In This Issue
Contests are they worth the effort?
copyright 2000 WestWords publications
encore reprint
One Saturday morning early last May I sprang out of bed desperate to finish the collating I had began the day before. You see , this was the last possible day I could submit my entries in the latest contest.
Carefully I reread the strict submission guidelines, stuffed the first thirty-five pages of my novel in to the Tyvek envelope and submitted my work of art, my labor of love, to the enemy, the critiques.
Each passing day I pretended not to think about where my pages were and who was reading them to no avail. Then finally, after five excruciating weeks my SASE fell through my door, announcing that I was not a finalist. After the initial sting of rejection passed, I opened the packet and began to read the critiques of my story. Judge #1 trashes it mercilessly and states, "the prologue was long and useless......the story line unbelievable. Judge #2 states "The story line is both interesting and relevant aside from a few mechanical errors, this manuscript is ready to publish. The last judge and I must say my favorite was #3 she was completely enthralled by the story and wanted to fix the few mechanical errors she had also noticed and submit it immediately.
The point to this drawn out yarn is, it is best to view contest as a tool. Enter them at your own risk. Some editors/critiquers will like your work and just as many may wonder why you bother to take pen to paper and dare write one word. I find it is helpful if you view contest as a way to get feed back, good or bad. Ignore the extremes and focus on the critiques that are productive not destrutructive. Here are a few hints when dealing with contests:
Know why you are entering the contest. Are simply looking to get an opinion on your work? Looking for writing credits? Trying to experience meeting a deadline? If you remain focused on your objective no matter what the out come of the contest you will benefit.
Set a budget when it comes to entering contests. You can easily spend $300 in one year on contests alone with minimal return investment.
Don't allow inconsistent reviews cloud your belief in your abilities as a writer. What one editor thinks is trash and be another's treasure.
Most of all keep writing, practice makes perfect.
Publisher's Guidelines
Publisher
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Phone/address
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Web Address
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Comments/Imprints
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Avalon
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212-598-0222
401 Lafayette Street
Ny,Ny 10003
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Bantam
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Loveswept
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Belle Books
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770-384-1348
P.O. Box 67
Smyrna,Ga 30082
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Domhan Books
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9511 Shore Road
Suite 514
Brooklyn,NY 11209
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Dorchester
Publishing
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276 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1008
New York, NY 10001
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Leisure,Love Spell
is also Dell Romance
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Genesis Press
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Romance Aquisitions Editor
315 3rd Avenue North
Columbus, MS 39701
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Indigo ,Red Slipper, Love Spectrum, Tango
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Harlequin
eHarlequin
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416-445-5860
P.O. Box 5190
Buffalo,NY 14240-5190
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Silhouette,MIRA, Harleqin Historicals, Love & Laughter, Temptation,Superromance, Intrigue
Steeple Hill, Red Slipper, Tango2
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Harper Collins
Publishers
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10 East 53rd Street
NY,NY 10022
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Also Avon Books
no unsolicited manuscripts
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Kensington
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Zebra,Pinnacle, Encanto,Brava,Ballad
Bouquet
list of email contacts on web site
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Lion Hearted
Publishing
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775-588-1388
P.O. Box 618
Zephyr Cove, NV 89448-0618
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new publisher of women's fiction
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Penguin/Putnam
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375 Hudson Street
NY,NY 10014
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Berkley, Jove, Topaz, Signet
no unsolicited manuscripts
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Simon & Schuster
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Pocket Books, Sonnet
no unsolicited manuscripts
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St. Martin's Press
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212-674-5151
175 Fifth Avenue
Ny,Ny 10010
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Minotaur,Picador
no unsolicited manuscripts
Tor accepts unsolicited materials
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Warner Books
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Warner Romance
1271 Avenue of the Americas
NY,NY 10020
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iPublish has closed
no unsolicited manuscripts
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Berkley / Jove
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