That’s definitely a difficult question! I think it’s highly dependent on the judge herself, but, of course, the finalist would have no way of knowing whether or not the judge would be open to post-contest contact!

I personally would be fine with a finalist contacting me for further clarification. I’ve actually received some very nice notes from finalists lately thanking me for placing their novels in the rank I did, and it was nice to hear from them. However, I do know some people who would be bothered by unsolicited contact. Judging these contests takes a surprising amount of time–all out of the office–when you combine that with regular in-office work, editing, and agented submissions, it can be a lot! So, as you can probably imagine, the additional contact isn’t always welcome with so much on our plates already.

I think it’s probably safest to say not to contact the judges after if they haven’t specifically requested your MS. Or if you choose to do so, then don’t necessarily expect a response. A lot of editors will just cast aside or trash anything unsolicited so you never really know in these cases if you’ll get an answer or not.

As for judges giving no comments, I think the same rules apply. Though, I’d definitely lean more toward not contacting a judge who chose not to comment, as it is an indicator in itself of how much energy the judge is able to put toward the contest.

I’m sorry if this isn’t much of an answer! It’s such a tough call!

Here’s one more question, if you have time to answer it: Would it ever be appropriate for a contest finalist to contact the final judge for further clarification on comments? What about if the final judge made no comments on the entry?

Many thanks!
Kelsey

Thanks for the warm welcome! I think this is a surprisingly common problem actually. And as you’re finding out, quite difficult to remedy sometimes! You don’t want your tough-as-nails heroine to lose her edge, but somehow she needs to soften to appeal to your audience. It’s tricky!

I think a good way to make your heroine more likeable is to focus on finding a reason for your reader to sympathize and/or empathize with her. If the reader can relate to your heroine, she’s automatically going to start to like her–even if even if your reader doesn’t want to admit it! Think about who your heroine is and how she is similar to your intended demographic. Figure out would make that twenty-something (or whatever age/class/race your heroine is) sigh and go “I hear ya, sister!”

You can let your reader see the softer side of your heroine in small ways here and there, so that the reader knows that there’s more to her than meets the eye and starts to wonder why your heroine is the way that she is. You can unravel these things in simple, seemingly insignificant interactions with secondary characters or with your hero–big or small actions with both achieve what you want. So, however you want to tackle it, just try to let the reader in on the secret your heroine’s hiding. I find that more often than not, body language even makes a huge difference!

Whatever route you choose, just keep at it, and keep thinking about ways you can relate your reader to your character.

Danielle

Have you run across this situation? If so, what suggestions can you give authors to fix unlikeable characters?

Thanks again for joining us!
Tracey

No problem! I know contests can seem daunting and it’s always scary to put your work out there. It’s such a personal thing. I, myself, have yet to be able to do it! But even if your project doesn’t make it to the final round, you’re bound to get some good criticism (and encouragement!) from the judges. It can’t hurt, right? Now onto your questions!

It’s actually not as difficult as one migh think to judge an entire book by just a sample chapter or two. It obviously varies case by case, but basically yes, you’re right, I’m looking a great deal at the author’s voice. If the voice isn’t strong enough or doesn’t hook a reader enough, it’s not going to make for a very compelling book in full.

Additionally, a sample, especially when it’s the first few chapters, can tell a lot about the author’s ability in that it’s the reader’s introduction to the story, the hero, and the heroine. The reader needs to be instantly invested in all three of those aspects of the story if she’s going to want to continue reading. So the initial laydown of those things is very important to the story as a whole.

It can be difficult, however, in that oftentimes, the first chapter or two is the roughest by nature. The author is trying to get into her rhythm, get into her characters’ minds, et cetera, and that transition from an idea in an author’s head to a tangible, readable form is always rough. Unfortunately, in a contest situation, all we have is the material in front of us. When we have a submission in full, we can jump around to see if a weak beginning becomes a strong middle or ending, but contests aren’t amenable to that. So we do what we can!

My personal criteria are a strong, relatable, and unique hero and heroine with great chemistry that jumps off the page, an interesting premise that doesn’t feel too much like everything else out in the market, and a fun, fresh, and engaging voice. It sounds pretty simple, I know, but those things are very difficult to accomplish, especially in just a little sample!

Danielle

My question – how hard is it to judge an entire book by just one chapter or a few pages? Are you judging based on the authors voice and whether it makes you want to read more? What’s your personal criteria for This Is Going To Be A Good One?

(okay, technically that was three questions…I’m an over achiever)

=)

carrie