Amazon posted the semi-finalists for the ABNA contest. I'm not shocked that I'm not on this list. My Publisher's Weekly review wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Was I sad to see my name wasn't on the list? Yes. Surprised? Not at all. A lukewarm review won't get you far.
Round Two of QueryKombat begins tomorrow. I'm excited to see the feedback I receive on the revisions. I'm hoping they are for the better. The judges of the first round gave such pointed criticism, so I think I took my revisions in the right direction. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
I'm actively changing the MS, even while the contests are underway. I finally gave full copies to a few beta readers. They have also already offered some very valuable feedback. I feel like my novel improves every day, and I'm excited to be writing again. That is probably the greatest reward I've received from these contests. I have also learned a lesson that I wish I had known earlier in the game. Don't sit on your MS. Share it. The more readers you have, the more mistakes and plot holes are found before an agent ever sees it. I believe I will present a much more polished novel when I query agents now. My confidence in the MS, and my writing in general, is rising. It feels good.
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