The window for submitting to the Amazon Breakthrough novel contest has closed. Did you enter? Did you even know about it?
With a $50,000 first prize, it does cause quite a stir.
When I first found out about it months ago, I brushed it off because my current WIP, Fire in the Woods was complete, but hovering at a pitiful 42,000 words and didn’t make the minimum word count. Then a few weeks ago people started talking about it again as the submission window opened, and guess what? I was now ABOVE THE REQUIRED WORD COUNT.
So, did I enter? You bet your left butt cheek I did!
Do I have high hopes? Well, 1 in 10,000 is really not all that bad in odds, if you consider that 50% of the entries will probably be junk. I’m a realist though…
Round one is based on your pitch. Pitching is not my strong point. I like my pitch, but I have no idea if it is good enough to be selected as a top choice. When I looked at the pitches of past winners, I had to scratch my head. If I saw some of those, I would have passed them over… so who knows what they are REALLY looking for (or were all the others really that bad?) Ha!
So, I have no idea how I will do… but what this did force me to do is speed up my editing process, and completely re-write my beginning. My manuscript is a lot sharper now than it was a few weeks ago, so if anything, that’s a plus for me.
Do I have a chance of winning? Well, I kind of look at it like this… I looked at past winners, and I felt the same way as I do about the Oscars. Movies that win an Oscar are the ones that I would rather get a root canal than have to sit through. To me, Oscar=boring. That’s the way I feel about a lot of the past Breakthrough Novel winners as well. I am sure they were well written, but not “my cup of tea”.
So, no…. Fire in the Woods is not the “Artsy” type that usually wins this type of thing. But I entered. At least I tried — and I did a lot of polishing to get it there.
Who knows? This year might be the year of the manic chase/explosion novel!
Good luck to everyone who entered!
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Jennifer M Eaton 
I entered but didn’t get in the top billion.
Ha! I think it safe to say we were both in the top 10,000 at least 🙂
Good luck! I didn’t enter (still on that slow editing boat).. but i’m very proud of you for doing so. To many people just wait for their dreams to happen, your on the road to making them happen.
Awe you ate sweet. Now stop procrastinating and finish that WIP!
Yes Mommy! 🙂
Best of luck, Jennifer! I hope, for your sake, that the judges this year prefer action, adventure & explosions! 🙂
Good luck and well done for entering!
Good luck honey! Fingers crossed for you xx
I haven’t heard about it but I’m doing the Ra-ra in your corner. Lots of luck, Jennifer.
I’d just be thrilled to make the first cut next week. 🙂
I wonder if they got the full number of submissions… if not, our odds could be even better. Good luck!
Good luck, Jennifer! You can’t win without entering, so you’ve passed the first hurdle. 🙂 And if nothing else, you’re further along on your manuscript than you would have been if you hadn’t entered. That’s always a good thing, too. 🙂
Good luck! I’m sure you’ll have a good chance. I do have a question though, how do you find out about all of these contests? I must not be looking very well.
Mostly through connections. I do have a Writer’s Market, but I haven’t looked at it in over a year. Most of the calls to submissions, contests, or other opportunities I hear from people I socialize with on-line.
Good luck!!! Whether you win or not, that’s fantastic that you got all of that editing done!
You don’t lose anything by entering so why not? Good luck with it. 🙂
Good luck, Jen! Wishing you every success and crossing fingers, eyes and toes for you!
Just like the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t enter. Good luck. I know you’ll give them a run for their money.
So many cliches so little time. 🙂
I knew about it, but never took the time to create my pitch. Good luck, Jennifer.
Pitching is harder that writing the novel. The novel is much less painful.
Didn’t even know about it 😦
But yeah, I feel the same way you do about the types that usually win them. Nothing I would read unless I was forced to.
But this may be the year of the alternate world God-hopping novel!!!! You just never know!
Good luck with this! It was vaguely on my radar but in terms of actually considering entering. I wonder if my NaNo novel from last November could me worked up into something suitable for next year’s one. We’ll see…
*be* not me!
Good luck with your entry Jen! If I’d have known this was on I would have sighed and thought, why haven’t I actually finished anything I started? Then there’s the whole quality thing and matching with exactly what they look for. Like you, I’m not in the “Oscars” type novels so probably no chance at all for me anyway.
Good luck! I entered, but I barely finished my second draft before the deadline. This is my second time entering. I’m not expecting much and I agree that the pitch is tough. I got some help, but I’m not sure it will be good enough! Still, you never know right?
I figure, if you don’t enter, than you have no chance at all, right?
I wish my manuscript was cleaner, too. I would have worked harder if I knew I would make the word count.
So true. I’m working on a short story series now, because its a bit easier to edit. Then I’ll put them all together in one book. That way I can still do some writing while I’m on school.
That works. There’s also a big market with publishers looking for shorts over 5000 words now.
How to turn the ‘odds’ to your favour … it’s really a 50/50 bet. You’ll either win, or you won’t. the rest is just mind games.
So true!
Good luck, Jennifer. I didn’t enter. I didn’t think Dragon King was ready and I’m nowhere near finished with any of my other novels. I have lit the fire under my butt, however, to finish my novels and get publishing contracts this year so…
Keep us posted on your progress. I know another blogger last year got really, really far in the Amazon breakthrough contest. It surprised the heck out of her. I think it’s a great experience. Maybe next year.
Good Luck!!!! I didn’t enter, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ya:-)
Good luck Jennifer.