I’m a Winner … Almost!

100a-80x80WOOHOO! Last week I was Long Listed for 100 Stories for Queensland anthology. I couldn’t believe it! I danced around the office in raptures and did a winning lap around the house. I even wrote the ‘SQUEEE … Published Soon’ blog, ready to send out when the results came in.

Today I frantically checked the 100 Stories website, once … twice … three times, searching for my name.
But DRAT I wasn’t there. I wasn’t chosen for the Final Cut … Had I jinxed myself?

What did I do?
After several deep sighs, I sucked in my bitter disappointment and congratulated the 100 writers who made the winning cut. The talented line-up of authors is incredible … Sean Williams, Krissy Kneen, Alan Baxter, Jo Hart and Anita Heiss to name a few. Check out the full list … http://networkedblogs.com/dXpPa
Congratulations to Jodi Cleghorn and all the team at eMergent Publishing for organising this amazing anthology in such a short space of time.
Writers across the world donated their stories to a special cause. Every cent of profit will go towards the Queensland Flood Appeal when it hits the shelves in March.
Can’t wait to read this inspiring book!

What’s next?
Winning this anthology competition wasn’t meant to be … Such is the writer’s life.
Meanwhile I’ll keep tapping away at the computer, rewriting my fantasy short story The Mandolin Player.
I’ll send this manuscript out to a competition or  to a publisher until it finds its HOME.

and like with all my writing …  I’ll NEVER, EVER GIVE UP.
Right now, publishers are considering ME AND HER: a Memoir of Madness and Kids Sci-Fi Josh and the It for publication …  SQUEEE …

My day will come.  Fingers crossed XX

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20 comments to I’m a Winner … Almost!

  • So sorry to hear you didn’t make the final cut 🙁 I had to check the list several times myself because I couldn’t believe I actually had made the list, and I kept checking just to make sure my name really was there. I thought I had jinxed myself after my excitement last week too.

    Obviously you had a great story for it to make the long list, and I’m sure you’ll find a place for it somewhere else. In the meantime, I have my fingers crossed for you for ‘ME AND HER: a Memoir of Madness’ and ‘Josh and the It’.

  • Hi Jo, thanks for dropping in. Feeling a bit better now. I’m so happy that you got in and have this fabulous opportunity. My time will come I know. Thanks so much for your lovely words of support :))

  • Tab

    Hey Karen,
    Oh, sorry to hear that you didn’t make it. Drats hey!
    There will be a next time and there will be other opportunities. But it’s still hard to take. As a writer I know your pain. Rejection just sucks which ever color you paint it 🙂

    PS- if you ever want anyone to look over your query letters and give feedback I’d be more than happy to. All the best with the publishers.

  • Hi Tab, Yeah rejection sucks especially if you’re long-listed and you’ve written your “winning” blog. Mmm. Thanks for all your good luck wishes for publishers. Same to you too :)) And same goes if you want someone to offer you feedback on your query letters … cheers, Karen :))

  • Alison Earls

    Hi Karen,
    I just had to leave a comment because I wanted to say how much I admire your attitude. I’ve been in the same position time after time and don’t think I’ve been so gracious so soon after being disappointed. This time I’m finally lucky enough to have been chosen (for a children’s story so I think that helped … adding to the variety within the collection) so if my time can come, then, trust me, yours can too! And with the enthusiasm, generosity and persistence your blog post demonstrates, it won’t be too long. Hang in there!
    Alison

  • Joanna Gaudry

    Well done, Karen. That’s great that you made the shortlist, and yes, your day will come. Your enthusiasm and endurance is astounding. Congratulations on that in itself! Joanna :))

  • Thanks Alison for finding me here. What a surprise! … I was so disappointed this morning but as I rewrote this BLOG, I reflected on where I’ve come from. I’m so lucky to have two Publishers considering my manuscripts. Sending you a BIG congratulations on your winning story. I’ll look out for it when I buy the book:))

  • Thanks so much Joanna, I feel like a marathon runner at the moment. Keeping myself in-training for the long haul :))

  • Well done, Karen! Be patient ~ It will come! 🙂

  • Thanks Carol, for your vote of confidence ~ I want to believe that too ~ Karen :))

  • Elaine

    Hang in there, it will happen. x

  • Thanks Elaine. I’ve had one heck of a Roller-Coaster ride to publishing. As you say … ~ It will happen ~ … Karen :))

  • Steph L

    On to bigger and better things Karen my love!

    PS – squeee?

  • Thanks Steph. That’s how I’m trying to look at It. I have BIGGER things on the horizon. Another SQUEEE …

  • Sonja G

    What I love about you Karen, quite apart from your tenancity and endless energy, is your honesty and openess. You do not portray the life of a writer as being an instant overnight success. Rather, you take us on the roller-coaster ride that it truly is. The ups and downs, the waiting, the rejection, the picking yourself up, dusting yourself down and continuing forward towards your goal. In my eyes you are already a total success for all of those qualities and you are an absolute rock and inspiration for us all. Your time will come….it is only a matter of when, not if.

  • You have the perfect attitude. Keep plugging away – perseverance pays off. Better luck next time.

  • Thanks so much Sonja for your very supportive words. The writing journey is certainly full of challenges. One day you’re up, the next day a rejection. We must be tough to survive :))

  • Thanks Alan for dropping by. Congrats again for your win with 100 stories for QLD. Thanks for the good luck wishes too:))

  • Hi Karen,
    You do have the perfect attitude. Being on the other side of the fence and seeing the work of people you know and admire, not making the list, is horrible.

    Last year five of us set to help each other with stories to submit to the one competition. Only two got through. Rather than be bitterly disappointed and begrduge them their success, I let the disappointment wash over me (with a determined – I will find a home for this story) and instead enjoyed and spruiked their success, because I know at sometime in the future the boot may very well be on the other foot.

    That is how writers belong to a supportive and enriched community.

    And a side note… this isn’t technically an eMergent Publishing project. It is a team of people, which includes staff from eMergent, Fablecroft and Ticonderoga in Australia, WriteLink in the UK and a dedicated team of 30+ from all over the world (Brisbane to Germany, London to Phildelphia and lots of places in between)It will be published under the eMergent imprint, but is very much a project with the theme song “With a little help from my friends.”

  • Thanks Jodi for your insight from both sides of the fence. After the initial shock and disappointment, I began a supportive quest to congratulate those who won. And it felt “so good”. I hope this anthology is Mega successful :))

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