Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest 2009

[Soccer Mom]

For those who did make it in, here is a thread in Accomplishments to boast (and beg folks to come and vote for you!)

Feel free to post away in this thread here:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135218

[Gardenia31]

So then there won't be any review of our pitch? Even though the email said that there will be a review in the coming weeks? (ssorry, confused.)

No that means the pitch just plain didn't make it, you weren't narrowed down to the 2k. Mine didn't either.

[icerose]

For those who did make it in, here is a thread in Accomplishments to boast (and beg folks to come and vote for you!)

Feel free to post away in this thread here:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135218

The voting won't be until the final round and between 3 entries. Nothing like last year, thank goodness!!!

[icerose]

So then there won't be any review of our pitch? Even though the email said that there will be a review in the coming weeks? (ssorry, confused.)

If your e-mail says the review will be coming, then that means you got into the 2k, if it doesn't say anything about reviews and says it was rejected based on your pitch then you didn't and no reviews coming.

[Soccer Mom]

The voting won't be until the final round and between 3 entries. Nothing like last year, thank goodness!!!

Oh, but I'm thinking all hopefully and stuff that all 3 will be members of AW.

[Renee Collins]

Made it into the 2000, but not the 500.

Ah well. I actually expected that to happen. My story is YA with a just a bit pf paranormal, so I wasn't sure where to put it. It didn't seem like it fit in Fantasy, so in the end, I decided on putting it in General Literature. The tone of my book is very YA, so maybe it turned off my excerpt readers, who were looking for something with a more literary style.

Or maybe my writing wasn't good enough. Either way, moving on.

[Tigercub]

Got my rejection today. :-( Sigh. My pitch didn't upload correctly, though. Only half got there. Maybe it would have done better if they'd gotten the entire pitch, but maybe not. I am really beginning to think that this is a trunk novel, which is a shame because I like the story.

So, not shocked at being kicked to the curb, but rejection is always depressing.

Congrats and good luck to all who did make it through the first filter.

[PastMidnight]

The voting won't be until the final round and between 3 entries. Nothing like last year, thank goodness!!!

But, from what I understand, the reviews on our pages might be looked at and taken into account when choosing semi-finalists. It was somewhere in the Contest Rules or FAQs. No actual voting at this stage, but a pile of good reviews are, well, good.

[aruna]

I think, though, that it said the PW and Vine reviews will be taken into account. Is it even possible for the public to review?
I personally think it should be only the above, because it's really not fair to have it slanted in favour of those who can round up all their friends-and-relatives, and those who refrain from doing so or who don't have many! I know I wouldn't want to go begging for reviews if I were in the US. And it's very much anti-US-residents, because most of our friends and relatives (I mean, us international people) aren't even allowed to write reviews on amazon.com, if we haven't shopped there.
Considering the hundreds I've spent on amazon.co.uk that is really stupid. But I refuse to buy something from amazon.com, just so as to write reviews or whatever.

[PastMidnight]

I'm sure it's weighted more in favour of the PW reviews and the "expert" reviews. If I had to guess, I'd say they'd look at the customer reviews just in the case of ties. And I'm hoping that they're looking for the quality of the reviews rather than the quantity. Surely five well-written and positive reviews count more than twenty five mixed reviews or twenty five reviews along the lines of "Dude, you so rock!" or "Honey, your father and I are so proud of you!".

[Gardenia31]

Gotcha! Still-damn!

If your e-mail says the review will be coming, then that means you got into the 2k, if it doesn't say anything about reviews and says it was rejected based on your pitch then you didn't and no reviews coming.

[Pamster]

Not so fast everyone....You might NOT have actually made the 2000 round...Amazon sent this to me tonight:

"Pamela,

We mistakenly sent you a message on Monday stating "Your Excerpt was reviewed by two Amazon Vine Reviewers, however, and their feedback will be made available to you via your CreateSpace ABNA Dashboard in the coming weeks."

We regret to inform you that based on reviews of your Pitch, you were not selected to move forward to the Second Round (Excerpt Review) of the contest. You will therefore not have reviews of your Excerpt posted in your CreateSpace ABNA Dashboard. We sincerely apologize for this notification error and regret any confusion it may have caused.

We hope you will accept a $5 electronic gift card which you can use for any Amazon purchase along with our apology. To use this gift card, place items you wish to purchase in your Amazon cart and begin checkout. Before you click "Place your order", enter your gift code (listed below) in the space provided and $5 will be credited towards your purchase."

So now I feel really bad, my pitch wasn't good enough, and my excerpt was never even looked at let alone have two reviews of it done and on the way to my createspace dashboard. I am so disappointed words fail me...

[Renee Collins]

Aw, Pamster. That sucks.

[Pamster]

I know, it's like getting rejected twice as bad as I thought originally I had been. Thanks Renee, nothing can change the fact that this email tonight hurt ten times worse then yesterday's....

[Shalanna]

Pamster--and anyone else who got this news today--
I feel terrible about what happened . . . and I'm amazed that this could happen. Anyone who received this disappointing news as a result of a mistake (!!! Good Gravy !!!) on the part of someone on the coordinating team--I feel for you, and I think it was simply awful that this happened. There are no words, really. I've had such a rollercoaster ride in my writing career (as well as in my "day job" career) that I know how it feels to
have the floor drop out from under you. ((HUGS)) I know there's nothing I can tell you to make you feel any better.

Get back out there and query some agents . . . go to conferences and have interviews with editors . . . get back into the game full force. Bounce back and be happier than before. It's the best revenge. *wry grin*

Lordy, lordy. The leprechauns certainly had their fun with this, methinks!! (Never schedule an important event near Irish drinking day!! Of course, some would claim that EVERY day is "Irish drinking day.")

[aruna]

Gosh, that's just AWFUL. I can't imagine how they could make such a mistake.
BUT.... like Shannala says, let this be a reason to bounce back with even more determination. Don't let Amazon beat you!

[Pamster]

I know you're both right, I just have no motivation to do anything writing wise at the moment, I think it's because I had to get off a drug I was taking for bipolar II and start on a new one due to stupid insurance not covering the one I was stable on, anymore. A week later of migraines and then toss in a friend passing away and I just don't feel like writing on my fiction at all. I know it's a phase and will pass, but right now it's still overwhelming me at times. :P

[icerose]

Don't feel bad Pam, on the bright side they rejected your pitch and not your writing.

Heck, I can't even interest anyone to beta for me lol.

[SirBiatch]

Don't feel bad Pam, on the bright side they rejected your pitch and not your writing.

exactly. In a way, it's actually better. Because your writing could still be very solid. If they didn't like your idea from the get-go, there's nothing you can do about that. You could write like Jesus and you'd still be rejected.

So the thing is to re-evaluate the concept/idea of your book. Is it something that someone could read? nevermind some random Amazon reviewer. If the answer is 'yes', keep plugging away. If 'no', then try writing something else and come back with mo fiyah.

[aruna]

My "spy", a Vine reviewer, sent me the follwing in an email, cut and pasetd fromthe ABNA Vine reviewer board, sent to her specifically to cheer me up!

reviewed those 40 excerpts. Out of all of them, there were a maximum
of three I'd actually want to pay money for to read. I was kind of
thrilled to see that nine of my reviews were featured in the top 500,
but I was MAJORLY DISAPPOINTED that the very best book, the one I loved
more than any of them and thought was a real winner, did not make the cut.

The only thing I can figure out is that it just didn't float into a
typical genre. The writing was so sophisticated and funny, and I was
just dying for a chance to read the rest of the book. But it didn't make
it into the top 500! I cannot. BE. LIEVE IT!

I can't remember what I agreed not to say, so I guess I should not
mention the work by name. But I wish I could tell that author that the
work was just majorly awesome. I guess s/he will see my review, even
though the cut was not made. Man, I want to see that book published. I'm
dying to read the rest of it!

On one of the books I reviewed, I guess my talking between the lines to
say how mediocre I thought it was--an effort not to hurt the writer's
feelings while pointing out the weaknesses of the writing--went over
everyone's head. I couldn't believe it made it into the top 500. I wish
I could swap that one for the one I wanted to read!


Reviewer B says:

I too am disappointed one of mine didn't make it. It sounds like we had
the same excerpt. It was very witty, sophisticated, and the characters
were so interesting and fusty in a British way. However, the other
reviewer didn't like it or didn't get it.

I could remain depressed about it because it was that good. On the other
hand, I firmly believe that talent like that will get noticed at some
point and by someone with the ability to see it honored as it should be.

Chin up, my friend. There's always room at the top!


Posted on Mar 19, 2009 4:32 PM PDT
Reviewer C says:
It seems most of us had at least one favorite excerpt that didn't make
it into the 500. I can only be glad that I made such positive statements
to the authors of those excerpts. They will know that their book has
potential and hopefully they will try even harder for publication. Just
think, if we were so impressed with just the first 5,000 words someone
in a publishing house will read those same words and be as impressed as
we were. I hold out high hopes for my 5 stars. Maybe not through this
contest, but somewhere down the road.



In reply to an earlier post on Mar 19, 2009 5:07 PM PDT
Reviewer A says:
Yeah, we may have. TAT? It was excellent! I hope you're right. So many
of those excerpts I read were so formulaic and mediocre, and I just hope
the really good writers who break out of the mold don't get lost in the
shuffle. I think at least eleven of my excerpts had a character named
Jack, for example. Definitely not Snopes material....

[Gardenia31]

Don't worry. I haven't written anything in about 3 weeks-the week before a brain mri and the two after. Take a break, recharge your battery then get on with it!

I know you're both right, I just have no motivation to do anything writing wise at the moment, I think it's because I had to get off a drug I was taking for bipolar II and start on a new one due to stupid insurance not covering the one I was stable on, anymore. A week later of migraines and then toss in a friend passing away and I just don't feel like writing on my fiction at all. I know it's a phase and will pass, but right now it's still overwhelming me at times. :P

[frisco]

well I too was rejected by the contest, but I refuse to let it get me down or beat me. I'm just going to work even harder on making the book better and go agent hunting. I will start on my next book while waiting for a response to this one. Rejection is all part of the writing process. I'm going to channel my energy to doing better work--might even start my own website like most writers have. I have a ton of ideas and a few of them might even be decent. I won't know unless I give it every thing i've got to succeed.

[heyjude]

So sorry to those who didn't make it. Many congratulations to those who did!

[JulieHowe]

I wasn't finished with mine in time to enter it into the Amazon contest. I did enter another contest that only asked for the first 50 pages of a novel-in-progress (plus a $25 entry fee). It's been a month, and they haven't sent back my acknowledgment postcard, nor have they cashed my check.

So my mind is playing tricks on me, and my ego is telling me that my work is so bad that they're going to send me everything back, including my uncashed check, with a note telling me that I should consider another career, preferably one that doesn't involve the use of compound words.

We (writers) are sensitive and moody creatures. By the way, if anyone is interested in that contest, the deadline has passed for this year, but it's sponsored by a legitimate organization - the James Jones Fellowship Contest. (He wrote 'From Here to Eternity.')

[Musicsmysoul]

Congrats to those who are in the top 500! My dad made it... hopefully he makes the next cut. As an aspiring writer myself...it certainly is inspiring to see his hard work and determination all of these years finally pay off!

It is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG39AQ if anyone is interested!

Would love to read others... who else made it?

Heather