Contest Wisdom Interviews: Anne Barton

Contest Wisdom Interview: Anne Barton

by Marie-Claude Bourque

 Today, I am thrilled to receive the very talented and gracious Anne Barton, Regency historical romance writer and Golden Heart finalist. She has nicely accepted to part with her wisdom on the pros and cons of entering RWA contests and shares some tips for us.

Welcome Anne. Can you please tell us which of your manuscripts have  finaled in RWA contests?

Three of my manuscripts-Midnight Promises, The Kissable Companion, and The Trouble with Twilight-have finaled in contests.  This year I was a Golden Heart finalist and won the Historical Unpublished Maggie.  I’ve finaled in four other RWA chapter contests.

Very impressive, 3 award-winning manuscripts. How long have you been writing and how long have you been submitting to writing contests?

I started writing 2 ½ years ago and entered my first writing contest about 2 years ago.  I bombed my first time out . . . but I’ve been hooked on contests ever since.

How do you choose to enter a specific contest? 

I like different contests for different reasons.  I look at the number of pages you’re allowed to enter, the number of first round judges, and the score sheet.  Sometimes I might need feedback on my synopsis, my query, or a part of the book other than the beginning.  There are contests for just about everything.  On average, I enter about one contest a month.

Wow, that must keep you busy. What do you think are the advantages of entering contest? 

For starters, you get honest, objective feedback.  Contests are a great way to get readers’ unbiased reactions to your story-and the reader’s response is really what it’s all about.  We can write a story that’s technically perfect, historically accurate, and loaded with conflict, but if it doesn’t create an emotional response in the reader, it will flop.  Contests provide a good testing ground for our stories.

When we’re lucky enough to final in contests-and there’s definitely an element of luck involved-there’s the added benefit of getting our work in front of the final round judge (usually an editor or agent).  Although I’ve only had one request for the full manuscript from final round judges, I think the mention of contest finals (especially in well-known contests like the Golden Heart) helped me to get additional requests off of queries.

 A third advantage of contests is that they’ve given me “deadlines.”  I wrote like mad to complete three manuscripts in time to submit them to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Golden Heart Contests.  Then I get to spend the rest of the year revising them. 

The biggest boon I ever received from a contest, however, (and this will sound incredibly sappy) was the friendship of my fellow 2008 Golden Heart finalists-aka the “Pixies.”  In the first days after calls went out to the finalists, one of the Pixies set up a Yahoo! loop for us.  In the months since, we’ve given each other advice, support, and encouragement.  We’ve consoled one other and celebrated successes, which have been many . . . by the latest count, 25% of the Pixies have sold.  It’s really inspiring, and I feel SO lucky to be a part of this fun, talented, generous group of writers.

Yes, from what I hear the Pixies sound like a really tight bunch. How wonderful for you.

What is the best feedback you ever got from judges?

Ooh, this is a fun question.  If by “best feedback” you mean the most flattering, that’s easy.  A few judges have said “I can’t wait to read the rest of your story” or “I hope to see this in print soon.”  Another wrote that my heroine is “someone she’d like to have as her best friend.”  Knowing that the judges truly enjoyed the story and/or characters is the best compliment of all.

But if by “best feedback” you mean the most helpful, I’ve received lots of that kind too.  I learned about point of view from my first contest entry.  I learned the finer points of internal conflict from a later entry.  And I’ve gotten wonderful advice on my query letter and synopses from several contests.

 I  have a folder on my hard drive where I’ve saved every score sheet and critique I’ve gotten back from contests.  Whenever I get contest results I read them eagerly-whether they’re good or bad-because each offers a unique perspective on my writing. 

I like how you reworded my question! What was the least useful feedback you got? 

Hmmm.  Here I go again.  If by “least useful” you mean the most humbling, that would be when a judge told me she was “having a hard time continuing to read this.”  She was referring to the fact that I confused “rein” with “reign” two times on the same page.  Now, you might think this sounds nit-picky, and I’d agree.  But then I realized that the judge was zeroing in on these types of infractions because of a bigger problem . . . she wasn’t swept away by the story.  So even though the feedback was negative it taught me something important.

On the flip side, I’ve had fabulous scores with very few comments.  Much as I love receiving great scores, I know there are countless ways I could improve my writing.  Without written feedback, it’s hard to know what aspect I should focus on first. 

Your attitude towards feedback is very healthy. I wish we could all act like that in the face of criticism. How do you cope with negative feedback or really low scores if any? 

I’ve received my fair share of both.  We writers tend to be sensitive types, so rejection stings-especially since we pour so much time and energy into our stories.   But that which does not kill us . . . . right?  Actually, the negative feedback has toughened me up a bit, and that’s necessary for survival in this business (or so I hear).  I also try to use negative feedback to light a fire under my backside.   

Also, I always send thank you notes to judges and contest coordinators afterward.  It’s hard to be gracious in the face of harsh criticism, but that’s when it’s most necessary.  At the very least, I can sincerely thank them for taking on such a tough, time-consuming, and often thankless job.  Usually, though, I can mention several things I learned from their comments or edits.  A few judges have even written me back with further encouragement, which is pretty awesome.

How very true. I have not judged yet, but I can see how time consuming it can be. As a judge, what are you looking for in an entry?

I’m really glad you asked this, because I think judging contests is a great way to improve our own writing.  Finding the strengths and weaknesses in others’ writing can help us see them in our own.  It can also be very fun when you score a great entry, or an entry that you can tell will be great with a little polishing. 

To answer your question though, as a judge I’m looking for an entry that makes me forget it’s a contest entry, one that leaves me breathless when I reach the last page.  I always adhere to the contest guidelines and score sheet, but it basically comes down to that. 

What sort of steps to you take to polish the format and presentation of your entry? 

I check the contest rules to see what should be in the header.  Some contests like you to submit a title page too, so it depends. 

The only other thing I do is to format my entry so that it ends on a hook.  Since contests allow different numbers of pages, I sometimes need to use Times New Roman instead of Courier (most contests allow either, but you can fit more with TNR) in order to end at a good spot. 

I don’t alter the working document containing my manuscript for each contest; I just cut and paste the parts I need into a new document and save it with the contest name and year for future reference.

Thanks for the advice, the format was always something I worried about. What are the downsides of entering contests in your opinion? 

The biggest danger is that you spend so much time polishing the first couple of chapters you never finish the book.  The experience of writing a complete story is really necessary for us to grow as writers.  With each book we finish, we see how we can make our stories bigger, more complex, and more compelling. 

Do you have a specific contest format you prefer?

Not really, it just depends what stage I’m at with my work-in-progress and what aspect of my writing I’m working on.  But I do like getting critiques on different parts of my stories.  When I wanted feedback on a love scene, I entered the Merritt Magic Moment Contest.  (It took me a while to work up the nerve for that one, but I’m glad I did.)  I recently entered the ending chapters of a story in the Happily Ever After Contest too-I can’t wait to get the feedback on those pages because only a few people (like my mom and my neighbor) have read them.  

What contests do you consider the most prestigious for the unpublished romance writers?

RWA’s Golden Heart seems to be one of the prestigious, probably because it’s well-known and the competition is fierce.  Attending the RWA conference as a finalist is an honor.  You get first pick of agent and editor appointments, priority seating at the awards ceremony, and a nice ribbon to wear.

Having said that, I think each contest is unique, and the answer to your question might depend on the genre you write.  The Royal Ascot is a highly respected contest for Regency romance, as is the Daphne du Maurier for romantic suspense.  To sum up, the best contest to enter is the one that helps you meet your writing goals.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about contests? 

Oh, I can share an embarrassing one I had.  When I finaled in the Golden Heart I thought the three final round judges would read my entire manuscript.  Why else would I have submitted it?  It was weeks before I discovered they only read the partial and synopsis, and I remember feeling really let down.  (The real rules make a ton of sense since some categories have as many as eight finalists.)  A kind soul suggested I read the chapter of the RWA Policies & Procedures Manual, which is available on their website in the “Members Only” section.  Everything is spelled out very clearly there.  :) 

Another common misconception is that a contest final automatically translates into landing an agent or even a publishing contract.  Contest finals can certainly help, but (unfortunately!) they’re no guarantee.  The exception would be winning American Title. 

You are so right about that and I don’t think that even winning the American Title would guarantee an agent. This business is very unpredictable. What is the best thing that happened to you from entering contests?

 Meeting savvy writers (like you!) and finding a great critique partner.

You are too nice . It is certainly inspiring to follow your progress on Amy Atwells’ Goal in a Month loop. Where on the web can people find you if they want to know more about your writing? 

My website:  http://www.annebarton.com

My blog:  http://annebarton.blogspot.com/

Do you have any writing wisdom to share with new writers?

You’re not alone.  Romance writers are some of the nicest people in the world (not that I’m biased) and connecting with other people who share our passion motivates us and makes writing even more fun. 

Thank you sooo much for your visit to Musetracks, Anne. It was a pleasure to have you. I have learned a lot just from this brief visit. 

Thanks so much for having me.  Now I have a question (similar to one you asked me) for anyone who’s game.  What’s the most exhilarating judge’s comment you’ve ever received?  Please share–I’d love to hear it.