I've made my decision, but I'm not sure it's the right one. This competition might, however, be right for some of you (and I'll post the link just in case). But was my decision the right one?

My family told me about the Richard and Judy novel competition. Where else can you win £50,000 with the promise of being traditionally published? But not any old publishing (only joking), but a Richard and Judy branded publication linking to WH Smith/Quercus.

http://richardandjudy.whsmith.co.uk/search-for-a-bestseller/

Well, I haven't gone for it, even though my first 10,000 words are in pretty good shape and I think my novel is a go-er.

Why?

I fit the criteria. Unpublished and unagented.

I won't learn if I am shortlisted until March. No problem there. But, while I don't think I could actually win the competition, I have to believe I could be shortlisted (why else would you enter?) and if that happened I would have to wait until September to find out if I won.

Now, I can't argue that stamping my submission letters with the R&J seal of shortlisting would be anything but great - fantastic, even - but my novel is a domestic thriller and a number of agents are currently asking for this type of novel and, as important, I haven't seen the subject matter covered in other recent novel (or not that I've noticed).

My worry is whether agents will still be wanting domestic thrillers in September or, like psychological thrillers, will the wave have crested for new submissions?

So, good luck to anyone entering, but I'm not. The question is, am I mad not to do so?






Edited by Sharley at 18:30:00 on 28 December 2013

my first 10,000 words are in pretty good shape and I think my novel is a go-er.

Sharley, you're intelligent and just because you're not published yet you have tons of experience and if you think your novel is a go-er I'm sure you are right.

Do you think you would have your WIP finished and ready to sub before September? If not why not sub to the comp? If you win - fantastic - if you don't there is no loss because you wouldn't have subbed it anywhere yet anyway. And as you say, if you get shortlisted it would be a great bonus for your submissions and a great lift for you personally.

As for wondering if domestic thrillers will in vogue in September, trends can pop out of nowhere and disappear just as suddenly, and I'm not sure that trying to second guess the market is a solid basis for writing a novel because no one can see the future.

I have less experience than you do, but unless someone else can see a good reason not to, I'd say go for it.

Sorry, Andy. I forgot to add that my novel will be ready by March. It's my target date. Okay, I was a few months off my finishing date for the first draft, but I have to meet end March for the target date for my novel (for reasons I don't particularly understand but like).

As for wondering if domestic thrillers will in vogue in September, trends can pop out of nowhere and disappear just as suddenly, and I'm not sure that trying to second guess the market is a solid basis for writing a novel because no one can see the future.

I agree. But it's only because I was nearing the end of the novel and noticed that so many agents are looking for domestic thrillers, that I decided not to go for the R&J competition.

I remember the press for psychological thrillers and one agent, Madeleine Millburn I think, saying that if a writer was starting a psychological thriller now (around Aug 2013 I think), it was too late. Apologies if my recollection isn't entirely accurate, but I think I've picked up the essence.

I think you should do both, Sharley. If you get an agent and a deal, then brilliant, you can withdraw. If not then you are still in the competition.

Very well done on finishing, by the way. x

Hi fv

I was thinking 'what a good idea' and then I remembered that a competitor is not allowed to have subbed the novel to a literary agent either. Duh! I should have added that bit.

So if I sub, I have to withdraw from the competition. Otherwise your suggestion would have been perfect.

I should remember to provide the whole story in future!

Your thinking seems sound to me, Sharley. I think you're doing the right thing.

Thank you.

I should have remembered that, along with the September announcement, the deciding factor was the inability to sub to a single agent.

I have one agent in particular I wish to sub to, after she wrote such a wonderful response to my first novel submission. But, regardless of that, the more I think about it, the more I feel this competition isn't quite right for me.

But it will be the most amazing opportunity for someone. Wouldn't it be fab if that someone was a WriteWorder!

Ah, that makes sense now, Sharley... in which case, I think you've definitely made the right decision. You have enough experience to put together a good submission package, so you may as well go straight to where the action is and try to get an agent's interest.

If it's good enough, it might get the R&J stamp anyway!

Trust me to tell half the story and confuse things. I hope I've told a better story within the pages of my MS or else I have no chance of this happening:

If it's good enough, it might get the R&J stamp anyway!

But wouldn't it be wonderful if it did.

Never mind! I think you're right to send it to the agent you know and who liked your work. I hope you're putting your feet up. I've got to start editing now....urghhh. Always dread going back to it.

Coming late to this, but for what it's worth, I think you made the right decision.

Trying to remember if there was an earlier thread somewhere about this competition? The ts and cs seemed a little too restrictive for comfort for me - how ridiculous that entrants aren't allowed to have subbed anywhere else!

I think you made the right choice, too, Sharley. I had a similar decision to make last year - whether to enter the Undiscovered Voices competition for children's fiction. But the novel needed to be finished by the end of the year and, at the time, I didn't know whether this would be the case or not. I don't regret not entering.

There will be other competitions.

And at least you have control of your manuscript and when and who you submit to.

Trying to remember if there was an earlier thread somewhere about this competition? The ts and cs seemed a little too restrictive for comfort for me

I think that was the Marie-Claire one, which tied the winner in to ridiculously oppressive rules, including always giving MC the first call on any interview (no matter how many years/novels in the future).

And at least you have control of your manuscript and when and who you submit to.

That's the positive about subbing. The agent may decide on the author, but the author gets the final says on whether they want the agent, t&cs and all.

Yes, it was the Marie-Claire one. Also very restrictive ts and cs. The winner was supposed to have been announced in the December edition but can't see anything about it so far in a quick trawl of t'internet.

I may be wrong, but the whole presentation of the competition shouts out: conventional and conservative.

Plus WHY forbid entrants from outside the UK? English is spoken in other countries, too, don't they know? This is galling considering they mention international rights.

But the prize is substantial.