by Michelle Sass Aleckson, @MchelleAleckson
It’s that time of year again. Contest season!
Published or not, this is your chance to submit your novel or novella in a writing contest. Many of the entries are due in February or March. In the Christian fiction realm, some of the well-known contests are the following:
- The Genesis, Carol, and First Impressions Awards through American Christian Fiction Writers
- Cascade Awards through Oregon Christian Writers
- FHLCW Reader’s Choice and Touched by Love Awards by Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers
- Christy Awards through the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (which only publishers can submit to)
- Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense through Kiss of Death Chapter of RWA *note not a solely Christian fiction contest but there is a Spiritual division many Christian writers enter and win.
- And many other contests through specific writer conferences such as (West Coast Christian Writers, Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, and more)
Check the rules for each contest carefully. Often there are specific formatting guidelines that must be met. Some contests require a full manuscript to be completed, others do not. For unpublished works usually it’s the first ten to fifteen pages that will be judged. Judges will score you on aspects like goal, motivation, and conflict, characterization, dialogue, and other story elements. Many of these contests offer a scoring sheet so you know what you will be judged on.
Submitting to a contest can be a little nerve-wracking, but consider the benefits. It’s great practice for submitting your work to agents and publishers. You will receive valuable feedback on your writing and get a taste for how others see your story. And if you win or even final, it puts your name in front of experts in the industry and gives you some clout.
However, a word of caution. Do not stake your life on these contests. Judging is still subjective. Things that appeal to one judge might make another gnash his teeth and give you low marks. That’s just the way it is. But going back to my comment on practice for submitting to agents and publishers, it’s the same thing. Some publishers may resonate with your voice and writing style. Others not so much. Having written and being edited by different people I see the same thing. For some editors certain aspects of a story and writing are very important and others gloss right over it or don’t prefer it. So take all critiques with a big ol’ grain of salt. If there are consistently low marks across all your scores in one particular area take that into consideration and find a way to grow in that skill. But if your marks are all over the place, welcome to the writers’ club where we bleed on to the page for others to either enjoy or scoff at. It’s not an easy calling. But stick with it! You will find your voice, your style, and your readers who will gobble up every word and beg for more.
And entering a contest just might be a crucial step to getting there.
The key to solving a kidnapping…
Lies buried in her past.
After witnessing her aunt’s abduction, veterinarian Talia Knowles will do anything to find her—even as the kidnappers set their sights on her. But missing memories from her past might hold answers she didn’t know she had. And relying on neighboring ranch hand and ex-marine Noah Landers could be the key to finding her aunt and discovering the culprit’s true motives.
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
After growing up on both the east and west coasts and traveling the world, Michelle Sass Aleckson now enjoys living the country life in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. She loves rocking out to 80’s tunes on a Saturday night and playing board games with family and friends. She’s a graduate of Novel Academy’s Storycrafter course, and she won the 2018 Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense and the 2018 Cascade Award for Contemporary Fiction.
She writes contemporary stories full of romance, grace, and, yes, a little sass too. You can connect with her at michellealeckson.com!