Kevin's Watch

Sarge, I hope Julies mom continues to improve!

I entered Seized in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, figuring what the hell, it was free to enter.

Well, my book made the first cut.

Next up is the quarterfinals, which will be announced March 12th. So I'm now going to force myself to forget about the contest again for another month. Yeah, that'll happen.

Reading up on that now that you've mentioned it. Interesting. A non-negotiable contract with a decent advance for first prize or fairly ordinary advance for lower ones. No details of the contract given. Amazon gets to generate publicity for the winner through the contest before taking financial risk (and the financial risk can be offset by the terms of the contract, which they're clearly holding the right to set however they feel like depending on the winner).

I take it from your own entry that publication through Amazon's Kindle publishing doesn't count as it being previously subject to a publishing contract.

Probably the best thing that can happen for most entrants is reaching the quarter final bit, as that'll generate publicity for the work. (The first two rounds prior to this are just basic slush pile activity. Getting to the step after with the Publisher's Weekly reviews is nice, but I notice PW is under no obligation to publish those reviews.)

Anyway, good luck.

I'm Murrin wrote:Reading up on that now that you've mentioned it. Interesting. A non-negotiable contract with a decent advance for first prize or fairly ordinary advance for lower ones. No details of the contract given. Amazon gets to generate publicity for the winner through the contest before taking financial risk (and the financial risk can be offset by the terms of the contract, which they're clearly holding the right to set however they feel like depending on the winner).

I take it from your own entry that publication through Amazon's Kindle publishing doesn't count as it being previously subject to a publishing contract.

Probably the best thing that can happen for most entrants is reaching the quarter final bit, as that'll generate publicity for the work. (The first two rounds prior to this are just basic slush pile activity. Getting to the step after with the Publisher's Weekly reviews is nice, but I notice PW is under no obligation to publish those reviews.)

Anyway, good luck.

Thanks. All of what you say is true. The $50K prize money is actually an advance against the publishing contract you sign with the Amazon imprint. I'm less interested in that (altho $50K is nothing to sneeze at), as I make a better royalty by self-publishing. And yes, self-pubbing does not count as "previously published" for this contest.

You're right about PW. Because Amazon's name is tied to it, I assume they'll corral all the ABNA quarterfinalist reviews in an ABNA section on their website and call that "publication". Dunno how they've handled it in previous years, to be honest.

I glanced over some of the discussion board topics after the list was announced. Some of those who didn't make the cut were posting their pitches and asking for critiques. I could see right away why some were disqualified: missing commas, misspellings, and in one instance the writer was using the wrong word (the main character had to quit her job to "attend to" her sick husband -- should have been "tend to", of course). If I'd been a judge, I'd have tossed them, too.

On an interesting personal note -- well, interesting to *me*, anyway -- today was my mother's birthday; March 12 (quarterfinalists announced) is Batty's birthday; and April 16th (semifinalists announced) is the day before Magickmaker's birthday.

Uh, congrats Ali?

--A

Really tired today. Too many meetings scheduled this week during times when I normally get what I consider important done.

Avatar wrote:

Cambo wrote:Several reasons, been trying to cut down on my online time in general...

The Watch doesn't count against general online time. Learn to prioritise damnit.

--A

Yessir! Seriously, I will be making an effort to be on here more often. I miss you guys when I'm gone

Cambo wrote:

Avatar wrote:

Cambo wrote:Several reasons, been trying to cut down on my online time in general...

The Watch doesn't count against general online time. Learn to prioritise damnit.

--A

Yessir! Seriously, I will be making an effort to be on here more often. I miss you guys when I'm gone

I miss you lots and lots.

Aliantha wrote: I entered Seized in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, figuring what the hell, it was free to enter.

Well, my book made the first cut.

Congrats, Ali. You really are an inspiration for me, more than you know.

Thanks, lorin.

Avatar wrote:Uh, congrats Ali?

--A

You realize I'm downplaying it partly so as not to get my hopes up, right? After all, $50K is way more than I've made from my writing to date...

$15k aint too bad either. And would still be something good to add to your resume.

The very best of luck to you, Aliantha.

Thanks, KK! Agreed on all counts.

Cambo wrote:Some updates! Couple of weeks ago, on the morning of the 1st, I was admitted to hospital with some nasty stomach pain and vomiting. They thought it was my appendix, so they took it out. Turns out it wasn't the appendix. So the past week or so I've been recovering from the operation, lying about lots and taking lots of antibiotics and painkillers.

Sad thing was I was supposed to be doing my first 10min headlining comedy spot on that Wednesday, which I obviously had to cancel. It's cool, though, the guy who runs the room was very nice and squeezed me in a six minute slot this Wednesday, and he promised I could do ten next time .

Sorry to hear about the awfulness of being horribly sick and having a run-in with medical professionals rooting around inside there throwing out random organs simply because they're unnecessary and often malfunction...
(intentionally spoken in such a callous way, hoping to appeal to some twisted sense of humor...)

And sorry the big 10-minute comedy spot didn't work out...

Wow, best of luck for that big adventure with the 6-minute spot, though!!!
And good to see you around.

YAY! Go ALI! Hope you feel better Cambo.

I had tried to order a spare tire cover for my monster tire with the death star imprinted on it. They called me back and told me they didn't have a mold that size so they couldn't do it. I just checked my voicemail and there was a message from the guy who called me saying that he just couldn't let it go because I was so nice and funny and he really wanted to make the death star tire cover that he did some research and came up with a place he could get the same type of tire covers that his company makes but actually in the size I need. He said he could order the basic black cover and then his company can imprint it and it will take a few extra weeks but if I'm still interested he can do it. Thank the fates that I didn't order the flimsy cheap substitute that I was thinking about because now I can have the super nice one I really wanted.... YAY VADER!!!!

Yay Jenn! Jeep Vader deserves the best!

Cambo wrote: Yessir! Seriously, I will be making an effort to be on here more often. I miss you guys when I'm gone

Good. We miss you too.

--A

Avatar wrote:

Cambo wrote: Yessir! Seriously, I will be making an effort to be on here more often. I miss you guys when I'm gone

Good. We miss you too.

--A

^^ what he said. ^^

Aw shucks guys.

Today I feel a little down. Recovery isn't going as well as I thought it was even a couple of days ago. Getting intense digestive pains that come and go. Pretty sure it's not from the operation but from whatever the operation didn't fix (doctors suspect Chrons Disease). Also generally feeling weak and lethargic, which wasn't the case over the last few days.

Plus, the woman I've been slowly falling in love with for months is leaving town tomorrow. On my birthday no less Nothing to do with us - she feels the same for me as I do for her - she just has to leave town and I have to stay. Circumstance. We hope something might happen in the future, but it's all pretty up in the air at the moment. Oh well. The months I had with her were wonderful, and we are parting the best of friends. Can't be too sad about that I guess.

After any surgery, Cambo, you can have gas pains- bubbles get trapped in your abdominal cavity, and move around, very uncomfortable.

Sorry about your lady friend leaving town.

Cambo wrote:Today I feel a little down. Recovery isn't going as well as I thought it was even a couple of days ago. Getting intense digestive pains that come and go. Pretty sure it's not from the operation but from whatever the operation didn't fix (doctors suspect Chrons Disease). Also generally feeling weak and lethargic, which wasn't the case over the last few days.

Sorry...

...The months I had with her were wonderful, and we are parting the best of friends. Can't be too sad about that I guess.

I know I'm being a downer, but... unfortunately... I do believe you can.

Alsoooo.... I guess it's about time to wish you a... Happy Birthday!

Otoh, on the opposite of being a "downer," I'm really excited right now because of a new project I've just began... I can barely CONTAIN my excitement... (but I'm not gonna say what it is just yet.)

I hope you get better soon, Cambo. It does sound like you and your lady friend should do well, even if parted. Hope it's for a short time.


I've been busy sticking pins in maps as I plot out the outlines of my trip. I just stuck a pin in Hatchards Bookshop. The Tempest is playing at the Globe Theater during my stay. I think I'll head to see that one evening. Also, Helen Mirren is playing the Queen in The Audience, a play about the Queen's relationships with her numerous Prime Ministers. I'm thinking of going to the matinee performance the day before I'm to leave.

There's also a Cheese and Wine festival during the weekend that looks like a fine wrap up of a day spent prowling around Westminster Abbey.