Please note: THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS. Any entries received before the call is posted will be deleted.
This is just, yanno, a courtesy post for my faithful readers. So here you go:
1. Please submit the first 250 words of your COMPLETED NOVEL to facelesswords(at)gmail.com. Submissions will open on Monday, October 13, at 9:00 am EDT. Please wait until the call for submissions is posted before submitting your entry.
2. This month's contest will include the following genres: Commercial fiction, literary fiction, thrillers/suspense, young adult, and sci-fi/fantasy. If your novel does not fall within one of these genres, please do not enter.
3. Entries will be limited to a 24-hour submission window, or 75 submissions -- WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
4. Submissions must be received IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:
*Screen Name
*Title of Novel
*Genre
(Please -- no bold, italics, underlines, or strange fonts)
*Submission in a normal font (NOT Courier, Comic, or anything that is outside the realm of normal in the publishing world), 250 words (your first page)
5. All submissions will receive a confirmation email containing your post number. If you do not receive a confirmation email, I did not receive your submission.
6. I LOVE your personal notes -- I really do. But please refrain from sending a "thank you" email after I've sent your post number.
7. By entering this contest, you are agreeing to the public posting and critiquing of your work.
8. If you are chosen as a winner of this contest, you will agree to the terms of the prize as laid out by our Secret Agent, or your prize will be subject to forfeiture.
9. If anything is unclear or if I've missed anything, please let me know in the comment box below.
24hr submission window...Umm
ReplyDeletePlease forgive and allow my submission if it's a few hours early. I'm going by Greek time here.
*on hands and knees begging*
www.time.gov
ReplyDeleteNo excuse. Greek or otherwise. :D
I'm still hedging on this... The novel is finished. It's close to be ready for queries. But it isn't ready to query yet.
ReplyDeleteSo... grr... a sci-fi agent??? I'm tempted. But undecided.
Do you want us to put a certain subject in the subject line?
ReplyDeleteSECRET AGENT in the subject line would be helpful. Thanks for mentioning that. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat if 250 words cuts off in the middle of a sentence? Would you rather have us end on the sentence before? Or run a little over to the end of the sentence?
ReplyDeleteOh, one more question:
ReplyDeleteDo you want us to type "Chapter 1" or just leave that out as it is implied that the first 250 words are in Chapter 1?
And if you do want it typed, does that count as part of the 250 words?
Am I being too particular?
Ever so slightly too particular, but that's better than not asking questions. :)
ReplyDeleteNEVER cut off a submission in the middle of a sentence (that goes for literary agents, too). 248 or 252 words is better than not finishing the
And don't put "Chapter 1." I'm so glad you've mentioned this. WE KNOW IT'S CHAPTER 1. Just begin at the beginning.
Okay, here's another particular question. Am I the only one???? Wow, I'm weird. Here goes.
ReplyDeleteIf I precede the novel with a quote, which lends much meaning and depth to the story, should I include that in the first 250 words?
I guess I'm asking more your opinion than clarification of a rule. Sorry.
does our screen name, title and genre info count in our 250 words?
ReplyDeleteEmily
Emily,
ReplyDeleteNo. The 250 word count begins with the first word of your actual excerpt.
Lady Glamis,
ReplyDeleteYa, looks like you're the only one. ;)
If the quote is that relevant to your narrative, then yes, it counts toward the 250 words.
If we've entered our first page in a previous competition, can we do so again? (With suggested changes made, naturally!)
ReplyDelete