The Novel Idea Judge’s Report

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In the period of time that we were setting up the Novel Idea Competition, several television programmes and newspaper articles discussed the phenomenal number of people calling themselves writers. It was suggested that it is becoming too easy, and that too many people are trying to get published, or being offered ‘vanity publishing’ deals and being disappointed.  There was also a complaint that ‘everyone is writing but no-one is reading’.

On behalf of the Earlyworks Press readers, I begin my competition report with these issues because they illustrate the motivation behind the judging of the Novel Idea Competition.  Let me say right now that I think it’s wonderful that such a large proportion of our population are educated enough and confident enough to give it a go.  Yes, since I’ve been working as an editor I have met several people who annoy me intensely by expecting the world to read their work but showing precious little interest in anyone else’s.  Gripe over, these self-obsessed characters are a minority.  I have met many more people who enjoy reading and writing, who beg, steal and borrow as many books as they have time to read, and who have plenty to offer the world in their own work.

So, the twin aims of the Novel Idea Competition were to give some recognition and encouragement to up-and-coming writers and to try to demonstrate to a confused world some of the options open to writers in the early stages of their careers. 

The competition was judged not only on the quality of the writing sample sent in but on the cv and statement of intent of the writer.  We were looking for people who had a good idea, had taken the time to develop the skills and experience necessary to make it work, and who appeared to have the ambition and enthusiasm to carry the idea through to the end.  25 entries clearly met these criteria, so 25 people were invited to the winners' presentation at our readers and writers day.

I feel that the break-neck timetable of this competition was an advantage in that it will help the entrants to judge their chances of attracting a publisher. We had no more time to pore over and get to know the entries than a mainstream publisher’s reader would.  If there was nothing original there, the work was put aside and the next one reached for quite quickly.  If you reached the top 25, well done – you have the necessary hooks to get your work read. Secondly, the timescale made it impossible for anyone to produce a feasible entry unless they really had work in progress. Nearly 60 people had work they were ready and willing to present.  A small number compared with what a short story competition would attract but a vindication of the theory that we are a nation of writers.

This is the point where I need to distract you with a note on ‘vanity publishing’:  Always, when enough people have a dream, someone will come along and sell it to them.  There are companies out there charging people thousands of pounds to produce books and then providing neither editorial advice nor marketing.  There are companies producing books which are designed to include as many authors as possible and which will be sold only to the authors.

But it is no longer simply a case of mainstream publishers versus rogues.  I hope that one of the things our readers and writers day exhibition demonstrated was the variety of acceptable routes into publication. As well as mainstream published books, there were self-published writers who were marketing their own work.  There were small press publishers and people offering services to writers.  There were printers, illustrators and graphic designers, and writers groups offering support and skills development to amateur and professional writers.

I hope everyone found something of use to them and judging by the feedback I’ve had, quite a few did.  For myself, I made a considerable number of useful contacts but felt decidedly awkward about holding out on everyone until 3pm when we’d scheduled the results announcement.  That’s the downside of competitions.  I felt that we had 25 winners there.  Of course, on the day we had 25 people who wanted to know who was number one!

I have said that we invited along 25 people who met our winning criteria – so how did we sort out the winners from there?  In two ways.  Firstly the extracts they sent us had to pass the ‘departure lounge’ test.  You know the one – you are standing in the bookshop surrounded by novels.  You want a good absorbing read that will hold your attention all the way through.  You can’t really be sure which is the best one so you keep reading blurbs and flicking through bits of text until you find one that you really don’t want to put back on the shelf.  For me, the writers who provided that ‘can’t put it down’ experience were:

Valerie Ishii

Cris Osborn

Norman Blake

Bella Govan

Christine Hall

William Wood

Clive Hopkins

Now then you folks, it’s your turn to hold out on me – I have read a part of your novel.  My attention is awoken.  I want to finish it and I can’t – until you do.  So please finish it!

To encourage the completion of these novels, Earlyworks Press is offering free membership of our online writers’ club to these writers.  On the club forum they can get workshop help, find editors or proofreaders when they need them and share information about different types of publishing and printing from writers who have actually experienced working with the companies concerned.

Royal Pictoria graphic design are offering a choice of a cash prize or jacket design work to the top 3 and with the assistance of ESCC Library Information Service Earlyworks Press will see Valerie Ishii’s novel into print by whichever route she chooses to take.

Finally, a piece of advice for all aspiring writers – memorise the above list of writers and look out for them in the bookshop in the next few years. Why do I believe they will be there?  Not only because they are capable writers but also because it is clear that they have thought about their likely readers and offered titles, chapter-headings and blurbs which would catch the eye.  They are not afraid to confirm this promise by showing off the most attractive parts of their work.  They sent us biographies which demonstrated that they knew what they were writing about, either from personal experience or from deep and enthusiastic study.  So, if you are one of the many people aiming at a career in writing make sure you are really doing these things.  Don’t apologise for your existence, don’t send out anything less than the best you can do, and study others who are working in your topic area. Let us be a nation of people who write – and read!