Entering the Fray Once More

It's that time of year again.  The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest is back in full swing, and is accepting novel entries in both General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction (with various sub-categories including Science Fiction).  As many of you may know, The Guns of Mars was a semi-finalist in 2009, and this year I'm hoping to get at least that far once more, with an all new novel.

I know you'd probably love for me to tell you about my entry, and extoll its high points and exciting storyline.  However, that will have to wait.  As I advance in the contest, I'll share more information about the book I've entered, but until we're through the initial "pitch" phase, I'd rather not share too much information about this entry.  Content is supposed to be anonymous at these stages, to prevent any bias in the judging, so there's no sense giving myself away (you never know who might be reading your blog).

In 2010, I didn't advance beyond the pitch phase, and in hindsight I can see why.  The pitch I had written, while not horrible, didn't meet the high standards needed to rise above the competition.  This year, I have made sure to have a very clear and entertaining pitch, which should get through, but there's no way to tell how the initial judges will receive it.  A lot of it is chance.  If the right reader likes what they see in the pitch, then the entry will advance.  If, however, I catch someone in a bad mood, or someone who just doesn't like the sound of my story for whatever reason, I'll get summarily dismissed.  Let's hope whoever reads my pitch likes a good science fiction adventure, and isn't looking for some touchy-feely yawn-fest.

I invite my fellow authors to submit their own manuscripts for the contest.  Get all the information here, and lets get this contest rolling!