Wednesday 31 August 2011

A Quiet Month

Well, August certainly seems to have flown by. Not a great deal has happened, as has been reflected in the paltry number of posts I've managed to put up this month.

On the writing front, I've found it very difficult to make any real progress. I've been working on a reading for my sister's wedding, which I am very honoured to have been asked to do and only slightly freaked out by the prospect of having to stand up and read it out in the church in a couple of days' time. Other than that, I've made a few tentative steps with a couple of short stories, and am kicking around a few ideas for something a bit longer.

My confidence has taken a knock this month as the results for a couple of competitions I'd been quite excited about were announced, and my name was conspicuous by its absence. It feels like quite a while since I had anything accepted or placed, and I've started to worry that I've lost most of the momentum I'd built up earlier in the year. However, all writers have dry spells, and if I'm honest the most significant reason I've not had much success is because I've hardly submitted anything over the last few months. I'm promising myself that September will be different...

As a sliver of good news, I was pleased to discover that I've had my first sale of my anthology via Amazon. Thank you, mystery shopper, whoever and wherever you are! Although it's great to be on Amazon, I wasn't really expecting any sales via that route, so I'm chuffed that I've chalked up at least one. Hooray!

I also stumbled across a new competition listed on Linda Lewis's blog - it's run by the NAWG (National Association of Writers' Groups). Closing date is 31st October 2011, word count 500 - 2,000, prizes of £250/£100/£50. £5 entry fee with optional critique at an extra £3. Full details are here. Sounds like it might be worth a shot.

5 comments:

Chloe said...

Hi Dan,

I have a list of all the competitions I enter and I highlight in green when something good has happened with the entry (like winning or being commended etc.). I have HUGE patches on the list without a single line of green but then other patches where nearly everything is green. You're right, dry spells are normal!

I had a look on Amazon - that's a good review you've got there! I have added your book to my birthday wish list and put it as "high" priority :)

Good luck with September!

Dan Purdue said...

Hi Chloe,

I keep a record of my entries/submissions in a spreadsheet - like you, I mark off the ones that get somewhere in green. It's a real pleasure hitting that "Borders & Shading" button once a story's been accepted!

Thank you for checking out the book. Maybe I was too hasty thinking that nobody would ever find it in the infinite vastness of Amazon. I did put a lot of effort into it, so I guess I should take it more seriously and try to do a bit more promotion.

It sounds like your book is coming along nicely, too. Best of luck with that.

Teresa Stenson said...

Yeah, tis the season to be rejected. Which will make it all the better when The Prophecy comes true. Yes.

Dan Purdue said...

True, true. All hail the all-seeing Teresa!

I just hope the folks at Bridport and Ms Kennedy are keeping their side of the bargain...

Teresa Stenson said...

Well, yeah, cus if you don't get placed, it aint my all-seein-fault.

Good luck with your reading - that must be this weekend, then?