Guest Blogger, C. Hope Clark on How Books Win Awards

Today we are fortunate to have a guest posting on Writers Circle.
C. Hope Clark author of the Carolina Slade mystery series set in the low country of South Carolina is a generous writer, and her online advice through her  newsletters and blog has benefited me and others like me.  I asked Hope to share her insight on How Books Win Awards, and she was most gracious to do so. Be sure to visit her  website.

How Books Win Awards

By C. Hope Clark

Seems the entire world is publishing a book, and with that wave of interest comes a variety of spin-offs –one of which is the book award. Being an indie author, however, limits your ability to enter many prestigious book contests that require traditional publication. So, let’s stick to the indies, and let’s talk about what it takes to improve the chances of your book landing one of those ribbons so you can put that gold sticker on your cover, or banner on your website.

The ultimate requirement of any contest is a well-written book. While that’s a highly subjective prerequisite, there comes a point where judges can usually agree on the semi-finalist level of most competitions purely based on the quality. A well-honed voice and a grand tale take time to develop. If your words don’t sing yet,
then hold off entering a contest. Fix that book. Edit it until you can’t stand to read it any more, then consider a contest.

The first book in my mystery series, Lowcountry Bribe, took years to complete. That means three complete rewrites (throwing the book away twice and starting over) and running it by a critique group one slow chapter at a time. However, once I began to feel a bit happy with it, I entered contests PRE-publication. Why submit to an agent or publisher and expect them to like it if I didn’t? Only when I began placing in first chapter, first line, first page, first 50 pages contests, and of course entire manuscript contests, did I dare venture into the real world.

There are more than book awards out there. Take advantage of contests that accept partials as well as those that take the full manuscript. It’s a wonderful feeling to self-publish and be able to say from day one thatyou are award-winning.
But let’s say you have a book in your hand. It’s published. You want credibility and awards seem to offer a dose of that. You feel your work can stand the scrutiny.

As a judge in several contests over the years, to include both indie and traditional publication, I would like to share with you how I initially view a candidate’s submission.

• First, realize that a judge rarely reads the entire book. Gasp! And a chuckle.
• Surely you knew that. Many judges receive dozens of books at a time. The most I ever was assigned was 85 . . . with a six-week deadline. Humanly impossible. So I developed a system to cull the number down to the semi-finalist level. It’s tough love, but it works.
• Study the title. Is it wordy? Does it entice? Is it boring? Too literal?
• Study the front cover and spine. Are the words hard to read (i.e., red words on a black background)? Is the artwork professional? Does it make me pause to enjoy it? Make me wonder what the book is about? Is it memorable in a GOOD way?
• Read the back cover. Does that blurb draw me in? The blurb is the first piece of your writing a judge will see. It has to be superb, not a last minute effort. It must grip the reader, not just give a general description you slap together. The bio is equally important. Who is this writer? Do I see personality, experience or dedication in this bio?
• Open the front matter. The acknowledgements, table of contents (if applicable), title page, copyright page, etc. They are the first exposure to formatting and professional appearance after the cover.
• Read the first page. Not wanting to be too intensely tough, I don’t stop with the first paragraph as some judges do. If that first page captures my attention, I read on. If I make it to the end of chapter one, I set it in the stack with potential. If a book does not meet the first-chapter rule of proper entertainment, it is discarded. Of course I notice the formatting and font as well.
• Break into the book and read a random page. I want to see if tension, emotion, and personality exist deep inside the book once the author is less fresh, even tired of writing it.
• Go back and read more diligently the good stack of books. I never look back at the others. I give the book several more chapters, read some in the middle, then the ending.
• Sounds harsh, but that’s very similar to how a reader selects a book, unless word-of-mouth convinces him to take a chance on it. So first impressions, i.e., cover, first paragraph, and hooks, carry tons of weight during the vetting process of a writing competition.

So, let’s say you have a great book. There are so many awards out there! What do you look for in avoiding a scam?

Entry fee. First of all, entry fees are a necessary evil for most contests, unless there’s a sugar-daddy sponsor in the background. It takes time and man-hours to manage a contest, and that’s assuming publishing isn’t even involved.  But if you have to pay $100 for a gold sticker, stop and ponder whether the contest is worth that sort of investment. I prefer to see a cash award involved. And if you are entering a manuscript, hopefully publication is involved as well. Prizes can justify a $50-$100 entry fee if the sponsor is reputable.

Past winners. If I’ve never heard of a contest, I check the previous winners. I want to know what they did with their luck. Have they evolved? Have they become best-sellers? Or are they even writing anymore. Everyone assumes the previous winners are legit. I once ferreted out deception in a contest where most of the previous winners didn’t even exist, and the first place winner claimed she was never paid her prize.

Rights claimed. No one should take all rights for entering. And if the prize is an indie publication opportunity, then you should still retain your rights. Entering a contest that involves traditional publishing and a contract, should entail giving the normal rights given for most traditional contracts, but keep in mind these contracts are very negotiable. The fine print in those contests may require that you sign a standard contract without negotiation. Ask to see that contract up front before entering. You could be sacrificing rights you prefer to retain.

Bait and switch. In some indie book contests where publication is part of the reward, a publisher might offer you the baseline, lowest package then try to court you to upgrade. Arm yourself with information about the publishing options that the company usually offers before entering.

Study the sponsor. What is its history in publishing? In running a contest? Feel comfy with whoever is running the show. Email and ask questions. Those entities that do not respond are not to be trusted. Don’t talk yourself into those competitions. 

Study the genre categories. When romance is competing with sci-fi, young adult prose with adult poetry, there’s a problem. Make sure that the contest clearly defines the type of book desired and that the requirement isn’t broadly painted all over the place.

Read the fine print, without exception. Make sure you understand each and every item. But most of all, be aware that contests are highly subjective, and two judges would rarely choose the same winner. The type of book that won last year might not be the same as this year, simply due to the judge’s personal likes. Do not take it personal. Just like you cannot please all readers, you will not be a good fit to all judges. And know that good sales means much more than winning a contest, so keep on keeping on with your platform building and marketing, putting that book into the world and selling it. Contests are wonderful to have, but not necessary to make a book a success.

Some book awards for your consideration:

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award – https://www.createspace.com/abna 

Indie Book Awards - http://indiebookawards.com/awards.php

EPIC Awards (ebooks only) – http://www.epiccon.org 

Writer’s Digest Awards - http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-competitions

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators - http://www.scbwi.org/awards/  

At the risk of tooting my own horn, FundsforWriters posts contests each week and vets these entities.
Using a newsletter you trust might be a good way to improve your chances of finding a good contest, and 
decrease your chances of being scammed.

 

BIO: C. Hope Clark is author of the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series and editor of FundsforWriters.com, a website and newsletter that reaches over 40,000 readers. www.chopeclark.com / www.fundsforwriters.com 

 

A Blog, A Newsletter, Both?

With all the talk about how a writer can build a platform or build a brand, I am pleased to see this   helpful post  

The author believes a writer should have a blog and a newsletter. I definitely believe a writer must have a blog. Read this article to see why Jim Devitt feels a blog is necessary.

Some of the comments show the writers don't see the "big picture." When the person comments that he doesn't  need a blog because he doesn't have enough books published yet, he is woefully neglecting his platform. The blog can be helpful in his getting those books published, in getting his name recognized before the book is published so that marketing of the book is easier. With a blog, a writer builds a community of readers and friends who will tell their friends about this writer. This is like moving into a neighborhood and taking time to get to know the folks who live there. When you know them and they know you, you have built an identity in your community. You are no longer a stranger, but someone to be trusted, and you have friends you can call on if needed. This doesn't happen overnight and neither does creating a writing community. It takes time and effort.

A blog increases a writer's online visibility because the search engines pick up his blog posts. I would rather visit an author's blog than simply see a website where his books are listed. And then, of course, he can share his blog posts on all the social media which will likely bring him new readers.

Mirrors

Since this is poetry month, I want to share at least one good poem with my readers.

Mirror by Sylvia Plath is one that hits a chord with me today.

I wrote a poem called The Woman in the Mirror. 

Mirrors hide nothing from us. I have heard of people who will not have a mirror in their home. But mirrors are my security, my safety net. My mirror tells me the truth when no one else will. A mirror can bring us to our knees at times and can also send us soaring like a kite set free on the wind.

I knew a young man who, each morning, looked at his reflection in his mirror and said out loud, "I look good! I feel good!" He smiled at himself and began his day. 

My mirror speaks to me frankly and never minces words when I ask, "who is the fairest?"

It doesn't hide my flaws, but pronounces them in a silver quiet voice perfect for my hearing these days. 

I seldom visit my reflection anxious as I did in my youth. Now I speak to myself and say, job well done. 

Self Pub, Traditional or Small Press?

Recently I spoke at a writers conference and the subject of how to publish is always the first thing novice authors ask. Which is best? Self-publish or go the traditional route?

In this article, Robert Brewer discusses the other alternative which I would recommend to anyone who has a manuscript ready to submit. Try a small press.

I like that a small press is not limited to a three month window for selling the book as are the major publishers. The process of marketing by a small press goes on and on, unlimited. Of course, the author has to be doing his part to promote the book as well.

Brewer says that when asked about the top advantage small presses offer to authors, Erika Goldman, publisher and editorial director of Bellevue Literary Press, says, “Tender, loving care.”




The book's cover and design is accomplished with the cooperation of the author and the small press.
“I work directly on each book, designing it along with the author to produce something that a reader will want to purchase, as well as an object that best fits how the author wants their writings to be displayed,” says Geoffrey Gatza, founder, editor and publisher of BlazeVOX [books].

Brewer's poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems was published by Press 53. When he visited and taught at Writers Circle last year, he spoke highly of his editor and all the folks at Press 53, a North Carolina company.

Read the full article here.

What can I give? What can I do?

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. 

                                                                                                                --Mother Teresa

My mother didn't tell me this, and she was no Mother Teresa, but she lived it. I watched Mother and her relationship with other people from the time I was a small child. She didn't run around looking for places to be of use. She had a large family, seven kids, and a farmer husband. She didn't have extra cash stashed to donate to others. But when a neighbor was in need, mother comforted her, gave her refuge from an abusive husband. When a relative lost a child, Mother was there to listen to the same stories over and over poured out with a cascade of tears. When a poor family had needs, Mother could find some way to make things better. I didn't know, of course, when I was observing her, that I was learning how to live my own life, and I was learning from a master teacher.

In the mail, every day, I am inundated with solicitations from organizations as varied in their needs as The Baptist Children's Home to the Democratic Party. My telephone rings and I see numbers from far away cities that I know are charities wanting my money. I just don't pick up anymore. 

On the TV news I see earthquakes, mudslides, refugees of war, and my heart aches for those people caught in the worst of all situations. I am overwhelmed with so much need and suffering in this world. If only I were strong and healthy enough to go and help, but I am not. Those days are gone for me now.

Although I have always been frugal with my resources and saved for my retirement, the nagging worry still hangs over me. Will I outlive my savings, my nest egg?

Are the needs of others more important than my own? If I give to all the organizations that ask, will I one day find I am among those doing the requesting?

I have made the decision to help one person at a time and to start with the person nearest me. 

I will help him/her in the way that is best for me. What do I have to offer? Not money. Not physical strength. 

• I can offer what I know about writing, about publishing, about marketing, about building relationships, about organizing events and I can offer ideas to improve my community. 
• I can offer to help those who have lost loved ones and have trouble moving on and finding purpose. My experience in that department is vast.
• I can offer sympathy and empathy where it is needed. I can offer encouragement to that young person who has yet to enter the arena, to pursue her dreams, to take the risks involved to become a success. I can be there as backup if needed. 
• I can share what I know with mature adults who want to be remembered for the lives they have lived - either by their family or by the world at large. I can and do help them find a way. I can listen. Sometimes that is the most important thing we can do - simply listen.

Books I recommend:
Daring Greatly, Dr. Brené Brown

The Gifts of Imperfection by Dr. Brené Brown

Read online: The Shriver Report

Traveling around western NC

I can't believe how much is going on this spring and summer. I am a member of the NC Poetry Society and on the committee for Poetry Day. My sister is traveling with me to Hickory for Poetry Day.
I am one of the volunteers working on the Netwest Writers Conference in May. It takes many volunteer hours to hold a conference.
And as part of the NC Poetry Society, I will be reading in Franklin, NC. in July.
I hope to see you, my friends and readers,

Scott Owens

at the events below. 

Saturday, April 26, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Catawba Valley Community College, Hickory NC
Becky Gould Gibson, NCWN Regional Representative, Scott Owens, and Pat Riviere-Seel will read as part of the 2014 North Carolina Poetry Society's Poetry Day. Owens, NCWN Regional Rep Glenda Beall, and others will sit on a panel, "The State of Poetry in Western NC." The day also includes workshops and an Open Mic.


Saturday, May 10, 9:15 am
Jackson County Courthouse Library Complex, Sylva, NC
Judy Goldman will give the Keynote Address; Gary Carden and Newton Smith will present "History and Writing: the Cowee Tunnel Tragedy"; Kathryn Stripling Byer and Nancy Simpson will present "Building a Readership for Your Poetry"; William Everett will be the special guest at a workshop hosted by City Lights Bookstore; and more at the 2014 NetWest Writers Conference. Register: www.netwestwritersconference.blogspot.com.

Saturday, July 19, 2:00 pm
Macon County Community Facilities Building, 1288 Georgia Rd., Franklin NC
Glenda Beall and others will read as part of a poetry reading series sponsored by The North Carolina Poetry Society and Ridgeline Literary Alliance.  

Do You have to be High Tech to Build a Brand?

What a great time I had at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blue Ridge Georgia. Carol Crawford and her staff including Caroline Mann make it seem effortless to host over 80 people all day long and move them from room to room as needed, keep all the presenters moving toward their posts, and feed them lunch.

Glenda B. and Carol Crawford   

Although I was deliberately late, needing to pace myself for energy, and because I had suffered from the overload of fragrance at the reception on Friday night, the day was quite long for me. 

Eager writers filled almost every seat in the room for my 11:00 a.m. session waiting to learn something that would help them to become published writers. Even now, at my age and with my experience, I am still honored and pleased when others look to me for expertise. I was there to help all the wanna-be writers and those who considered themselves writers already, but needed a boost to get their name out there, to be known to the readers they want to reach. 

I have been going to this conference for seventeen years. Never missed one. I know who attends this event in the beautiful little tourist town in the North Georgia mountains. I have walked in their shoes and know what they want to know. I know that most of them are not into high tech marketing. 

I asked how many had a website and then how many had a blog. As I expected, a few hands shot into the air. Many of the folks in the room were over fifty. I relaxed and felt right at home. These were my people. 

We talked about building relationships with readers, building a name as a writer at home in our own community and I told them the many ways I had done that before finding the Internet in 2007. 

In another room a professional writer with a movie contract and ten novels to her name explained her method of building her career - Facebook and Twitter mostly - it seemed. I suggested to my group that they set up a free blog and "dip their toe into the water of the web." I did this because I know that most of them are scared to death of jumping into cyberspace in the way many do today to promote yourself and your work.

I like blogs because the writer has the opportunity to show her writing ability, show her readers who she is, what she likes, and what she expects and wants people to think about her. My theory is that a writer must first think about her readers and give them some reason to choose her words over others, to buy her book if she has one. I have favorite authors who blog and I like to know them through these weekly posts. I had some author's blogs I followed and enjoyed until those authors decided to go to FB and Twitter and leave their blogs. Now I don't follow them.

It is just not the same on FB or Twitter. If one is a famous author, he has a staff that plops up promotion material for him or he tells where he will appear next week. But an author, like our own Vicki Lane, author of The Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries from Bantam Dell keeps her readers with her every step as she writes and publishes her next book. We read her blog and we know the ups and downs she faces just as we do. We learn to care about her as a regular person as well as the author of the series. We worried about her when she had a car accident recently.

This quote from Seth Godin says what I think about depending on Twitter to build your writing platform.
How many eyeballs are passing by is a useless measure. All that matters is,
"how many people want to hear from you tomorrow?"

I had planned to go on with more information on building a brand, but our 45 minutes flew by once the audience became interactive with the discussion of blogging. I will be most interested to see if anyone there will set up a blog and I hope, if they do, they will let me know. 

Memoir or Fiction, we have you covered

Check out the subjects for workshops at the Netwest Writers Conference on May 10, Jackson County Public Library in Sylva, NC 

2:00 - 3:45: Workshops

Second Floor Conference Room: Judy Goldman
What I Wish I'd Known Before I Wrote a Memoir

In this workshop, geared to both beginning and experienced writers, Judy will explain how to find the focus for your memoir, how to use the techniques of fiction to make your memoir come alive, how to write a beginning that gives the reader goose bumps, how to use reflection, how to understand the difference between scene and exposition, and how to deal with loved ones who might have a problem with what you write. She will do one in-class exercise to help you find your most engaging material.

First Floor Conference Room: Susan Snowden

Brighten Your Writing

Whether you write fiction or creative nonfiction, this workshop will help you hone your skills. Author and veteran book editor Susan Snowden will discuss creating strong characters, writing believable dialogue, self-editing, and more. Come with pen, paper, and your questions for the Q&A period at the end of the session.

Don't miss Dana Wildsmith - Saturday, April 12, 1 - 4 p.m.

April 12, Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. 2014: Dana Wildsmith - Writers Circle, Hayesville, NC
Fee: $45

CHANGING FACT TO FICTION,

OR: 

CHANGING I TO US

All we have to work with when we set out down fiction's road is the stuff of our lives, but that's enough. Every one of us has a couple of horror-story-worthy relatives, and we've all lived through years of high drama in our lives. The material is there, for sure, but the rub lies in figuring out how to use that material when memoir is not our aim. In this class, we'll talk about ways to use those three crazy uncles of yours to flesh out one strong character for a story or novel, how to conduct and make use of interviews, and a little about scene-writing. This will be a class for all levels of fiction writers.

Bio: Dana Wildsmith's environmental memoir, Back to Abnormal: Surviving With An Old Farm in the New South, was Finalist for Georgia Author of the Year. She is the author of five collections of poetry, including most recently, Christmas in Bethlehem. Wildsmith has served as Artist-in-Residence for Grand Canyon National Park, as Writer-in-Residence for the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska, and she is a Fellow of the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences.

Netwest Writers Conference Registration form is online

I am constantly reminded of how lucky we are to live in this area where writers abound and writing opportunities are so numerous.

The information about the Netwest Writers Conference which has been in the works for sometime, is now up and answers all the questions of Who, What, Where and When.

Visit this link to find a registration form to complete and print out for mailing with your check. Even though the presenters are some of the best writers and poets in North Carolina, the fees are exceptionally low, especially for NCWN members. 

Many of us worked for several years on the anthology Echoes Across the Blue Ridge which includes work by writers living in the Netwest region. That includes nine counties west of Asheville and bordering counties in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Sales of that book enable us to hold events such as the Netwest Writers Conference and to keep our member fees very reasonable. 

Keynote speaker on May 10 in Sylva, NC will be Judy Goldman, author of Losing My Sister, a lovely memoir, well-written and moving. Judy has many books to her publishing credit and you can read more about her on her website. Judy will teach a workshop in the afternoon at the conference.

Susan Snowden, author and editor of her own firm, will teach an hour and 45 minute workshop on Fiction. I encourage all writers of short story, flash fiction and novels, to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to Susan and work with her that afternoon.

Gary Carden, highly honored and well published playwright will share time with Dr. Newton Smith on the program. Their subject will be researching and writing about the disaster at the Cowee Tunnel. Gary is working on a play about this subject.

William Everett, poet and author of several books, is also on the program. Read more about this writer here.

Having as members and leaders of Netwest, two poets of note such as Kathryn Stripling Byer and Nancy Simpson to lead a session on Finding Readership for your Poetry, sets this conference apart. I hope you will take the time right now to register and reserve your place.

The beautiful Jackson County Public Library is the venue and the doors will be open at 9:15. Plan to stay all day and mingle and network and just bask in the presence of so much creative talent as you will find within the walls and on the porches of this historic place. 

City Lights Books of Sylva will be on hand all day to be sure the books you want are available. If you are a Netwest member or on the faculty for this event, contact Chris at City Lights to see how to have your books on the table. 

At noon we will have an hour to eat and visit with each other outside and inside. Contact information is on www.ncwriters-west.org. I'll see you there.