We’ve all blogged a bit about the Where The Magic Begins contest. We’ve complained about the grind of the committee. Getting judges. Reading entries. Making useful comments to help out the entrants.
It’s always hard. The whole chapter works on the contest. I’ve been in this chapter for ten years and worked on the contest each year. Some years are smoother than others. Everyone works like a teamster on it. This year was no different. Some judges didn’t do the job. We had to find others to pick up the slack. It’s annoying, but it has to be done.
When my category closed and all the scores were final, I breathed a sigh of relief and set it aside. Just so glad it was all over for another year.
Then I got the email. I entered the contest, I usually do. It’s a fundraiser for the chapter, so entering is a way to throw $25 at the non-profit, right? And, the benefit to entering is getting some critique back on your current work in progress. So I entered.
I finaled. Seriously. I cannot believe it. I am so excited. My 25 pages of manuscript is being read by an editor at Harlequin. And I didn’t even have to scale the Olympian heights of the slush pile!!
I could not be more excited. So, now to get to my point. I want to thank everyone associated with this contest. It’s hard work. It’s a task that is bobbled like a hot potato from person to person. But it’s not a THANKLESS task. Thank you all so much. This means the world to me.
–Sandee Wagner
Smart Women 