Saturday, January 19, 2013

2013 Children's Writer's Calendar: Contest Opportunities

So, we've used tips from last weeks talented author interviewees to set our personal writing and publishing goals for 2013. We now know what we want to accomplish in the next 12-24 months, things like: `finish my current book, submit it to agents and editors, start a specific new project, and/or branch into a new genre or area of publishing...

For each of us the goals are different. But perhaps our writer's calendar for 2013 is still not complete!




Perhaps it's time to add a few more opportunities to our writer's calendar.  Contest wins look great on query letters. They get your published or unpublished book publicity.  Some contests -- like the Amazon Breakthough Novel Award Contest, below -- can even get your book published. Consider these 2013 contests as you're making your writer's calendar for 2013!

CONTESTS:

1.) The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest!  Entries to this one are due this week!  The breakthrough novel award is an opportunity to win a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. 

Now in its sixth year, this international contest promises to be the best yet. One Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with an advance of $50,000, and four First Prize winners will each receive a publishing contract with an advance of $15,000. 


In 2013 they've expanded the categories to include five popular genres: General Fiction, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror and Young Adult Fiction. They're accepting entries from various countries For complete eligibility details, view the link above. ENTRIES ARE DUE THIS WEEK by January 27, 2013 at 11:59:59 p.m! If you miss this year's contest, put it on your 2014 calendar.


Deadline: July 31, 2013.  This contest is through Chanticlir Book Reviews and Media -- it's not a publisher, but rather a company that reports they help with "getting books discovered in this era of unbounded media."  Chanticlir has monthly contests in various genres, but the YA contest -- one for already published books and one for not-yet published books -- 
According to the contest info for non-published books: All First Place Winners in each category will win a Chanticleer Manuscript Overview Package (valued at $325.00).  For Published books: All first place winners will be automatically entered into the CBR Grand Prize Writing Competition for CBR’s Best Books of 2013.  All 1st Place winners will receive promotion and publicity. All first place winners will be automatically entered into the CBR Grand Prize Writing Competition for CBR’s Best Books of 2013. 
Leapfrog is a small publisher.  The contest is for Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction (middle grade and YA only*). Any novella- or novel-length work of fiction, including short-story collections, not previously published** is eligible. The minimum length is 22,000*** words; there is no maximum length.
All unpublished stories submitted in short-story collections will automatically be considered for publication in Crossborder. This may be a wonderful opportunity for many authors.  It is hightly recommended by writermorphosis that you read all the rules on all contests before you submit to them.


*Be aware that some contests charge a fee for entry. Others don't. Make sure any fee is worth the prize before you enter contests that aren't free. :) Contests are wonderful opportunities for many authors.  It is highly recommended by Writermorphosis that you read all the rules on all contests before you submit to them, to make sure they are right for you!


Happy writing, revising and submitting!

4 comments:

Linda A. said...

Janelle,
Are you entering any of these by chance?

Janelle said...

Hi Linda,

To be honest I had intended to enter the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest but forgot it was coming up so soon until just this week. So, alas, I am not ready to send in a manuscript on such short notice.

I hope, though, that many YA authors who have a polished manuscript sitting on their desk this week will enter (after reading all the rules to make sure this contest is for them)!

May the "best" of the best be published this year!

Carol Baldwin said...

thanks for the links. Will pass it on to the charlotte critique group

Unknown said...

Thank you, Janelle, for listing our Y/A Dante Rossetti writing contest for published novels and manuscripts.
Deadline is May 31st. The prizes and promotional opportunities continue to increase for the 1st Place winners. 8 categories. Keep on writing, K. Brown, Chanticleer Book Reviews