Cornerstones, in collaboration with Writers News, is holding a competition to find 'dazzling manuscripts', a children's or adult novel, the winner will win their help to prepare the full script for submission which they will target at certain agents.

I think initially the first five pages and synopsis are required, you should email Cornerstones for details.

sounds good...

Casey

<Added>

Deadline is 15th Dec

Is this as good a deal as last year? I thought agents were more involved in the last WOW competition - but could be mistaken. I've still go the flier somewhere.

Thanks for this. I've had a quick look at the Cornerstones website but it doesn't appear to be up there, which seems strange. Is there a web page or anything?

S

PS: I thought that the WOW factor competition was Waterstones.


<Added>

Sorry. I'm definitely confused by this one!!

It's in conjunction with Writers News, but i couldn't find any info about it on their website either.

Cornerstones emailed me, because i'm on their mailing list, with the basic information and said to email them for submission guidelines, so i suspect that's what you would have to do.

Casey

Last year Wow Factor was Waterstones with Faber & Faber.
Also - children's mss only.

Best

Sion

I think they've changed it quite a bit for this year then - from what i've read, the prize is to have it looked at by cornerstones, and then they will TRY to sell it to an agent. There are two prizes, i think, one for a children's novel and one for and adult's.

I'll update this post if i hear otherwise or hear from Cornerstones.

Casey

I've just received the guidelines:

first 5 pages, double-spaced,paginated, named, and synopsis (headed with name, title, genre, wordcount) by 14th Dec. Must have completed manuscript.

Longlist will be emailed out on 22nd Jan.

Casey

<Added>

send by post
musn't submit to any other agents before 22/1

The details are in Writers’ News, which you can only get if you subscribe to Writing Magazine. The prize – one for adult fiction, one for children’s – is that Cornerstones will help the winners prepare their ms for submission, and then offer it to targeted agents. Representation or publication is not guaranteed but, if the author does end up with a publishing deal as a result, Cornerstones take 5% of the advance.

Dee

You'd be better off doing your homework and submitting direct to agents.

What a crappy prize. Really. Shit, and little more than an advert for Cornerstones.

Colin, you said exactly what I was thinking. A.

Well, i am considering doing it because i was thinking of sending my work to an editorial agency and this would save me £400 quid - the only probably being that i would have to win it! and it means not submitting to anyone else until the end of January.

Hmmm, not sure. I tell you what though, it doesn't half focus the mind on your first 5 pages. If only i had the energy to edit my whole book in intense 5 page blocks.

Casey

Aw come on… get real… a free assessment, and help to improve a manuscript to a submitable standard is not, by any stretch of the imagination, shit. It’s a deal I would be happy to win.

You would not be better submitting direct to agents because they now have bigger slush piles than publishers. Believe me, a recommendation from a scout of the calibre of Cornerstones would win my vote above all the unsolicited stuff.

Dee

The way I see it is that whoever wins this competition would get picked up by an agent anyway and if they wouldn't then either the calibre of entrants is rubbish or the whole agent system is a mess.

A.

PS But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enter, Casey, it's just that it's a bit sad that we (all aspiring writers, me included)are so desperate that this looks attractive.

And there's me thinking that being sad is part of being a writer... all those long hours in the bedroom/shed without talking to anybody, getting excited when you've thought of a new plot/ found the right word... the money we'll get paid if we get published....

S

Hmmm, i'm definitely sad when it comes to writing!

I don't think there's much doubt that the winner would get an agent.
When Waterstones/faber ran the comp. 3500 people entered, i think.
My only bugbear is that i don't want to wait until the end of Jan to submit. Still considering it, though.

Casey

<Added>

'to submit elsewhere'