UDATED: New competition for self-published sci-fi authors starts 7/1/21

[nuxvomica]

Last edited Wed Jun 30, 2021, 05:50 PM - Edit history (2)

Hugh Howey, author of the Wool sci-fi series, is holding a competition to find the best self-published sci-fi novel. No monetary prizes but greater visibility among sci-fi reviewers. Details are here:
https://hughhowey.com/the-spsfc-begins/

EDIT: More info on submissions just went up on Howey's blog. Submissions will begin at 12 noon EDT.
More details here:
https://hughhowey.com/spsfc-submissions/

[SheltieLover]

1. Ty, Nux!

Are you going to enter?

I'm not a sci-fi writer, yet anyway. More paranrmal in an everyday sense of the word.

[nuxvomica]

2. Yes. My novel got to the quarterfinals of the ABNA once

Then it had to be reviewed by Publishers Weekly to get to the semifinals but they farmed out the reviews to college students and I had the bad luck to get some seat warmer who never read past the first chapter. The review was negative but otherwise incomprehensible. That was heartbreaking because I've gotten great reviews on Amazon and at Kirkus Reviews.

[SheltieLover]

3. Congrats on getting to quarter finals!

Stupid college kid!

Will you be submitting te same book?

Hopefully, you will win this tme!

[nuxvomica]

4. Thanks!

The same book, published back in 2012. Still working on the sequel....

[SheltieLover]

5. Yw!

Exciting stuff!

[DavidDvorkin]

6. This is truly admirable

What a very fine thing for him to do.

Now I just have to decide which book to enter.

[nuxvomica]

7. Simple: submit the best one

Or is it like having children in that you can't decide which one is the best?

[DavidDvorkin]

8. Exactly!

I love them all. However, I did decide on one.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. "Why does HE get to use the car?"

[nuxvomica]

10. I finally got me epub and mobi done for submission

It's been a while since I worked on this stuff. I think the mobi turned out better than the epub. In anyone's in need of the tools to generate the proper formats, there's a free one called "Calibre" that can be found here:
https://calibre-ebook.com/

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Calibre is excellent

It's what I use. It includes a very nice ePub editor.

[nuxvomica]

12. Yes. And it's good to re-read the whole novel before submitting

I found some typos so far but I can fix them with the epub editor. That is a very nice tool.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. Entered

Good luck to all of us.

[nuxvomica]

14. Me too

I just finished like an hour ago. I hope we both make it to the finals and I promise not to be too upset when you win.

[DavidDvorkin]

16. Same here

I'd be happy to get that far.

[nuxvomica]

15. I screwed up my submission

I used the wrong filename for the cover. It's supposed to be title - author. So I'm heading for the slush pile.

[DavidDvorkin]

17. Google docs lets you edit your response

Maybe you can fix it.

[nuxvomica]

18. No, I tried

It gives you a link to edit but if you try it tells you that the owner of the form has disabled editing it.

[nuxvomica]

19. I got the acceptance email

Less than an hour ago. So I'm in despite my inability to follow instructions. It will be almost a year before the winner is announced but judging on best cover ends August 14.

[DavidDvorkin]

20. Congratulations!

Now I'm trying not to think about the e-mail and what it will say.

[DavidDvorkin]

21. Acceptance

It was sitting in my Inbox for the last few hours, and I didn't see it until now.

[nuxvomica]

22. Awesome!

Congratulations! That's two DUers, at least, in the running. Best of luck!

[DavidDvorkin]

23. Thanks, and the same to you.

[nuxvomica]

24. I've been cut because "Meteor Reviews" just announced their top 10.

No notes or reviews on what they didn't like so I don't know why but I suspect they just plain couldn't handle how awesome the story is. At least it's early enough that I don't have to worry about it anymore.

[DavidDvorkin]

25. I'm sorry

It must be a relief, in some ways. The stress of waiting to find out is getting to me.

[DavidDvorkin]

26. And now I'm out, too

FanFiAddicts announced their top 10, and inexplicably, my book isn't one of them.