I woke up at 5am today, suddenly, deciding that I should enter my work in RWA’s Golden Heart contest. Let’s say I do win, (though there’s a slim chance at that, considering there’ll be over a thousand works to compare my work to!) then it’ll look so amazingling, superbly good on my query letter. The chances of an agent contracting my manuscript would go up by fourty percent, I bet, if I win this contest. BUT…but…but….the fee for non-members is a $100. Is it worth it, do you think? Should I go against the odds and cross my fingers? Or should I just forge my own way, try to publish a work on my university’s magazine, get some credentials that way, and query agents with a humble letter? ARGGG this is so frustrating. I’m a poor student after all who works only once a week! If only I were rich….haha. Anyway, I just wanted to get some opinions on whether or not this would be a good investment. If so, I’ll do it, only, I’ll just have to live on a tight budget for a month. Is it worth is? is the question.
On a lighter note, today one of my editors emailed me, writing that while she had been giving piano lessons to one of her students, the mother of this student, while waiting there for her kid, had discovered my manuscript on the kitchen table. She began to read it, became so “engrossed” in it, and asked my editor to ask me whether she could read the whole story! This email was read at 5:30am, so you can imagine why I`m fully awake right now typing this out. I really needed this email. Lately, my confidence in TRC has fallen to a low again–maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t worked on it for a while now. Ah, we are our worst critic.
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June Hur 
on one hand you’d be on a really tight budget (the idea of a starving writer isn’t exactly ideal now. but then again, it’s just for a month). on the other hand, you might never know – you could win the competition, and its going to look good on your query letter. but what if you don’t win the competition? hmm…
would you be willing to wait for the next time the competition is held?
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My dad offered to pay half–well, he offered to pay it all, but I’d rather pay a bit myself. This just means I have to cut down on buying m’self Starbucks coffee haha.
If I win, that’ll be a definate jackpot. If I don’t, then I’m hoping I won’t take it to heart, that I’ll deal with it well. It’ll be one rejection among the many I’ll naturally be getting when I start querying. Also, I’m mainly doing this to actually take the next step, otherwise, I might forever be stuck in that revision stage–I’ll keep my manuscript trying to perfect it. I need to move on. I need to take some more initiative.
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Well, an encouraging, extremely good e-mail message to start a brand new day! Wonderful news then! It seems your work has already found admirers… Glad to hear from you again after a while. Enjoy your writing!
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Oh it has indeed been a long time! University is overwhelming. I barely have time to myself. Ah thank you for your kind words!
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That is really neat how a total stranger asked to read your manuscript! I say go for it on the GH award if you can scrape up the cash. I know how you feel, I’m not a member either and it’s so pricey to join. I have a friend who sent two of her stories to it this year and she got nominated in both catagories but didn’t win.
I’m trying to work up the nerve to write a synopsis so I can submit mine to Mills & Boon, but I don’t know if it the synopsis bothering me or if I’m just afraid the whole book is bad. I’m procrastinating a lot.
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NNOOOO I really enjoyed your story. It’s just the sort I’d want to read. You should give it a try.
Ah, you just reminded me…I need to write a synopsis as well for the contest…dang. I just write a long summary of my story I guess? Do you have any advices? Because I’m guessing you’re more experienced than me in this. There’s also the point that you’ve probably planned it out. I have yet to do that.
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This is the site I check out for all kinds of romance information. I’m so glad this lady put it together. http://www.charlottedillon.com/WritingRomance.html
I’ve never written a synopsis before, last night was my first serious attempt. Basically they just want the main plot and main characters, the secondary plots and characters can be skipped over since too many names can cause confusion. Touch on the romantic scenes and then explain the happy ending. It sounds so easy lol. Sort of like a book report. I don’t think I’ve done one since I was in middle school!
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🙂 I think you should definitely enter the contest! The only thing is…if it’s a $100 for a non members to enter I think you might as well become a member and then enter, I think it’s like 45 more, but that’s for the whole year and you’ll have access to other events and news.
AND you should definitely look into Literary Magazines on or around your campus
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Hmmm membership. I thought of that. But….but I don’t live in the states. So even if there is an event I wouldn’t be able to attend it, no? I think I’ll just do the non-membership thing for now. YOU on the other hand should get one. Can’t wait till you enter WW in the GH contest
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Ahh..that’s true. Sorry, I didn’t think of that. Lol..maybe I’ll be able to enter the 2011 contest 🙂 But, good luck! After I read this, I went to look up the contest rules/categories. You need to print 6 copies of ..about the first 3 chapters, 1 copy of your FULL MS and 6 copies of your summary.
That’s a lot…and I would consider printing at school… o.O
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wow, hard choice. but i think you should go for it. it’d be a good experience. definitely pray about it and only do it if YOU have peace, but i think it’s a great idea!
you shouldn’t have a low opinion of it! TRC is going to be a successful novel, i dare say. keep faith. much love!
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I was not at peace with this idea… I’ll write the reason why in my next post.
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Carpe Diem, June!
Remember, TRC is brilliant. And I doubt that’s just my opinion (you’ve already got a fan group going already!).
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Haha, I don’t know how many of my fans are out there, but I know you’re still keeping up with my journey! That’s enough for me. I’m infinately grateful.
Oh yah, I’ve been getting alerts about the chapters you’ve posted up for the current project of yours! I haven’t been able to read it yet due to school. But it’s on top of my priority list!
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Kid if you don’t win it’ll be ’cause they made a mistake.
Dr. B
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Aww thank you so much for your kind words! I feel so bad that I haven’t been able to keep up with your posts… Damn school life. The professors won’t give us a break. I miss those laid back high school days when I had all the time in the world to drop by my favourite blogs
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You should go for it. I think you’ll win, you have a wonderful writing style. ^^ I love it when you post snippets of your work. They’re all so absorbing.
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*poke* You alive? I haven’t heard from you in forever. No blog updates either. O.O
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Am I alive? Good question. I don’t think I have a life right now. All I do day in and day out is catch up on my readings…*SIGH*
Oh man oh man. If you read my other posts, I’m repeating over and over again how much I miss visiting my favourite blogs, yours included. So I must tell you now how much I feel bad not being able to visit your blog often enough and leave a commment, while you’re taking the time to read mine… So sorry! I’ll catch up one day. Maybe during my reading week.
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