Got a novel in you? Here's your chance to get published

[KateMumsnet]

First novel competition: If you think you've got a novel in you, but despair of ever being published, stand by: in partnership with renowned literary agency Janklow & Nesbit, we're launching a fantastic competition for unpublished novelists.

Submit the first 8,000 words of your novel - Janklow & Nesbit guarantee to read every single entry. One enormous stumbling block to getting published is simply being noticed - so this really is an amazing opportunity.

The fantastic prize on offer is representation by J&N - setting you firmly on the path to publication: get details of how to enter here.

If you'd like to enter, but could use a bit of bespoke advice, we've organised a one-day Get Published course on Saturday 29 November 2014, where you'll have the chance to pick the brains of the Janklow agents and leading editors - and pick up tips from authors who've already broken through.

What are you waiting for?

Good advice, Countess.

Congrats, tenderbuttons and whoever else made the shortlist. I'm disappointed, but have decided to start on a different novel I'm more excited about than the one I submitted.

Tenderbuttons, that is great!

Will you tell us all about how long you've been working on your novel, and your daily writing habits?

Oh ignore me, I'm wallowing unattractively.

I know all that Countess and agree completely. It's silly to pin any hope on one submission. It's merely a timing thing atm. I write for me. I write because I love it. I write because I can't not write iyswim. I've written for years and years and actually putting something out there made me feel more vulnerable than I anticipated.

I've made a bloody awesome cottage pie tonight. Now that's impressive.

Tender, bloody well done and good luck!

I can't believe I've been shortlisted! For all the other writers out there - keep writing! Every word you put to paper makes the world a more interesting and more valuable place.

I've entered so many competitions and been turned down by so many agents that I've lost count. So this is incredibly special and just goes to show that luck counts for a lot. Today might not be your day, but it will come. Have faith, fellow authors!

Wonderful, Holly, well done!

Tenderbuttons - well done! Which one is yours? I will root for it.

I am also a disappointed party. It's hard putting so much into the submission and not hearing anything back about why it didn't make the grade. It's a shame I can't use the experience to better my writing. Hey ho. I'm going to forge ahead and try and get some feedback from other publishers.

And well done to Holly, your message is encouraging for me.

Well done Holly and Tender! For anyone doubting themselves, get feedback on your work - preferably from someone you don't know, and more than one person - it's the only way to find out if you're any good and how to improve.

Keep going all fellow disappointees!

Following on from Donkeys advice anyone fancy a critique swap? I've got 4 people reading my novel at the moment but I'm getting antsy waiting for them to get back to me!

Well done Holly and Tender.

I'd appreciate that, EatingMyWords. My novel is about 85% finished, but that's more than enough to spot the worst faults!

Mine's done- 60k words, if that's OK. It's a young adult novel set in the 18th century with pirates and paranormal elements. If you want to swap send me a message, I'll be glad to read anything!

I've been shortlisted. Completely flabbergasted!

I've been on here for two and half years. I attended the Get Published event in November, too. So I'm genuine, honest. :)

Congrats HalfBaked.

It's good to see it's some longer term MNetters getting shortlisted, though I understand why people would come to MN just for this.

Congratulations to the shortlisted! What an achievement.
I am one of the disappointed, but I can hardly be surprised as I'm such a novice and have so much to learn.
Eating - I'd be grateful to send mine to you, and will happily read yours/ anyone's in return (for what my novice opinion is worth!) Mine's only about 17k words so far, so very far from finished, which may explain quite a lot about the lack of a shortlisting, but any feedback would be useful.

Congratulations HalfBaked and tender, that's amazing, you must feel totally on cloud 9! Really well done, and good luck. But the shortlist itself is a fantastic achievement.

Well done to the shortlisters!
Like others here I am also feeling the pangs of disappointment... More than clock watching, I have been calendar watching since the end of Jan waiting for the announcement.
I knew deep down I wouldn't get shortlisted as I am new to writing fiction but one can hope! (Kind of wishing I had kept it to myself that I had entered though!)
I am grateful for this competition as it has made me start my novel - the idea was kicking around in my head for a good few years. This competition has got me off to a good start and I have continued with the writing and am an eighth of the way through now. So that is the positive I am taking away from this.

EatingMyWords and LuxLiving id be happy to be involved in a novel swap. Likewise, anyone else out there looking to give and receive some helpful reviews. I warn you though, my story is in desperate need of cutting back as it sits at an already trimmed 150k words it's a YA / fantasy cross following a group of friends as they move away from home and learn how big the world can be and that magic might not be as lost in the past as they thought

Congratulations to those short listed!

I don't suppose there's any chance of feedback for those who didn't make the grade, as to why they were culled? Even just a short sentence or two would be helpful.

With 500 entries I'm guessing it's unlikely...

Spirael, I'm going to re-send mine in a couple of weeks and ask for some constructive criticism.

Showy, why don't you try somewhere else, like Darley Anderson? If you have the synopsis and first chapters, you are half way there. Or if it is constructive criticism you want, you could try Cornerstones?

anyone else regretting entering?! I was really enjoying writing my book (about 80% written) for writing's sake, without any worries about publishing etc, but this competition got me daydreaming and now it's back to reality, which doesn't look as good as my dreams!!

I'm going to ask a few places but would rather wait until I've finished the book before putting out feelers too much. As Janklow have tentatively reached out in this way to prospective authors, I don't feel so presumptuous asking them to advise as to whether I'm going in the right direction.

greenrattles, right now yes I do regret it a little bit.

This is going to sound like I'm prostituting myself in front of Simon Cowell but writing is the one thing I'm good at and the one thing I've always wanted to do. I have been crippled with anxiety over sending my writing anywhere. I have been told repeatedly by impartial third parties as well as friends, professionals, teachers, MNers and family that I should send my writing to agents. I can't think of a way of saying it that doesn't sound like a hideous, awful boast but I can write. I am a very, very good writer. It genuinely gets me up in the morning and keeps me up at night. I love to write like nothing else and I know it should be my vocation.

The thing that always stopped me sending my work off was the fear of rejection. My writing is part of me and it's surprisingly painful to be rejected.

I feel pathetically tearful. Which is ridiculous. So many accomplished and wonderful writers struggle for years. It's that struggle that marks you out in the end because giving up only guarantees failure. Right now however, I can't even open a notebook or pick up a pen.

Finish your book, greenrattles! There are loads of agents and publishers out there, the next one may be the one. Also loads of competitions!

www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/

Cheered me up a bit. Still, I think a week or so without putting pressure on myself to write may be sensible, else I may delete all I've written under the guise of "sour grapes editing"