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
Phone/address
Web Address
Comments/Imprints
Avalon
212-598-0222
401 Lafayette Street
Ny,Ny 10003
Bantam
Loveswept
Belle Books
770-384-1348
P.O. Box 67
Smyrna,Ga 30082
Domhan Books
9511 Shore Road
Suite 514
Brooklyn,NY 11209
Dorchester
Publishing
276 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1008
New York, NY 10001
Leisure,Love Spell
is also Dell Romance
Genesis Press
Romance Aquisitions Editor
315 3rd Avenue North
Columbus, MS 39701
Indigo ,Red Slipper, Love Spectrum, Tango
Harlequin
eHarlequin
416-445-5860
P.O. Box 5190
Buffalo,NY 14240-5190
Silhouette,MIRA, Harleqin Historicals, Love & Laughter, Temptation,Superromance, Intrigue
Steeple Hill, Red Slipper, Tango2
Harper Collins
Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
NY,NY 10022
Also Avon Books

no unsolicited manuscripts
Kensington
Zebra,Pinnacle, Encanto,Brava,Ballad
Bouquet
list of email contacts on web site
Lion Hearted
Publishing
775-588-1388
P.O. Box 618
Zephyr Cove, NV 89448-0618
new publisher of women's fiction
Penguin/Putnam
375 Hudson Street
NY,NY 10014
Berkley,  Jove, Topaz, Signet

no unsolicited manuscripts
Simon & Schuster
Pocket Books, Sonnet

no unsolicited manuscripts
St. Martin's Press
212-674-5151
175 Fifth Avenue
Ny,Ny 10010
Minotaur,Picador
no unsolicited manuscripts

Tor accepts unsolicited materials
Warner Books
Warner Romance
1271 Avenue of the Americas
NY,NY 10020
iPublish has closed
no unsolicited manuscripts
Berkley / Jove