Yesterday was the opening day of the submission period for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. I read the contest rules closely and considered what the contest might mean for my book. The criteria for the various stages of judging, the numbers, the dates and windows, the total pool probabilities, etc.
In general, I'm not really one to submit to writing contests. Other people see them as a necessary part of career development, but I've always been more skeptical about their value. Since I was feeling especially conflicted about my writing yesterday, this sharpened my considerations about ABNA. In the end, however, I submitted my book to the ABNA. Amazon is a force in publishing now and will only increase in influence in the future. Putting my book in is as much an act of confidence in my work as it is confidence in the process.
The maximum submissions accepted will cap out at 10,000. By purely random chance, if it's all just marked poker chips in a hat, my book will have a 0.01% chance of being selected. It's not random, of course, and my particular book is a genre piece that will appeal to some, be repugnant to others. Any forward progress will be welcome.
===== Feel free to comment on this or any other post.
In general, I'm not really one to submit to writing contests. Other people see them as a necessary part of career development, but I've always been more skeptical about their value. Since I was feeling especially conflicted about my writing yesterday, this sharpened my considerations about ABNA. In the end, however, I submitted my book to the ABNA. Amazon is a force in publishing now and will only increase in influence in the future. Putting my book in is as much an act of confidence in my work as it is confidence in the process.
The maximum submissions accepted will cap out at 10,000. By purely random chance, if it's all just marked poker chips in a hat, my book will have a 0.01% chance of being selected. It's not random, of course, and my particular book is a genre piece that will appeal to some, be repugnant to others. Any forward progress will be welcome.
===== Feel free to comment on this or any other post.
Best wishes for your success, Tony.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet!
DeleteBut, Tony, it's still a chance. Somebody's gonna get it. I hope it's you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJust submitting it has had a salutary effect. :-)
DeleteI'm expecting Big Things. Big.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the vote of confidence!
Delete