# ABNA 2014 -- who entered? results? -CONSOLIDATED THREAD



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

I did, and the anticipation is just about killing me. It could obviously be a golden opportunity, and I don't think March 18th can come soon enough. Anyone with me on this?


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

I entered. I have lots of deadlines this month, so I think the time is going to fly. My birthday's on the 19th so making the first cut would be a nice b-day present. But yes, I'm excited to see what will happen.


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Good luck!


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks! You too!


----------



## Error404 (Sep 6, 2012)

I did in the YA category, but this being my first year I expect to be on the bottom of the slush pile.  Good luck to all who entered it!


----------



## Michael Kingswood (Feb 18, 2011)

Nope.  No interest in a non-negotiable contract that I haven't seen to know whether it sucks or not.


----------



## Error404 (Sep 6, 2012)

Michael Kingswood said:


> Nope. No interest in a non-negotiable contract that I haven't seen to know whether it sucks or not.


The contract is voluntary, the publicity is free


----------



## Sophrosyne (Mar 27, 2011)

Oh, man. I totally forgot about it. Oh, well!


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

MacWillard said:


> The contract is voluntary, the publicity is free


Exactly. I entered. Could care less how far I get, if anywhere. It's kind of a cool thing though. I mean, as humans, if we don't have hope, what do we have left?


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Ditto. You don't even have to win and you could still land a deal. Also, Amazon imprints market the hell out of their books.


----------



## Randall Boleyn (Mar 8, 2012)

I entered for the second time this year with a new novel. They ignored me two years ago and probably will again, but the ABNA deadline made me really polish on my blurbs and get my WIP in shape and finished. It would be really nice to be so successful that if fate smiled and I was offered any Amazon imprint contract that I might tell them no, that's just not the perfect terms I consider my due. Good luck to all in the first round!


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

MacWillard said:


> I did in the YA category, but this being my first year I expect to be on the bottom of the slush pile. Good luck to all who entered it!


Don't think that way! It will show in your writing. Stand tall and proud and shout to the sky: "I'M A WRITER!"

I actually wrote a fun blog piece about Coming out of the Writer's Closet -http://www.garycecil.com/2014/01/coming-out-of-writers-closet.html

STEPHEN KING even replied to me on Twitter about it- He said it was 'very cool!' !


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Randall Bowling said:


> I entered for the second time this year with a new novel. They ignored me two years ago and probably will again, but the ABNA deadline made me really polish on my blurbs and get my WIP in shape and finished. It would be really nice to be so successful that if fate smiled and I was offered any Amazon imprint contract that I might tell them no, that's just not the perfect terms I consider my due. Good luck to all in the first round!


I used entering the contest as a major jab to the butt for the same reason. Otherwise I'd still be pottering around with the first draft instead of being two chapters into the sequel already


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm in! It's my first year so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

sarahdalton said:


> I'm in! It's my first year so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.


Oh, great. There goes my chance to win in YA (stalks off, muttering disgustedly)


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

I entered.  I've already spent the 50k, so I better win...


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

callan said:


> Oh, great. There goes my chance to win in YA (stalks off, muttering disgustedly)


Pfft! Yeah right! I'm like the rejection queen here. One agent rejected my query in 30 minutes flat.


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

sarahdalton said:


> Pfft! Yeah right! I'm like the rejection queen here. One agent rejected my query in 30 minutes flat.


At least you got a reply!


----------



## Crime fighters (Nov 27, 2013)

TiffanyNicole said:


> I entered. I have lots of deadlines this month, so I think the time is going to fly. My birthday's on the 19th so making the first cut would be a nice b-day present. But yes, I'm excited to see what will happen.


My birthday is on the 19th too!


----------



## Eskimo (Dec 31, 2013)

I entered and then promptly forgot all about it. Watched pot and all that.


----------



## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

K.B. Nelson said:


> My birthday is on the 19th too!


My birthday is on the 19th! Let's party!


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

L.L. Akers said:


> My birthday is on the 19th! Let's party!





K.B. Nelson said:


> My birthday is on the 19th too!


Birthday triplets!


----------



## Daniel Dennis (Mar 3, 2014)

Yep. Good luck to all who entered!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

TiffanyNicole said:


> Birthday triplets!


Good grief, how many of us ARE there on here? I'm a 19th baby, too!



> Nope. No interest in a non-negotiable contract that I haven't seen to know whether it sucks or not.


For future reference, I was highly leery of the contract, but read the contest rules and understand them as follows (please note that this is not the view of a lawyer, and I may be wrong on any or all of these points): if you win, Amazon offers you a contract for $50k and royalties (rates posted - 30%ish). For 30 days following the conclusion of the contest, if you secure a contract from ANOTHER publisher with a higher advance, you must offer Amazon the chance to exceed the other publisher's advance by 15% and retain publishing rights. If you decide to self-publish, or if you go beyond the 30 days, you can do whatever you want.


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

sarahdalton said:


> Pfft! Yeah right! I'm like the rejection queen here. One agent rejected my query in 30 minutes flat.


You get rejections, I get cease and desist orders


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Anyone enter in the horror/sci-fi group?


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Daniel Dennis said:


> Yep. Good luck to all who entered!


Ditto!

Tomorrow is the day... anybody nervous? Excited? Just want it over with?


----------



## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

GaryCecil said:


> Ditto!
> 
> Tomorrow is the day... anybody nervous? Excited? Just want it over with?


And may the odds forever be in your favor!


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

And yours as well, sir!


----------



## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

Frankly, I'm surprised this thread is as quiet as it is! Last year (made it thru 1st round, then BOOM!), I wasn't a member of Kboards. Over at the Amazon forums, it was reallllly busy re the ABNA. Not so much here, which is surprising. 

Rom-Com is what we put up, BTW.


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

GaryCecil said:


> Anyone enter in the horror/sci-fi group?


No, I entered YA.


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

GaryCecil said:


> Anyone enter in the horror/sci-fi group?


I did.


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

The lists are up!


----------



## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

Made it to second round! YAY!!!


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm out already. I'm more disappointed that I thought I would be.


----------



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

In case anyone needs the link to the lists:

http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

So who else got through the pitch round  (to my mind, the most difficult round) and in which genre?


----------



## Daniel Dennis (Mar 3, 2014)

sarahdalton said:


> I'm out already. I'm more disappointed that I thought I would be.


Me too. And me too.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Cool, I made it to the 2nd round in "science fiction / fantasy / horror".

(sincere sympathies to those who did not make the 2nd round...)


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Oh, nuts. I forgot to enter this year.

I'll enter Tidewater next year. It's going to be a doozy.


----------



## Error404 (Sep 6, 2012)

How can you tell you got that far?


----------



## paulfsilva (Jan 20, 2014)

Made it to the 2nd round in Sci Fi / Fantasy / Horror.

Won't get past that for sure, though, because I sent them a rough draft.

But it is nice to get a tiny little bit of validation.


----------



## quiet chick writes (Oct 19, 2012)

I didn't have a novel this year, and in 2012 I was too worried about the contract terms. Is nobody worried about the contract terms anymore? Did they change something? Last I checked, winner had to sign with no negotiation or something.


----------



## gswright (Aug 7, 2013)

I got through in Science Fiction.

Here's the link to the lists:

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=332264011


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

I got through in the YA category. Further than I made it last year.


----------



## gswright (Aug 7, 2013)

I made it through in the Sci-fi/fantasy/horror. Now we've got another month to wait.


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

Congrats guys! I noticed a couple of familiar names when I was looking through the YA list, so congrats to them too. 

I must be so crap at writing pitches. Oh well, onward!


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

gswright said:


> I got through in Science Fiction.
> 
> Here's the link to the lists:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/b?node=332264011


Congrats. Good Luck for the next round.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

TiffanyNicole said:


> I got through in the YA category. Further than I made it last year.


Well done. Hope you progress further.


----------



## Micah Ackerman (Feb 16, 2014)

I made it to the second round too in Sci-Fi/Horror ... I'm not sure about the next round, but we'll see.


Micah


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Hey, congrats to those who advanced! I see Lexi, John L Monk, Paul Silva, and swolf also advanced in the Horror/sci-fi/fantasy group. I'm taking bets. No early line yet, but we'll post the odds in a day or two.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Made it through in the romance category. I started another thread ABNA 2014 results out. http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,181582.0.html


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

We shooul merge this with Jan's thread so I don't have to go to two different threads to read about who made it. Please, mods?


----------



## starkllr (Mar 21, 2013)

No luck for me.  I was in the Romance genre.


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> Well done. Hope you progress further.


Thanks! You too!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Me, in YA

They must have feared the rise of the Great Old Ones.


----------



## Tim McGregor (Apr 2, 2013)

_Old Flames_ made it past the first hurdle in Sci-Fi/Fan/Horror. I don't expect it to go beyond that. 
Crafting a good pitch is harder than the writing the damn book!
Congrats to everyone who passed the first marker.


----------



## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

I got through in Sci-fi.

Funny, because the same book missed last year.  I think it’s because I read the instructions more closely this time.  All that talk of “don’t mention your name or the name of your book!” confused me. I thought you couldn’t name the book in the pitch.  Which made it very difficult to be compelling.  Too difficult as it turned out.

I’m excited that the book gets in front of some Amazon Publishing people now.  That seems like the best reason to enter.

Is anybody putting up a thread with pitches in it?  I’d like to see what everyone is doing.


----------



## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

BTW - does anybody know why my posts have strange symbols instead of apostrophes?  ‘’' Is there a setting I need to change or something?  

Thanks if you can help.


----------



## Micah Ackerman (Feb 16, 2014)

Stephen T. Harper said:


> I got through in Sci-fi.
> 
> Funny, because the same book missed last year. I think it's because I read the instructions more closely this time. All that talk of "don't mention your name or the name of your book!" confused me. I thought you couldn't name the book in the pitch. Which made it very difficult to be compelling. Too difficult as it turned out.
> 
> ...


I'm confused by you last question... Didn't we just pass the pitch round? Do we have to pitch again for the contest?

Congrats to everyone who made it to the second round.

Micah


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

http://www.amazon.com/forum/amazon%20breakthrough%20novel%20awards/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg1?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx6TTNZ0V5TDQ5&cdPage=1&cdThread=Tx296N4HUR2CPQN

There is a thread on Amazon where people are posting their winning pitches.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

I think he means for everyone to put their pitches up so we can see them...yes? That would be a great idea. Why not put them here? No need for a new thread. New thread means I need to chase the ABNA people across pages. I like things condensed.


----------



## Katherine Roberts (Apr 4, 2013)

_Red Moon_ got through to the second round in YA, so I guess that means someone liked my pitch... now they judge the extract, which is a lot more scary! (I agree pitches and books are totally different animals.)

Congratulations to everyone who made the lists.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Stephen T. Harper said:


> BTW - does anybody know why my posts have strange symbols instead of apostrophes? ''' Is there a setting I need to change or something?
> 
> Thanks if you can help.


You're using non-standard keyboard characters. If you use the ' and " from the keyboard, they'll show up. You're using "smart" or "curly" quotes/apostrophes. You may have a setting in your browser that changes them, I don't know.

Since the forum software upgrade, this has been happening. Harvey is looking for a way to fix it.

Betsy


----------



## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

@ Jan, Thanks!

@ Betsy,  Thank you.  Unfortunately, I may be too dumb to fix that.


----------



## Ismcrazy (May 7, 2013)

I made it through to the second round in Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror.  Best of luck to everyone else who made it. Fingers crossed, eh?


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

I made the cut in Romance and am feeling confident about the next round, too!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Made it to round 2! Although there were a few amusing moments this morning while I was still half-asleep and scrolled through the SciFi/Fantasy/Horror list thinking, "Awww, I didn't make it ... wait, no, this isn't alphabetized by first name. And it's not alphabetized by last name! And it's not - OH FINE CONTROL F IT IS."

I don't know why, but since the contest closed I've been thinking, "please, if I get knocked out of the competition, let it be on the strength of my writing and not on my pitch." I'm not sure why I think that's better. Perhaps because the pitch was such an agonizing process...


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

Advanced to the next round in YA. Congrats everyone. Fingers crossed that we have some KB'ers make it through to the end.


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

paulfsilva said:


> Made it to the 2nd round in Sci Fi / Fantasy / Horror.
> 
> Won't get past that for sure, though, because I sent them a rough draft.
> 
> But it is nice to get a tiny little bit of validation.


I mean this in the nicest way possible: why would you even enter? You're not the only person I've seen that has said this (not here, but elsewhere). It's pretty unfair of you to enter, just to "validate" your pitch, knowing that when someone reads your story, they'll know right away it's a WIP and give you a poor score. Maybe I'm just being a sour-puss because I didn't get through, but let's say it came down to this: My pitch versus yours, and you beat my by 3 points (or whatever), you move on, and I go home. But I spent a year revising and editing mine; it's ready to be seen by people, and yours isn't. By you entering just to see if your pitch is "good enough", you invalidate the contest, and you hurt other people's chances who've worked EXTREMELY hard to edit their stories in time for submission.

Granted, you still wrote a book, and that's awesome! It really is. But, I still think it's a tad unethical to do what you (and others) did. I don't mean to blast you specifically, but this is like the tenth time I've seen someone say this. Either way, I hope you do well. Good luck!


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Steve W. said:


> Advanced to the next round in YA. Congrats everyone. Fingers crossed that we have some KB'ers make it through to the end.


Did you enter one of the books in your sig? The covers look GREAT!


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

GaryCecil said:


> Did you enter one of the books in your sig? The covers look GREAT!


Thanks for the kind words. The designer deserves all the credit. He 'gets' my stuff and has really taken my rough ideas for a cover and knocked them out of the park. And yes, I did enter one from my sig--DISRUPTION--it's only just been self published. In fact, I haven't even put up the eBook yet, that's how new it is.


----------



## Rich Rojas (Jan 27, 2014)

"The Sudoku Player" made it to the second round in the mystery/thriller category. I worked and whittled the pitch for about an hour prior to submissions opening. It was an agonizing process, but definitely good practice for future blurb writing. This is my first attempt at ABNA and just happy to have made the first cut -- completing my first novel is still the bigger accomplishment in my eyes. Good luck to everyone who made it through to the second round!


----------



## Pamela Kay Noble Brown (Mar 3, 2011)

Congratulations everyone and best wishes in the next round.  I entered in the Mystery/Thriller genre.  

Anyway, I'm curious about something.  I saw that one person had posted on FB.  I wanted to wait a while before doing that for some reason.  But it's not a bad thing because she got lots of positive comments about it.  

I only told my hubby, my sister, and one other author friend so far of folk that I know personally.  And of course now I've told you my virtual friends which I feel comfortable with doing on this forum because it's a Writer's Cafe. lol

What about you?  Who did you tell?


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

Pamela Kay Noble Brown said:


> What about you? Who did you tell?


This is the only place I mentioned it. Honestly, I feel like it's like those guys on American Idol who run around supper happy after getting past the first round. Too early to be that excited about it. A lot of good people are missed over at this stage, and conversely a lot of sub-par submissions with great pitches will have made it through.

I'll get excited after the next couple rounds if I'm still in the running.


----------



## Pamela Kay Noble Brown (Mar 3, 2011)

LOL.  Steve W.  I'm hopping around all excited, but only with you all.  I'm trying to contain myself to see how things go.


----------



## momilp (Jan 11, 2010)

Elios passed in the romance category. My dad, my hubby, and now you are the only ones knowing about it. Congrats to everybody!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Pamela Kay Noble Brown said:


> What about you? Who did you tell?


I've mentioned it on my own facebook, and here, but not on my author page yet. If it makes it into the next round and gets a good PW review, then I'll probably spread that around. If not, I'll slink off into my Cave of Revision and get to work


----------



## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Steve W. said:


> Thanks for the kind words. The designer deserves all the credit. He 'gets' my stuff and has really taken my rough ideas for a cover and knocked them out of the park. And yes, I did enter one from my sig--DISRUPTION--it's only just been self published. In fact, I haven't even put up the eBook yet, that's how new it is.


I'll have to check your series out. Seriously, I feel like I know everything about your story before I even look at the product description. Keep that designer. Amazing work. If anything, you'll get them to your page. &#128526;


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

Steve W. said:


> This is the only place I mentioned it. Honestly, I feel like it's like those guys on American Idol who run around supper happy after getting past the first round. Too early to be that excited about it. A lot of good people are missed over at this stage, and conversely a lot of sub-par submissions with great pitches will have made it through.
> 
> I'll get excited after the next couple rounds if I'm still in the running.


I mentioned it here, to my husband, and to one other random person (can't remember who!). I'm happy, but not too excited yet. After all, there are about 400 others still in the running in my category/genre at this stage.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

It's interesting to see which pitches made the cut. Some are excellent, but others I'm not sure about. I don't know who judges the pitches, but some seem to have got through with spelling and grammar errors . Perhaps they focus more on the storyline . These are pitches that have been posted by the authors.

http://www.amazon.com/forum/amazon%20breakthrough%20novel%20awards/ref=cm_cd_tfp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx6TTNZ0V5TDQ5&cdThread=Tx296N4HUR2CPQN

There is also a Viner's thread on Amazon where they are discussing (discreetly) some of the excerpt entries. Some of them are not happy about having to read entries that are full of typos etc.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

So.....so, do we discuss which ones we think are the strongest of the ones posted? I personally wouldn't venture into anything but sci-fi, fantasy and general, but it could be fun. Of course, it could hurt feelings as well. Maybe if we posted them here without identifying whose they are? We don't mention any but our absolute faves? No. No. Better not. Maybe. I dunno.


----------



## hardnutt (Nov 19, 2010)

I got my butt kicked. My standalone was out in the first round as a Mystery/Thriller entry.

And I went over that d**n pitch till I turned blue. Oh well.

I mentioned the contest on my personal FB page.

Good luck to everyone who got through.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

The pitch stage was tough. I was torn considerably about whether to write a pitch like I would if I were approaching a prospective agent (i.e. revealing many of the twists), or like I'd write a if I were trying to entice a reader (i.e. back cover copy). I went with the latter.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Steve W. said:


> The pitch stage was tough. I was torn considerably about whether to write a pitch like I would if I were approaching a prospective agent (i.e. revealing many of the twists), or like I'd write a if I were trying to entice a reader (i.e. back cover copy). I went with the latter.


I always forget, but you can put the book's description/blurb on the entry form as well as the pitch. I thought they were the same thing. I think you can give a bit more detail in the pitch, but it's still only 300 words and that is what is judged. I just used the same blurb as on my book's page.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

I think part of why pitches are so awful to write is that even a few hours of thrashing it out isn't really enough time to get super good at distilling a book down into 300 words! Some people have a real gift for it, and I envy them - when I try to distill things down, my book seems to dissolve into a morass of details and tones. Compared to writing novels, I'm a rank novice at writing pitches, and it huuuuuurts to see those poor, tortured, not quite right sentences  (Even if it reads well, I think - is it accurate in tone?)

The ABNA forums are interesting this year. I can't compare it to last year as I didn't compete, though.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

moirakatson said:


> I think part of why pitches are so awful to write is that even a few hours of thrashing it out isn't really enough time to get super good at distilling a book down into 300 words! Some people have a real gift for it, and I envy them


That's why publisher's employ blurb writers . I'm reading Elizabeth Jane Howard's autobiography and she mentions that she and Cecil Day-Lewis worked together at Chatto (& Windus) editing books. Part of their job was to write the burbs - a job they didn't seem to relish.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Ah, that's sad - I had a mental image of people who really liked writing pitches, happily working away...! 

Ah, well.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

moirakatson said:


> Ah, that's sad - I had a mental image of people who really liked writing pitches, happily working away...!
> 
> Ah, well.


_"Four times a year we spent two or three awful days simply writing jacket blurbs for forthcoming books."_

So - no one enjoys writing blurbs


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis (Dec 9, 2013)

I didn't enter (I forgot to, to be honest).

Good luck to everybody who did, and is still in the running. It would be awesome if a kboarder won one of the categories.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

How is everyone else doing with waiting? I swore I wouldn't get emotionally involved, but I find that I now am. The ABNA forums are fairly quiet, and I've developed an odd habit of checking the contest/entry page, despite knowing that nothing will get posted until the 14th!


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I've been checking the Vine reviewers' ABNA thread, but they've gone a bit quiet since they realised the contestants were reading it


----------



## Micah Ackerman (Feb 16, 2014)

tick, tick, tick, tick

Isn't the announcement tomorrow?


----------



## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

Steve.W - 'Disruption' sounds fantastic!
Good luck to all still in the running 
(I had to go look up what ABNA is. I remember hearing about an Amazon comp years ago - didn't know it was an ongoing thing!)


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

I'm checking the website obsessively and may be developing an eyetwitch. I swore going into this that I wasn't going to get crazy over it, so it's a bit demoralizing to be so neurotic...!


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

From Amazon

Amazon Publishing will announce the ABNA Quarter-Finalists on or around 12 p.m. (PST) on April 14, 2014.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> From Amazon
> 
> Amazon Publishing will announce the ABNA Quarter-Finalists on or around 12 p.m. (PST) on April 14, 2014.


...said Jan, burping up a handful of butterflies. 

Good luck everyone!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> ...said Jan, burping up a handful of butterflies.
> 
> Good luck everyone!


All in favor of moving the Zon to the east coast, say aye.
(waves tentacle)


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

Oh wow, that came around fast! Good luck to everyone still in.


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

I was being so good about not thinking about this until I saw this thread yesterday. Now I'm totally distracted. And will be until 3 PM!


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

A.A said:


> Steve.W - 'Disruption' sounds fantastic!


Thanks so much. I really appreciate that. I'm not holding my breath for the rest of the contest. There are some really stellar submissions this year (as there are every year no doubt), and I've stumbled upon a few that were self published and they were really good. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping a YA entrant wins again (but I'm biased)


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Looks like they've put the original list back up!


----------



## Micah Ackerman (Feb 16, 2014)

when was the list down?


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Micah Ackerman said:


> when was the list down?


It's been down for a while - thought it was the new list, like many others


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

We need to have interviews here like they have at the Oscsrs.

And here comes Steve Whibley in a stunning azure chiffon number with the plunging neckline.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

vrabinec said:


> We need to have interviews here like they have at the Oscsrs.
> 
> And here comes Steve Whibley in a stunning azure chiffon number with the plunging neckline.


Chiffon.... hmmm, yeah, I could probably pull that off. I better stock up on double sided tape though, no one want's to see this guy have a wardrobe malfunction, trust me.


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm in the quarter finals.


edited post, after I stopped shaking.

Can't tell whether I'm happy, or  terrified. Problem is, I didn't get the ms back from my editor or beta readers in time to submit--I was madly editing up until the last few closing minutes.  My basic writing skills aren't embarrassing, but there's a flipping economics lecture where there shouldn't be, and the last third is rushed, and I don't think I got all my place names straightened out. (slight, stifled moan)

If anyone's curious, I'm callan primer, and my entry is Company Daughter.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

I dodged another bullet and made it to the next round.  
(My sympathies to those who did not.)


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

What a relief . I made it in the romance category with _With the Headmaster's Approval._ Phew

Good luck to the rest of the crew who made it through


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Congrats John. A preliminary scan also shows Lexi's still in it. Jan's still in. Steven's still in it. Forgive me, I know I'm missing some.


----------



## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> Congrats John. A preliminary scan also shows Lexi's still in it. Jan's still in. Steven's still in it. Forgive me, I know I'm missing some.


I made it too. I'm not saying a word about title, genre or nothin' though- I don't want to jinx anything. (And please, those of you who may, keep it under your hat, okay?)

This last fifteen minutes have been the most compelling for me since I put pen to paper the first time two years ago. 
I...
I...
Fugedaboudit. I'll shaddap now.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

callan said:


> If anyone's curious, I'm callan primer, and my entry is Company Daughter.


Figured, since there was only one Callan on there.   Congrats!


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Desmond X. Torres said:


> I made it too. I'm not saying a word about title, genre or nothin' though- I don't want to jinx anything. (And please, those of you who may, keep it under your hat, okay?)
> 
> This last fifteen minutes have been the most compelling for me since I put pen to paper the first time two years ago.
> I...
> ...


You know, the writing gods don't like secrecy.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> Congrats John. A preliminary scan also shows Lexi's still in it. Jan's still in. Steven's still in it. Forgive me, I know I'm missing some.


Too much awesome competition


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> What a relief . I made it in the romance category with _With the Headmaster's Approval._ Phew
> 
> Good luck to the rest of the crew who made it through


I saw you there! I made it, too, but this next cut is going to be the really tough one -- only 5 out of 100!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

For those of you who've been through this before, how soon before they put up the link to your excerpts?


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Made it through this round - huge rush of relief! 

I am wondering about the feedback, though - I had thought that Quarter Finalists got feedback immediately, and the rest went up by May 23rd, but there isn't anything on my entry page. Making it is enough good fortune to tide me over, but I'm a bit twitchy to see what the reviewers said!


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Congrats Amelia and Moria!


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

Congrats to everyone still in it. I was actually REALLY surprised to see some of the titles that got cut. Some I've read in full and thought they rocked. 


Okay, could someone please confirm that everyone in the 1/4 finals gets a publishers weekly review?


----------



## TiffanyNicole (Jul 28, 2013)

I made it in YA. Good luck everyone (and hugs to those who didn't make it  )


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

I dredged through the FAQ: "Publishers Weekly editors will then read the Quarter-Finalists' full Manuscripts to rate and review them based on the following Judging Criteria: originality of idea, plot, prose/writing style, character development, and overall strength of submission. On or about June 13, 2014, the Publishers Weekly reviews of the Quarter-Finalists' Manuscripts will be posted within each entrant's CreateSpace account; and then the top 25 Semi-Finalists will be announced at www.amazon.com/abna."

Not sure if this means that all of the Quarter Finalists get publishable reviews, or just the top 25, but it is PW doing the reading, at least!


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

My mom made the quarter finals in the General Fiction category! Woo hoo!

Kboards seems to be well-represented!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> Okay, could someone please confirm that everyone in the 1/4 finals gets a publishers weekly review?


According to Amazon's key dates page: "Publishers Weekly reviews each Quarter-Finalists' full manuscript"
Probably why this round of judging takes 2 months.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Oops. My bad. Yeah, this round gets the review. Here's the stuff off the Amazon page. 

Here's how the contest works:

Round 1 (Pitch) -- Amazon-selected editors will read and rate a pitch (up to 300 words) from each entrant. The top 400 entries in each of the five categories will advance to the second round.

Round 2 (Excerpt) -- Amazon expert reviewers will read and rate excerpts (3,000 to 5,000 words) and provide feedback to the entrants. The top 100 entries in each of the five categories will advance to the Quarter-Finals.

Quarter-Finals (Full Manuscript) -- Reviewers from Publishers Weekly will read and rate full manuscripts and provide feedback to the entrants. The top five entries in each of the five categories will advance to the Semi-Finals.

Semi-Finals -- The Amazon Publishing judging panel, consisting of qualified representatives selected by Amazon Publishing, will review the manuscript and the accompanying reviews of each Semi-Finalist's entry to select a Finalist in each category (each, a contest Finalist).

Finals -- Amazon customers will vote to determine the Grand Prize winner. All remaining Finalists will receive a First Prize.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

Yeah, this is the 1/4 finals. If that means that this is the stage you get, or might get a review, I'm quite stoked.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Steve W. said:


> Yeah, this is the 1/4 finals. If that means that this is the stage you get, or might get a review, I'm quite stoked.


I think I remember reading that you can use the 'review/feedback' you get within your Create Space account as marketing material. The only stipulation is that you have to say the review/feedback was NOT for the published book, but only for the manuscript in the contest. Something to that effect. Don't have a link though, so consider it unfounded rumor until either I find the link or someone posts it first.

**UPDATE - here it is **
C. Second Prize. *If you are selected as a Quarter-Finalist,* you will receive a "Second Prize" (maximum of 500 Second Prizes total). Each Second Prize will consist of the Publishers Weekly manuscript review of each Quarter-Finalist's respective Manuscript. As a Second Prize winner, you may use the Publishers Weekly review solely for marketing and promoting the Manuscript as long as you do not materially change the Manuscript from the one that Publishers Weekly reviewed. Any such use must clearly state that Publishers Weekly is an independent organization and the review was written based on a manuscript version of the book and not a published version. The Second Prize has no cash value.


----------



## jcfalch (Apr 12, 2013)

The Yellow Bar made it into the quarter finals... thank you to all my friends at kboards, without whom I wouldn't have even entered said contest.

I will now celebrate by eating an entire Red Velvet Cake.

Cheers,

John


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

jcfalch said:


> The Yellow Bar made it into the quarter finals... thank you to all my friends at kboards, without whom I wouldn't have even entered said contest.
> 
> I will now celebrate by eating an entire Red Velvet Cake.


Tonight the wife and I are going out to celebrate. Now I want cake too. Congrats!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

I'm guessing "material change" is one of those messy grey areas - typos almost certainly don't count, and changing the ending almost certainly does, but in between ...


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

I did not realize that this was a review I could use for publicity purposes. Now I'm totally stoked!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

moirakatson said:


> I'm guessing "material change" is one of those messy grey areas - typos almost certainly don't count, and changing the ending almost certainly does, but in between ...


It's a grey area I'll be exploring, as my poor sub hadn't been properly edited before the deadline.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

callan said:


> It's a grey area I'll be exploring, as my poor sub hadn't been properly edited before the deadline.


Yeah I'd say material change would be stuff like:
- introducing new characters
- different murder weapon
- chapter nixed
- name changes
- massive number of typos fixed/introduced
- anything amazon says is a material change

Non-material:
- typos, tense changes (hadn't vs. wasn't, etc.), adding a paragraph break or something like that.
- anything amazon says is a non-material change

Cheerio


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

I'd say it's pretty standard for PW to receive uncorrected proofs as advanced reader copies for review purposes, so minor changes should be okay. 

As it is, I didn't get my last round of copy-edits back before the ABNA deadline, and the version I submitted had a few embarrassing errors that were caught during the final copy-edit and proofread.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Well, you guys enjoy the daydreams tonight. Don't let them keep you up too late.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> Well, you guys enjoy the daydreams tonight. Don't let them keep you up too late.


Lol, we got ourselves a psychologist here!


----------



## jesrphoto (Aug 7, 2012)

Congratulations everyone!  I had no idea this was a thing, but now I'm all excited for the familiar names on those lists.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Steve W. said:


> As it is, I didn't get my last round of copy-edits back before the ABNA deadline, and the version I submitted had a few embarrassing errors that were caught during the final copy-edit and proofread.


Glad it's not just me! I've been torturing myself about one of my typos this whole time...


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I first entered ABNA in 2010 and got to the semi-finals with _But Can You Drink The Water?_ Had a great PW review, which is what gave me the confidence to self-pub. Got to the quarter finals with _The Breadwinners_ and had two really good Vine reviews, but PW reviewer didn't like the ending so I didn't get into the semi-finals. I changed the ending and entered the following year and didn't even get past the pitch stage with the same pitch .

Good luck to everyone else for the semis


----------



## jcfalch (Apr 12, 2013)

So it's been 15 hours since I got the happy news. Now I'm wondering-what happens now? Should I blow my own horn via twitter, FB and blog, or should I just shut up and wait until the next round?

What are my fellow quarter finalists going to do? Cheers all! John


----------



## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

Congratulations everyone! I'm rooting for a Kboards winner


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

I created a list of the General Fiction Quarter-Finalists that are published on Amazon that have a sales rank here: http://www.novelrank.com/user/abna-gf

I picked up a couple and plan on using Prime to borrow more over the next couple months.


----------



## jcfalch (Apr 12, 2013)

EmilyG said:


> I created a list of the General Fiction Quarter-Finalists that are published on Amazon that have a sales rank here: http://www.novelrank.com/user/abna-gf
> 
> I picked up a couple and plan on using Prime to borrow more over the next couple months.


Hi Emily! I see I'm in good company.  Thanks for the chart! Wishing us all good luck.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

jcfalch said:


> What are my fellow quarter finalists going to do? Cheers all! John


I thought I'd wait until the reviews come out before saying anything. If they're good I can include them with my announcement - and if not so good, maybe not


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Jan - that's a good idea! Speaking of which, everywhere seems to be atwitter with speculation about when we'll actually get those. I know I should be content to have made it, but I am going slightly out of my mind wondering what the reviews said!


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

moirakatson said:


> Jan - that's a good idea! Speaking of which, everywhere seems to be atwitter with speculation about when we'll actually get those. I know I should be content to have made it, but I am going slightly out of my mind wondering what the reviews said!


I think Amazon announced that they would be up before the end of the week. Going to be another nail-biting few days .


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I think Amazon announced that they would be up before the end of the week. Going to be another nail-biting few days .


Whoa! That's soon!

I am also not saying anything much yet. Waiting to see what's next!


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

I haven't been on these boards for what seems like such a long time....around the time Hugh Howey got WOOL optioned.  Since I entered the ABNA contest this year, I thought I'd check the boards to see if anyone from here had entered and was glad to find this thread.  Now I'm wishing I had hung around here the entire time because I forgot what a great place the Writer's Cafe is.

I am happy to  say I have moved on to the quarter-finals this year. Several years ago I didn't even make it past the pitch round.  I'm interested to see the two reviews that will be posted from the 2nd round and am thrilled  I will at this point at least be getting a review from PW (although I that might change once I get it!).

Anyway, glad to be back among friends.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Hello, there, and welcome back! (I feel weird saying that because I'm pretty new... Still!)

Also, congrats on making it to the quarter finals!  

Two questions for all of you: First, I know that there are books in the contest that have already been self-published, and that this is absolutely fine with the rules. However, are there any rules about self-publishing once the contest has begun? My guess is, as long as we obey the "material differences" clause discussed earlier in the thread, it's fine (fix typos, but not much more than that). Still, I thought I'd throw the idea out there and see if anyone said, "WAIT, NO STOP, OH DEAR."

Second, are there any rules about authors in the running leaving reviews on other authors' excerpts? I'm certain that there will be excerpts I'll love, and I'd want to review those, but Amazon has been pretty strict about authors reviewing other authors' work in the past, and this seems like a prime example of something they might find to be a conflict of interest. (And, well, it really would be.) Apologies to anyone who's on the ABNA boards and saw me ask this twice!


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Nobody EVER leaves KB. They go on sabbaticals and walkabouts, but I'm convinced they all return.  Some might change their name along the way, but they're here.  Even Amanda. Excuse me now, I think I hear the Easter Bunny outside my window.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

I wonder if the ABNA will ever open up a middle grade category. They could still have a higher word count if that's what they're looking for. I'd like to see that happen


----------



## momilp (Jan 11, 2010)

I am out, but I did better than last year  Congrats to all of you who made it and good luck!


----------



## jcfalch (Apr 12, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I thought I'd wait until the reviews come out before saying anything. If they're good I can include them with my announcement - and if not so good, maybe not


Yeah, I guess that's the smart thing to do. Thanks Jan!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Reviews are up--

whew. I might become useful at work once more.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Reviews are in! Whee!


callan said:


> Reviews are up--
> 
> whew. I might become useful at work once more.


Likewise! Whew.


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

OK, so I just checked mine and they're both just about the excerpt, and really quite positive  . I guess we wait until after the next cut to get the feedback on the full novel? Still very nice to read the compliments!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

This round was just based on the excerpt, yes - in the next round, PW readers will be looking at the whole manuscript. Two months to wait! (That won't be agonizing at all! Not at all! *eyetwitch*)


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

moirakatson said:


> ...! (That won't be agonizing at all! Not at all! *eyetwitch*)


passes over the bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

You can find all the excerpts along with part of their reviews by going to the Kindle Store and typing in ABNA 2014 entry.


Moira and Amelia... I found yours by searching on the name of your entry.  You both received great comments!  Congrats!

I was very happy with my comments as well...one even offered advice that they thought would make it the perfect read.  It is so nice getting constructive reviews. 

Looking forward to the PW reviews (I hope!).


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

jcfalch... your comments were great too!

I'm not quite sure why the reviewer commented on it being more like an opening chapter instead of an excerpt because isn't that what an excerpt is as defined by amazon's rules of entry?  The first so many words from the beginning of the book?  

The rest is all great quotable material I think.


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks, Kelly! I had tentatively decided to publish the book on the 25th (I checked with Amazon, they're cool with it), and so I was glad to see that the reviews were not suggesting huge rewrites.

Now I'm obsessively refreshing the Amazon page...

And Callan, why must you bring up Bailey's? There's a new bottle in the cupboard.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Bice reviews for everyone. I just wish I had a better feel for who was out front.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Hah, mine are up too   So um, how are we allowed to use these, over on the product page?  Some sort of disclaimer "not a real review, but still..."?

"The plot of the story is certainly unique. I like the blending of the sci-fi/mystery/thriller genres. The character of Dan is multi-dimensional and very interesting. As the reader, I'm not exactly sure what to think of him at this point, and that's a good thing. The overall story captivated my attention throughout." –Vine Reviewer

"The first sentence, the riff on Helen of Troy, is terrific. Dan is interesting – funny and sharp and self-deprecating. I think I'm really going to like him, flaws and all, even if he is dead. The story promises to be dark but told with humor and a bit of flippancy. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Just as importantly, I want to know what happened before, why he ended his life with Sandra. Timing and balance are both good. Intriguing narrative interspersed with action, and polished writing make this one a wonderful example of the genre." –Vine Reviewer


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

I appended these to the reviews for my product page, after each review:
(Vine Reviewer, Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award manuscript)


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I'm thrilled with my two reviews for _With the Headmaster's Approval_ . I've been waiting to get them before announcing to my friends etc that I'd got through to the quarter finals. Guess what I'll be doing most of today? . Now to check out everyone else in my genre (Romance).

ETA I see that the excerpt page only shows part of the reviews so I've put the entire review here FYI. Note that the reviewers are REQUIRED to write at east 25 words on What aspect needs the most work, even if they feel it doesn't require any work 

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
The story grabbed me from the beginning because things were happening right away, there was action and there was dialogue, and there wasn't too much time spent filling me in on background before it was necessary. I loved the early phrase, "it would be like the bird house in a zoo." I could imagine exactly how all the twittering young ladies would sound. Some of the other phrases, like "a permanent look of boredom - the default face of teenage girls" are unique and wonderfully descriptive. 
I like that Mr. Wild comes across as somewhat a hardass in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I'm going to like this guy. 
The meeting of faculty and their introductions is a clever and very good way to let me know about some of the key players without boring me. Their ways of introducing themselves told me all I initially need to know about them in just a few sentences. It also seems that Lisa is going to be the proverbial fly on the wall, and I expect great insights from someone in a position to be easily overlooked. 
The writing is strong and clear, and it's obvious that time has been spent in cleaning up any initial mistakes or editing errors, always much appreciated.
What aspect needs the most work?
I have to admit that I needed to re-read the excerpt to winnow out what did not work as well for me. I do think Mr. Wild seems a little too perfect, maybe a little too good looking and reasonable. The family killed in a car accident just a bit too convenient. And I had a bad first impression of his name - Adam, the first man, and Wild, belying my impression of him. I do hope that some of the characters do become more than the first impressions given because I don't want them to devolve into caricatures.
What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
It moved at a fast pace, it gave just the amount of background I need to buy into the story, the characters are interesting, and it promises good things to come.

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
There are going to be a lot of big changes at the all girls school. The addition of a male head teacher has pretty much sent everyone into a tizzy both teachers and students alike. It's going to be interesting to see how everyone copes with this change and also get to know more about the history of the characters.
What aspect needs the most work?
I think the author has to be careful to not make the story seem a little perverted. I like that the head teacher mentioned putting a glass door on his office and taking precautions to make sure he's not alone with the girls. I hope that those sort of things follow throughout the story.
What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
I think it's a very interesting concept. I also think that there are lot of very diverse background characters which will make the story even more fun to read. I like that it's non traditional and that Adam is coming across a likable even though he is strict. I would definitely want to read more.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I'm thrilled with my two reviews for _With the Headmaster's Approval_ . I've been waiting to get them before announcing to my friends etc that I'd got through to the quarter finals. Guess what I'll be doing most of today? . Now to check out everyone else in my genre (Romance).


Congrats!


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

johnlmonk said:


> Congrats!


Thanks John. I've modified the post to include the reviews.


----------



## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> Thanks John. I've modified the post to include the reviews.


Your reviews rock


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

Do customer reviews of the excerpts mean anything? I see people talking in the threads that they're clambering to tell people where to view their excerpt and asking them to read and review. Why are they doing that? Does it matter at all?


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> Do customer reviews of the excerpts mean anything? I see people talking in the threads that they're clambering to tell people where to view their excerpt and asking them to read and review. Why are they doing that? Does it matter at all?


As for moving on to the Semi Finals, no, the reviews by readers do not matter. The next phase of the contest, advancement is a result of the Publisher Weekly review received. I have seen where some people believe they matter for the contest, but the rules clearly state that PW Review is how a manuscript is advanced to the next round.

Now, whether or not they matter for the future of the book I am not sure. Perhaps they allow this "review" process so customers will get invested in the contest, or for writers to get more feedback especially for those who have not already self published.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> Bice reviews for everyone. I just wish I had a better feel for who was out front.


I was wondering the same thing, but then I realized it doesn't matter who appears to be out front at this point because advancement to the Semi Finals is based solely on the review of the entire manuscript by a Publisher's Weekly reviewer. It really is dependent on how that particular reviewer receives the manuscript. So, despite glowing reviews from the vine reviewers based on the excerpt, if the story falls apart in the rest of the manuscript, or the PW reviewer doesn't respond the same as a vine reviewer to a character or characters, a manuscript that was "out front" in the eyes of the vine reviewer could end up dead last.

Well now, that's depressing isn't it?


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

kcochran said:


> As for moving on to the Semi Finals, no, the reviews by readers do not matter. The next phase of the contest, advancement is a result of the Publisher Weekly review received. I have seen where some people believe they matter for the contest, but the rules clearly state that PW Review is how a manuscript is advanced to the next round.
> 
> Now, whether or not they matter for the future of the book I am not sure. Perhaps they allow this "review" process so customers will get invested in the contest, or for writers to get more feedback especially for those who have not already self published.


Thanks, Kelly. That's good to know. I already see people giving low reviews and I can only imagine if people think they need to sabotage others to get ahead that the reviews are going to make for some interesting reading. almost too bad they don't keep the previous years excerpts up so we could check them out. I'd be curious.


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Steve W. said:


> Do customer reviews of the excerpts mean anything? I see people talking in the threads that they're clambering to tell people where to view their excerpt and asking them to read and review. Why are they doing that? Does it matter at all?


On June 13, Amazon announces the Semi-Finalists (top 25 - 5 in each category). A qualified panel of judges selected by Amazon Publishing Editors reading Semi-Finalists' manuscripts to pick the 5 Finalists which are announced on July 8. Amazon customers vote to choose the Grand Finalist ($50,000 advance) out of the Finalists ($15,000 advance).

I don't know if these early reviews on the excerpts count toward the choosing the Grand Finalist or not.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

EmilyG said:


> On June 13, Amazon announces the Semi-Finalists (top 25 - 5 in each category). A qualified panel of judges selected by Amazon Publishing Editors reading Semi-Finalists' manuscripts to pick the 5 Finalists which are announced on July 8. Amazon customers vote to choose the Grand Finalist ($50,000 advance) out of the Finalists ($15,000 advance).
> 
> I don't know if these early reviews on the excerpts count toward the choosing the Grand Finalist or not.


Do amazon customers get access to the full manuscript? I can't imagine letting customers chose a winner without letting them see the full work.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I'm thrilled with my two reviews for _With the Headmaster's Approval_


Great reviews and nice that they gave you some constructive feedback in the what needs improvement section. I think this is always helpful. In my case, my book has been out for a while so I am not sure I could change anything, but I definitely think it helps for future works as well.

And, I think when they say they'd like to read more that is such a great complement.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> Do amazon customers get access to the full manuscript? I can't imagine letting customers chose a winner without letting them see the full work.


In the finals, when the customers have control, they do not get access to the entire manuscript. According to the rules, Amazon may expand the excerpt to include up to an additional 5,000 words.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

> I don't know if these early reviews on the excerpts count toward the choosing the Grand Finalist or not.


No, according to the rules, the customers vote and each customer gets only one vote. Now, if the reviews received on the excerpt are available to read it is possible that some voters might just vote based on reviews of the excerpt


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Steve W. said:


> Do amazon customers get access to the full manuscript? I can't imagine letting customers chose a winner without letting them see the full work.


They may expand the excerpts by 5000 words.

I just went and read the official rules.

The reviews will be a factor in determining the Finalists.



> E. Semi-Finals (June 13, 2014-- June 30, 2014).
> 
> (1)	We will post the names of the Semi-Finalists on Amazon.com, along with their respective Publishers Weekly review on or about May 23, 2014.
> 
> ...


So it looks like there will be a voting mechanism for Grand Finalist instead of reviews.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> Thanks, Kelly. That's good to know. I already see people giving low reviews and I can only imagine if people think they need to sabotage others to get ahead that the reviews are going to make for some interesting reading. almost too bad they don't keep the previous years excerpts up so we could check them out. I'd be curious.


It is a shame that it is a real possibility that people will give low reviews to inflict damage. I think that is true in the "non contest world" as well.

BTW, checked out your comments... they are super! And I will add, that in reading the vine reviewer snips on the excerpt pages, it has made me jot down the names of some of the manuscripts to check out later (see if they are already published or find them when they are published), so I can purchase and read. So in a sense, having customers be able to read the excerpts, may equal current and future sales.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

kcochran said:


> It is a shame that it is a real possibility that people will give low reviews to inflict damage. I think that is true in the "non contest world" as well.
> 
> BTW, checked out your comments... they are super! And I will add, that in reading the vine reviewer snips on the excerpt pages, it has made me jot down the names of some of the manuscripts to check out later (see if they are already published or find them when they are published), so I can purchase and read. So in a sense, having customers be able to read the excerpts, may equal current and future sales.


Thanks  I'm going to check out the reviews from other entries too as soon as this weekend is over. Too many easter events in the next couple days.

Also, I tried to compile a list on Novel Rank of all the submissions in my category that are self published. I did that for two reasons. First, I wanted to check out some of these self publishers, but I picked novel rank because I was curious if the contest would have impact on sales for these authors. I was going to start a Goodreads page for it too, but after how long it took to compile just the books from my category (YA) I decided I'd pace myself


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> Thanks  I'm going to check out the reviews from other entries too as soon as this weekend is over. Too many easter events in the next couple days.
> 
> Also, I tried to compile a list on Novel Rank of all the submissions in my category that are self published. I did that for two reasons. First, I wanted to check out some of these self publishers, but I picked novel rank because I was curious if the contest would have impact on sales for these authors. I was going to start a Goodreads page for it too, but after how long it took to compile just the books from my category (YA) I decided I'd pace myself


That is a great idea....maybe I'll attempt to do that as well in my category. Of course you make it sound like an incredible amount of work.

I checked out some of the reviews and it is interesting... many of the reviews are being left without having even downloaded the excerpt. If they downloaded the excerpt, it will say verified purchase.


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Steve W. said:


> Also, I tried to compile a list on Novel Rank of all the submissions in my category that are self published. I did that for two reasons. First, I wanted to check out some of these self publishers, but I picked novel rank because I was curious if the contest would have impact on sales for these authors.


Ohhh...Where's your Novel Rank list? I put one together for General Fiction: http://www.novelrank.com/user/abna-gf

I, too, wanted to see if the contest had a impact on sales. So far my analysis as resulted in "sorta, maybe, for some". Some books that hadn't sold in a while sold a copy or two.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

kcochran said:


> That is a great idea....maybe I'll attempt to do that as well in my category. Of course you make it sound like an incredible amount of work.
> 
> I checked out some of the reviews and it is interesting... many of the reviews are being left without having even downloaded the excerpt. If they downloaded the excerpt, it will say verified purchase.


It's not too much work, I suppose. Just don't bother searching Novel Rank for the title. So few books are on Novel rank that you have to add them yourself. Which means first searching them on Amazon, then copying the address from the address bar and entering it into the spot on novel rank, and letting it find the title. Maybe if a few people do this we could start a page with a link to the novel Rank list for each category. I got the idea from someone, somewhere, who did it for the Literary Fiction, or General fiction category. I can't remember where I saw that though.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

EmilyG said:


> Ohhh...Where's your Novel Rank list? I put one together for General Fiction: http://www.novelrank.com/user/abna-gf
> 
> I, too, wanted to see if the contest had a impact on sales. So far my analysis as resulted in "sorta, maybe, for some". Some books that hadn't sold in a while sold a copy or two.


Ah, there you are. you're the one who gave me the idea. Here's my list: http://www.novelrank.com/user/cb1 - I wonder if we could put them somewhere easy to find?


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

Here's the link to my mom's excerpt:

http://www.amazon.com/Pledge-Silence-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU2MOE

This phase of the contest is going to be very interesting!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Steve W. said:


> I already see people giving low reviews ...


Takes a *big* swig of Baileys.

I'm going to gain weight with all this.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I think in past years there have been winners who didn't get many reviews, but I wouldn't know about votes. It does seem a shame that a web presence and clever marketing on Facebook etc could potentially make more difference than the merits of the book. But see my highlight in red.

(1) Customer Voting. After the Finalists are announced, the voting phase to determine the Grand Prize Winner will begin and will continue through July 18, 2014 at 11:59:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Amazon customers will be able to download and read each Finalist Excerpt, and we may, in our sole discretion, expand each Excerpt by up to 5,000 additional words. Amazon customers will select the Grand Prize Winner by voting for one Finalist using the voting mechanism located at www.amazon.com/abna. The Grand Prize winner will be selected from among the Finalists based on the total number of valid votes we receive from customers. The Finalist receiving the most valid votes will be the potential Grand Prize Winner. Customers must have an Amazon.com account in order to cast a vote, and customers may only vote once. We reserve the right to exclude the votes of any customer who votes more than one time during the Finalist Period. We will not accept votes intended to subvert the voting process or those generated by script, macro, or other automated means. Finalists are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including without limitation offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public. In the event of a tie, we will select the Grand Prize Winner from the tied Finalists based on the Judging Criteria.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

johnlmonk said:


> Hah, mine are up too  So um, how are we allowed to use these, over on the product page? Some sort of disclaimer "not a real review, but still..."?
> 
> "The plot of the story is certainly unique. I like the blending of the sci-fi/mystery/thriller genres. The character of Dan is multi-dimensional and very interesting. As the reader, I'm not exactly sure what to think of him at this point, and that's a good thing. The overall story captivated my attention throughout." --Vine Reviewer
> 
> "The first sentence, the riff on Helen of Troy, is terrific. Dan is interesting -- funny and sharp and self-deprecating. I think I'm really going to like him, flaws and all, even if he is dead. The story promises to be dark but told with humor and a bit of flippancy. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Just as importantly, I want to know what happened before, why he ended his life with Sandra. Timing and balance are both good. Intriguing narrative interspersed with action, and polished writing make this one a wonderful example of the genre." --Vine Reviewer


Lovely reviews - must be gratifying to know you're writing is 'polished'  Go KBoarders


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Before I go through SciFi/Fantasy/Horror and look up each excerpt, has anyone already done this? I want to reeeeeeeead.


----------



## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

This is helpful information. Thanks to everyone for clarifying some things for me. I wasn't sure whether to post a link to my ABNA excerpt on my blog or not--wasn't really clear on the impact of the excerpt reviews. Sounds like it's nice if you can get some, but they don't really influence the rest of the competition.


----------



## kcochran (Apr 30, 2012)

EmilyG said:


> The reviews will be a factor in determining the Finalists.


I think they mean the Publisher Weekly reviews will be a factor in determining the finalist, not reviews by customers on the excerpt.

----blogging----

So... I took the plunge and blogged about the contest. I wasn't sure about doing it because really, what if I get the PW review and it is terrible? But I figure in the end it is all about the journey, so perhaps someone might learn something or get inspired to enter the contest next year or even go the Indie route.

Here's the link if you want to check it out - Who Wants $50,000?. In the post, there is a link to the full reviews I received from round 2. If you get the itch to comment, please do and I thank you in advance for showing my blog some love.


----------



## jcfalch (Apr 12, 2013)

kcochran said:


> jcfalch... your comments were great too!
> 
> I'm not quite sure why the reviewer commented on it being more like an opening chapter instead of an excerpt because isn't that what an excerpt is as defined by amazon's rules of entry? The first so many words from the beginning of the book?
> 
> The rest is all great quotable material I think.


Thank you so much Kelly! I am still in shock that I've made it this far. I just read the reviews a few minutes ago. Yeah, I thought the excerpt was supposed to be the first chapter. Duh, that's what I sent in. Guess it worked.

I'm not too sure what to do with the reviews since it's just from the excerpt. The Publishers Weekly review is my holy grail-sure hope they like it.

Now I'm a gonna check out your blog!

To all the other authors that are posting on here: Thank you for this thread. I am a total retard when it comes to the details. You have made this contest easier for me to understand.

Cheers,

John


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

I feel very slow coming up to speed on this! I found the public link to my entry: http://www.amazon.com/Scandals-Heiress-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU33AG/ No customer reviews yet, but maybe soon?


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Likewise for me, Amelia. I'm not sure if Amazon has plans to promote these during this stage of the competition - as far as I can tell, they haven't, and I find the chances of someone stumbling across them to be very slim. On the other hand, some already have multiple reviews!

Here's mine: http://www.amazon.com/Crucible-2014-Entry-Moira-Katson-ebook/dp/B00JOU2HNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1397868339&sr=1-1&keywords=moira+katson+crucible


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

ameliasmith said:


> I feel very slow coming up to speed on this! I found the public link to my entry: http://www.amazon.com/Scandals-Heiress-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU33AG/ No customer reviews yet, but maybe soon?


Now those are some good Viner comments. Congratulations. you must be thrilled. What high praise and from a genre where readers are likely incredibly attuned to mistakes. Well done!


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

moirakatson said:


> On the other hand, some already have multiple reviews!


some posted almost immediately after the link went live--good friends indeed. Mind you, I can't even get my own family to read my work, so I'm envious.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

callan said:


> some posted almost immediately after the link went live--good friends indeed. Mind you, I can't even get my own family to read my work, so I'm envious.


LOL - so I'm not alone? I try not to let it bother me that family doesn't read my stuff, but it does a bit. Especially if they're readers, as many are.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

moirakatson said:


> Likewise for me, Amelia. I'm not sure if Amazon has plans to promote these during this stage of the competition - as far as I can tell, they haven't, and I find the chances of someone stumbling across them to be very slim. On the other hand, some already have multiple reviews!
> 
> Here's mine: http://www.amazon.com/Crucible-2014-Entry-Moira-Katson-ebook/dp/B00JOU2HNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1397868339&sr=1-1&keywords=moira+katson+crucible


Lovely encouraging reviews. I've also written an historical novel and I know how much research goes into it - and how quickly a reader will point out any mistakes . Well done and good luck in the next round.


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

ameliasmith said:


> I found the public link to my entry: http://www.amazon.com/Scandals-Heiress-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU33AG/ No customer reviews yet, but maybe soon?


An historically accurate romance? A regency romance that actually takes place during the Regency? A setting that's more than wallpaper? Just bought it


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

Steve W. said:


> Now those are some good Viner comments. Congratulations. you must be thrilled. What high praise and from a genre where readers are likely incredibly attuned to mistakes. Well done!


Thanks! I am feeling rather flattered (and I know what they mean about awful anachronisms!).



callan said:


> An historically accurate romance? A regency romance that actually takes place during the Regency? A setting trhat's more than wallpaper? Just bought it


Thank you thank you thank you! I'm still at the stage where every single sale is a big boost!


----------



## moirakatson (Jan 11, 2014)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> Lovely encouraging reviews. I've also written an historical novel and I know how much research goes into it - and how quickly a reader will point out any mistakes . Well done and good luck in the next round.


Thanks, Jan! I have now become consumed with worry that the story falls flat on its face at word 5001 ...


----------



## BrentKnowles (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi all. Congrats to those still in. This is the first year I've made it to the quarter finals and I'm thrilled!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Pool-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU2GBI/


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

BrentKnowles said:


> Hi all. Congrats to those still in. This is the first year I've made it to the quarter finals and I'm thrilled!
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Pool-2014-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00JOU2GBI/


Good luck in the next round.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Anyone from here make it to the next round? I didn't recognise any names.


----------



## BrentKnowles (Mar 8, 2011)

Nope. I was fairly certain I was out after my Publishers Weekly review


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

BrentKnowles said:


> Nope. I was fairly certain I was out after my Publishers Weekly review


Me too. After getting really positive reviews from the Vine reviewers it was disappointing to get totally the opposite from the PW reviewer


----------



## BrentKnowles (Mar 8, 2011)

Yeah, I was a bit surprised by the reversal. In my case the reviewer really hated the main character, which is the kiss of death.


----------



## Indecisive (Jun 17, 2013)

Me too. My review was tepid-at-best.


----------



## BrentKnowles (Mar 8, 2011)

Sorry to hear that though I think I'd be pleased with tepid at this point


----------



## callan (Feb 29, 2012)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> Anyone from here make it to the next round? I didn't recognise any names.


My PW review was reasonably decent, but apparently not good enough.

Ah, well. I have a PW quote for when I get that puppy published


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

My mom's book, A Pledge of Silence, is a semi-finalist in the General Fiction category! 

I am surprised that some excerpts that I thought were excellent didn't make it. I thought for sure John Falch's The Yellow Bar would be a semi-finalist with its great Publisher Weekly review.


----------



## Steve W. (Feb 23, 2011)

EmilyG said:


> My mom's book, A Pledge of Silence, is a semi-finalist in the General Fiction category!
> 
> I am surprised that some excerpts that I thought were excellent didn't make it. I thought for sure John Falch's The Yellow Bar would be a semi-finalist with its great Publisher Weekly review.


Oh, way to go! That's incredible news. Good for her.


----------

