Thanks to Erica Dreifus (Monday Markets, Jobs & Opportunities for Writers) for pointing me to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition by Amazon.com. If you have a general fiction or YA fiction novel that’s polished up and ready to get noticed, make sure you enter this free contest. But be prepared: the contest requirements are hefty, though not difficult. They’ll want the following information about your entry:
-A book description and a pitch (still not sure how/if these are different besides the fact that is viewed by the audience, and one is viewed by the internal judges)
-An excerpt between 3,000 and 5,000 words
-A bio
-A short anecdote (if you have one)
-An author photograph
Last but not least, they want a full copy of your manuscript for evaluation if you make it to the quarterfinals.
And the reward? It’s a big one. A publishing deal with Penguin and a $15,000 cash advance. So, with the cost of entry being zilch, why wouldn’t you enter? I certainly did–Fire and Brimstone was packed up and shipped off to the contest first thing this morning, and if I can, I’ll probably enter The School Under the Mountain as well.