Awards & Contests

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bektamun

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Apologies to the mods if this in the wrong place...

Anyway, I've been wondering about book awards and contests, and if they worth pursuing.

Does anyone have any experience with entering/nominating? Suggestions or resources for finding these damn things?

Just for the record, I'm an Australian so US-only no good to me.

Right now I'm just looking to explore this an avenue. Not sure if me or my book are up for it.

PS: I'm aware of the Bram Stoker awards, which would be an obvious one considering I write about vampires.
 

shaldna

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You might find this list helpful http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_literary_awards

But in general a writer cannot enter themselves, they can only be entered by their publisher for most of the major prizes.

There are some that allow a writer to enter their own books though.

There are also prizes for SP books as well. That list is quite good, but you should check out the website for each organisation / awarding body also for the most up to date information
 

quicklime

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ralan and duotrope list contests, but it is like subbing anywhere else: you are judged by the company you keep. Lots of contests are scams to fatten whoever runs them, and lots are legit, so yes, a Stoker would be very nice, or a Nebula, but "Larry's Sooper-Vamp Award", from Nowhere Press, can actually work against you.
 

Filigree

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When reputable, contests can be a great boost. You don't even need to win, just place very high.

In my personal experience, having some decent contest credentials helped me get partial and full agent requests for my epic fantasy. After a bad query and deafening silence (or form rejects) from several dozen agents, I entered the mms in the Suvudu.com Writing Contest last year. My story got a third place finalist slot, and some great judging comments. Then I trimmed the first part into a short story, sent that into the Writers of the Future, and got a Silver Honorable Mention in August.

Armed with those credentials and a much better query, I'm finally getting some agent interest.
 
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