Contemplations on ABNA
It just hit me, in a surge of pure retrospect, the enormity of entering Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The submission period closed yesterday at midnight. I entered.
I know, I know, so did a couple thousand other people with unpublished or self-published novels. I’m sure the same thing was the case with the Nashville Book Festival. I sure as hell didn’t expect to get any sort of an accolade from Nashville and ended up taking an honorable mention with no preamble to speak of. So the fact that ABNA will announce nothing until 20 days from now (give or take) is utterly nerveracking.
There’s also the fact that I am no great shakes at writing pitches and the first round is based solely on the pitch. The one I have that’s hanging on the site right now is subject to change and I did not use it; I used an amalgamation of the Write A New Blurb contest entry and my friend’s input to enter. I think it’s miles better than what I had before and nonetheless, if only not to get my own hopes up, I’m betting that I would not make it past the first round.
Thing is, this truly is an enormous event. Contract with Penguin, a cash prize, accolades and press – that is something an aspiring author dreams about. It’s kind of a writer’s Olympics, in a sense – you’re competing for the gold in the one skill that you specialize in. This year, it’s both general and YA fiction, unpublished and self-published that are open for consideration. To NaNoWriMo participants, it’s the ideal opening and this is the very thing I want to see: a participant taking a win in this, even if it isn’t me. How many talented, creative authors go without acknowledgment because they’re not signed with a publishing house? Only too many. It’s also why I keep this blog, to hopefully encourage other creative people to try an independent venture. This contest is a major deal, first and foremost because it could grant a fledgling creative person a chance at success that they spent ages thinking/dreaming about.
I’m both excited and nervous. Excited in general, nervous because for the life of me, I have no clue what to expect – and I usually have a pretty reliable intuition. This is…seriously, it’s major. I’m still having some trouble reconciling doing this with how it all really began: in 2006, on night shift, with a contest and a dream.
In other news, I’m back on the creative grind with Book 4. It’s only a half a scene so far, but it’s better than staring at a scene summary and being completely writer’s-blocked insofar as actually visualizing the entire damn thing.I’m actually able to put the words down and let things flow. Finally.
Until next time…
K.G.
