I assume that I failed to make the cut in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. They have posted the excerpts from the novels that have advanced to the next round, and mine was not among them. I have been reading the discussion board that Amazon has up for contestants, and it looks like most people got an e-mail telling them whether or not they made it. A few of us did not receive any notification at all, which is pretty sloppy on Amazon’s part.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this latest rejection. So far, my MS has not warranted anything other than form rejection letters (“Dear Author…”), so I know my story isn’t inspiring any sort of passion–positive or negative–at all. Other readers haven’t been all that enthusiastic, either. “I don’t usually read this sort of thing, but it’s good for what it is,” is the kind of response I get. That is, when my readers can actually finish it. One reader couldn’t make it past the first ten pages, and others have had similar troubles.
My point is that I obviously need to look at my story more critically and realize that it just isn’t all that good. This conclusion is not a result of the ABNA rejection, but is something I’ve been avoiding thinking about for a few months, and the latest rejection just forces me to confront that reality. When even your friends don’t like a story, it probably is not very good.
I guess I’ll keep sending the MS out to publishers, just because I have nothing else to do with it. And eventually, when I can find some time, I’ll keep working on another story. But it’s hard. I’ve been needing something to help turn me around, and I was probably putting too much hope in this story.
The Hobgoblin of Little Minds 
The Breakthrough Novel Contest is flawed in conception and ridiculous in practice and should hardly be seen as an arbiter of taste. The judges received over 5000 manuscripts back in mid-November. How in God’s name could they give most of them anything but a cursory read? The paring down to the semi-finalists of 850 was a process that I’m sure was completely random, very little critical thinking involved. How could there be unless they has a staff of scores of readers, all of them trained in how to properly evaluate a manuscript? Do you really think that was the case? Don’t give up on your book and don’t enter it in any more contests (especially those that demand a “reading fee”). Devote your energies to editing and coming up with a manuscript too good for an editor or agent to pass on…
And that is why I don’t write! Seriously, as long as my stuff stays inside my head, it’s brilliant.
Maybe in time you’ll revisit this story and rewrite it with a fresh head; maybe it’s simply one (or four, who knows?) rewrite away from being what you want it to be.
But that last sentence was what made me open the comments. That was a haunting sentence…
(On a completely different note, I’ve been meaning to tell you that regarding the hamstring pull, the more I work with “The Stick,” the more I think that it’s key to breaking down all that scar tissue. It hurts, but I think it works. Try it!)
It would have been good if they’d given you the courtesy of a reply. I agree with Cliff – keep polishing and keep submitting. I know I’m going to see a Hobgoblin novel in print one day.
Yes, your story IS good. Take a look at the discussion about INTELLIGENT horror that went on over at Biblio Addict the past couple of posts. Yours is intelligent (and although you have the gore, you’re not just using it to sell your story). You are a FANTASTIC writer with a terrific imagination. You can’t fail if you persist. Just keep writing and submit, submit, submit. It’s the luck of the draw more than anything else in the stupid world of publishing, so the more you submit, the more likely you’ll be drawn. Oh, and stop giving your stories to those “who don’t usually read this kind of thing.” Those of us who do, know it ‘s really good (and scary).
Let me just remind you that James Herbert received over 200 rejection letters before he got his first novel published and he is now one of the leading horror writers in the world. This business is hard and persistence is all we have. Hang on in there.
Oh and my own publication efforts have had to change track too. The agents were all kind about my writing but felt the project was not commercial enough (which on reflection I thought was quite true). So I’m putting a new proposal together for one of them. This may well go nowhere fast, too, but I feel I’m learning more about my own writing and about the market. So we’re still in this together and I’m depending on you to keep me company.
I just wanted to chime in and say I think you should keep submitting. And keep writing!!
I don’t know if this will lift your spirits or not, but Bookforum linked to your article! I don’t know how much longer the link will be up, but it’s at bookforum.com under the section labeled, “In Defense of Food.” And keep at it with the novels and stories!
Yeah, keep your head up! I mean, we’re not talking the quality of the movies in Home Movies, right? You just need to find an editor who gets you.
In the meantime, you’ve been tagged!
Don’t think that way hobgoblin….YOU can do it! If you stop submitting, what hope is there for the rest of us?
And you should have hope in your story, that’s what wriiting is all about, isn’t it?
Hob, there’s no way around the pain of rejection. It’s so bad, it keeps most of us from writing.
But you DID write and you do want to write.
I had one of those “why not give up” moments when I was in my MFA program. Then I decided, hey, no matter what, this is what I wanted to do. When I let go of the external, things started happening.
Your job is to write and put it out there. What happens next is out of your hands.
Having said that, sounds like you may have your own doubts as to whether or not your work is as good as it could possibly be. Maybe it is time to see if there is a way to improve the work. Find some people you trust, a workshop maybe, and really start taking a critical look as to how and where you CAN polish it to make it the absolute best. When you’ve gotten that done, you may be able to move on to a new project.
Hang in there. Everyone is rooting for you. Writing is tough, tough, tough. But, if it is your vocation and calling, you cannot refuse it. You must walk through the fire.
I’m with everybody else – keep writing, and keep submitting. And if you have another novel idea, start writing that as well. We writers must keep at it and I know you aren’t giving yourself enough credit with your novel. Two t houghts:
a. okay so I know you are a writing teacher and don’t need text advice from me, but Robert Mckee’s book Story is AMAZING if you think you are having structure problems. I read it for different classes during my MFA and if you problem is structure, seriously, please, turn to this book. IT WILL HELP.
and
b. did you see King has a new book out? It was reviewed in the Times yesterday, reviewed well. I can’t remember the name right now…
Hey Hob, Keep your chin up! I loved what I read of your book — and I know you really enjoyed writing it. I’m with everyone who’s pointed out how often you have to submit, and be rejected, before you find someone to sell your book. You’re the one who knows when it’s as good as it can be (and I also agree with the comments about finding a writing group — that’s really helped me a lot) — not the people at Amazon, or the readers at agencies who spend two minutes skimming through your query letters.