Everything Happens At Once

At least, that's how it seems sometimes.  I only have a few minutes to write this post (I'm at work), so I'll make it quick!

I got my ABNA entry in, easy peasy.  I finished editing the manuscript around 11:25pm, then poured a well-earned rum & coke to celebrate.  I'd fully anticipated that there would be a huge backlog of people all trying to upload their entries at the bell, and I was completely prepared for that.

What I wasn't prepared for was having no trouble whatsoever, and being done within the first 20 minutes.  I mean, I'd barely touched whatever number rum & coke I was on at that point!  But everything loaded smoothly, except my author photo, which I took the time to resize to make it fit the entry form.  Even with that, I was done quickly, and had some time to kill.  So naturally I went to the contest message boards, and updated Twitter and Facebook.

I'd been putting off a couple of other projects while I got my entry ready, so the next morning, I began to turn my attention back to them.  Browncoat magnet sets.  Ebon Black editing (and some huge waffling on how long it should end up being). 

And I got another idea for a book, this time a Young Adult fantasy-ish tale; the subject of which, to my knowledge, has never really been done before.  So I am excited about that, too.

Oh, and I finally got prizes drawn for the Spot The Ad contest I ran while my Ryerson Chang School ad was up.  I'm started handing them out to the winners, and am actually having fun doing so - I'm so glad I ran that wee contest!  :)

OK, that's it for my lunch break - back to the day job!

Until soon,

S.A.M.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2011

So here I am, one day and...a bunch of hours...to the time when the ABNA submission window will finally be open for 2011.  I am nervous, excited, overwhelmed, fired up and tired.  I've never entered before but, more importantly, this is my first practice stab at querying, and it's really all about the feedback and the experience, at this point!

I'm still not entirely sure what exactly I want to write about, with respect to the contest, but I am feeling the need to sort of chronicle the experience, both for myself, and for anyone else who may be considering entering themselves.

That being said, there is a very strong chance that I won't make it past the first round, which I thought would probably render all of my musings sort of moot.  However, as I keep reminding myself, it truly is about the experience, and as with most things, even failure can be something to learn from.

Sometimes you can even learn more.

Pitch Revisions!

Whew!

It seems that every time I take a breather and then go back to my pitch, I find more ways to tinker with it!  I even have visions of myself doing some last-minute tinkering at 11:59pm on the 23rd!  lol

Good grief.

At any rate, have a look ahead to see where my pitch is at today.

Writing The Perfect Pitch

I have no idea how to write a pitch for a novel.  I've never had to write one before, but now am struggling (and determined) to create one for Carving The Light.  One which will hopefully get me through the first round of the Amazon  Breakthrough Novel Award this year.

I have no illusions of winning, nor even of making it past the second round.  But if I can get TO that coveted second round, I will be one very happy first-time author!

The hurdle I must face, really, is the Pitch.  The first round is all about the Pitch.  If the judges feel they want to read more, based on what the Pitch reveals about the novel, then on to Round Two I will go.  If it fails to grab them, however, I'll sit back with the other 4000-odd entries that won't make it through.

And I do not care for that.  lol

So I have to grab them.  I have to find a way to lure perfect strangers into the world of the Collins sisters enough that they will want to read more about them.  And they are good girls.  They deserve to be read about!