I entered for the first time last quarter, and I'm just wondering what the process is like. For starters, I got an invite to the awards ceremony, but no notice yet on whether I won or not. I figure all entrants may get the invitation...
Anyone who has entered before: can you tell me what the process was like for you? Thanks, I appreciate it.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Everyone got the awards invitation (I even got it twice...) I entered seven or eight times before placing. The process is as follows: the stories go to KD Wentworth, the coordinating judge, who reads them through. She rejects most of them: depending on whether she read to the end or not, they're straight rejects or Honourable Mentions. Some she particularly liked become Semi-Finalists, and receive a critique from her. Finally, 8 or 10 Finalists will be chosen to move on to the next round, where they'll be read by the other judges. You get notified by phone if you're a finalist (well, theoretically--I got notified by mail, but most people I know got a phone call). If you're a finalist, expect to wait 2-3 more months before you get judging results (again a phone call). It can vary: I was notified of my finalist status a bare month before they called me, but I know someone else who waited six months... This quarter's finalists haven't been announced as far as I know (check http://wotfblog.galaxypress.com : they'll announce winners, finalists and semi-finalists, so if you're not in any of those lists you know you're either Honourable Mention or straight rejection).
This process is further complicated by the fact that KD Wentworth doesn't know who wrote the stories, so she has to send her judging results back to Author Services, the administrative arm of the contest--who in turn will notify you if your status.
EDIT: KD Wentworth maintains a newsgroup over at http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=xover&group=sff.writing.writersofthefuture&from=-10 if you want to check out where she is in her reading. Right now, everyone is gearing up for the Awards (which, BTW, are for last year's winners), so I don't think a lot of reading/admin stuff is going on...
[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited August 09, 2007).]
Posted by Kherezae (Member # 2855) on :
Oh, okay, thanks =) I really doubt I even got Honorable Mention this time -- I reread the story, and it doesn't really compare with the winning stories in the anthologies I own -- but the invitation to the ceremony confused me. Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway, but I have another story ready to enter for my second try. =)
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Yeah, they sent the invite to everyone--it's a bit like attending the Nebulas banquet, it's mostly got nothing to do with your placing.
Which quarter was that--the one ending June 30? If that's the case, it's way too early for results.
[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited August 09, 2007).]
Posted by Kherezae (Member # 2855) on :
Yeah, that's the one. I knew results would take a while, I just didn't know how long, so... eh. Anyway, now I know what to expect. Thanks again.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
No problem.
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
Hi Aliette (Silver3),
Just wanted to say have fun at the WOTF workshop and Awards Ceremony and congrats on your Interzone sale. I envy your going, but not that long plane flight. Now, when's the novel coming out?
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
Kherezae - I entered for the first time last quarter too (including a careful weighing of the package at home, a determination that I did indeed have enough postage here to cover it, a squish into the outbound mailbox with flag up, and appendages crossed all day that the mail lady didn't decide to go on strike that day...all on the contest deadline, of course.
So - I share your "hmm, what is going to happen?" sentiment, and a general bemusement and befuddlement with a process that I'm dying to diagram (I do that sort of thing sometimes. LOL)
And, I've reached a conclusion. One positive outcome of our submission is we've made it onto the WOTF mailing list. Spam spam, here I am. Just kidding. I got something today about an artist (I'm sure others did too) and my spam filter barfed on it.
Good luck to you. Hope we can both commisserate later when we hear the news!
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
Thanks, luapc!
quote:I envy your going, but not that long plane flight.
Plane fight is 14 hours combined, plus transfer...
quote:Now, when's the novel coming out?
Hum...I may have to actually submit the novel before anything happens
[This message has been edited by Silver3 (edited August 11, 2007).]
Posted by Kherezae (Member # 2855) on :
KayTi -- Ha, I know what you mean about the postage. I must've asked three different people if postage depended only on weight or on distance, too, just to make sure; I did the postage at my local post office, so when I did return postage for the SASE and put my own zip code, the machine was like, "That'll only take one day to mail!" =P
Anyway, yes. For me the main good thing to come of this is that I finally entered -- I've been meaning to for so long, but I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to my writing that nothing was ever good enough. I still don't think this one was good enough to win anything, but entering period is a good step toward winning, now isn't it?
Spam spam, here I am. Just kidding. I got something today about an artist (I'm sure others did too) and my spam filter barfed on it.