On March 15th, 2008, I went to the post office.
Destination?
Scholastic Inc., New York, New York.
For my manuscript, that is. Or at least the first forty-seven pages of it, which, in trying to stay within contest guidelines, had undergone a rather crafty stapling job (I’ve yet to find an actual industrial stapler, thank you very much).
The entry forms were clipped to the corner, but had suffered such compulsive checking that their edges were beginning to curl.
Eventually even I had to admit that yes, everything really was there, and no, another look wasn’t justified. The envelope was sealed (with tape!), then weighed and stamped, the postage paid for, and the deadline met with about two hours to spare.
I didn’t discuss the contest with anyone for the next forty-five days.
Then, on the 30th of April, I was contacted with an email including the hallowed phrase “this isn’t a joke” (The only words you’ll never see in a rejection letter).
Loss of breath.
Heart in throat.
Incoherent sentences as I yelled at my brother in the next room.
“Jason! My book! AH! Jason, remember my book?”
A pause, and then:
“…Should I?”
So went one of the best moments of my life.
So, also, emerged the excuse of launching an online journal. (The underlying Evil Plan™ is to see how many people I can guilt in to reading it, but keep that hush-hush)
I invite you into the peanut gallery, where you can witness my semi-blind stumble through college, writing, and life in general. Please try not to jeer too much (I am told that a little jeering, however, is good for the constitution).
Cheers!
Anna W. Waggener
Kamaria said,
October 8, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Hello. I recently heard that you won the Push novel contest. I am planning to enter it this year and I was wondering if you knew if the novel could be written in verse aka poetry and what was the time it took to find out you won to the judges saying it could get published? Thanks!
Lana said,
December 31, 2008 at 3:11 am
Hello. Congratulations on winning last year’s contest. I am planning to submit to this year’s contest, and I have a few questions. If you don’t win the Gold Award, but you win a Silver Award or a Certificate of Merit, does Push get all the rights to your manuscript? Or can you try to publish it somewhere else? Sorry if that seems like a silly question. I’m new to all this.