Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile
2013 Edition
A contest that everyone wins.
We know how wearisome it is to keep
getting rejections. Or worse, getting no response from submissions to agents
and editors.
In this writing business, everybody
needs a little encouragement. That’s why we launched the Out of the
Slush Pile contest.
There’s only one Grand Prize winner
each year. Just one writer will have his or her winning entry submitted
directly to agents and editors, bypassing the dreaded slush pile. Only one blown glass rocket trophy will be presented at the end of the year, and only that one recipient will be able to
add “Launch Pad Contest Grand Prize Winner” on proposals.
But EVERY ENTRANT will receive personal critiques by industry professionals. Some of our past participants have said that was as good as a win.
But EVERY ENTRANT will receive personal critiques by industry professionals. Some of our past participants have said that was as good as a win.
Our aim is twofold: to help budding
writers gain experience and hone their craft; and to lift the Grand Prize
winner’s book out of the slush pile and onto the desk of the right publishing
professional.
Who Can Enter?
In every category except Nonfiction: Any
writer not on the Novel Rocket team who has completed a novel but has never
contracted with a traditional publisher. If you’re a journalist – if you’ve
been published in magazines, whether articles or fiction – if you’ve published
nonfiction books, plays, or poetry – you can enter. This contest is
for anyone who has never published a novel with a traditional publisher.
For Nonfiction: Any writer not on the
Novel Rocket team who has completed a nonfiction book but has never contracted
with a traditional publisher for nonfiction publication.
Who’s Judging This Thing?
All the judges are on the Novel Rocket team and are active in the publishing industry, include bestselling and
award-winning authors. Our judges this year include: Gina Holmes, James Rubart,
Ronie Kendig, Yvonne Anderson, Ane Mulligan, and literary agent Sally Apokedak.
What’s the Prize?
Each month May through October, we’ll choose a
winner of a different category. When we announce the winner, we’ll publish the
writer’s entry on this site. Since many in the publishing world read this blog,
the work will be brought to the attention to a number of people who might be
interested.
Upon providing us with the complete manuscript
and a proposal, each category winner will move on to the final round. A new
panel of judges (different from the category judges) will choose one of those
finalists to be our Grand Prize winner, who will be announced in December.
The Grand Prize will be a hand-blown
glass rocket award (subject to change). But here’s the real prize: Novel Rocket
will help the winner connect with one or more agents or editors depending on
the winner’s genre, intended audience, and specific needs.
What Are the Categories?
This year for the first time, in
addition to the usual novel genres, we are offering a Nonfiction category.
Here’s the whole list:
Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller: These are suspenseful stories that do not involve
supernatural elements. They may be set in any contemporary or historical time
period. However, plot lines that take place in the future or deal with time
travel should be submitted in the Speculative category.
General Fiction: Formerly known as Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction. These
are the stories that don’t quite fit the other categories and can include
westerns, dramas, inspirational stories of personal growth, as well as
comedy/humor. The setting can be either contemporary or historical.
Nonfiction: This is a broad category encompassing any nonfiction
including but not limited to memoir, history, biography, essay collections,
travelogue, self-help, how-to, Bible study, or devotional, provided the subject
does not dispute or contradict the
Christian worldview.
This stipulation is not made to
discriminate against any religion, philosophy, or group. Because the judges are
Christians, however, it would be difficult for them to give the entry a fair
assessment if they found its premise offensive. Secular works are acceptable provided they do not denigrate God, the
Bible, or Christian teachings.
Middle Grade/Young
Adult: These are books written for children
in the middle grades (ages 8-12) and above (ages 13-20).
Romance: Romantic stories with either a historical or contemporary
setting. No erotica or homosexual
fiction, please. (See stipulation under Nonfiction.)
Speculative Fiction: This includes science fiction, fantasy, alternate history,
magic realism, paranormal, or supernatural stories. If it’s impossibly weird,
file it here.
Official Rules:
1. Download the entry form. You’ll be asked to choose one of the six
genre categories described above. Sometimes a story could fit in more than one
category: for instance, a fantasy written for teenagers might go in either
the MG/YA category or in Speculative Fiction. It is up to the writer to decide
which genre is the best fit for his or her entry. The same story may not be
entered in more than one category.
2. A writer may, however, enter
more than one story. These can be in the same genre, or they might be in
different categories. Stories that have been entered in the Novel Journey or
Novel Rocket contest in the past may be re-entered, provided they were not
category winners in previous years.
3. For the fiction categories: Prepare a one- to two-page (single-spaced)
synopsis for each fiction entry, along with the first 3,000 – 4,000 words of the
manuscript. This may be the first chapter; a prologue plus first chapter; the
first two chapters; or whatever is appropriate for the story, provided the whole
excerpt does not exceed 4,000 words.
The judges are more concerned with getting a good sample of the writer’s work than
they are with a particular word count.
For nonfiction: Prepare a summary instead of a synopsis. This should list each chapter and give a one- to two-sentence description of what the chapter contains. The total length will depend upon the number of chapters in the book. It is permissible for the summary to run over two pages if necessary. In addition to the summary, provide the first chapter or the first 3,000 - 4,000 words of the manuscript as described above.
For nonfiction: Prepare a summary instead of a synopsis. This should list each chapter and give a one- to two-sentence description of what the chapter contains. The total length will depend upon the number of chapters in the book. It is permissible for the summary to run over two pages if necessary. In addition to the summary, provide the first chapter or the first 3,000 - 4,000 words of the manuscript as described above.
Format: Submissions should be Microsoft Word documents (.doc or
.docx) or RTF files using Times New-Roman or Arial font, size 12. Chapters
should be double-spaced, synopses single-spaced, all with one-inch margins.
4. Submit entry form, first 3-4000
words, and synopsis (or summary) as email attachments to NovelRocketContest @ gmail.com
(without the spaces). For each entry submitted, make payment of $45 by PayPal at the bottom of this page.
Except for the entry form, you need not
include personal information on your submission. All entries will be stripped
of any identifying headers and bylines and will be anonymous when presented to
the judges. Once processed by the contest administrator, a submission will be
known only by its title and entry number until the winner is revealed on the
blog.
Once the complete entry and payment are
received, the writer will receive verification that the submission is good to
go. If you do not receive verification within 48 hours, please contact
us at the same email address; occasionally a submission doesn’t go through, and
we want to make sure we don’t miss anyone.
5. Entries will be accepted in all
genres beginning January 14, 2013. The deadline for submission is different for
every category according to the following schedule. In each case, entries
must be received by 11:59 PM EST on the 10th day of the month
listed.
- Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller.
Submission deadline: April 10, 2013.
- General
Fiction. Deadline: May 10, 2013.
- Nonfiction:
June 10, 2013.
- Middle
Grade/Young Adult Fiction: July 10, 2013.
- Romance:
August 10, 2013.
- Speculative:
September 10, 2013.
6. Every month between May and October,
the judges will review the submissions in one genre and choose a winner for
that category. The judging criteria will include a solid plot (for fiction),
technical skill, understanding of the subject (for nonfiction), writing craft, professionalism,
and all-around readiness for publication.
7. Except as noted in #9 below,
the winner of each category will be announced on the second Monday of the month
following the submission deadline, as shown:
- Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller:
Winner announced May 13, 2013.
- General
Fiction: Winner announced: June 10, 2013.
- Nonfiction:
July 8, 2013.
- Middle
Grade/Young Adult Fiction: August 12, 2013.
- Romance:
September 9, 2013.
- Speculative:
October 14, 2013.
Every entrant in each month’s category
will be contacted on the date listed above. The critiqued submissions will be
returned with comments and suggestions, and the winner will be notified. The
winning entry will be published in Novel Rocket on that date.
8. The category winners/finalists will be asked to provide a complete
manuscript and a proposal for the judges’ use in determining the
final winner. (Those who do not provide these will be disqualified from the
grand prize.)
9.
In the event the judges determine that none of the entries in a particular
category is close to being ready for publication, Novel Rocket reserves the
right to announce no winner in that category.
10.
Once all finalists are selected, a panel of judges will determine the Grand
Prize winner. They will base their decision on the complete manuscript,
synopsis, and proposal.
11. The Grand Prize winner will be
announced on Novel Rocket on December 9, 2013. The winner will be notified
personally as well, and arrangements will be made for delivery of the award.
Download entry form here.
Pay
fee here:
If you have any questions, please contact Yvonne Anderson, contest administrator, at NovelRocketContest @ gmail.com (without the spaces).
