Msai Mahn A-Gwai: no need to ask about it, a known secret
Pak Gwai was a leader who ruled Gwongdung province in the last years of the Ching dynasty. There was one official above him, the governor of both Gwongdung and Gwongsai province. Whenever inferiors wanted instruction, they went above A-Gwai's head and asked the governor of the two provinces for help.
Everyone has heard of Amazon.com, and most people (especially writers) know about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA). The contest, introduced in 2007, offers an amazing publishing contract to the winner. Last year, Penguin Group (USA) published two novels from the competition, one general literature and one young adult book.
This year, the contest covers more genres: general fiction, romance, mystery/thriller, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult. Promotion and publishing will be offered through Amazon Publishing. The grand prize winner will receive a publishing contract and a $50,000 advance. Additionally, four first prize winners will get $15,000 and a book deal.
The contest started January 14th and will end January 27th. Although there is no entry fee, Amazon limits the submissions to 10,000 entries. You can read the official rules here.
I submitted my manuscript to ABNA as a symbolic gesture. I'm not sure I'll even make it through the first round, where the judges review your pitch to see if it catches their attention. Last week, I asked, "When do you call yourself a writer?" The responses I received focused on the fact that if you're working on your craft, then you're a writer. Embracing my writer's identity, I decided to push myself forward and enter this year's contest. I'll give you an update when I get a response. Anybody else thinking about entering?
Pak Gwai was a leader who ruled Gwongdung province in the last years of the Ching dynasty. There was one official above him, the governor of both Gwongdung and Gwongsai province. Whenever inferiors wanted instruction, they went above A-Gwai's head and asked the governor of the two provinces for help.
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| Known secrets. |
This year, the contest covers more genres: general fiction, romance, mystery/thriller, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult. Promotion and publishing will be offered through Amazon Publishing. The grand prize winner will receive a publishing contract and a $50,000 advance. Additionally, four first prize winners will get $15,000 and a book deal.
The contest started January 14th and will end January 27th. Although there is no entry fee, Amazon limits the submissions to 10,000 entries. You can read the official rules here.
I submitted my manuscript to ABNA as a symbolic gesture. I'm not sure I'll even make it through the first round, where the judges review your pitch to see if it catches their attention. Last week, I asked, "When do you call yourself a writer?" The responses I received focused on the fact that if you're working on your craft, then you're a writer. Embracing my writer's identity, I decided to push myself forward and enter this year's contest. I'll give you an update when I get a response. Anybody else thinking about entering?
Comments (4)
Good for you! I hope you hear wonderful news!
Thanks, Carol!
Good for you for pushing yourself forward. I thought about the ABNA-fleetingly-and decided to concentrate on my revisions in progress instead. Keep us posted.
I'll keep you updated! Good luck on the revisions!