See, I can admit my failings.
:-)
Apparently, excuses for being illiterate really do exist. Here's my Top Ten reasons for not being literate when living in the USA where we have a free public school system.
1) I was abducted by aliens.
2) I'm offended by words, paper and pencils. They're the bi-products of an elitist society trying to rule the world.
3) I'm allergic to ink and lead.
4) I am teacher-phobic, not to mention phobic of computers, tv, and any other electronic form.
5) I eat too much cheese so I'm always in the bathroom hoping I'll finally go. I don't have time to learn.
6) I'm frugal. I fear that if I learn to read then I'll have to get a real job and no longer depend on the government; therefore, the free money the government sends me would go to waste. I do nothing so the government can do everything. I'm an empowerer of others.
7) I choose to be illiterate so I don't have to read propogandist newspapers and books. Stand with me and resist indoctrination!!!
8) I choose to be illiterate so I don't have to know what's really in the food I'm eating. Red dye 40 is a communist bio-weapon.
9) I just want to be one of the regular ol' boys (or girls). Last thing I want to be called is an elitist.
10) I choose to be illiterate because I really don't want to be able to read the Obama-Reid-Pelosi economic stimilus bill because then I'll know all the wasteful things they're spending taxpayer dollars on. Lieke $500,000 for a leash-less dog park in California.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Now about illiteracy...
Apparently there are logical/understandable reasons why someone would be in the "stupid" position of being illiterate.
If they can't read and no one tells them.
Okay, so you can not read but you won't know it until someone tells you.
If it [learning to read] requires transportation and they have none.
Call me crazy, but in the USA how many grade-school children don't have access to some form of transportation to school? I can understand if you are an adult and are in that situation. Then again, isn't "not having transportation" to somewhere you can learn to read only an excuse. If you really wanted to read, you'd find a way. Don't we find a way to the movie theatre or to the mall?
If their self esteem is so low that they think they are too stupid to learn it.
Okay, in the USA children begin learning to read in kindergarten. Of the four of my five children who are in school, only one struggled with learning to read. Fortunately she was in a (gasp!) public school that had a PRIME program. I have to say, that's some federal funds put to good use. So realistically looking at this, if a child's self-esteem is so low that s/he thinks s/he is too stupid to learn to read, then I can only conclude that the public school teacher must be so callused and hard-hearted to notice and to not make an effort to uplift that child.
I blame the parents or the lack of proper role models in the lives of any child who has such a low self-esteeem that s/he thinks s/he is too stupid to learn. Of the children that fall into this category, I'm guessing this has to be a small percentage of the illiterates.
What I'd like to know is what percentage of children who actually COMPLETE 13 years of public education graduate without being able to read, without being functually literate?
If they are ashamed of being unable to read and don't want anyone to know.
I can only conclude we're talking teenagers and adults. I can also only conclude these are folks who DIDN'T complete their 13 years of elementary, middle, and high school education. Still, if they really wanted to learn to read, they could. The fact they are letting their shame prevent them from learning something that will help them is...oh, dare I say, stupid.
If they are spending every waking moment trying to make a living and don't have time.
I want to know of an illiterate person who is doing this. Now I can understand an immigrant (legal and illegal) being in this situation. But, odds are, that dedicated and desperate worker probably is literate in his/her national language. Then again, I suppose dealing drugs and selling your wares can be a time-consuming job.
Clearly children don't fall into this category. What first grader has a job? Maybe the one who's skipping school to take care of his/her doped-out single mother?
If their family situation is such that they can't leave their children or crippled mother or whatever.
Okay, we're back to adults being unable to leave their children. Unless we're talking a child taking care of his/her crippled mother. And if it's the latter case, isn't this where DHS and CPS steps in? And if we're talking an immigrant (legal or illegal), then odds are they probably are literate in his/her national language.
If they've been going along just fine without reading and don't see any reason why they need to learn it now...
Hmm. I might be stumped here. I'm guessing this person is happy with the status-quo and doen't care about improving his/her social and economic level, which the latter is probably close to poverty level. Unless the person is a spoiled rich kid. But didn't even Paris Hilton get her GED?
They're not educated enough to know it's important or that they're missing anything...
This falls into the previous category. The person has to be satisfied with the status quo (probably close to poverty level) to not realize that being able to read would benefit the person.
Let's face it, for an American teenager and adult (those without a disability that hinders the learning-to-read process, like dyslexia, autism, metal retardation, etc) who willingly chose not to utilize the FREE education system our country has, that person has made a stupid, life-limiting decision. Once the child becomes an adult, I can see how pride enters in.
Now I can believe the excuse of "I can't afford to enroll in a literacy program."
But that's really only a STUPID excuse with no legitimate foundation because FREE literacy programs are available all over the country.
http://www.lacnyc.org/resources/familylit/
...unless you're walking in their shoes, you don't know their reasons; I wouldn't be so quick to judge.
So true. Then again, unless you have a physical or mental hinderance to learning to read (see above), then a person who refuses to take advantage of the FREE public school education is being stupid. With children, I grant some leeway because not all children are capable of getting themselves up in the morning in time to make it to the school bus. Not all children can enroll themselves in school. In these cases, I blame the stupid parent(s) and/or grandparent(s).
As for the whining... If we can't vent here, where can we?
I don't mind whining. I like an occasional whine myself. :-)
I don't mind venting. I like an occasional--umm, often--vent myself. :-)
But when the whining becomes a habit and the venting becomes a the-world-sucks-life-isn't-fair attitude, then it may be time to break out of the rut. Very few people have made a successful career out of whining.
Use the struggles you endure to make yourself stronger, better, wiser.
If they can't read and no one tells them.
Okay, so you can not read but you won't know it until someone tells you.
If it [learning to read] requires transportation and they have none.
Call me crazy, but in the USA how many grade-school children don't have access to some form of transportation to school? I can understand if you are an adult and are in that situation. Then again, isn't "not having transportation" to somewhere you can learn to read only an excuse. If you really wanted to read, you'd find a way. Don't we find a way to the movie theatre or to the mall?
If their self esteem is so low that they think they are too stupid to learn it.
Okay, in the USA children begin learning to read in kindergarten. Of the four of my five children who are in school, only one struggled with learning to read. Fortunately she was in a (gasp!) public school that had a PRIME program. I have to say, that's some federal funds put to good use. So realistically looking at this, if a child's self-esteem is so low that s/he thinks s/he is too stupid to learn to read, then I can only conclude that the public school teacher must be so callused and hard-hearted to notice and to not make an effort to uplift that child.
I blame the parents or the lack of proper role models in the lives of any child who has such a low self-esteeem that s/he thinks s/he is too stupid to learn. Of the children that fall into this category, I'm guessing this has to be a small percentage of the illiterates.
What I'd like to know is what percentage of children who actually COMPLETE 13 years of public education graduate without being able to read, without being functually literate?
If they are ashamed of being unable to read and don't want anyone to know.
I can only conclude we're talking teenagers and adults. I can also only conclude these are folks who DIDN'T complete their 13 years of elementary, middle, and high school education. Still, if they really wanted to learn to read, they could. The fact they are letting their shame prevent them from learning something that will help them is...oh, dare I say, stupid.
If they are spending every waking moment trying to make a living and don't have time.
I want to know of an illiterate person who is doing this. Now I can understand an immigrant (legal and illegal) being in this situation. But, odds are, that dedicated and desperate worker probably is literate in his/her national language. Then again, I suppose dealing drugs and selling your wares can be a time-consuming job.
Clearly children don't fall into this category. What first grader has a job? Maybe the one who's skipping school to take care of his/her doped-out single mother?
If their family situation is such that they can't leave their children or crippled mother or whatever.
Okay, we're back to adults being unable to leave their children. Unless we're talking a child taking care of his/her crippled mother. And if it's the latter case, isn't this where DHS and CPS steps in? And if we're talking an immigrant (legal or illegal), then odds are they probably are literate in his/her national language.
If they've been going along just fine without reading and don't see any reason why they need to learn it now...
Hmm. I might be stumped here. I'm guessing this person is happy with the status-quo and doen't care about improving his/her social and economic level, which the latter is probably close to poverty level. Unless the person is a spoiled rich kid. But didn't even Paris Hilton get her GED?
They're not educated enough to know it's important or that they're missing anything...
This falls into the previous category. The person has to be satisfied with the status quo (probably close to poverty level) to not realize that being able to read would benefit the person.
Let's face it, for an American teenager and adult (those without a disability that hinders the learning-to-read process, like dyslexia, autism, metal retardation, etc) who willingly chose not to utilize the FREE education system our country has, that person has made a stupid, life-limiting decision. Once the child becomes an adult, I can see how pride enters in.
Now I can believe the excuse of "I can't afford to enroll in a literacy program."
But that's really only a STUPID excuse with no legitimate foundation because FREE literacy programs are available all over the country.
http://www.lacnyc.org/resources/familylit/
...unless you're walking in their shoes, you don't know their reasons; I wouldn't be so quick to judge.
So true. Then again, unless you have a physical or mental hinderance to learning to read (see above), then a person who refuses to take advantage of the FREE public school education is being stupid. With children, I grant some leeway because not all children are capable of getting themselves up in the morning in time to make it to the school bus. Not all children can enroll themselves in school. In these cases, I blame the stupid parent(s) and/or grandparent(s).
As for the whining... If we can't vent here, where can we?
I don't mind whining. I like an occasional whine myself. :-)
I don't mind venting. I like an occasional--umm, often--vent myself. :-)
But when the whining becomes a habit and the venting becomes a the-world-sucks-life-isn't-fair attitude, then it may be time to break out of the rut. Very few people have made a successful career out of whining.
Use the struggles you endure to make yourself stronger, better, wiser.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Auction for a baby!
No, I'm not hoping to raise some $ by selling off one of my chitlins. They may drive me bonkers at times, but I do love the cute little things.
~*~
Editor(Multnomah, Strang, NavPress)/publisher/author Jeff Gerke (Marcher Lord Press) and his wife are adopting a Chinese baby named Sophie. Sophie has medical challenges and will need several operations and special care, but first the Gerke's must raise the money quickly for the adoption.
To help them out, several editors have offered to have their work auctioned off on eBay. Right now, the editor on the block is Jeff himself. He has edited for many years, so can edit any type of work. His passion is fantasy/scifi. If you'd like expert help with your first three chapters, join the bidding. It's a great deal.
Here's Jeff's comment from another loop below, with permission to share. Check out "our adoption" for this heartwarming story, then go to the eBay link and bid!
Jeff wrote:
Hello, friends.
Christian literary agent Kelly Mortimer is helping us raise money for our adoption.
She's doing so by auctioning off editorial work from a variety of editors and then donating the money to our adoption fund.
This month the editor whose work is being auctioned off is me!
Check it out on eBay.
The auction ends tomorrow.
The work being auctioned off is what Kelly calls a 3x3 edit. I'll edit your first three chapters in three weeks.
I'd normally charge around $300 for this, but right now the high bid is $61. So somebody's going to get a steal.
Feel free to pass this along to whatever blog or forum or group you'd like. Solid editorial help and all for a good cause!
Thank you.
Jeff
~*~
Editor(Multnomah, Strang, NavPress)/publisher/author Jeff Gerke (Marcher Lord Press) and his wife are adopting a Chinese baby named Sophie. Sophie has medical challenges and will need several operations and special care, but first the Gerke's must raise the money quickly for the adoption.
To help them out, several editors have offered to have their work auctioned off on eBay. Right now, the editor on the block is Jeff himself. He has edited for many years, so can edit any type of work. His passion is fantasy/scifi. If you'd like expert help with your first three chapters, join the bidding. It's a great deal.
Here's Jeff's comment from another loop below, with permission to share. Check out "our adoption" for this heartwarming story, then go to the eBay link and bid!
Jeff wrote:
Hello, friends.
Christian literary agent Kelly Mortimer is helping us raise money for our adoption.
She's doing so by auctioning off editorial work from a variety of editors and then donating the money to our adoption fund.
This month the editor whose work is being auctioned off is me!
Check it out on eBay.
The auction ends tomorrow.
The work being auctioned off is what Kelly calls a 3x3 edit. I'll edit your first three chapters in three weeks.
I'd normally charge around $300 for this, but right now the high bid is $61. So somebody's going to get a steal.
Feel free to pass this along to whatever blog or forum or group you'd like. Solid editorial help and all for a good cause!
Thank you.
Jeff
Pigheaded and illiterate
Let's continue yesterday's conversation, shall we?
I heard a statistic last week. 49% of people in Detroit Michigan arefunctionally illiterate.
((Actually I heard both 47% and 49%. I haven't researched to see which is accurate. Either is a terribly high number to me.))
Not learning to read when you have access to freeeducation is stupid. Refusing to learn to read when you have access to free education is pigheaded. That's not an opinion. That's reality.
Refusing to adjust your manuscript to increase it's chances of finaling in a contest is stupid. Doesn't mean the person is stupid. Means the behavior is stupid.
Refusing to change fonts on your manuscript so you can enter it in a contest is being pigheaded. Holding a differing opinion isn't stupid or pigheaded...unless you have no grounds to support your opinion or if that opinion is factually wrong or if that opinion/that decision hinders you.
A gal I used to crit with utterly REFUSED to stop changing POVs mulitple times within a scene (headhopping). Contest judges always scored her down. Contest judges and hercrit partners explained the benefits of sticking to one POV or changingonly once. Yet she pigheadedly stuck to her head-hopping because she liked writing that way even when she knew that doing so hindered her contest scores. (Eventually she wised up.)
I've judged contests where judges were told NOT to use red ink because the color could hurt someone's feelings.
I've judged contests where judges were told NOT to put any words in ALL CAPS because the ALL CAPS could hurt someone's feelings.
I've judged contests where judges were told to say ONE good thing for ever TWO bad things, or even better ONE good for ONE bad because too much criticism could hurt someone's feelings.
Telling an writer that she's being stupid or pigheaded for refusing to make adjustments to her manuscript format when making the changes would only help her...well, sometimes people need some tough love to hear the truth. That may hurt their feelings, but if a little wounded feeling helps motivate the person to make changes that will help them be a better________, then I'm all for tough love.
More and more contests are struggling to get judges because so many entrants complain about a comment or a low score that hurt their feelingsor made them want to quit writing.
And we wonder why editors and agents rely on generic refusal letters. Can you imagine if an editor sent a letter that said, "Our submission format is clearly stated on the website. That you read the rules and ignored them is as stupid as you not taking the time to go online and research our submission guidelines."
*sigh*
Last week I was watching American Idol. This one adorablely cute black girl came in and auditioned. Prior to her singing, her video clip was ofher telling about her singing experience. She had such an appealing personality, I wanted her to have an amazing voice becuse she didn't havean arrogance about her that some of the other contestents had (Bikini girl, Miss Hispanic girl, etc).
Alas, she sang awful. Very nasally.
She clearly believed she was a good singer. Even her mom said so. Sure enough the judges had the mom come in. They asked her if she thought her daughter had a great voice. Her answer was a sincere yes. Now the judges weren't mocking the girl, but they told her bluntly and honestly "you can't sing." As the girl left, I notice something change in her eyes. It was as if the blinders came off and she finally realized she wasn't the great singer her mom (and maybe others) had told her she was.
Some people think the American Idol judges are unprofessional for being blunt with the auditioners and contestants. It's possible to be blunt and honest without being mean and unprofessional.
Refusing to tweak/adjust/pimp your entry to help it fit a contest format and/or help it end on a strong hook as to increase it's odds of finaling is stupid. Why? Because doing so has been proven by other writers to help them have contest success.
And regarding all the "stupid" reasons why someone would choose to be illiterate...I'll respond tomorrow.
I heard a statistic last week. 49% of people in Detroit Michigan arefunctionally illiterate.
((Actually I heard both 47% and 49%. I haven't researched to see which is accurate. Either is a terribly high number to me.))
Not learning to read when you have access to freeeducation is stupid. Refusing to learn to read when you have access to free education is pigheaded. That's not an opinion. That's reality.
Refusing to adjust your manuscript to increase it's chances of finaling in a contest is stupid. Doesn't mean the person is stupid. Means the behavior is stupid.
Refusing to change fonts on your manuscript so you can enter it in a contest is being pigheaded. Holding a differing opinion isn't stupid or pigheaded...unless you have no grounds to support your opinion or if that opinion is factually wrong or if that opinion/that decision hinders you.
A gal I used to crit with utterly REFUSED to stop changing POVs mulitple times within a scene (headhopping). Contest judges always scored her down. Contest judges and hercrit partners explained the benefits of sticking to one POV or changingonly once. Yet she pigheadedly stuck to her head-hopping because she liked writing that way even when she knew that doing so hindered her contest scores. (Eventually she wised up.)
I've judged contests where judges were told NOT to use red ink because the color could hurt someone's feelings.
I've judged contests where judges were told NOT to put any words in ALL CAPS because the ALL CAPS could hurt someone's feelings.
I've judged contests where judges were told to say ONE good thing for ever TWO bad things, or even better ONE good for ONE bad because too much criticism could hurt someone's feelings.
Telling an writer that she's being stupid or pigheaded for refusing to make adjustments to her manuscript format when making the changes would only help her...well, sometimes people need some tough love to hear the truth. That may hurt their feelings, but if a little wounded feeling helps motivate the person to make changes that will help them be a better________, then I'm all for tough love.
More and more contests are struggling to get judges because so many entrants complain about a comment or a low score that hurt their feelingsor made them want to quit writing.
And we wonder why editors and agents rely on generic refusal letters. Can you imagine if an editor sent a letter that said, "Our submission format is clearly stated on the website. That you read the rules and ignored them is as stupid as you not taking the time to go online and research our submission guidelines."
*sigh*
Last week I was watching American Idol. This one adorablely cute black girl came in and auditioned. Prior to her singing, her video clip was ofher telling about her singing experience. She had such an appealing personality, I wanted her to have an amazing voice becuse she didn't havean arrogance about her that some of the other contestents had (Bikini girl, Miss Hispanic girl, etc).
Alas, she sang awful. Very nasally.
She clearly believed she was a good singer. Even her mom said so. Sure enough the judges had the mom come in. They asked her if she thought her daughter had a great voice. Her answer was a sincere yes. Now the judges weren't mocking the girl, but they told her bluntly and honestly "you can't sing." As the girl left, I notice something change in her eyes. It was as if the blinders came off and she finally realized she wasn't the great singer her mom (and maybe others) had told her she was.
Some people think the American Idol judges are unprofessional for being blunt with the auditioners and contestants. It's possible to be blunt and honest without being mean and unprofessional.
Refusing to tweak/adjust/pimp your entry to help it fit a contest format and/or help it end on a strong hook as to increase it's odds of finaling is stupid. Why? Because doing so has been proven by other writers to help them have contest success.
And regarding all the "stupid" reasons why someone would choose to be illiterate...I'll respond tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Contest Whine and Cheese
Why care about contest format rules?
Simple answer: Because professionals follow the rules.
And if a rule is asinine/unfair/just plain stupid, then professionals go about in a professional way to change the rule(s). Whiners are...well, pathetic. I don't know many published whiners. Bill Gates certainly didn't make bajillions by whining his way to the top.
RWA contests generally require a 12pt font minimum. Most ask for either TNR or CN, but many accept any other comparable font. As a judge and as acoordinator, I've seen Palentino, Ariel, and Georgia on contest entries. I didn't mind either, and when I was coordinating, none of my judges minded a different font either. On a side note, I recently judged an entry inGeorgia, and it was the most visually appealing entry to read.
What my judges (and myself) have minded is TNR11, 26/27 lines per page,and chapter headers beginning at the top of the page. If a contest doesn't specifically state TNR12 or CN12 only, then e-mail the coordinator for what other fonts are acceptable.
Contests state format rules for a reason: If they didn't, they'd have a plethora of varying formats. When entries are in a relatively similar format, the judges focus more on STORY CONTENT. Imagine being in the Miss America contest's evening gown competition and you're wearing a ski suit while all the other ladies are wearing sequin gowns. Trust me, you'll getattention, but it's not going to be good attention.
Instead of seeing contest format guidelines as limiting, see them asopportunities. Last year I entered the Maggie. Their format guidelines allowed for 25 or 26 lines per page. I'm totally a 25-per-page gal. But I also knew the final round judge was prefers CN12. If I submitted directly to her publishing house, I'd use the format her house preferred (CN12). So logically, I wanted to do the same for the contest.
Alas, my agent prefers manuscripts in TNR12 so I'd switched from CN12 toTNR12 about a year earlier. I'm so used to TNR12 that CN12 looks awkward to me. Anyhoo, by the time I converted my entry pages to CN12, my ending hook was in the 3/4 down a page (one page more than the entry pageminimum). A writer-friend loves to say "Pimp your entry!" On a weird whim,I changed my lines per page from 25 to 26. Yes, I cringed.
Ended up, myentry hook was on line two or three of the next page, one page longer than my entry needed to be. So I tweaked a couple paragraphs. Waalaa!
With any other contest, I would NEVER consider using 26 lines per page. But since the Maggie allowed for it, I did. And my entry finaled. In a perfect world, our entries would always end on a hook. But some contests are 4K words, first chapters only, 25 pages, 30 pages, and 55pages including a synopsis which can be no more than 15 pages. Obviouslyat the end of those pages isn't always going to be a hook.
Let's face it. If you're too pig-headed to be willing to adjust/tweak/pimpyour manuscript to make it fit a contest format guidelines, then you're...well, being stupid. Yes, I typed stupid. Shall I type it louder just incase I didn't offend you the first time? S.T.U.P.I.D. Consequently due to your piggish-ness, your odds of selling seriously decrease compared to someone willing to tweak.
Get over yourself.
Publishing is a difficult world to break in to. You can refuse to "play bytheir rules" because you're going to "do things your way." Or you can be a wise, professional person and do whatever it takes to be published without compromising your morals/character/values.
If you are willing to make any format changes to please as editor or agent, then you should treat a contest with the same amount of respect. After all, the final round judges usually are published authors, editors,and agents. The ultimate goal of a contest is to final, to take a shortcut to putting your manuscript in the hands of your target audience. What's an hour or two of tweaking compared to months of waiting for an editor topull your ms from her slush pile?
Oh, regarding format questions...I utterly abhor contests that have format as a scored question. (Then again, for an acceptably formmatted entry, that's an easy 5 points, andI'm all for easy.)
I don't mind contests that have format as a unscored question; in fact,I'm a firm believer that it should be an unscored question.
Why, freakin' why!?
I'm judging a contest right now where one of my entries is in ALL CAPS. While the contest rules don't say anything specific about the entry not being in all caps, the contest does have a question asking if the entry is properly formatted. You'd have to be an idiot to think a manuscript typed in ALL CAPS is properly formatted. Yet, I don't have the heart to demand the entry be disqualified. See, I am a nice person.
Putting your manuscript in an industry accepted format is one of the first steps to being a professional writer. Yes, the industry has varying standards. So do contests.
Do your research.
Even if a contest accepts TNR12, TNR14, or CN12, if you know the final round judge has a preference, GO WITH HER PREFERENCE. And do whatever you need to pimp your entry so it ends on a hook.
Regarding international entrants...
Look for contests that take electronic entries, that way you save money on postage and don't have to deal with paper-size issues. Although, most RWAcontests understand international differences. All the contests I've judged for tell their judges to not penalize US-UK differences.
If the contest you want to enter is paper only, then find a writer-friendin the US who would be willing to print and mail your entry for you. One of my CPs lives in Australia. We've done this for her, and she paypals us the cost of paper and postage.
Now I won't speak for other contest coordinators, but as the historical coordinator for the 2008 RWA TGN Golden Pen contest and the short and long contemporary coordinators for the 2008 RWA FHL Touched by Love contest, Ido what I can to help my entrants with any formating issues. Being a electronic contests makes this possible.
I check each entry to be sure it fits the contest format rules. If the entry doesn't have a consistent 25 lines per page, I e-mail the entrantback with the information on how to adjust her entry and manuscript. With one Golden Pen entrant, it took three e-mail exchanges before the entranthad her entry in an industry acceptable format. Even though she'd entered a handful of other contests, NO ONE had ever told her about thewidows/orphan control...and several other format things.
Anyhoo, I know my fellow coordinators at the Golden Pen and Touched by Love do what we can to help our entrants have a beneficial contest experience. Taking issues with format out of the equation is one of the easiest means to make that more possible.
Want to increase your chances of finaling in a contest?
1. Stop whining about contest rules.
2. Use the format rules to pimp your entry.
3. Know what font your final round judge prefers.
4. Follow the rules so the judges can focus on your story.
5. Eat cheese at least once a day. I really enjoy Muenster, Provolone, and Havarti.
Simple answer: Because professionals follow the rules.
And if a rule is asinine/unfair/just plain stupid, then professionals go about in a professional way to change the rule(s). Whiners are...well, pathetic. I don't know many published whiners. Bill Gates certainly didn't make bajillions by whining his way to the top.
RWA contests generally require a 12pt font minimum. Most ask for either TNR or CN, but many accept any other comparable font. As a judge and as acoordinator, I've seen Palentino, Ariel, and Georgia on contest entries. I didn't mind either, and when I was coordinating, none of my judges minded a different font either. On a side note, I recently judged an entry inGeorgia, and it was the most visually appealing entry to read.
What my judges (and myself) have minded is TNR11, 26/27 lines per page,and chapter headers beginning at the top of the page. If a contest doesn't specifically state TNR12 or CN12 only, then e-mail the coordinator for what other fonts are acceptable.
Contests state format rules for a reason: If they didn't, they'd have a plethora of varying formats. When entries are in a relatively similar format, the judges focus more on STORY CONTENT. Imagine being in the Miss America contest's evening gown competition and you're wearing a ski suit while all the other ladies are wearing sequin gowns. Trust me, you'll getattention, but it's not going to be good attention.
Instead of seeing contest format guidelines as limiting, see them asopportunities. Last year I entered the Maggie. Their format guidelines allowed for 25 or 26 lines per page. I'm totally a 25-per-page gal. But I also knew the final round judge was prefers CN12. If I submitted directly to her publishing house, I'd use the format her house preferred (CN12). So logically, I wanted to do the same for the contest.
Alas, my agent prefers manuscripts in TNR12 so I'd switched from CN12 toTNR12 about a year earlier. I'm so used to TNR12 that CN12 looks awkward to me. Anyhoo, by the time I converted my entry pages to CN12, my ending hook was in the 3/4 down a page (one page more than the entry pageminimum). A writer-friend loves to say "Pimp your entry!" On a weird whim,I changed my lines per page from 25 to 26. Yes, I cringed.
Ended up, myentry hook was on line two or three of the next page, one page longer than my entry needed to be. So I tweaked a couple paragraphs. Waalaa!
With any other contest, I would NEVER consider using 26 lines per page. But since the Maggie allowed for it, I did. And my entry finaled. In a perfect world, our entries would always end on a hook. But some contests are 4K words, first chapters only, 25 pages, 30 pages, and 55pages including a synopsis which can be no more than 15 pages. Obviouslyat the end of those pages isn't always going to be a hook.
Let's face it. If you're too pig-headed to be willing to adjust/tweak/pimpyour manuscript to make it fit a contest format guidelines, then you're...well, being stupid. Yes, I typed stupid. Shall I type it louder just incase I didn't offend you the first time? S.T.U.P.I.D. Consequently due to your piggish-ness, your odds of selling seriously decrease compared to someone willing to tweak.
Get over yourself.
Publishing is a difficult world to break in to. You can refuse to "play bytheir rules" because you're going to "do things your way." Or you can be a wise, professional person and do whatever it takes to be published without compromising your morals/character/values.
If you are willing to make any format changes to please as editor or agent, then you should treat a contest with the same amount of respect. After all, the final round judges usually are published authors, editors,and agents. The ultimate goal of a contest is to final, to take a shortcut to putting your manuscript in the hands of your target audience. What's an hour or two of tweaking compared to months of waiting for an editor topull your ms from her slush pile?
Oh, regarding format questions...I utterly abhor contests that have format as a scored question. (Then again, for an acceptably formmatted entry, that's an easy 5 points, andI'm all for easy.)
I don't mind contests that have format as a unscored question; in fact,I'm a firm believer that it should be an unscored question.
Why, freakin' why!?
I'm judging a contest right now where one of my entries is in ALL CAPS. While the contest rules don't say anything specific about the entry not being in all caps, the contest does have a question asking if the entry is properly formatted. You'd have to be an idiot to think a manuscript typed in ALL CAPS is properly formatted. Yet, I don't have the heart to demand the entry be disqualified. See, I am a nice person.
Putting your manuscript in an industry accepted format is one of the first steps to being a professional writer. Yes, the industry has varying standards. So do contests.
Do your research.
Even if a contest accepts TNR12, TNR14, or CN12, if you know the final round judge has a preference, GO WITH HER PREFERENCE. And do whatever you need to pimp your entry so it ends on a hook.
Regarding international entrants...
Look for contests that take electronic entries, that way you save money on postage and don't have to deal with paper-size issues. Although, most RWAcontests understand international differences. All the contests I've judged for tell their judges to not penalize US-UK differences.
If the contest you want to enter is paper only, then find a writer-friendin the US who would be willing to print and mail your entry for you. One of my CPs lives in Australia. We've done this for her, and she paypals us the cost of paper and postage.
Now I won't speak for other contest coordinators, but as the historical coordinator for the 2008 RWA TGN Golden Pen contest and the short and long contemporary coordinators for the 2008 RWA FHL Touched by Love contest, Ido what I can to help my entrants with any formating issues. Being a electronic contests makes this possible.
I check each entry to be sure it fits the contest format rules. If the entry doesn't have a consistent 25 lines per page, I e-mail the entrantback with the information on how to adjust her entry and manuscript. With one Golden Pen entrant, it took three e-mail exchanges before the entranthad her entry in an industry acceptable format. Even though she'd entered a handful of other contests, NO ONE had ever told her about thewidows/orphan control...and several other format things.
Anyhoo, I know my fellow coordinators at the Golden Pen and Touched by Love do what we can to help our entrants have a beneficial contest experience. Taking issues with format out of the equation is one of the easiest means to make that more possible.
Want to increase your chances of finaling in a contest?
1. Stop whining about contest rules.
2. Use the format rules to pimp your entry.
3. Know what font your final round judge prefers.
4. Follow the rules so the judges can focus on your story.
5. Eat cheese at least once a day. I really enjoy Muenster, Provolone, and Havarti.
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