Sunday 1 May 2011

COUNTDOWN TO PUB DAY: THE BIG WTBP COMP

With one month exactly till publication of Write to be Published, I'm delighted/daunted to kick off the countdown with a The Big WTBP Competition, which will run throughout May and June.

"And the prize, the prize?" I hear you ask, in your usual demanding way. Well, you are all writers so I presume you have at least the beginning of the draft of something. Well, would you like a confidential crabbit critique of it. That's the main prize: a critique of your first chapter, or up to 5000 words. Feedback from the Crabbit Old Bat herself! You might not want that for yourself - you wimp! - but you might have a friend you could win it for. And there are fab luxury hessian crabbit bags to be won, too, plus, of course, the honour of winning a writing competition and the pleasure of creativity.

MORE: you can also now read an extract from the book and see a list of the contents. Click here for the official WTBP Taster - it contains the competition and ordering details, as well as the contents list and short extracts from the beginning and end. That's all you get for now. Do pass the link around and get all your writing friends involved: the opportunity for expert feedback is not to be missed.

Edited to add: You may enter up to three times, as long as each entry is at least slightly different. For example, a different take on or approach to the same piece, or the same story with a different ending. 

IMPORTANT CHANGE: following the comment from Alexis, I have decided to allow entries from under 18s, but only if a responsible adult (parent or guardian) will promise to give permission for me to provide the critique in the event of the young person winning, and will vouch for the genuine ability of the writer to receive constructive criticism...


SOME EVENTS
Bookshops small and large are embracing this book fabulously - phew! Please see links at top of right-hand sidebar.

Meanwhile, let the countdown begin and may your pencils be sharpened for The Big WTBP Competition! And do order your copy of the book - click here for options. Buying a signed copy from me gives you yet another chance to win one of my dwindling pile of crabbit bags... Thank you so much to the people who've already ordered.

Finally, a huge, huge thank you to you for all your support. You have been wonderful. I was going to say I don't deserve you but actually I damn well do!

12 comments:

J.T. Webster said...

All the best for the launch. I'm looking forward to your book arriving in the post. I ordered it months ago! I'm off to check out the competition now.

catdownunder said...

I ordered my copy from the Book Depository months and months ago. It reminds me of waiting for one of my university textbooks! :-)

Unknown said...

Good luck with the launch! I'm trying to rack my brains which of our competitor book shops in London got you! xx

Unknown said...

I can enter, I can enter, I can enter!!!!!!!!! Yay! Sorry for the gratuitous over use of exclamation marks, but I'm a little excited.

Tania Hershman said...

Ooh, I'll be near Edinburgh on June 16th, will book a ticket. Last few days of my Hawthornden Castle retreat so that's allowed, right?!

JO said...

Enjoy the launch - sorry I can't be with you, but my daughter is about to produce twins, so I'm on grandma duty. But I've ordered a copy from the publishers - so will be with you in spirit.
And will try to catch a minute between nappies to enter the competition.

Anonymous said...

As a fellow Snowbooks author, I wish you all the very best with the book launch! It looks great and I'll be picking up a copy for sure (always keen to improve my craft and learn new stuff!)

Wayne Simmons (author of FLU and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS)

Nicola Morgan said...

Thanks all, for comments and purchase pledges ;)

Helena - all will be revealed!

Michele - good luck ;) And Jo, too...

Tania - excellent. Definitely allowed.

Wayne - greetings, fellow Snowperson! And I see a Snowbooks author just won the Philip Dick award - go us ;)

Alexis said...

I was so geared up about this competition but got stumped at the 'no under 18s' rule. Bummer!
I really like the excerpt, though - so you. I'll see if I can get the whole book next time I drop by a bookshop.

Nicola Morgan said...

Alexis - I'm really sorry. I feel bad now. The only reason I included this rule is that I worry about giving a crabbit critique to someone younger, as I'd hate to knock your confidence. In many ways I feel that younger writers should write freely, without thinking too much about criticism, but I also realise that making a stark cut-off point is silly.

I'm going to go and add a change to the rules now... I hope you see this in time!

karina said...

Such a great prize! Next to an actual acceptance of a manuscript from a publisher, (and Crabbit bag/mug, of course!) feedback is invaluable to the up and coming writer.

Annette Tait said...

how exciting!
I've entered the competition (anything just to write something eh?!)

many thanks :)
Annette