My Judges Reviews

Those who made it to Round Two had two top reviewers from Amazon read the excerpt, score it, and answer three questions. Those who judge the excerpts are only human, and their bias plays into their scoring, but I think they all tried very hard to do a good job and be fair. It's a lot of work for them, with very little compensation. I have a hard time believing any of them would take on this responsibility if they weren't committed to the task. I believe they were honestly trying to be helpful, in both their criticism and praise.

The reviews are posted privately, but some entrants are posting theirs on the contestant forum boards. Some posting their reviews were cut this round, others are continuing. Only a few are openly complaining. Most seem to think the reviews were fair and honest, even the ones with less than stellar comments.

To my complete and utter amazement, both of my judge's reviews were excellent. I'm still blinking back tears that two complete strangers loved my work so much! I guess I'm having what many would call a "Sally Field Moment" ...

You like me! You really, really like me!  

I have lived my whole life dreaming of the day I would become a published author, and with these two amazing reviews, it feels possible that my dreams may actually come true!

So, to the anonymous reviewers whose words filled my heart with joy, validated my passion for writing, and give me the courage and drive to continue ... thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Here are my reviews, copied and pasted verbatim:

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

Amazing prose. Perfect flow and delivery. It's like being with Chuck and Tara, being a part of their story. Well done!

What aspect needs the most work?

Honestly there was nothing that I felt really needed a lot of work. Sadly the excerpt was a little short, I would have liked to read a bit of the 'present' Tara. But I won't hold it against you since we only get 10 pages!

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

I admit that I am not a huge romance novel reader, but I enjoy the literary romance novels, especially those with something beyond the interaction of a young, troubled couple (looking at you Nicholas Sparks!). I enjoyed the memories and the way it all played out. The reader gets a feel for how much Chuck loves Tara and then 'poof' he's gone and the reader is left with a sense of loss and a sense of sadness and sympathy for Tara. We are hooked into her story just with the near death memories of Chuck. I would very much enjoy reading more!

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

This is an absolutely breathtaking excerpt and the strongest part is the snipets of life that Chuck is seeing in his dying moments. It is written very well and easy to follow and lovely to read.

What aspect needs the most work?

There is nothing that needs any work. Great story in my opinion.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

Overall, I can't wait to read the finished product. This was a very good excerpt. The story of a woman who goes back to where she grew up with her father and grandmother and where her father drowned just months after her last visit, seventeen years ago. Tara and her father had a very close relationship after loosing her mother when she was just a little girl. It is beautiful to see the way this burly cop melts in the presense of his daughter. The "pitch" tells us that Tara is going to learn things on this trip that will surprise her and she will meet a man. This promises to be a good read to the end. Well written!!

"A Summer in Ocracoke" Made the Quarter-Finals!!!!!

What a relief!!!!  I didn't realize how nervous I was until I opened up my iPad this morning to see if the results were posted.  My stomach was so twisted in knots I actually thought I might get sick.  What a tremendous relief to make it to this round!

All Quarter-Final excerpts are available for download (typo's and all!!!).  Here's the link to A Summer in Ocracoke ...

Click here to download the excerpt of "A Summer in Ocracoke"

So, out of the 10,000 entries, 500 are still contenders, 100 of which are in the romance category.  I can't wait to download the excerpts of the other romance Quarter-Finalists and see what kind of competition I have.

The Semi-Finals will be announced April 16th.  Only 25 total will make it through ... five per category.

Gulp!

Six Days to the Quarter-Finals

In six days, Amazon will announce those moving to the Quarter-Finals.  The decision is based upon the score by the reviewer of the excerpt (the excerpt is the first 3,000-5,000 words of the manuscript).  Once you become a Quarter-Finalist, the entire manuscript will be read and scored.

Round One was the initial submission ... 10,000 submissions into one of five categories.

Based on the pitch, 2,000 (400 per category), were moved to Round Two.

Based on the excerpt, 500 (100 per category), will move to the Quarter-Finals.

Based on the entire manuscript, 25 (5 per category), will move to the Semi-Finals.

Based again on the entire manuscript (though I don't know how it's rated at this stage), 5 total (1 per category), move to the Finals, at which point you are offered a publishing contract.  You can refuse it, but who would?  That's why we all entered this contest!

I hope to move to the Quarter-Finals, as does every other participant in Round Two, but there are no guarantees.  I have read of people who have entered the same manuscript in multiple years, each with varying results ... one year they made it to the Quarter-Finals, one year to Round Two, once to the Semi-Finals, and more than once they never even made it to Round Two ... and this was with the exact same manuscript!

I have read a good many of the pitches in all of the categories of the ones that made it to Round Two.  Some were really good, and it was easy to understand why they made it to Round Two.  Even if it was a book I would never read, I could see it had value.  Some I had to read two or three times, trying to figure out what they were actually saying ... and some I never could make sense of.  To be fair, it is very hard to condense the essence of your novel into 300 words or less, so the excerpts and manuscripts may be very good even if the pitch is poorly written and/or confusing ... but since those who advanced to Round Two were selected based on solely on the pitch, I couldn't help but wonder about the overall quality of the pitches.

The above examples prove that good writing isn't necessarily enough to propel you from one round to the next ... your work also has to fall into the hands of someone who finds the premise of your story interesting and intriguing.  As much as I enjoy Nicholas Sparks, I would not have passed his last two novels from the Quarter-Finals to the Semi-Finals.  Supernatural stories turn me off.  Safe Haven, his best selling book-turned-movie was a huge hit at the box office.  A good friend of mine LOVED the book and the movie (as did millions of others), but I did not.  It certainly doesn't mean the book wasn't good ... it just means I didn't enjoy it ... and that if I were judging his work, he wouldn't get a favorable score on those two particular books.

For the record ... I think Nicholas Sparks is a master at writing romance novels, to which his bank account holds testament.  But when you throw in ghosts or super-duper, too-coincidental elements ... you've lost me ... and his last two books had both.  Regardless, I'm sure I will buy his next book.  If the ghost thing continues, I may not continue to read his work ... but I probably will.  I don't enjoy horror or gore, either, which means I'm not a Stephen King fan ... but something tells me both of these men have enough loyal followers that my humble opinion won't make a bit of difference.  And I think it's safe to say that my sweet, romantic, little love story would make a Stephen King fan gag ... so I do understand it works both ways.

All that to say ... even though I think the excerpt for A Summer in Ocracoke is well-written and tells the beginning of a really good, unique story, it has to fall into the hands of someone who doesn't think a love story without vampires or violence or Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-sex isn't worth reading.

I am prepared for the possibility that I will not make it to the Quarter-Finals.  If I don't continue on in this contest, it doesn't mean that A Summer in Ocracoke isn't good ... it simply means that the one Amazon reviewer who read my excerpt didn't care for it.  I deal with this by reminding myself that both Nicholas Sparks and Stephen King were rejected many times ... by successful industry professionals who should have recognized literary genius (and they both are) when it was (literally) dropped into their laps.

If I don't continue on to the Quarter-Finals, I'll go back to researching agents to query.  Until then, I wait nervously, for ... Six.  More.  Long.  Days.

A Summer in Ocracoke is moving to Round Two in the ABNA Contest!!!

I checked the Amazon ABNA page when I woke up this morning.  The results weren't posted yet, so I got ready for work.  I had a pretty busy day planned, but I checked the website one more time before I had to leave my desk and get busy.

It was just after 8:00 a.m. Central Time.  The results were posted.  My heart was pounding.  I wanted to make it to Round Two!

With much trepidation, I clicked on the link for "Romance".  They were in alphabetical order ... by first name.  I scrolled slowly until it hit the J's ... and my name was there!!!!  I was so excited!  I started screaming to my co-worker ... who knew I had entered and was excited for me, but nearly as excited as I was!  I took a few deep breath ... more like huge sighs of relief ... and then sent a test to a few people who were as anxious to know the results as I was.  I wanted to hug someone, but there was no one to hug!!

After I found that typo, I really didn't think I would make it past the first round, so I was elated to see my name on that list!

Now I wait until March 12th, when the Quarter-Finalists are revealed.  I know I am incapable of being unbiased about my own work, but I really do think this novel has an exceptional beginning, which is what will propel me to the Quarter-Finals.

So once again ... I wait ... but with much more hope :)

Groan :(

Reading over my pitch for the ABNA contest, I discovered a typo ... and a pretty big one.  I used the word "sale", when it should have been "sell".  With the judging for Round One already completed (to be announced in two days), I discovered the mistake far too late to correct.

With this round being judged solely on the pitch, and with the pitch being 300 words or less, every word matters.  While "sale" rather than "sell" may seem like a minor mistake, it may appear as though I don't know proper English ... and who wants to read more of a book where the writer obviously has such a tenuous grasp of language?

It may not matter at all, and it may turn a judge off entirely.  I guess I'll find out the day after tomorrow.  It was always going to be a long shot to pass from round to round, and I think this makes it more difficult for me to do so.

I read my pitch hundreds, if not thousands of times before I entered.  I gave my pitch to several others to help me proof it, and none of us caught it.  Maybe the judges won't either ... but I think it's just as likely that my fair godmother swooped down on her pink unicorn and fixed it before they had a chance to see it.

And the Countdown Continues

Nine days until ABNA announces those advancing to Round Two.  This is the part of the contest that worries me the most, because Round One is judged solely on the pitch.  I made my pitch as strong as I could, and I don't know how I could have made it any better ... but I don't think it does justice to my work.

If I make it to Round Two, my excerpt will be read.  My excerpt is Chapter One, and is just over 3,000 words.  I think A Summer in Ocracoke has an excellent beginning, and if I can just make it to Round Two, I think I have a pretty good shot at going further.

I recently sent the manuscript (as an ebook) to a total stranger.  He writes a blog I read, and I emailed him out of the blue to ask him if he would read it for inaccuracies regarding a specific thing.  He is an author of non-fiction, and I know he loves to read ... but this is a man who does not choose to read romance novels.  I expected him to tell me no or not even bother to reply back.  To my pleasant surprise, he did reply back ... he said yes ... and then wrote back that he enjoyed it!  He read it very quickly, and told me it was very engaging ... that he kept turning the pages to see what happened next.

He went to the trouble to note typo's and other errors throughout.  When he uploaded the book from his Nook to his computer, the notes were stripped away ... so he sent me his Nook so that I could change the errors he found.  I was flabbergasted ... that's the only word I can use to describe it ... flabbergasted.  As a thank you, I'm tucking a small gift certificate in the package when I ship it back.  He doesn't expect anything for reading it, but I think he's gone above and beyond the call of duty, and I wanted to thank him somehow.

It is very exciting to have my work read ... and enjoyed ... by someone who does not know me and does not care for the romance genre.  I think it helps that I don't write ooey-gooey, over the top stories, with fabulously wealthy protagonists who jet-set around the world and live off their trust fund.  Nor do I write erotic, descriptive love scenes (something I've been told I should do!) ... but I don't ... and never will.  Unless you're writing something like Fifty Shades of Grey, I don't really see the point.

One of the sexiest movies I've ever seen was Phenomenon ... yet there were no love scenes ... the camera's cut away at just the right time.  You knew what was happening, but didn't watch it.  To me, that's sexier.  It's not the sex that's sexy ... it's the emotions that lead up to it and follow it that are the story.  Fifty Shades of Grey is a book about sex ... A Summer in Ocracoke is a book about love.

I write about ordinary people ... with ordinary lives ... that share an incredible love.  And I think that is sexy.

So ... nine days to see if I'm lucky enough to be read by a judge who can see the value of my work ... who didn't just have a fight or find a run in their pantyhose or get stuck in traffic on the way to work or come home to find their dog got sick on the carpet.

The only thing I can equate this to is when I was a kid, waiting for the last nine days of school before summer vacation.  Like then, I just have to wait ... nine ... long ... days.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (ABNA)

Last Monday I entered “A Summer in Ocracoke” into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.  It’s a contest they have held annually for the last five years.  The rules change somewhat each year, but the basic premise is the same … up to 10,000 submissions are accepted, which are whittled down in several rounds, with one being crowned this contest’s equivalent of Miss America.

This year, as in the past, up to 10,000 submissions are accepted.  The submission period, which began January 14, 2013, will end either on January 27, 2013 or the moment 10,000 entries have been submitted.  The contest this year is different from past years in that all five authors making it to the Final Round will be crowned winners, with one of those being christened the Grand Prize Winner.  That means five authors will be offered publishing contracts.  In past years, only one or two were guaranteed contracts (though many others have been "discovered" and saw their dreams come to fruition).

There are five categories this year:  Romance, General Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, SciFi/Fantasy/Horror, and Young Adult.  “A Summer in Ocracoke” is entered into the Romance category.  While none of us who have entered know exactly how many will be entered into each category, the categories everyone expects to be the most gloated are General Fiction and SciFi/Fantasy/Horror. 

Round One - The Contestant Parade

Round One is judged solely on the basis of your “pitch”.  The pitch is basically what you find on the back of the book or the jacket cover.  In 300 words or less, one must introduce their novel, the basic plot, and the protagonists.  The scary part is that the judges are given a number of entries to read and score, regardless of their personal preference or area of expertise.  That means someone who reads nothing but Stephen King or John Grisham could be judging (and scoring) my pitch on a romance novel.  It’s hard to believe someone accustomed to reading nothing but gore or action-packed thrillers would be terribly moved by my pitch.  My fear is that because of personal preferences, my pitch won’t be scored as highly as something in their preferred genre.  I know the judges will be as impartial as they can be, but my fear is that some grumpy, old, cop-turned-writer-agent-editor will be reviewing my piece with a look on his face like he just sniffed something “iffy” in the refrigerator.  But, I knew this going in, and it’s a chance I’m willing to take.

Round Two - The Evening Gown Competition

On February 13, 2013, 2,000 submissions will move into the next round. Round Two “contestants” will have their excerpt read by the judges.  The excerpt is the first 3,000 to 5,000 words of your novel.  Considering the word count limit for submissions is 50,000 to 150,000 words, that’s not much of the finished work.  My manuscript is around 82,000 words, and the excerpt just over 3,000 words … or about 3.5%.  Although the percentage the judges read of each piece will vary according to the overall word count vs. the length of the excerpt, I’m guessing most will fall in that same percentage.  And again, I am at the mercy of a judge ... who might not be willing to read a romance novel if his/her life depended on it.  But once again, I knew this going in, and it’s a chance I’m willing to take.

Quarter-Finals - The Talent Competition

The Quarter-Finalists (500), will be announced on March 12, 2013.  No one wants to be cut before making it at least this far, as it's the first time the entire manuscript will be read and reviewed.  That being said, 9,500 will not make it to this round.  I believe it is at this stage that Amazon makes the excerpts and judges reviews available to the public, and readers are encouraged to review and rate them as well.  There have been several authors who did not move past this round, yet they were able to use the reviews from the judges to get an agent to give them the time of day ... and eventually, a publishing contract.

Semi-Finals - The Swim Suit Competition

Semi-Finalists (25), will be announced April 16, 2013.

Finals - "I just want world peace/Where's my crown?"

Five finalists will be announced on May 21, 2013, and Amazon customers will be asked to vote for their favorite.  Because of a rules change this year, all five finalists (one per category), will be awarded publishing contracts.

On June 15, 2013, Amazon will announce one of the five finalists as the Grand Prize Winner.

I realize moving from one round to the next is a bit of a crap shoot, but as a yet-to-be-published author, it’s hard to pass up such an opportunity.

I have spent my entire life dreaming of being a published … of walking through the airport and seeing someone reading my book … of being someone whose next book release is eagerly anticipated by thousands.

I’m hopeful, yet realistic, of my chances of winning or even progressing from one round to the next.  I’m well aware that it’s a long shot … but a long shot is still a shot … that’s all I really ask for … I just want a shot at making my dreams come true.

Wish me luck!