Does an Award Make a Difference? By Paty Jager

I attended the InD'Scribe conference and RONE award ceremonies this past weekend.

The conference wasn't what I had expected. I spent more money than I should have on promotion at the conference. I enjoyed two of the workshops I went to- one on audiobook narration by Ann M. Richardson and one on how they do cover model photo shoots. I had face-to-face time with a couple of authors I'd met online.

As I sit here happy with the Runner Up status in the mystery contest for the RONE, I have several more contest entry forms showing up in my inbox. I like the contest, always have since I started writing. Back before I was published they were my validation that I could write a book people would enjoy. Now as a self-published author, getting even a runner up award shows that I can write a good mystery.

My biggest goal with a contest is to get my mystery books included in the big mystery contests. But they are hard to even enter. They require a book published by a publisher that fits their criteria, not self-published. That is one of my goals. To be entered in the Agatha Awards, Anthony Awards, Derringer Awards, and the Edgar Allan Poe Awards.

Many people/authors have told me awards don't sell books. Which I'm pretty sure is true. I won the RomCon award for Romantic Suspense in 2013, yet the Isabella Mumphrey books sell the least of all my books. But I don't enter contests to sell books, I enter them to validate my writing. If I made a best-selling list then I'd truly be validated, so I guess until then, I'll enter a contest here and there just to prove to myself my writing does stand out.

As a reader, does it make a difference to you if a book has received an award?

Monday Mystery - Mystery/Thriller Awards

	Agatha Awards The Malice Domestic fans give these awards to honor the traditional mystery—books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie.  http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html
	Anthony Awards The Anthony Awards are given at each annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention with the winners selected by attendees. The award is named for the late Anthony Boucher (William Anthony Parker White), well-known writer and critic from the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America.  http://bcon2013.com/anthony-awards/
	Arthur Ellis Awards The Crime Writers of Canada present the Arthur Ellis Awards (named after the nom de travail of Canada’s official hangman) to recognize excellence in Canadian crime writing. http://crimewriterscanada.com/awards/arthur-ellis-awards/about
	Barry Awards The Barry Awards, voted on by the readers of Deadly Pleasures, are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. The awards began in 1997 and are named in honor of Barry Gardner, well-known fan reviewer. http://www.deadlypleasures.com/barry.html
	Dagger Awards The Dagger Awards were founded by The Crime Writer’ Association in 1956 and celebrate the very best in crime and thriller writing. http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/
	Dilys Award The Dilys Award is given annually by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association to the mystery titles of the year that the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/dilys-award
	Edgar Awards Mystery Writers of America give these awards to honor the best in mystery fiction and nonfiction produced the previous year. (We list only the fiction awards.) The awards began in 1946 and are named in honor of Edgar Allan Poe. http://www.theedgars.com/
	Hammett Prize The Hammett Prize is given annually by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers to honor literary excellence in the field of crime-writing published in the English language in the US and/or Canada. http://www.crimewritersna.org/hammett/
	Hillerman Prize The Hillerman Prize, honoring Tony Hillerman, goes to an unpublished author for a first mystery novel set in the Southwest. http://www.wordharvest.com/contest.php
	Left Coast Crime Awards The Lefty Award is given annually to the most humorous mystery. It is voted on by Left Coast Crime attendees. The Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award (for historical mysteries) is also presented at Left Coast Crime. Two other 2013 awards are the Rocky Award (for mysteries set in the LCC area) and the Watson Award (for mysteries with the best sidekick). http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2014/Awards.html
	Macavity Awards The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries. http://www.mysteryreaders.org/macavity.html
	Ned Kelly Awards The Ned Kelly Awards (named for a notorious Australian outlaw of the 19th century) are presented by the Crime Writers’ Association of Australia (CWAA) to recognize and promote excellence in Australian crime writing. http://www.nedkellyawards.com/
	Nero Award  The Nero Award is presented annually by The Wolfe Pack for the best American Mystery written in the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories. http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/award.htm
	Shamus Awards The Shamus Awards are awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA). The PWA defines a “private eye” as any mystery protagonist who is a professional investigator, but not a police officer or government agent.  http://awards.omnimystery.com/mystery-awards-shamus.html#.UVXgBhw3vLc
	Thriller Awards The Thriller Awards are presented by the International Thriller Writers at the annual ThrillerFest conference. http://thrillerwriters.org/join-itw/thriller-awards/

Judging Contests

My RWA chapter is helping out a sister RWA Chapter with their contest. Several of my friends and I offered to judge the entries. I've entered quite a few contests in my day. From a judge's and a entrant's view point- I dont' like this one. We give numbers and make comments on the score sheets. The entrants don't even get the entry back. How are they supposed to learn anything if they don't get back their entry with comments and suggestions? Not to mention it makes judging and scoring a whole lot harder and time consuming.

I've read one entry so far. I went ahead and made comments on the ms to use as reference points when I fill out the score sheet, but without copying and pasting some things, it is hard to explain what I'm talking about. I feel like I'm cheating the entrant because they aren't getting all the information I'd like to give them. Don't think the first entry was bad, it wasn't. It had a lot of good things going for it, but there were a couple of things that just would have made more sense to see my comments at that spot rather than me trying to say in the scene where this happened if you did this and this it would tighen/strenghten the character. It would be easier to show them how to show it. If that makes sense.

Anyway, that's my little rant for today.

What expereience if you are a writer have you had with contests? If you aren't a writer have you ever entered any kind of a wontest?

Glad That's Done

I survived my marathon promo weekend! The Petticoats and Pistols Blog went well. Lots of comments and some good publicity, I think. And the Blog Radio Interview went well, considering the interviewer was using a cell phone and cut out on me several times and I didn't know what she was saying. LOL But a friend who listened said I sounded professional, I hope that doesn't mean stuffy!LOL When they send me the URL to listen to the interview, I'll post it here and on my website.

Speaking of website- if you haven't entered the June contest, hop over and do. It's fun this month and I already have two winners! But everyone who gives me a correct answer is a winner this month!

Last week I didn't get any writing done. It was all promotion and getting other things done- I'm hoping to make up for the lack of writing this week. But we'll see, I also have to get the presentation done for the Nationals! It's putting together the Power Point. I'm having a hard time finding Free photos that are clear enough and look good. ~sigh~

Hope everyone has a productive week! What do you have planned?