I have yet to enter the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. I've considered it, but mostly, I haven't had a completed novel that didn't, say, infringe heavily on somebody's copyright (my 2008 NaNoWriMo has more Atlas Shrugged reference in it than I think the Ayn Rand Institute would be strictly pleased with), or a completed novel that just wasn't too rough to consider.
Now, I haven't done the rewrite for Learn to Howl just yet, but more than a month may be just enough time for me to do the rewrite (the beginning specifically needs work. Not hook-y and compelling enough. I know this already). I also haven't finished The Wolf You Feed yet, but I'm not worried; a mid-novel break isn't a bad thing, and it lets all of the story factors percolate in the subconscious.
I'm also rather a novice at figuring out whether the rights and requirements listed in the contest could really screw me or not. I'm sure somebody's talked about it on Absolute Write, or will soon; I haven't perused enough yet. I will say, it's exciting that they have 5 categories this year, instead of just "fiction" and "young adult" (or whatever past contests were). This year, the categories are
- General Fiction
- Romance
- Mystery/Thriller
- Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
- Young Adult Fiction
Thanks for sharing this post and shedding some light on this annual award. Hope you find the time to submit something before the deadline. C'mon, you can do it...go for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much! I'll think more about it. I'm not sure if the contract is one I'm entirely comfortable with or not (of course, that's assuming that I'm one of the finalists....)
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