One of the best pieces of advice I received on my MA course
was to get a track record (or writing credit) before sending any work to an
agent. For me this meant taking the
plunge and entering short story competitions, even though what I really needed
to do was finish my novel.
Was it worth it? In short, yes because not only am I able to show
agents that I am serious about my writing but also that my writing has been
judged, on its quality, by others in the profession. I believe it is the difference between having
your submission read quickly and it ending up in the proverbial slush pile (to
be read when one of the overworked staff has a moment).
Of course there is also the thrill of finding out you’ve been shortlisted for a competition. For me this meant being able to justify the many un-paid hours I put into my writing, often stolen from family- time, and confirmation that I should start taking my writing more seriously.
Winning of course is fantastic (and helps to justify the
entry-fees) but being short-listed is no less an achievement. Choosing a winning story from a short-list is
down to the personal taste of the judge (we often chose ‘voices’ similar to our
own) whereas to be part of a short-list, is a statement of quality.
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