Please welcome Brooke Borneman, Director of Sales and Marketing at Dorchester Publishing. Brooke is here today to chat with us about the Next Best Celler contest, co-sponsored by Dorchester and Textnovel, in which romance writers can compete for the chance to have a 50,000-75,000 word manuscript published by Dorchester. The contest runs from June 1 – November 1, 2009, and contestants must publish 20 chapters (a minimum of 6000 words) by November 1.
Kelsey: Hi Brooke! We’re delighted to have you join us and talk about Dorchester’s exciting new contest. Can you share with us the number of writers you have registered for the contest currently and also the total number you hope will participate?
Brooke: Thank you. I am delighted to be here as well.
There are over 70 entries to date. We expect that this number will grow considerably in the coming months as more and more people learn about the contest and polish their stories for entry.
One interesting characteristic of this contest-as opposed to traditional writing contests-is that its success is not simply based on the number of entries Dorchester receives. Its success is also determined by the number of followers each story has. It’s a different contest model with entries being read and voted on by the public long before the publisher has reviewed them. The sales potential for the winning novel-due to prepublication grass roots support and viral marketing-is significantly larger than it would be otherwise.
Kelsey: Does this contest replace the “Title” contest Dorchester has sponsored for the past few years?
Brooke: America’s Best Celler is not a “replacement” for American Title, but we decided to explore alternate markets in 2009 with the hope of tapping into a different universe of writers and readers. We’re thrilled with our relationship with Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine and will continue to develop new marketing campaigns and promotions with them.
Kelsey: Could you explain the difference between a traditional novel and a “serialized” novel?
Brooke: I am so glad that you asked this question as many people probably don’t realize that many of the most beloved and renowned works of classic literature were, at one time, serial novels.
When one reads a book today, most likely it was packaged by a publisher in its entirety, from beginning to end, and bound between a front and back cover. A publisher designs various marketing strategies to promote consumer awareness of both the book and the author, including book reviews, print ads, book signings and selling serial rights. For anyone unfamiliar with this term, serial rights (in today’s vernacular) are print excerpts of a book prior to publication.
The serial novel, which traces its roots to Victorian era novelists Charles Dickens, George Elliott and William Makepeace Thackeray, was written and published in installments in popular magazines of the day. The individual serials were ultimately collected and published as one epic story. Serials were, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of today’s television sitcom or soap opera. Readers became emotionally invested in the stories and the characters, returning week after week to find out what happened next. A few examples of serials that eventually became classic literature include Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield.
Kelsey: What prompted Dorchester to team up with Textnovel on this contest?
Brooke: The fundamentals of the publishing industry are continually evolving. While the traditional model is still healthy, we must continue to grow in order to compete with the emerging media. A new generation of writers and readers-raised during the internet/cell phone/iPod era-has come of age. As a direct result of the technologies they were exposed to at very young ages, they accumulate and assimilate information differently than those, like me, born in the early 1970s and before. It is essential that we-as an industry-adapt to meet their needs rather than dictate to them how stories should be disseminated and shared. Publishers are being challenged, in a positive way, to creatively explore ways to satisfy the needs of both their core audience as well as the “text generation.”
Textnovel is using today’s most ubiquitous social networking tools to engage this audience and instill a passion for reading. The model, as previously acknowledged in my response to your first question, provides unique marketing opportunities that benefit both publishers and authors. In my opinion, Textnovel is a perfect example of how publishers can marry emerging technologies with traditional storytelling. People always have and always will love great storytelling. It’s simply the media that changes.
Kelsey: The rules state each “chapter” should be approximately 500 words. With 20 chapters, that’s approximately 6000 words. Should we assume these should be the first 6000 words of the manuscript?
Brooke: That is correct. The first 20 chapters/6000 words should be the beginning of the manuscript.
We felt that a guideline of 20 chapters/6000 words would allow readers ample opportunity to determine their favorite serial(s). Please note that the 500 words per installment suggestion is also a guideline, not a requirement.
Entrants should use their best judgment to determine the exact number of words for their story, but we encourage participants to come as close to our estimates as possible to ensure that their stories receive the kind of evaluation they deserve.
Kelsey: Do you have any suggestions on how to make the most of the 500 words?
Brooke: I spoke to Leah Hultenschmidt, an editor who will be involved in selection of the winning entry, and she said “Pacing will be key. Entrants want to give readers something that will keep them riveted and end at place that leaves them wanting more. Maybe it will be a little more than 500 words, maybe a little less. The readers need to be hooked into the story in an easily digestible chunk-something they could read on their Blackberry while waiting in line at the grocery store.”
Kelsey: Would you suggest that writers have the entire manuscript completed before they begin submitting chapters?
Brooke: A complete manuscript is not required at this stage. That said, I strongly encourage entrants to consider where their story is headed because of the due dates. The ten final entrants will have to submit their full-length manuscript (50,000-75,000 words) to Dorchester by December 31, 2009. That’s less than six months away….
Kelsey: When chapters are published, who receives them? And are the chapters accessible only via cell phone? How does one register to receive the serialized chapters?
Brooke: Anyone who has “subscribed” to a story receives an email or text with a link to the new chapter. They can read each installment/serial either on their cell phone or online.
To subscribe, one has to first join/become a member of Textnovel and then simply click on the phone icon next to the story name for any stories s/he wants to read.
Kelsey: Are there any risks inherent in writers sending out their work this way?
Brooke: No, not at all. In Textnovel’s FAQs, there is a section specifically devoted to copyright issues:
In the U.S., under the 1976 Copyright Act, a copyright is automatically created when the work is created. A work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or recorded for the first time (e.g., the instant you lift pen from paper or your word processing software saves to disk). That may be the date you publish it on textnovel, if that is the date you create the story. However, publication is no longer the key to obtaining federal copyright. When a work is prepared over a period of time, the part of the work that is fixed on a particular date constitutes the created work as of that date. This means that if you create your story over time and add chapters as you go, each chapter may have a different copyright date. That doesn’t really matter though; however you do it, you still own the copyright. Keep in mind, however, there may be some benefits to copyright registration. Visit the copyright section of www.uspto.gov for more info.
Kelsey: Does Dorchester currently publish any serialized novels? If so, how do consumers purchase them?
Brooke: This is our second experiment with serial novels.
In 1999, Dorchester sponsored an e-serial titled Naomi by New York Times bestseller Douglas Clegg. We disseminated it free via email over the course of a two month period. In total, there were fourteen installments, and we eventually published the serial in mass market in 2000.
Kelsey: We know serialized novels have become popular in countries like Japan. What’s the prevailing thought about how they will fare in the United States?
Brooke: The popularity of serial novels in Japan has been astonishing…. While we recognize that Japanese society is considered to be more technologically advanced than most, the actual U.S. population is estimated to be 58% larger than Japan’s. That, coupled with the increasing popularity of e-books (which can now be read on iPhones, BlackBerries and other PDAs) makes us incredibly optimistic about this form of storytelling.
Please join me again on Wednesday when my friend, Evan, visits RU to discuss a gay man’s perspective on women, sex and straight relationships.
Kelsey's serving up bite-sized morsels for your noggin on her new 
Hi Brooke,
Welcome to RU! Thanks for providing such in depth answers to our questions.
Will the winning entry be based solely on how many votes it received, or will Dorchester take other factors into consideration? It seems to me that some folks might have more “friends” than others. LOL
Thanks!
Tracey
Posted by TraceyDevlyn | July 6, 2009, 5:17 amHi, Tracey.
That’s a great question which I hope I can answer clearly and coherently.
If I confuse you further, please feel free to write back again for clarification.
Dorchester’s editorial team will have sole discretion in choosing the winning manuscript.
There will be two rounds of judging: Semifinalists (Top 20) and Finalists (Top 10).
Semifinalists will be determined by number of votes and/or subscriptions a serial has by November 1, 2009.
10 finalists will be selected from among the 20 semifinalists by Dorchester’s editorial team and will be announced on November 15, 2009.
The winner, to be chosen from among the 10 finalists, will be selected based on a combination of factors, including positive votes and subscriptions by readers and reviews by reviewers, as well as the subjective opinions of Dorchester’s editorial team.
Please note that should none of the 10 finalists, in the opinion of Dorchester’s editorial team, be publishable and saleable in the U.S. market, Dorchester reserves the right to review and select a winner from all eligible/original entries.
Posted by Brooke Borneman | July 7, 2009, 7:31 pmBrooke –
We’re so excited to have you talk about Dorchester’s new contest. If a manuscript has already been requested by and submitted to another publisher, would you suggest a writer NOT enter that story in America’s Next Best Celler?
Many thanks!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | July 6, 2009, 7:30 amThat’s actually a relatively complicated question to answer and is probably best determined by the author based on his/her relationship with the other publisher/editor.
I think it’s important to distinguish between a manuscript being requested by a publisher and an author submitting a manuscript to a publisher.
Manuscripts are oftentimes submitted to multiple editors simultaneously. Editors usually advise against submitting the same manuscript to more than one editor at the same publisher/imprint; but submitting the same manuscript to editors at different publishers/imprints is customary practice.
If an editor has already requested a manuscript and is in the process of evaluating it for publication, I would advise that the author inquire about its status before entering our contest. I think that’s only fair to the other editor who’s already devoted time to the prospective novel.
Posted by Brooke Borneman | July 7, 2009, 8:09 pmHi Brooke and thank you for being here. I have to admit, I didn’t quite understand the concept, but your answers brought me into this century! LOL. I look forward to hearing about the winners!
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | July 6, 2009, 8:16 amThanks for answering questions about the contest. I’d actually reviewed Dorchester’s website and still wasn’t sure how it worked. The 6000 words in 20 installments threw me. But it’s the FIRST 6000 pages in the story, not the whole story condensed–gotcha!
What a fun and unique contest idea this is!!! Kudos to Dorchester for being on the leading edge regarding the whole tie-in with technology and understanding how much people love to participate in voting for their favorites of anything.
What happens if you post a chapter and then later you want to post a revised version? Is that possible? Also, to vote, you have to register with Text Novel, correct? I didn’t see that you could vote w/o joining.
The format reminds me of a popular fan fiction website where chapters are posted one at a time and people can comment/watch for new installments.
I’ve got a writer friend with a huge fanfic following who also writes her own stuff. I just sent her the link to your interview and hope I can twist her arm to enter because she’s talented, she already has a lot of fans of her fics, and she’s got several original stories she’s working on.
I’m not sure I have a story to enter, but it’ll certainly be fun to participate as a fan.
Posted by Laurie | July 6, 2009, 10:15 amOops, meant words not pages. That’d be a heck of a long book.
Posted by Laurie | July 6, 2009, 2:41 pmHi, Laurie.
Thank you for your response.
I want to clarify it’s the first 6,000 words, not the first 6,000 pages.
I am checking on the technical details in the latter part of your question. I should have a reply for you first thing in the morning.
Posted by Brooke Borneman | July 7, 2009, 8:22 pmI heard back from Text Novel about your question concerning revisions….
I am happy to report that you can revise/edit chapters.
After logging onto textnovel.com, click on My Library on the top right hand of the page. This is how it appears on the website (so that you can find the link):
Home
Logout
My Admin
My Profile
My Library
.
Clicking on My Library will take you to a page where you will find the heading “Stories I’m Writing.”
Immediately below the header is information on how to manage stories with a special link giving instructions on how to add to stories by email and text message.
Posted by Brooke Borneman | July 8, 2009, 7:54 amI forgot to reply to your question about voting. You are correct: to vote, you have to register with Text Novel. This is both free and painless.
Posted by Brooke Borneman | July 8, 2009, 7:57 amHi Brooke!
Great article…something I had just been checking out over the weekend! Sounds like a blast…I’m one of the ahem….”older generation” who has never thought of reading a book on my PDA..lol….thanks, this brings new insight to the things I can do with the darn thing other than plan my grocery shopping list on it!
Looking forward to following some of the stories, not sure yet if I’ll enter or not!
thanks again!
carrie
Posted by carrie | July 6, 2009, 11:30 amI’m so late to this party! But I just entered the contest (writing as Caitlyn Young) with my novel SONG FROM THE HEART. My question is–because I see this as a great opportunity to write this as a hypertext novel, with links inside the text for people with iPhones to click on, I am wondering whether we should or could put such links inside the text of our chapters. I did not do this (I’ve already posted several chapters, because I do have a completed manuscript ready), but I think it would be fun. In the published novel, there would be (ideally) live links to MP3s of three of the songs that my main character writes during the story (I’m trying to get them professionally recorded first) and perhaps links to discussion boards where there are forums for issues raised in the story. In the printed version, these links could be listed in the back of the book. Is this a crazy idea?
I also don’t know how I will ever get any votes on my story, because the people I typically talk to are simply not “joiners” or the type to vote on things, but it’s going to be a great experience just sharpening up my chapters and trying to keep the tension high in every segment. Good thing I’m the eternal optimist. Thanks for talking to us about the contest!
Posted by Shalanna Collins | August 10, 2009, 4:57 amHi Brooke and Kelsey,
I stumbled across this interview a bit late in the game, but better late than never. I’m also an entrant in the Dorchester/Textnovel “Next Best Celler” contest, and I can’t tell you how many people think I mistyped that!
From the day I heard of the contest, which I think was a few days into it, I was excited about it. I had researched the Japanese success of cell phone novels a few months before for one of my press releases. I’m writing a novel using the notes application on my iPhone 3G and the media loved the idea. My iPhone novel, Finding Bliss, led to an invitation from Stan Soper at Textnovel to check out the site. And I’m very happy I did.
My entry in the Dorchester contest has gone from a first draft of about 40,000 words written quite a number of years ago, to a revamped manuscript with major revisions and a new suspense theme. This contest spurred me on to work on a genre that I’d only played at before–ROMANCE. I’m mainly a suspense author, but have written a successful general fiction/YA novel as well.
So, firstly, I’d like to thank Dorchester for seeing possibilities and a future in text novels. I’m always one to jump at the chance to be first in line with innovative techniques or opportunities.
My questions: I have 58 chapters (about 500 words each) up on Textnovel to date. Will Dorchester be looking for novels that appear to be mainly completed on the Textnovel site? Or do you really want only 20 chapters posted? I expect to have the entire novel completed and edited within the time-frame but am worried that you might not want so much of it online. Yet, my readers want more, so I’d like to give them more.
Thank you and I look forward to your reply, Brooke.
Thanks for sharing this interview, Kelsey!
Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author of Lancelot’s Lady
Read Lancelot’s Lady for free at Textnovel.com
Posted by Cheryl Kaye Tardif | September 2, 2009, 4:27 pmI hate gay people also im homosexual and i hate myself
Posted by nicolasputodemierda | November 20, 2011, 12:55 pm