Shellee Cruz

After my recent ride on the contest feedback rollercoaster I decided to turn to a contest veteran for some guidance and a pep talk.  Jenna Stuart writes ravishing Scottish Regencies and her manuscript, Highland Honor, is a 2009 Golden Heart Finalist.

Jenna, tell me about your writing.
I write historical romances–currently Scottish Regencies.  I’ve been writing all my life,
but have actively pursued publication for the last 5 years.

Everytime I turn around one of your manuscripts has finaled in another contest!  In how many contests have you finaled and were they all with the same manuscript?
I’ve finaled in 41 contests with three different manuscripts . . .or a dozen manuscripts, if you count rewrites, lol.   I’ve had 14 wins; 8 with my current manuscript, which also landed me my agent.  That same manuscript is a 2009 Golden Heart finalist.

What was your end goal for entering all these contests?  Was it feedback or hoping to catch the eye of an agent or editor?
When I entered my first contest, I knew nothing about the industry.  I guess I just wanted some all-knowing contest judge to tell me whether or not I was destined for a writing career.   I lucked into the perfect judge,  one who was helpful and motivating. . .and very, very patient with a newbie.  She gave me the courage to enter contest number 2.   From then on, I had a specific business goal in mind: to improve my craft and get in front of the right audience.  In the beginning, I looked for final round judges from houses that seemed a match for my genre and voice.  At some point I decided that targeting agents better fit my marketing plan.

Did you begin the query process before entering contests?
I entered contests for several years before I worked up the courage to query, and in the beginning I received several requests for work that really wasn’t ready.   That was a tough but valuable lesson.  Since then, I’ve used both contests and direct querying to market my work.   And along the way I’ve met wonderful published authors who have become mentors and fellow contest competitors who have become friends.

So you’ve used contests as a networking tool as well. Absolutely.  Romance writers are an amazingly supportive community of people.

As I’ve learned firsthand in recent weeks, feedback from contests is a crapshoot – what is your best advice for taking the comments you receive from a contest entry and discerning what to use and what to disregard?
I joke that I have a Jekyll and Hyde pattern with contest feedback – judges either love my work or they can’t stand it.  But the feedback made me thick-skinned and that’s a good survival skill in this business.  My advice with comments:  read them and then step away.  Comments can help hone your writing, but it’s easy to get caught up in revisions.  And I’m on the 1000th version of my manuscript, so I know what I’m talking about on this one.

You make a great point—it is easy to get caught up in revising that 1st chapter over and over and not getting to the rest of the book.  Should you enter contests before you have a complete manuscript?
Laughs.  The correct answer is no, but I didn’t take my own advice.  None of my manuscripts were complete when I first entered them in contests.  I used the feedback I got from those contests to help guide me.  Consider the advice you receive, but don’t get caught up in the first chapter, because it’s just one chapter.   It’s a shame to write a wonderful first chapter and then lose the rest of the book.

Contests can get expensive!  What’s your advice for maximizing your contest dollar and which contests did you feel gave you best return for your money?
I could probably buy my weight in Godiva Chocolate with what I’ve spent on contests.  I entered different contests based on where I was in my writing career.  My goal was to reach specific editors or agents.  You also want to think about the feedback you are seeking.  For example, contests like the Maggie, the Emily and the Heart of the Rockies give you one or more published author judges, so you know the experience level behind the critiques.  Great Expectations reviews your query.  Happily Ever After  judges your last chapter.  And if you feel daring and want to test out your opening hook, you can enter short entry contests like the 10 page Fabulous 5.

How many requests have you received from agents or editors from a contest entry?
I’ve had 6 requests from agents or editors who judged my manuscript in a contest.

You signed with an agent in January, did that happen through a request from a contest?
I did not get my agent through the contest route, but I do believe that if weren’t for the feedback and experience I got through contests, I would not have an agent today.

Lots of writers final in contests with manuscripts that never sell.  In your opinion, what’s the difference between a manuscript that finals in contests and one that sells to an editor?
Want to ask me that when I sell?  LOL.  You know I’ve been doing this for awhile now, through many revisions of my story, and I thought about giving up several times.  But I persevered and now I’m working with my dream agent.   I believe you have to work on your craft and have some talent, but from there, perseverance is key.

Is there anything else you would like to say about contests or writing, in general?
One of my favorite contest stories is from a friend who said that her contest judge wrote, “You kept me reading and dinner was late” [Squee!! That’s my story --Shellee.]   I thought that was really great!  Every writer wants to hear that.  It’s why we enter contests, revise, submit and keep going – we’re looking for those days when someone really connects with our work.