When I buy sexy little shoes, I know I’m not buying footwear. Just like I know I’m not playing blackjack to actually win. I’m doing it for the kick, the high, the little zing. So this is exactly why I enter the Golden Heart–the motivational boost it gives me plus the emotional highs and lows of waiting for “The Call”. I’m an anticipation junkie.
As far as romance writing contests go, the GH is one of the most expensive. If the fifty dollar entrance fee wasn’t steep enough, entrants are required to print out six copies of the approximately 55 page entry (partial + synopsis). Then there’s the shipping cost. My GH heart entry ended up costing nearly $90 to enter, print and ship. And in return I will receive 5 cold, hard numbers in March.
So why do it?
A part of it is for sentimental reasons. I entered the Golden Heart last year with my first finished manuscript. I had finished it in October, but it was butt ugly with a face only a mother could love. But I put my money on the line anyway and then had to polish the full, get the partial ready and *gulp* write the dreaded synopsis. I didn’t final…
But the buzz of finishing my first manuscript and thrusting it out to the world, ready or not (NOT!), gave me some happy little mojo. It gave me the zing to polish my second manuscript and start a third one.
So I entered again this year. It’s nice to daydream a little and I’ll do so often in the coming months to get my money’s worth. No, it doesn’t make sense. But I still think it’s worth every penny.
P.S. What’s crazier than entering the GH? Entering twice…pending a post office fiasco that I need to straigten out. Is there a support group somewhere?
Dec 04, 2008 @ 05:38:24
Okay, one entry is tagged as received! One more to go….
Dec 28, 2008 @ 01:10:37
Post office glitch. Dragon Court was sent back to me with big, harsh letters “Received after deadline”.
I got a refund from the post office for their failure to deliver, but oh…the dashed hopes.
Good luck, Butterfly!