Michelle Lauren

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Although I didn’t get as far as I wanted in the contest, the fact that I got this far says a lot. It means a lot of people really enjoyed my book and want to see it in print. It means I have a fantastic support community of readers, writers, family and friends who stick by me through the tough times. So while I feel disappointed, there is a HUGE silver lining. 

 So instead of this being a poor me post, I’m going to share the Good Things American Title V taught me:

  
# 1: How to Man Up
 

Or, in this case, woman up. American Title V is a contest that tests, not just your ability to promote your work, but also your ability to withstand public scrutiny. Criticism is a part of any career, but especially those in the public eye as in a field as subjective as publishing. Everyone has an opinion and they aren’t afraid to voice it, be it on blogs, Twitters, Myspace or – in this case – the Romantic Times site.

 
 

An author’s work is an extension of her, a creation slaved over and nurtured until the time comes for it to stand on its own feet, to fight its own battles. Anne Bradstreet’s said it best in her poem “The Author to her book” :

  
 

Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth did’st by my side remain,
Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad exposed to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).

In critic’s hands, beware thou dost not come,
And take thy way where yet thou art not known.
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none;
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caused her thus to send thee out of door. 

 

 So I credit the American Title V contest with this: if having your creative offspring strung up for public critique doesn’t give you a thick skin, nothing will.
 
# 2 : How to hold my tongue
I’ve seen many internet flame wars start after a professional reviewer or reader commented on their dislike of the book for reasons both superficial (i.e. cover art, character names, story locations, etc.) and in-depth (i.e. plot execution, characterization, story pacing). The author reads the critique and responds, pointing out that the reviewer obviously missed the true depth of the story. The reviewer snipes back. Ad nauseum et infinitum.
 
This accomplishes nothing, other than validating the reviewer’s belief that he/she was originally correct in their summation of the story as well as their dislike of the author. It also tends to give the author the reputation (warranted or unwarranted) of someone who cannot handle criticism.
 
HOW TO TAME A HARPY got slammed repeatedly in this contest by one judge in particular who seemed to find it confusing/unrealistic that my character, a harpy, would have the first name Siren. I was tempted to blog explaining that the name actually makes sense, considering 1) according to Greek mythology, sirens and harpies are actually related; and 2) it’s fiction.  However, I refrained. Why? Because this judge has the right not to like my character, or her name, or the name of the fictional town where they live. She has the right not to get it. She has the right to tell anyone that she doesn’t get it.
 
I don’t have to agree, but that doesn’t make her wrong, or catty or unprofessional. Those are her opinions. So I referred to # 1 on this list and moved on.
 
 

 # 3: PUBLICITY

Seriously, this contest is any writer’s dream. Not only is it sponsored by one of the premiere romance magazines in the United States, it is also supported by Dorchester, a very big name in fiction. Readers who might never have heard of my book now know about it. Thanks to the different themed rounds, they got sneak peeks into the book. A lot of them have even contacted me telling me how much they enjoyed my book and want to read it. Even more have joined my Yahoo group to get updates on the story, as well as my other releases.
 

So even though I didn’t win the grand prize, I still came out grinning because what more could a writer want than meeting people who enjoy her work and support her goal in doing what she loves?

 # 4 : MEETING GREAT FRIENDS
 

This has to be my favorite part of the contest. Before this, I had a solid network of friends in the writing community: literary agents, editors, book reviewers and other writers. But thanks to this contest, I learned how to expand that network and connect with readers, to meet other writers with similar goals. I have gained a lot of experience promoting myself, as well as met amazing people through this five month journey and I can’t say I regret a single step of the way.

 

Some of you may be wondering, what happens next for How to Tame a Harpy? Well, Dorchester still has the option to offer me a contract on the book after the official winner of American Title V is announced April 27, 2009 at the Romantic Times convention.  So keep fingers and toes crossed for me. In other news, I’m steady writing. I have two short stries a novella in the works; another novella, STARSTRUCK, will be released from Liquid Silver Books in 2009.
 
 

Members of my Yahoo group get a SNEAK PEEK at the concept cover art for STARSTRUCK. I’m putting up a poll at my group now, so please let me know what you think.