THE CONTEST DIVA TALKS CHICK LIT

Contest Slut. Contest Junkie. Contest Queen. Contest Diva. I’ve been called all of them. However, having finally sold a book, thanks to a contest, I’ve set aside my scepter, hung up my sash, and removed my tiara. At least until my book is published, and the RITA beckons. These days I’m still involved in contests, though. As a former contest coordinator, current contest committee member, and ongoing contest judge, I’ve experienced contests from all sides.

Contests can be a useful tool to help writers achieve their dream of publication, but not all contests are equal, especially if you write chick lit. Although we as a chapter understand the genre, many other writers don’t. If you’ve ever entered your chick lit in an RWA chapter contest (other than our own), you’ve probably come up against one or more of those writers as a judge. They’re the people who scored you low and wrote, “This isn’t a romance.” You want to scream, “No duh! It’s chick lit, you clueless idiot!” Then you kick yourself for wasting the entry fee, not to mention the postage and cost of running off all those copies.

So who’s at fault here? The clueless judges or dare I suggest, you? There are no guarantees you won’t get stuck with a clueless judge when you enter a contest, no matter what your genre, but there are ways to minimize your frustrations and maximize your contest experiences.

Look for contests that have a separate “Chick Lit” category or at least a “Mainstream” or “Novel with Romantic Elements” category. But check out those umbrella categories. Many contests lump various sub-genres together as “Mainstream” or “Contemporary.” “Contemporary” means romance -- either category or single title. If you enter your chick lit manuscript in the “Single Title” or “Contemporary” category of a contest, you have no one to blame but yourself for low scores. RWA stands for ROMANCE Writers of America. Most RWA members write romance. Most RWA chapter contests are ROMANCE contests. Your entry will be judged as a romance unless stated otherwise.

“Mainstream” can mean anything from books with romance subplots to books with no romance at all. However, some contests lump single title romances in with their “Mainstream” category. If the contest doesn’t define “Mainstream,” ask the coordinator for an explanation.

Once you find a contest with a chick lit-friendly category, make sure the contest has developed an appropriate scoresheet for that category. If the contest has a “Chick Lit,” “Mainstream,” or “Novel with Romantic Elements” category but uses the same scoresheet as the one used for “Contemporary,” or “Single Title,” find another contest. How can a judge give you high marks for your hero’s and heroine’s relationship if your story is about three twenty-something sisters who share both a closet-sized apartment above a bodega in Hell’s Kitchen and the hots for the same hunky neighbor?

Many contests post their scoresheets on their websites. Check the scoresheet out before you dash off that entry. Read each question carefully. If the scoresheets aren’t posted, ask the coordinator to email you a copy. Make sure the questions refer to “protagonists” or “main characters” and not “hero” and “heroine.” Stay away from contests with scoresheets that ask questions about the development of the “romance,” the “sexual tension,” or “the first kiss.” Instead, look for contests that ask about the “relationships” or “interactions” between the protagonists.

Ask if the judges have gone through training and if that training includes a detailed description of the various categories in the contest and how to judge them. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a contest that only uses published judges is better than one which uses both published and unpublished judges. That published judge may only read/write short contemporary romance or Regencies. If she doesn’t read/understand chick lit, you probably won’t be very happy with the results. Ask if the judges for chick lit will be chick lit readers/writers. If the coordinator can’t give you that guarantee, think twice about entering that contest.

Also, keep in mind that many contests allow entrants to judge in categories they haven’t entered. Your judge may only read/write romance, but since she entered a manuscript in the “Contemporary” category, she’s offered to judge the “Novel with Romantic Elements” category. Trouble is, she’s never read a chick lit. She may have no understanding of the differences between the two genres. Even with a separate chick lit friendly scoresheet, she may still judge your work based on romance assumptions and score you down because you haven’t met her expectations -- romance expectations.

Once you’ve established that the contest meets chick lit requirements, you must answer one more question: Why are you entering the contest? If it’s for feedback, go ahead and write your check. However, if your goal is to get your manuscript in front of an acquiring editor, make certain that editor buys chick lit. Most likely that’s a non-issue if you’ve entered a contest with a “Chick Lit” category but could be an issue if you’ve entered a contest with a “Mainstream” or “Novel with Romantic Elements” category. Keep in mind those categories include mysteries, suspense, and women’s fiction. The final round judge may not be interested in acquiring chick lit.

If the contest hasn’t listed the final round judges, ask the coordinator, but be aware that several contests, like RWA’s Golden Heart, don’t divulge this information. Only you can determine whether it’s worth the expense to enter a contest where you don’t know who will judge the final round.

And when you do decide to enter a contest, may the Contest Gods be with you!