Delacorte Press has just announced the results of their 18th Annual Yearling Contest for First Middle Grade Novels. And the winner is....
No one.
For the eleventh time, there is no winner.
Here is what their website says:
Delacorte Press thanks everyone who submitted a manuscript to our 2009 Delacorte Yearling Contest for a First Middle-Grade Novel. This year the editors did not find a winner among the submissions.
The Delacorte Yearling Contest for a First Middle-Grade Novel has discovered many talented first-time authors. However, we have decided to discontinue this contest.
Please note that we will continue to accept submissions for the Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel
Thank you.
The Editors
How unfortunate.
Wow, I can't believe they're discontinuing the contest! But I suppose if they keep not finding anything that's win-worthy, then there's no point in keeping it going. Having entered the contest a couple times in the past few years, I can't say this makes me feel all that great about my writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I didn't know about that. Sad, but it probably cost them much money to hold it every year...
ReplyDeleteThat is really interesting! I'm surprised that they didn't find ONE they thought was worth publishing. Sad. End even more sad is that they wont be doing it again!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt has always troubled me how frequently Delacorte has not found a winner for their contest. Is the pool really that bad? Or are their expectations too high? Probably wise to discontinue the contest, whatever the reason, if it's not working for them or those who enter.
If they accepted any kind of fantasy, it might have helped. It is sad, but I think more writers are pursuing agents than chasing after a contest where you get a boiler plate contract. Because writers are getting smarter about the best ways to approach a career and a debut novel. Those are just my thoughts. If I wrote contemporary fiction, I honestly don't know if I'd compete. I don't know if I'm right, just going off my impressions.
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