If you’re thinking, dang, my manuscript’s not ready, don’t worry, you still have time. Entries are only being accepted between January 25, 2010 and February 7, 2010. It’d be good, though, to get ready since they only accept the first 10,000 entries. Although you can’t submit your material yet, you can sign up for email updates.
This year there are two categories: General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction. Each category will have a winner. And each winner receives a $15,000 publishing contract with Penguin USA and distribution of his/her novel on Amazon.com.
The entries get narrowed through 5 stages of judging. The first round is looked at my Amazon editors. Those who move on are rated by Amazon top customer reviewers. Those who pass this level go on to full readings by Publishers Weekly reviewers. Those who make the semifinals are read by Penguin USA editors. And the three in each category who make it to the finals are voted on by Amazon customers.
You can link to this contest from this post or via my website page of Contests for Writers. I maintain lists of contests and events on my website, both of which are updated weekly (and I’m always on the lookout for contests and events, so email me if you know of ones not on my list). This is one of the bigger contests, so I thought I’d blog about it.
There will be some stiff competition for that one!
ReplyDeletecool links. Shame that I am really only writing memoir at the moment.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas if I don't catch you before Friday :)
I wonder how many Amazon editors they have to wade through the 10,000 manuscripts!
ReplyDeleteHA! Just read Jane's comment. Poor them!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Thanks Helen! I didn't know your website had contest information, I'll check that out. This one probably won't work for me, but I'm looking forward to the contest stage of my writing.
ReplyDeleteThey narrow down the 10,000 entries before getting to the stage where the entire manuscripts have to be read. So, be sure you work on your synopsis and blurb!
ReplyDeleteWow, an amazing opportunity for writers, definitely. I'd imagine many people are polishing their manuscripts for this one!
ReplyDeleteI'm so crap at synopses. Either it sounds like a blurb at the back of the book or it's so boring I fall asleep reading it. :(
ReplyDeleteLauri, get others to look at it and make suggestions. You've got time!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen. If I write 24/7 until January 15, I might have my WIP ready to enter.
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays, everyone!
You can go now and see what else you'll have to have ready to enter. Hope you enter, Jean.
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ReplyDeleteIt's a very interesting contest! :) Good luck to all who enter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Helen! I knew it was coming and the BOOK is about there, but the 300 word pitch and 5000 word excerpt are things that will take a number of rounds to get right, I think.
ReplyDeleteFunny how the 'win Amazon contest' sounds easier than '1000 people pass this round, then 100 pass this round, then 50 pass..." All those layers seem somehow so intimidating compared to 'the contest'.
I've heard this contest is only for unpublished manuscripts, which would disqualify me. I'm trying to confirm this.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours.
Stephen Tremp
Stephen, it's for unpublished or self-published manuscripts.
ReplyDeleteI did this last year. Got through to the quarterfinals but no further. It was a fun experience, and the comments from people who read the part posted on Amazon were really helpful. You have to be ready to cope with seriously scathing publisher's weekly reviews though - kind of painful, but they are wading through an awful lot of manuscripts.
ReplyDeleteThird year only? I thought it was more to be honest.
ReplyDeleteIt's a solid contest and I reckon this year is going to be bigger than ever for it. But not as big as next year will be...
Purely a reflection on the growing importance of Amazon as a publisher.
Which is fine by me, I'm a paid up member of Amazon's fan club.
BUT - devil's advocate here, what are the judging criteria?
Two categories.
YA - like Meyer, say.
And general - like Meyer?
you look at the 2008 best-selling novels list (okay, I'm not actually going to do that but...) and it was S.Meyer, JK Rowling and C.Paolini taking half of the top ten I bet.
Then again maybe this is EXACTLY what we need to shake things up. A genuinely good book with a push from a huge publisher (Amazon) based on nothing but merit. Jeepers, that actually sounds kinda cool.
If any of you enter, I'd sure like to hear what you think of the contest and how far you advance.
ReplyDeleteSheila, congrats on making it to the quarterfinals!
Lovely! thanks for THIS little tidbit, Helen - hmmm - wish I had a bit more time, though - the only ms I have almost ready is one that the publisher of Owen Fiddler has first rights to because it's a sequel.
ReplyDeleteBut great heads up!
Marvin D Wilson
So much depends on that synopsis. I can imagine all these writers agonizing more over the 300 words than they did over their novels.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen for the reminder about this contest--I've entered before, but with a completely different style, and when every genre was lumped together.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a ms close enough to completion to enter.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Patrica about the synopsis having to be top notch. The pitch, too. I don't know about the rest of you, but I find those sales pieces the most challenging to write. And I used to do PR work. But then, it was easier to come up with promo stuff for other people.
I so agree with you, Maryann. It IS easier to do promo for others!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. I signed up for updates. I'm working on a manuscript I'd love to enter. Time to start working on my bucket list. I'm not getting any younger. :)
ReplyDeleteGinger
Best of luck, Ginger. Hey, what can it hurt?
ReplyDelete