I learned about the “So You Think You Can Write” contest last year. However, I was busy writing, and eventually the competition had slipped away from my short attention span. Fortunately, I managed to bookmark the website.
So, last week I felt compelled to revisit the site and found out the SYTYCW contest was underway. And the flurry of submissions motivated me to take a closer look at the lines or categories for submission. I found it was so cool that Harlequin carved a unique path for romance writers to have an opportunity to become published. My novel is ready for submission, but I wasn’t sure if I should submit it to Superromance or Romantic Suspense line.
This is where SYTYCW offers its best advantages:
1. I can read sample chapters for each line. The submissions from others helped me to decide the line I should enter. Reading the two lines I’m targeting, I decided to submit my Pitch and Chapter One to the Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Although, the Superromance is also accepting suspenseful plots, I felt comfortable that the Romantic Suspense was the best option.
2. It offers an insight about the popular lines. I noticed Harlequin Nocturne had the most participants. The market for this genre is still strong. The next popular lines are Presents, Historical Romance, and HQN Romance (Cherish and Riva). The Romantic Suspense line is not far behind. What does this mean to me? Ha. It means I have to compete with many talented writers!
3. It offers an opportunity to capture an editor’s attention. The SYTYCW contest attracted more than 600 submissions! I don’t know if the editors read each of them, but the mere fact that I submitted mine, I’d conquered my fear. I was terrified to showcase my writing to everyone, let alone to an editor. But, this is the most important step to growing a thick skin.
There are many benefits for new writers to participate in SYTYCW. You’ll learn how to stop being a writer and start to wear your business hat. You’ll be proactive, reaching out, instead of waiting. You’ll learn how to market your novel. The social media like, Twitter and Facebook are the best tools to promote your novel or writing. Although the outcome is beyond your control, you’ll know it will end on a positive note. You’re no longer timid and write only to yourself.
You’re writing for your readers.
Mine is at: http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/the-competitor/
The voting will start on October 2nd and go to the 11th. In the meantime, you can read all the submissions at: So You Think You Can Write.
You can cast your vote for your favorite one — the one you want to read more. Hopefully, one of chapters you’ll want to read is mine.
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by Guy Kawasaki caught my attention. The cover alone charmed me! After reading it, I couldn’t help but to think how I could apply the techniques presented here into novel writing.
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