.

How awesome is that? But how am I supposed to get any writing done being high on Cloud 9 all day? For that matter, this whole last week? :-P


Photo: The Emily pin awarded to me for placing 1st in the Paranormal section of the contest. I'll wear it with pride at the RWAmerica, RWAustralia and RWNew Zealand conferences this year!

CONTEST NEWS!

Valentine's weekend was a particularly anxious weekend for me. Why? Because the results for the West Houston RWA Emily contest (all sections) were announced at their Awards luncheon on Saturday, 13th Feb.

Fellow RWOz members Alison Leake, Rebecca Sampson and I had all received word we'd finalled in our respective sections (Al and myself in the Paranormal, Bec in the Contemporary series sections).

Unable to sleep, I checked my emails early this morning (try 3.30am - Australian time! lol) and there were the results. I am very, very pleased to share the contents.

My ms, BLOODBORN, was awarded 1st place in the Paranormal section! And Chris Keesler from Dorchester has requested the full manuscript!

So, guess what I was doing this morning? Hmm mmm, emailing the full ASAP.

Bec placed 1st in her section and Alison placed 4th and BOTH have also had a full manuscript requests. Fantastic news all round!!!

We'll all be orbiting the moon for the next several days, I think :-) .