Writing Contests: Enter or Avoid? By Jacqueline Seewald

I've entered a number of writing contests over the years. Some were worth the effort, some were not. 

Some I won, some I didn’t. On a positive note, winning writing contests can provide recognition for writers. However, I discovered that I could be cheated if I wasn't careful. There are some smooth operators out there. Their scams are likely not illegal, but they are still to the detriment of writers.

Most writing contests these days cost money to enter. Some of them ask quite a lot of money. So naturally it’s wise to be wary. But even some of the “free contests” aren’t really what they seem to be. You must read the contest rules and fine print with care.

Some “free” contests promise to put your work in an anthology. All you have to do is buy the anthology. Some poetry and short story contests on the web offer a prize for the best work. The catch? They reserve the right to archive your work in perpetuity regardless of whether or not you have won the contest. So you will never be able to sell that story or poem for first rights. And chances are no one will accept it even as a reprint since it's now out there for free on the Internet. This kind of contest is just a scam for a site to obtain free content—your content! So read those rules carefully before you decide to submit your work.

Be aware that you need a statement as to how long a site intends to archive your work. Again, if it's in perpetuity, you are out the reprints. And reprints can be lucrative. Even print publications may insist on internet rights and display your work for all to see. Make certain archiving rights are limited and that you have it in writing.

With so many contests out there, try to submit your work to publications that have been established for at least several years. Many publications come and go, often folding before you even receive payment for your winning work.

You’ve won a book writing contest? Great! But book contracts can be tricky. The publisher may demand all sorts of rights. Try to limit what you give away. For example, if the publisher only does e-books, you shouldn’t be signing away audio and print rights. If you can afford it, have a lawyer familiar with intellectual property rights look the contract over for you.

The best thing at this point is to contact a literary agent. Have another book ready for consideration. Then it may be possible to have a literary agent represent you, but be aware that the reputable ones are often harder to obtain than publishers. The key here is to make certain that money is coming to you, not the other way around. Never, ever pay an agent or publisher a cent up front. Legitimate agents take a percentage, usually 10 to 15 percent of what you will earn. Always remember that money must come to you as the author and not the other way!

     Another thing to check for, make certain that there is a time limit as to how long the publisher can hold your book without publishing it. After two years without publication, you want the rights to revert back to you.

I will share with you some good news regarding a recent writing contest. I was one of the winners of an Australian publisher’s romance writing contest receiving generous prize money paid upfront. It was not an advance against royalties. THE CHEVALIER is an historical romance set in Georgian England. I’m also happy to say that the novel is now available on Kindle at a reasonable price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY95RTU/                 

and also available in all ebook formats from the publisher:

http://steamereads.com.au/product/the-chevalier/

Obviously, there are still some good free contests out there for writers to enter!

For legitimate writing contests that don’t

charge fees, I have found some helpful 

listings. Here are a few to examine: 

 http://www.writing-world.com (offers a 

free monthly newsletter with all sorts of valuable info including contest listings)

http://www.erikadreifus.com/newsletter/current/ (another valuable monthly newsletter with a free subscription)

http://winningwriters.com/newsletter/public/2013/nl_public_1311.htm#.UoakPnCTiu0 (regularly lists free contests and rates them)

http://www.writejobs.info/

(lists freelance jobs and lots of free international writing contests)

THE WRITER offers a mixture of fee and non-fee contests:

http://www.writermag.com/writing-resources/contests/

The following websites provide warnings or discussions of ways in which writers may be scammed:
SFWA's Writer Beware: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/
Preditors & Editors: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

What’s your opinion on this subject? What experiences have you had with writing contests? Do you intend to enter writing contests or avoid them?

Giveaway Winner Announcement from Jacqueline Seewald

The winner of a copy of my sensual historical romance TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS has been chosen randomly by an impartial party. Before announcing the winner, I would just like

to say that I appreciated all the positive, supportive comments given.

If possible, I would give everyone a copy of the novel. However, there is one way to read my novel and many others at no cost whatever: place a request at your local library. If you ask,

they will order. A great many libraries have already ordered and received copies of this novel.

One important function of our libraries is to provide books that patrons want to read. Your tax dollars help pay for this privilege. So don't be shy about using it! As a former acquisitions librarian myself, I always paid attention and ordered requested books.

And now for the winner: Caroline Clemmons. Congratulations, Caroline! Your copy of

TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS has already been mailed and you should be receiving it very

soon.

My very best to all of you,

Jacqueline

TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS: Book Giveaway Announcement

TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS: Book Giveaway Announcement
By Jacqueline Seewald

I drew one name at random for this giveaway. It is Toni Zuma. I’ve left a note on her website, a message for her to contact me.

I want to thank everyone who provided a comment. I appreciate every single one.

Another way to read this novel for free is simply to put in a request at your local library. If they don’t have funding for new orders, they can still do an interlibrary loan. Libraries are the best bargain around!

Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Me: The Lure of Regency Romance

Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Me: The Lure of Regency Romance
by Jacqueline Seewald

I love reading all kinds of romance novels. I enjoy a varied diet. But I consider Regency romance the most delectable and enjoyable, a veritable bonbon of pleasure. I’ve read many hundreds of novels in the genre. In this regard, I am like many other devoted readers. Regency romance has endured for a long time and I believe will continue to be popular.

First, for those who are not familiar with Regency, let’s define it. When we talk about the Regency era, we mean the brief period lasting between 1811-1820 in England. However, for the sake of the novels, the era begins at the tail end of the Georgian period in about 1800. It includes the scope of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, a period of turmoil, social unrest and political revolution.

The novels of Jane Austen have caught the imagination of both readers and writers for centuries. I’ve read each of her novels more than once but love PRIDE AND PREJUDICE best for its wit, charm and integrity.

Georgette Heyer was one of the writers who created her own novels set in the Regency era. These romances have also influenced many readers and writers. Her novels even introduced their own unique vocabulary.

At the time I initially wrote TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS, I was working as a librarian with easy access to a multitude of reference sources. So my research proved both enjoyable and relatively easy. Now the internet offers so much valuable information on the Regency era which makes research more convenient. Here are just a few of the wonderful websites I recently located:
http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/social-customs-and-the-regency-world/
http://www.thenonesuch.com/lexicon.html#Dictionary
http://www.susannaives.com/nancyregencyresearcher/

Some of the characters in my novel are based on real historical people. However, I did place my own spin on the novel. For instance, at one time Regency romances allowed no sex scenes. I prefer to read and write novels that do have sizzle. I also have a paranormal edge to the book.

I created a heroine, Maeve, who is part gypsy and has psychic abilities. Adam, the Marquess of Huntingdon, doesn’t believe in such things. He is a world weary cynic, but he would certainly like to make the mysterious Maeve his mistress. Maeve leads him a merry chase.The novel is a sensual historical romance with elements of mystery, the paranormal, romantic suspense and humor.

Here is what Jayne Ann Krentz had to say about the novel:

Dear Jacqueline:

Thank you for letting me read Tea Leaves and Tarot Cards. I enjoyed it. Following is a quote that you are free to use:

"Jacqueline Seewald's Tea Leaves and Tarot Cards delivers an unusual and intriguing heroine together with fast-paced historical romantic-suspense. Seewald is very much at home in her early 19th century setting."

I wish you the very best with the publication of Tea Leaves and Tarot Cards.

Sincerely,
Jayne Ann Krentz
(Amanda Quick)

This novel is now available at a discount from Barnes and Noble online:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Tea-Leaves-and-Tarot-Cards/Jacqueline-Seewald/e/9781594149146/?itm=1&USRI=tea+leaves+and+tarot+cards

You will also find it listed with Amazon.com, Borders.com, and in the Five Star/Gale catalog:

http://rdsinc.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=TP907&cf=p&type=3&id=251513

Since the novel has just been published, I am giving away a free copy to celebrate. For the next week, send your comments here and I will select one poster at random who I will then contact and the announcement will be made.

So drop by. All comments and discussion most welcome!

Author Marilyn Clay: Writing and Reading Historical Fiction

Welcome to author Marilyn Clay, here being interviewed by Five Star editor/author Libby Sternberg.

In Marilyn's August historical, Deceptions, Catherine Parke escapes to the New World to avoid an arranged wedding. In the new colonial outpost of Jamestown, however, she discovers heartache as well as romance--not the long-lost love she'd hoped to find there, but love all the same.

Booklist has said of Deceptions: "A surfeit of fascinating historical details and a refreshingly different setting give Deceptions its unique flavor, making Clay's novel perfect for readers who miss the romance-tinged historical novels of Rosalind Laker."

Comment on this post and your name will be placed in a lottery to win a free ARC of Deceptions! Include your email address in your comment, please, if you want a chance at winning!

LS: Why did you decide to write about colonial America?

Marilyn: Both times that I visited Colonial Williamsburg I felt such a strong pull to the area that I knew one day I would write a story, or stories, set in that time period. Plus growing up in Oklahoma, I have always been fascinated by our Native American culture. I remember as a child watching the Indians in their feather headdresses and tribal clothing stamping their feet to the drums at the huge pow-wow held in Anadarko each summer.

LS: Your attention to historical detail is awe-inspiring. Do you have any tips for aspiring historical fiction writers?

Marilyn: Thank you! As for tips for writers, do not assume that things we take for granted today have always been around. In my first draft of Deceptions, I had Catherine reading The London Times. It wasn’t until I was doing further research into the early 1600s in England that I discovered The London Times did not exist in 1617! By then, my book was in the copyeditor’s hands. I made a quick phone call to correct that glaring error!

LS: Who's your favorite historical fiction writer at the moment?

Marilyn: Anne Easter Smith, A Rose for the Crown.

LS: What pulls you out of a historical novel when you're reading one, or what irritates you -- or pleases you?

Marilyn: I am jerked out of a story when the author has not stayed true to the time period … be it clothing, dialogue, travel, furniture, whatever. It’s like watching a Hollywood movie set in Biblical times and noticing that one of the followers is wearing Nikes. It pleases me when an author truly draws me into the time period, allowing me to experience the story along with the characters.

LS: Why should readers be interested in Deceptions?

Marilyn: Because many of us are descended from early American colonists, I wanted to show what life was truly like in the 1600s, without glamorizing it. Since writing Deceptions, I often remind myself now how easy and convenient life is for us today. I find I am more tolerant of life’s little irritations now.

About Marilyn Clay: After graduating from college with degrees in Art and English, Marilyn Clay illustrated children's textbooks, owned a graphics design studio in Dallas, became a fashion illustrator, a Creative Director for a fashion magazine, and served as University Editor for The University of Texas at Dallas. For sixteen years, she published The Regency Plume, an international newsletter focused on the English Regency. She has had six Regency romance novels published, three translated to foreign languages, and designed Romance Writers of America's RITA award statuette. Deceptions is Marilyn J. Clay's first novel set in Colonial America. She now stays busy writing novels, reading voraciously, and painting pictures. For information about Marilyn's novels and artwork visit: http://theregencyplume.tripod.com/

How to cure the rejection blues

Good afternoon! It is my pleasure to blog with such a talented group of authors.
I write historical romances set in fifteenth century England during the so-called “Gypsy honeymoon” period.

My third novel in the Coin Forest series is written, and I’m wading through the third round of full book revisions. Thanks to my beta readers who are looking at the full manuscripts for ways to make it shine even more.

I’m reviving my agency search, referring to my four-inch three-ring binder, bulging with rejections from previous agency searches.

Oh, such bliss.

I tortured myself in 2008 by collecting all the agents to whom I’ve subbed work, and organized them alphabetically. They list agent name, date, which novel, and results. Alas, not one of them says, “offered representation.”

Two pages, single spaced, 12 point Times New Roman. The agent names fill the page, along with the dismal results.

“Great concept, but didn’t like the characters.” “Didn’t connect to voice.” “Didn’t love it.” “Terrific idea, great writing, but I represent someone whose voice is very similar to yours.” “Not right for us.” “Not for me.” “Bursts with creativity and historical detail, but not at this time.”

I will be forever grateful to Five Star Publishing for seeing the spark in my work, for seeing outside the “current hot topics” box and recognizing the worth of my novels.

Still, the general consensus is that to thrive in the current market, an author needs an agent, so I forge ahead, scanning the lines and lines of names.

It's like a badge of sorts, I suppose, to hold up my work over a hundred times, lifting that stone tablet up for consideration -- that takes courage. So why do I feel so tired?

As I studied the page, it occurred to me that I needed an attitude adjustment. These weren’t agents who rejected me. These were agents who, when they read my query or sub, didn’t see enough promise on that day. They exercised their right to be subjective. Maybe their feet hurt, or they were secretly tired of historicals, or didn’t immediately see a best-seller. Whatever the reason, my work didn’t click with them.

The lines of agent names blur on the page, and I see more than just so many lines of Times New Roman. I see steps.

Yes, steps, steps I’m taking toward success. Gotta collect those rejections to take the next step, up, up, climbing until eventually I reach the top.

With thanks to author Carolyn Kaufman, here is a thought-provoking quote:

“To escape criticism, do nothing. Say nothing. Be nothing.”

Take this somewhat dismal quote and flip it, and you will find more courage and determination to realize your dream. The opposite of nothing is something.

"Do something. Say something. Be something.” Is this simple statement the key?

What coping "antibiotic" do you find useful to beat the rejection blues? I welcome your comments!