Hey everyone! If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that I’m now an agented author, repped by Steven Hutson at WordWise Media. My first novel has won one award for best beginning of a first novel, and my agent has declared it ready to be pitched.
What I haven’t revealed yet, is that instead of simply going on submission, my agent and I made the decision to enter my book into another contest–this time the prestigious 2022 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition. The contest is pretty massive, but if I win, my book will be published by Minotaur with a nice advance. I will also get to attend the Edgar Awards, which is every mystery author’s dream. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m hopeful.
The contest is supposed to be announced in March, and if I’m still in need of a publisher after that, my agent and I will go on submission.
I say all of this not just to update you, but to remind blossoming writers out there of the potential benefits of writing contests. You might think any contest you enter is a long shot, I know I did, but you’ll never really know until you try.
Meanwhile, I’ll be working on my next mystery, which is set in Fort Morgan, Alabama and introduces three of my favorite characters I’ve ever developed! Follow me on Twitter if you want more frequent update on my writing, and be sure to leave a comment if you have any questions about agent hunting or contest lists.
A Couple of B's 