If you're an author (chances are, if you're reading a writer's blog, you at least have some latent interest in putting pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard keys) then you've likely already heard of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest, also known as the ABNA Contest. Even if you have, though, you might be interested to know when it's all going down this year.
Well, inquiring minds, the contest opens for submissions on Sunday, February 16, 2014.
The contest is open to previously unpublished and self-published novels. The grand prize winner receives a publishing contract as well as an advance of 50,000 buckaroos. Four first prize winners will receive contracts with Amazon Publishing and an advance of 15,000 bones. (It does seem slightly odd that Amazon would pay in bones, but, you know...we're in a rough economy.)
In previous years, I believe they were open to submissions in January, but this year it seems like they've pushed it back a bit. I wonder if this is to give people more time to polish up their NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) books?
I remember scrambling to get a novel finished a couple years ago in the already woefully-stressful holiday season, just so I could enter the competition in January. I ended up reaching round 2 and was given a pair of reviews in the round. One review was absolutely glowing and uber-positive, and one was from someone with a distaste for the genre I'd written the book in. Needless to say, the second reviewer put the kibosh on my chances of moving forward. Still, I enjoyed the overall experience, and it came at a time when that positive review really gave my sagging spirits a kick in the pants.
Anyway, here's a link to the full contest rules.
Good luck!
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