The Joy of Mentor Contest Fails
I entered the popular Twitter contest #pitchwars last summer on a whim at the last minute. Surprisingly, I got a full request! It didn't pan out, but it whet my appetite for more contests. I kept my eye out for other Twitter mentorship contests and continued to enter. Spoiler alert: I didn't get selected for any of them.
This spring, not only did I enter contests, but I also started participating in the community surrounding the contest. I chatted with others on Twitter and swapped critiques. I joined Facebook groups with other entrants to share questions and encouragement. I researched and followed the potential mentors, gaining the bits of wisdom they would share.
Prepping for entering the contests was a learning experience in itself. When a contest allows you to enter only the first five pages of your manuscript, you start really examining whether those pages do the job of selling the book. Creating a synopsis and query letter helps to identify (or show the lack of) the important aspects of your novel like conflict and stakes. Along the way, all the mentors gave advice on how to do these things well.
Once entries were in, many mentors did #10queries posts on Twitter, where they discreetly critiqued the entries, telling what worked and what didn't. While I was always on the lookout for a post that could be critiquing my entry, reading what made a good or bad query was extremely helpful.
If all this wasn't helpful enough, there were many generous mentors who gave feedback to the entrants even if they weren't picked. Sometimes, a rejection came down to a matter of taste, but little tidbits that turned off several mentors are places I now know need revision.
There were many ups and downs in the process. A definite emotional roller coaster. Of course, rejection stings. Some mentors gave feedback that was hard to hear and was discouraging. Other mentors gave praise and encouragement. And with time to heal, all aspects of the process ended up being helpful.
Though I have taken a break from the manuscript I entered into contests this spring, the experience I gained is invaluable. I returned to an old manuscript that I had stalled out on and had an epiphany to make it better! A year and a half ago, the first chapter received lukewarm reviews so I revised it...several times. Then after new beta reader feedback, a new first chapter was written...and revised. I eventually ditched the manuscript out of frustration. After this spring of learning through mentoring contests, I came back to the manuscript and wrote a shiny new first chapter that has gotten rave reviews from beta readers! I am now mid-rewrite of the manuscript and am very happy with where it is going. Maybe this will be the next thing to enter into a mentorship contest!
All in all, the moral of the story is that entering a contest can be helpful, but participating in the community and really getting involved can be life-changing. Plus, the contests are free, so what's the harm? Have you had any success with entering writing mentorship contests? When have you gained even though you failed?
Prepping for entering the contests was a learning experience in itself. When a contest allows you to enter only the first five pages of your manuscript, you start really examining whether those pages do the job of selling the book. Creating a synopsis and query letter helps to identify (or show the lack of) the important aspects of your novel like conflict and stakes. Along the way, all the mentors gave advice on how to do these things well.
Once entries were in, many mentors did #10queries posts on Twitter, where they discreetly critiqued the entries, telling what worked and what didn't. While I was always on the lookout for a post that could be critiquing my entry, reading what made a good or bad query was extremely helpful.
If all this wasn't helpful enough, there were many generous mentors who gave feedback to the entrants even if they weren't picked. Sometimes, a rejection came down to a matter of taste, but little tidbits that turned off several mentors are places I now know need revision.
There were many ups and downs in the process. A definite emotional roller coaster. Of course, rejection stings. Some mentors gave feedback that was hard to hear and was discouraging. Other mentors gave praise and encouragement. And with time to heal, all aspects of the process ended up being helpful.
Though I have taken a break from the manuscript I entered into contests this spring, the experience I gained is invaluable. I returned to an old manuscript that I had stalled out on and had an epiphany to make it better! A year and a half ago, the first chapter received lukewarm reviews so I revised it...several times. Then after new beta reader feedback, a new first chapter was written...and revised. I eventually ditched the manuscript out of frustration. After this spring of learning through mentoring contests, I came back to the manuscript and wrote a shiny new first chapter that has gotten rave reviews from beta readers! I am now mid-rewrite of the manuscript and am very happy with where it is going. Maybe this will be the next thing to enter into a mentorship contest!
All in all, the moral of the story is that entering a contest can be helpful, but participating in the community and really getting involved can be life-changing. Plus, the contests are free, so what's the harm? Have you had any success with entering writing mentorship contests? When have you gained even though you failed?
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