luvs2write44:
I have been searching for some decent YA Fantasy novel writing contests lately and I have just not been able to get anything.
Why? Winning a YA fantasy novel contest is meaningless unless it comes with a publishing contract and there aren't that many contests that are either run by publishers or which can offer publication with a publisher actually worth publishing with.
Off the top of my head I can only think of 3 contests that
perhaps might be worth entering:
1. The Sunday Times Children's Writing Competition. This has been run for the last couple of years in about October. First prize is a publishing contract with Chicken House (a big UK publisher). It's a well respected competition but I don't know if it's open to entrants from outside the UK.
2. The Delacorte Press Contest. There's a separate thread about that
here.
3. The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. There's a separate thread about that
here.
If you're absolutely set on entering a competition, then make sure you research it properly. The people behind it should have demonstrable industry experience, the publishing prize should be with a publisher capable of getting books stocked in stores, the judges should be people you've either heard of or who have a proven track record with reputable companies in the publishing industry and the entrance fee should not be exhorbitant.
luvs2write44:
When i finish my novel I plan to submit it to publishers and if that doesn't work then I will find some contests out there
You'd be better off working on writing a good query letter and submitting to agents instead. The best way of getting published is to find a good agent capable of selling your book. If that doesn't work, then there are a few children's commercial publishing houses that will accept unsolicited manuscripts but not many. If after going through all that you still haven't got published, then you need to work on your next book.
In any event you are a long way from having to worry about this just yet because you haven't finished your book. Once you've done that and polished it to a state where it's worth submitting it, then you can start to worry about querying et al. Don't put the cart before the horse (to use the oft-worn cliche).
luvs2write44:
wow no comments is that a 1st? thank you to the 16 people who took the time to look at
Patience, grasshopper. Not everyone's got the time to give advice.
MM
