2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

[ebbrown]

Originally Posted by SKDaley

I guess even if I don't make it past this round, my ms will at least get a review from professionals over at PW. Who could ask for anything more?

ME!

Yeah, I feel the same way. Looking forward to the PW review, that is the most I could have hoped for out of this. I didn't think my excerpt was the strongest part of the book(I was happy with it, but I think it gets better as it goes on), so I was thrilled to move on. It will be cool to see what PW has to say about the entire shebang.

[SKDaley]

Same here, E.B., I feel my manuscript gets better as the story progresses, so I'm equally thrilled to have made it here. That PW review will give real insight into the strengths and weaknesses of my ms. Beats paying for an editor any day!

[Marika]

FYI, my novel was a quarterfinalist last year, and I got a PW review. It was a nice review, which was great (no negatives or suggestions for improvement). But my novel didn't make it to the next round. So, the review may not be helpful in terms of knowing what needs improvement.

Good luck to all of you still in the competition!!

[SKDaley]

Thanks, Marika! I'm happy to have made it this far, and I'm looking forward to the review, whatever it may be. Making it to the next round is a long shot, I know, but right now at least I have hope.

[ebbrown]

Originally Posted by Marika

FYI, my novel was a quarterfinalist last year, and I got a PW review. It was a nice review, which was great (no negatives or suggestions for improvement). But my novel didn't make it to the next round. So, the review may not be helpful in terms of knowing what needs improvement.

Good luck to all of you still in the competition!!

Thanks Marika

[SKDaley]

Less than a week to go. Is there anybody out there?

[ebbrown]

Ugh. This waiting is nerve wracking. I don't know what else to say about it. It's just torturous. I have two manuscripts in edits right now, and I can't seem to focus on anything long enough to get it finished. I guess it is what it is. I'm trying very hard to keep up with what I need to do. Waiting for a response to queries has not affected me so much, so it is weird to see this contest being so distracting.
Arg. A few more days, and viola! Moving on with the plan. haha.

yes, I will have another glass of wine, thank you!

[seaaircarol]

Good luck to everyone still in!

[ebbrown]

[ebbrown]

Apparently, the PW reviews are being posted to CS accounts early. Seems like no rhyme or reason to it, all categories are posting to accounts according to the writers. Looks like they started posting them last night.
I knew I should have just stayed off the internet today.

[Tienci]

Gosh darn it, now I went and looked.
Not a glowing review by any means, but an interesting take that made me giggle.

[ebbrown]

Ahh, I'm out. I expected as much, was just happy to have made it thus far. Still no PW review, apparently they are taking their sweet time about posting them.

Thrilled for a friend who did make the cut in the YA genre, though.

[seaaircarol]

Originally Posted by ebbrown

Ahh, I'm out. I expected as much, was just happy to have made it thus far. Still no PW review, apparently they are taking their sweet time about posting them.

Thrilled for a friend who did make the cut in the YA genre, though.

Aww, sorry to hear that.

Any other AW'ers still in?

[ebbrown]

Originally Posted by seaaircarol

Aww, sorry to hear that.

Any other AW'ers still in?

TY It's all good. Other opportunities are knocking.

[Tienci]

I'm out too, but I'm content with the great feedback and usable quotes I've gotten from the reviews.
Still tickled about the PW one--but there is a line I can use from it!

[SKDaley]

I'm out, as well. My PW review was brutal, I'm afraid to say. The person who read my book definitely did not like it. I don't know whether to take it to heart and scrap the whole thing, try and fix it, or just view it as one person's opinion. Having never gotten such a harsh critique, I am a bit thrown.

[seaaircarol]

Originally Posted by SKDaley

I'm out, as well. My PW review was brutal, I'm afraid to say. The person who read my book definitely did not like it. I don't know whether to take it to heart and scrap the whole thing, try and fix it, or just view it as one person's opinion. Having never gotten such a harsh critique, I am a bit thrown.

Just one person's opinion!!!!

[4everwriter]

Originally Posted by SKDaley

I'm out, as well. My PW review was brutal, I'm afraid to say. The person who read my book definitely did not like it. I don't know whether to take it to heart and scrap the whole thing, try and fix it, or just view it as one person's opinion. Having never gotten such a harsh critique, I am a bit thrown.

You're not the only one who has received a brutal PW review through ABNA. Based on feedback I've read since the beginning of the contest in 2007, PW doesn't feel inclined to hold anything back, which can be good and bad. I made the quarters last year, and the review I received was equal parts praise and criticism. They did hit on something that I thought might be a problem (but hoped it wasn't), so when they identified it I went back through the book and (hopefully) corrected it.

Let the review rest for a few days or a week or so, then relook it. If you can use anything from it, good. If not, then remember that the PW reviewers are a lot like the Vine reviewers...sometimes they 'get' the book and sometimes they don't. The best thing to do is hang in there and keep writing.

[SKDaley]

Thanks for the advice, you guys. I'm trying to take it for what it is-- one person's opinion. S/He seemed to be stuck on one aspect of the novel, and was very dismissive of the whole thing because of that. "Run-of-the-mill" and "nothing special" are the phrases that cut the deepest, but, hey, I can use that. I knew the manuscript needed work when I entered, but thought what the hell.

I found some bad reviews of writers who have made it big, hoping for a little consolation. It actually helped.

[ebbrown]

Originally Posted by SKDaley

Thanks for the advice, you guys. I'm trying to take it for what it is-- one person's opinion. S/He seemed to be stuck on one aspect of the novel, and was very dismissive of the whole thing because of that. "Run-of-the-mill" and "nothing special" are the phrases that cut the deepest, but, hey, I can use that. I knew the manuscript needed work when I entered, but thought what the hell.

I found some bad reviews of writers who have made it big, hoping for a little consolation. It actually helped.

Agreed, don't take it to heart. Take what you can from the review, and weigh it against the other feedback you have received. My PW review was pretty much just a summary of my book, with nothing specific to say except that it was heavy on historical details and did not clearly fit into a specific genre. I debated using the entire review, but ended up using just a short quote.

haha, yeah, I knew that the whole doesn't-really-fit-in-one-genre thing might come up sooner or later. I'm okay with that.