Category: Entering Contests

I Never Finaled in the Genesis Contest

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

The semi-finalist results for the annual Genesis contest came out on Friday. Which means two things: Some people were super excited. Some people were feeling pretty deflated.

It also means there are going to be lots of posts flying around the blogosphere congratulating the semi-finalists. And there absolutely should be. Semi-finaling in the Genesis is a great accomplishment. One worthy of celebration.
 
But I also know reading those posts will be hard on the people who didn’t final.

So as happy as I am for those who got a phone call on Friday (one being my fabulous critique partner, Jeannie Campbell, who is an incredibly talented writer and an all-around amazing woman), I want to speak to the second group today.
 
I want to offer some encouragement.
 
Some hope.
 
A silver lining.
 
Last year, I read an email on the ACFW loop from a contestant who didn’t final. It went something like this: I hear a lot of stories about people who final in the Genesis contest and go to be published. I’d like to know if there’s anybody who has NOT finaled in the Genesis contest but went on to get published.
 
I could hear this woman’s desperation. She didn’t final and she wanted to know. Can this still happen for me?
 
At the time, I couldn’t answer. Because I wasn’t that person.
 
But this year is different. This year, I get to respond to that woman. And I have good news to share.
 
Here’s my story.
 
I entered the Genesis contest in 2009. Okay, let me clarify. I didn’t just enter. I entered three manuscripts. Yes, three. I remember secretly hoping all three would final. But May rolled around and I didn’t get a phone call. Not a single one.
 
I went to the 2009 ACFW conference, surrounded by people wearing those shiny Genesis Finalist badges on their name tags. I remember feeling inadequate. How would I ever snag an agent or editor’s attention without one of those shiny badges?
 
But two months later, I got a phone call from Rachelle Gardner and all of a sudden, I had an agent. I didn’t final, but I had an agent.
 
I decided to enter the Genesis again in 2010. This time, with incredible trepidation. Because this time, I had an agent. I don’t know if you know this or not, but a very real fear by most agented authors who don’t have a contract is losing their agent because their work won’t sell. Not finaling in the contest would do nothing but exacerbate that fear.
 
Guess what?
 
I didn’t final.
 
Enter humiliation.
 
Lots and lots of humiliation.
 
And an exacerbated fear.
 
I went to the 2010 ACFW conference. I still didn’t get to wear one of those fancy badges.
 
But two months later, I got another phone call from Rachelle. With news I desperately wanted to hear. Waterbrook Multnomah offered me a two-book deal.
 
My first book is scheduled for release in May, 2012. It’s a book I entered twice in the Genesis. It’s a book that never finaled.
 
So for those of you out there wondering. Can this can still happen for me?
 
It can.
 
I’m proof.
 
Take the feedback. Use the good stuff. Ditch the crazy stuff. Improve your manuscript. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep putting yourself out there. And trust that God has a plan and a purpose for your words.
 
Let’s Talk: How are you feeling post-Genesis results?

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The Benefits of Entering a Contest from Somebody Who Didn’t Final

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Yes, I entered a contest. Yes, I entered all three of my manuscripts. Nope. I didn’t scrape by with one single final. It was a low point in my writing journey.

So what good came of it?

Oh, lots!

I got nine score sheets back. Nine sets of objective feedback. Jam-packed with all kinds of suggestions, encouragement, and constructive criticism. As High as the Heavens and Through the Storm received pretty good scores. Beneath a Velvet Sky received really good scores. Two super high ones that had me floating on cloud nine, and one not-so-great one that had me scowling at my computer.

Here’s what I realized. That not-so-great score? Once I got over myself, I found that it contained phenomenal feedback. Stuff I could apply right away. Stuff that helped me learn, that pushed me past my comfort zone, that forced me to dig deep inside my writing reservoir. After making the changes, I ended up with a final product I was eager to bring to the writing conference.

What else did the contest do for me?

It put me in contact with a woman I deeply admire and respect. A published, talented author who offered to mentor me because she saw potential. Over the summer, before the conference, she looked at the first few chapter of Beneath a Velvet Sky and tore them apart (in a completely awesome way). She pushed me, told me I could do better, challenged me to up the tension between my hero and heroine. So I did. And Beneath a Velvet Sky continued to evolve.

Entering contests, getting objective feedback, risking “failure”, I can’t recommend it enough. My stories wouldn’t be what they are right now if I hadn’t entered that contest.

So strongly consider entering this year. And if you don’t final, don’t get too discouraged. Finaling isn’t everything.

Questions to Ponder: Have you ever entered a writing contest? How did it work out for you?removetweetmeme