To those of you who didn't make it, I hope you try again next year...if some fabulous agenting/publishing opportunity doesn't present itself before then! It's hard to feel disappointed, and your graceful congratulations are especially appreciated.
Ditto to everything above, and it's gonna be fun watching the bidding. I remember last year. Congrats to those who made it; Chin up to those who didn't, we still have the blog critique ;-)
Thank you, Authoress, for the opportunity. I didn't make it, but trying for this contest made me have something to hope for and carry me through a difficult month. I will keep believing in my story, work to make it even better, and keep my hope alive. Best wishes to the winners! I'm rooting for you and excited to be inspired by your writing.
This has proven to me that I should give up on writing, though. Not being a sore loser, just opening my eyes to the facts that I don't stand a chance if I can't even win a blog contest.
Anon @10:53 Never give up if it's something you love. Keep trying you will get there, it doesn't mean your writing is bad, different people have different taste that's all. ;-)
I understand how you feel. I had a moment of it myself when I saw I didn't make it in, but remember: to get in, your story had to appeal to Authoress and Jodi's tastes- which are similar but not necessarily yours or mine. And you never know- your entry may have been on the cusp of getting in. Or it could be that your piece needs some polish.
This community if full of talented writers-almost every Secret Agent comments on the quality of the competitions. Not being one of the top 30 doesn't mean your hopeless. :)
I didn't make it in either. But last week I signed with an agent, after more than a year of trying.
There's more than one way to skin a cat. Entering contests is a great way to get advice and critiques. I've never won any writing contest I've entered but the feedback alone is priceless. When you get to a certain point and you know your writing is good enough, many times it just comes down to what someone else likes. Totally subjective.
Anon, don't quit! If anything, use this experience to your advantage! Let it push you to keep going. Trust me, we've all been there, but that makes success that much sweeter when you finally do reach it; look at Mindy, that's inspiring! And if you love it and have passion for it, you owe it to yourself to keep at it.
I hope you'll reconsider. Keep trying, you never know what may happen. :)
Anon, If you enjoy writing, don't quit. What someone likes and dislikes is so subjective. Stay brave, keep at it, seek feedback - but most of all, do it because you enjoy it. Our successes are always more meaningful when there have been some disapointments along the way. And...you are in very good company!
I love all the great, encouraging words here. Those of us who didn't make it can see ourselves as losers or we can see ourselves as entry #36, regretfully set aside because it wasn't quite was Authoress and Jodi were looking for. We can see it as an opportunity to improve.
Sherrilyn Kenyon was a keynote speaker at a writers' conference I attended. She spoke of the many rejections she received. My takeaway from her talk was that the only person who can really give up on you is you.
From one Anon to Another...don't give up. I didn't make it either, and truth is, it stings, but I'm going to keep faith and hope. Try this, you have the list of agents, why not query them directly? See what happens...but don't give up.
Anon, this is the fourth or fifth contest I've entered. I got fifteen rejections from agents before I got my first partial request, and now I have two rejected partials. I've been reading books about how to write, learning to edit, and getting critiques from friends for years now.
One rejection is not a reason to give up. You can look at it as you are, that you can't even 'get into a blog contest'. Consider: because everyone had to pay, the quality of all the entries was probably higher than normal. In a normal pile, we may all have gotten in. But they couldn't choose everyone; they had about 300 entries, and could only choose about 1 in every 10.
And, as everyone else said, this business is subjective. Harry Potter was rejected several times.
Harry Potter was rejected.. over 100 times. :) Yeah. Anon, everyone else has already said what needs to be said in a way much more eloquent than I ever can, but remember this: success isn't based on how many rejections you get, but rather by the number of times you rise above those rejections. By doing that, you are making yourself a stronger person, your work a stronger piece, and your will stronger as well. Don't give up if you love writing. If you don't, and it was just something you were trying out on, well... the decision's up to you. No one can force you. But just know that we all feel like that (even Neil Gaiman! See: http://www.hill-kleerup.org/blog/doingwrite/2011/11/neil-gaiman-on-the-nanowrimo-mid-month-slump/ ). So, just to echo the others: if you love writing, don't give up!
Everyone on here is so nice and thank goodness for that, I'm a nice person too; however, to Anon (10:53AM), here's a little tough love: if you're going to let one competition determine the fate of your writing, then maybe you should leave the profession. Leave, grow a thicker skin, grow a better belief in what you have to say, then come back. You are your biggest believer. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else ever will. Period.
To Anon 10:53, I am personally on my second hour of intermittent tears after my "no email" morning. But my husband said to me (after me apologizing for being a baby) that it's okay to have emotions. Just don't let them dictate your life. He's totally right, too. So rather than focus on the "no", ask yourself this -- did you learn anything new in this process? Did you get closer on your first page? Learn to write a logline? What can you take away from the experience? Keep trying if you love to write. Keep trying!
Authoress, Jodi. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It's so great that there are contests like this available to us. And that so many agents/editors/authors are involved.
All the encouragement in these comments is a testament to how awesome and supportive writers are!! To ANON, don't give up. If it's your dream, YOU will make it happen someday ;o)
Thank you! Looking forward to seeing the other entries ;o)
I awoke feeling like such a LOSER today! But all the love n' support by the people on this site has got me back to pursuing my dream, n' KICKING A** on my book! Thank you! ♥♥♥
I agree with Tamera. I'm proud to be part of AuthorAnon's community of writers when I see such support and well wishes (and tough love). The graciousness of those who did not get in -- and their sheer tenacity to keep going -- inspire me. I am one of those lucky writers who got in -- and appreciate reading all the comments to this post. You all rock.
I just love the comments, especially Julianna's. I had no plans to quit, but these encouraging words are exactly what I need. Thanks for this blog and for the opportunity and for all the encouragement. Wow!
This entire writing community is amazing...so supportive!! Thank you, Authorous for bringing us all together and for creating this opportunity. I didn't get in either, but I'm happy to have had the chance. Kudos to you and Jodi (and Michael too) for the unbelievable amount of work you put into this. Good luck to those who did make it! :)
Authoress and Jodi are awesomeness squared! Thanks to both for all their hard work going through the submissions and to everyone for taking part. This blog and the contests have been key for my own process and have given me the courage to keep on working at it. So many great crits and so many ideas on how to improve. Watching other people go through the process and succeed has given me hope that one day it will be my turn!
Gah! Okay, you guys, I'm here to correct my own mistake: Harry Potter was rejected 12 times, I think. Gah. Sorry! I've heard so many different answers that I'm not really sure which is right anymore. But, that doesn't change what I said or what anyone else said! (I just wanted to correct my mistake 'cause it gets on my conscience when I don't.) Your work is your work and only you can write it. Here's one of my favorite quotes: "Life's problems wouldn't be called 'hurdles' if there wasn't a way to get over them." :)
Congratulations to the winners! I can't wait to see your entries and help with critiques!
Anonymous: please don't see this as "I can't even win a blog contest." Authoress has a HUGE following and gets hundreds of submissions for 30 spots. By way of example...I know a guy who played golf in college and wanted to go pro, but he decided not to because he could only finish second in the tournaments he played in, and he figured if he could only come in second in a college tournament, he had no shot in the PGA.
The name of the guy who kept beating him was Tommy Watson.
If that story doesn't mean anything to you, Google "Tom Watson, Golf"
If you give up, give up because you've decided you don't want to do this, not because you think you don't stand a chance. If you love writing, buckle down, hang in there and keep working. Nobody gets agented easily. It took me years to get there. Ultimately, though, it comes down to a decision to keep improving and never, ever to give up until you reach the goal, no matter how long it takes.
Oh my word, Susan S -- I love that story about Tom Watson. What a wonderful lesson there. I think it pinpoints the thing that is so hard for many of us, because it's not just the "I didn't win", but it's the "why didn't I win/get chosen?" It's rare you get those answers you so crave. And sometimes, as in this case, time and perspective are the tools you have to use to figure it out. For me, for now, I'm putting my ms aside and picking up another one I haven't looked at in a while. (Patience is still a virtue, right??)
Authoress, Jodi, you are amazing.
ReplyDeleteEntrants, you are all equally amazing and brave.
Congratulations to everyone! I'm looking forward to watching the auction!
HUGE congratulations to the winners!
ReplyDeleteDidn't make it, but I really appreciate the opportunity. Many thanks to Authoress and Jodi, and good luck to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteDidn't make it either. Maybe another time for me.:(
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners! I'm looking forward to watching the auction.
Thank you, Authoress and Jodi, for the work you put in and the opportunity you give all of us!
Authoress and Jodi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for providing this amazing opportunity! Congratulations to all the winners and best wishes as your works go to auction!
Didn't make it, but good luck to the winners. :-)
ReplyDeleteTo those of you who didn't make it, I hope you try again next year...if some fabulous agenting/publishing opportunity doesn't present itself before then! It's hard to feel disappointed, and your graceful congratulations are especially appreciated.
ReplyDeleteDitto to everything above, and it's gonna be fun watching the bidding. I remember last year. Congrats to those who made it; Chin up to those who didn't, we still have the blog critique ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Authoress, for the opportunity. I didn't make it, but trying for this contest made me have something to hope for and carry me through a difficult month. I will keep believing in my story, work to make it even better, and keep my hope alive. Best wishes to the winners! I'm rooting for you and excited to be inspired by your writing.
ReplyDeleteWell, congrats everyone and thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThis has proven to me that I should give up on writing, though. Not being a sore loser, just opening my eyes to the facts that I don't stand a chance if I can't even win a blog contest.
Time to move on. :)
Authoress, thanks for all the time you've put into this! I can't wait to see the entries!! :D
ReplyDeleteOh, and I meant to put Jodi on there too!! :-p Thanks to both of you!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners! Excited to see the auction!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners. I can't wait to see the auction this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks again to Jodi and Authoress (I hope you each have much chocolate!).
Congrats to all the winners and good luck in the auction!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnon @10:53 Never give up if it's something you love. Keep trying you will get there, it doesn't mean your writing is bad, different people have different taste that's all. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel. I had a moment of it myself when I saw I didn't make it in, but remember: to get in, your story had to appeal to Authoress and Jodi's tastes- which are similar but not necessarily yours or mine. And you never know- your entry may have been on the cusp of getting in. Or it could be that your piece needs some polish.
This community if full of talented writers-almost every Secret Agent comments on the quality of the competitions. Not being one of the top 30 doesn't mean your hopeless. :)
Anonymous, don't quit.
ReplyDeleteI didn't make it in either. But last week I signed with an agent, after more than a year of trying.
There's more than one way to skin a cat. Entering contests is a great way to get advice and critiques. I've never won any writing contest I've entered but the feedback alone is priceless. When you get to a certain point and you know your writing is good enough, many times it just comes down to what someone else likes. Totally subjective.
Congrats Mindy! What a great and inspiring story! Love it when good things happen. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners! What an awesome way to close out 2011. My entry was not chosen but who knows what 2012 will bring :)!
ReplyDeleteThank you Authoress and Jodi for the opportunity and all you do for the writing community. You ROCK!
You both are so amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks to both you and Jodi for the opportunity, from the bottom of my heart (and maybe my toes, even!)
Thank you, Authoress and Jodi, for the wonderful opportunity. And congrats, Mindy! Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to all the winners!
Anon, don't quit! If anything, use this experience to your advantage! Let it push you to keep going. Trust me, we've all been there, but that makes success that much sweeter when you finally do reach it; look at Mindy, that's inspiring! And if you love it and have passion for it, you owe it to yourself to keep at it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll reconsider. Keep trying, you never know what may happen. :)
Anon,
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoy writing, don't quit. What someone likes and dislikes is so subjective. Stay brave, keep at it, seek feedback - but most of all, do it because you enjoy it. Our successes are always more meaningful when there have been some disapointments along the way.
And...you are in very good company!
I love all the great, encouraging words here. Those of us who didn't make it can see ourselves as losers or we can see ourselves as entry #36, regretfully set aside because it wasn't quite was Authoress and Jodi were looking for. We can see it as an opportunity to improve.
ReplyDeleteSherrilyn Kenyon was a keynote speaker at a writers' conference I attended. She spoke of the many rejections she received. My takeaway from her talk was that the only person who can really give up on you is you.
Don't give up!
From one Anon to Another...don't give up. I didn't make it either, and truth is, it stings, but I'm going to keep faith and hope. Try this, you have the list of agents, why not query them directly? See what happens...but don't give up.
ReplyDeleteAnon, this is the fourth or fifth contest I've entered. I got fifteen rejections from agents before I got my first partial request, and now I have two rejected partials. I've been reading books about how to write, learning to edit, and getting critiques from friends for years now.
ReplyDeleteOne rejection is not a reason to give up. You can look at it as you are, that you can't even 'get into a blog contest'. Consider: because everyone had to pay, the quality of all the entries was probably higher than normal. In a normal pile, we may all have gotten in. But they couldn't choose everyone; they had about 300 entries, and could only choose about 1 in every 10.
And, as everyone else said, this business is subjective. Harry Potter was rejected several times.
Harry Potter was rejected.. over 100 times. :) Yeah. Anon, everyone else has already said what needs to be said in a way much more eloquent than I ever can, but remember this: success isn't based on how many rejections you get, but rather by the number of times you rise above those rejections. By doing that, you are making yourself a stronger person, your work a stronger piece, and your will stronger as well. Don't give up if you love writing. If you don't, and it was just something you were trying out on, well... the decision's up to you. No one can force you. But just know that we all feel like that (even Neil Gaiman! See: http://www.hill-kleerup.org/blog/doingwrite/2011/11/neil-gaiman-on-the-nanowrimo-mid-month-slump/ ). So, just to echo the others: if you love writing, don't give up!
ReplyDeleteAND! Of course: THANK YOU AUTHORESS AND JODI!!! :D
ReplyDeleteEveryone on here is so nice and thank goodness for that, I'm a nice person too; however, to Anon (10:53AM), here's a little tough love: if you're going to let one competition determine the fate of your writing, then maybe you should leave the profession. Leave, grow a thicker skin, grow a better belief in what you have to say, then come back. You are your biggest believer. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else ever will. Period.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon 10:53, I am personally on my second hour of intermittent tears after my "no email" morning. But my husband said to me (after me apologizing for being a baby) that it's okay to have emotions. Just don't let them dictate your life. He's totally right, too. So rather than focus on the "no", ask yourself this -- did you learn anything new in this process? Did you get closer on your first page? Learn to write a logline? What can you take away from the experience? Keep trying if you love to write. Keep trying!
ReplyDeleteAuthoress, Jodi. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It's so great that there are contests like this available to us. And that so many agents/editors/authors are involved.
ReplyDeleteAll the encouragement in these comments is a testament to how awesome and supportive writers are!! To ANON, don't give up. If it's your dream, YOU will make it happen someday ;o)
Thank you! Looking forward to seeing the other entries ;o)
I awoke feeling like such a LOSER today! But all the love n' support by the people on this site has got me back to pursuing my dream, n' KICKING A** on my book! Thank you! ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, how I love this community. Look at all the gracious, supportive comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tamera. I'm proud to be part of AuthorAnon's community of writers when I see such support and well wishes (and tough love). The graciousness of those who did not get in -- and their sheer tenacity to keep going -- inspire me. I am one of those lucky writers who got in -- and appreciate reading all the comments to this post. You all rock.
ReplyDeleteThanks Authoress and Jodi! Can't wait to read all the entries.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to everyone who got through, and well done to every one who tried. Didn't make it, but so grateful for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Authoress and Jodi and all who make this such a wonderful community to be a part of!
ReplyDeleteFor those who didn't make it, don't feel bad. As said previously, it is SO SUBJECTIVE!
ReplyDeleteI didn't make it in either, but guess what. I have begun querying and after sending 19 queries, I have a steady 60% request rate.
So clearly, it really just depends on the READER and their tastes and interests!
It will be just as fun to watch from the sidelines, if not more so, because we don't have our own work to obsess and fret over.
And you can still query the agents listed and they will each look at your work with fresh eyes. If they like it, they will ask to see more. :)
Good luck! thanks Authoress and Jodi! Can't wait for it to start.
I just love the comments, especially Julianna's. I had no plans to quit, but these encouraging words are exactly what I need. Thanks for this blog and for the opportunity and for all the encouragement. Wow!
ReplyDeleteThis entire writing community is amazing...so supportive!! Thank you, Authorous for bringing us all together and for creating this opportunity. I didn't get in either, but I'm happy to have had the chance. Kudos to you and Jodi (and Michael too) for the unbelievable amount of work you put into this. Good luck to those who did make it! :)
ReplyDeleteAuthoress and Jodi are awesomeness squared! Thanks to both for all their hard work going through the submissions and to everyone for taking part. This blog and the contests have been key for my own process and have given me the courage to keep on working at it. So many great crits and so many ideas on how to improve. Watching other people go through the process and succeed has given me hope that one day it will be my turn!
ReplyDeleteGah! Okay, you guys, I'm here to correct my own mistake: Harry Potter was rejected 12 times, I think. Gah. Sorry! I've heard so many different answers that I'm not really sure which is right anymore. But, that doesn't change what I said or what anyone else said! (I just wanted to correct my mistake 'cause it gets on my conscience when I don't.) Your work is your work and only you can write it. Here's one of my favorite quotes: "Life's problems wouldn't be called 'hurdles' if there wasn't a way to get over them." :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners! Can't wait to read your entries! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you both to Authoress and Jodi, you're awesome! <3
And most of all... I *love* the love of this community!
Harry Potter was rejected 12 times by PUBLISHERS. Who knows how many agents rejected it?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners! I can't wait to see your entries and help with critiques!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: please don't see this as "I can't even win a blog contest." Authoress has a HUGE following and gets hundreds of submissions for 30 spots. By way of example...I know a guy who played golf in college and wanted to go pro, but he decided not to because he could only finish second in the tournaments he played in, and he figured if he could only come in second in a college tournament, he had no shot in the PGA.
The name of the guy who kept beating him was Tommy Watson.
If that story doesn't mean anything to you, Google "Tom Watson, Golf"
If you give up, give up because you've decided you don't want to do this, not because you think you don't stand a chance. If you love writing, buckle down, hang in there and keep working. Nobody gets agented easily. It took me years to get there. Ultimately, though, it comes down to a decision to keep improving and never, ever to give up until you reach the goal, no matter how long it takes.
Hang in there!!
Oh my word, Susan S -- I love that story about Tom Watson. What a wonderful lesson there. I think it pinpoints the thing that is so hard for many of us, because it's not just the "I didn't win", but it's the "why didn't I win/get chosen?" It's rare you get those answers you so crave. And sometimes, as in this case, time and perspective are the tools you have to use to figure it out. For me, for now, I'm putting my ms aside and picking up another one I haven't looked at in a while. (Patience is still a virtue, right??)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this article. I love it. Keep on writing this type of great stuff.
ReplyDelete