A New Contest

This is going to be a short blog! I just found out about a new contest for MG/YA writers. It has to be a completed novel, in case the agent who is putting the contest on wants to read the full manuscript.

Agent Mary Kole is hosting the contest for the first 500 ( or less) words of your novel. The maximum number of words is 500, so be sure not to go over that. The link is: http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest.

There are first, second and third prizes, and I think an honorable mention, also. The prizes are critiques by Mary Kole, which I think would be very beneficial to those of us who have completed novels. It would give those who win the critiques some insight into what agents really look for when we send out queries and the first 10 pages or so of our novels.

I'm going to enter, how about you? Deadline to enter is January 31st, so don't fool around !

Speaking of contests: how many of you enter them, and which ones do you enter? I have only entered the contests put on each year by the writers' conference I attend here on the Central Coast. I'm not sure why I don't try for more. It seems like I'm always so busy when a new one comes along, that I don't take the time to investigate the submission guidelines and see if it is something I would be interested in. But...winning a contest, even coming in second or third if it is nationally known, looks good on your bio when you send in a query, and it just might pique the interest of the agent or editor enough for her/him to ask for your full manuscript. Maybe I should take my own advice, and try to enter some this year! Another goal I should add to my growing list for 2010.

Let me know if you enter, but most of all, let me know if you win a critique!