Okay, so Amazon and Penguin are having their third annual "Breakthrough Novel" competition, and I totally want to submit a thing or two to it. They have two categories: General Fiction and Young Adult. I have books that could go in either category. One of them is perhaps a reach for "General Fiction" but I may submit it, anyway, just because it's very good, and if people actually gave it a fair shake, it could get there. It's good stuff. Another one is a shoe-in for "Young Adult." So, I'd like to submit them both. I have to read the official rules to see if it lets me. They take a total of 10,000 submissions before they close.
I'm also highly tempted to whip up a novel that is squarely within the General Fiction category, just for insurance, should the other two not make it through -- I'd have to bang that baby out quickly, as the deadline for submissions opens on January 25. No time to waste. I know people like to entertain themselves with National Novel-Writing Month -- hell, I've done it a couple of times as a lark, so I know that dance. But this would be a serious effort intended to get into that competition. I don't know if I can make the deadline, but I'm tempted to try, just to push myself. If nothing else, I'll have another book ready to sell.
And, I admit that I'm a little scared, unsure whether I can do it, and I like that. I like that it makes me sweat, makes me wonder if I can swing it. So, that makes me think I need to do it, need to take that risk and swan-dive into this one.
