7 ways to make your submission sing
Published in · 5 min read · Jun 18, 2023
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When fiction writers submit their work to a contest, they should offer the judges their best work. A smoothly written draft that is ready for a prime time audience.
But that isn’t always the case.
I’ve been a judge for the BookLife Prize and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award, which means I’ve read a heap of contest entries.
Some submissions have blown me away with the quality of ideas and mesmerizing, multi-layered plots. I can’t wait to see that novel or short story in print so I can rush out and buy copies for all my friends.
Others submissions left me scratching my head and wondering if they attached the wrong file to the contest form.
Judges assess a fiction contest submission with some key factors in mind.
- Hook: Does it grab the reader’s interest early enough?
- Characters: Are characters believable or relatable?
- Readability: Is the prose smooth or a hard slog?
- Dialogue: Is it realistic and in keeping with setting and characters?
- Plot: Is there one? Does something happen?
