ME!
You may remember me telling you about The Ian Govan Award award several months ago.
Ian Govan
This is an award running annually until the end of 2017. It is in memory of Ian Govan of WordPlay Publishing
The brief is to send the first three chapters, character study and outline of a novel featuring a main character called Ian. It can be set anywhere, and be in any genre (except erotica). But if it has some humorous content, and perhaps a little social commentary, then all the better. Ian was known for both when he was alive.
The prize is free publication through WordPlay Publishing and €250 (£210) towards the winner’s marketing budget.
Entry is FREE and the competition closes on 31st December each year. Entry is by email.
I was over the moon to get a phone call recently informing me that I was the winner of last year’s competition (which I believe was the first). My entry was based on the manuscript I produced during NaNoWriMo last November – so all that typing for thirty days was worthwhile!
Now I have twelve months to get the novel into a publishable state. There’s no editing included in the prize, so if anyone’s got any experience of paying for editing services, do let me know.
So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a novel to work on …
Sally Jenkins 
#1 by Liz Young on July 20, 2014 - 9:23 am
Congratulations! So by winning you have a) to write a novel b) get it edited and c) market it yourself on a tight budget. Good luck with that!
If you want a good proofreader try Helen Baggott, but editing? No idea.
#2 by Sally Jenkins on July 20, 2014 - 10:27 am
Put like that, Liz, it sounds more like a punishment than a prize! I’m just holding the vision in my head of me holding a paperback copy of my own novel (providing I carry out your steps a, b and c ….). Thanks for recommending Helen.
#3 by Debbie W on July 20, 2014 - 10:03 am
Congratulations, Sally. Must be a really good feeling to know your Nano efforts are moving on to greater things. I’m so pleased for you.
#4 by Sally Jenkins on July 20, 2014 - 10:28 am
Thanks, Debbie. It is reassuring to know that what I produced wasn’t total tripe!
#5 by Sharon Boothroyd on July 20, 2014 - 11:03 am
Many congrats Sally, best of luck with this new project. I’m sure it will do well.
#6 by Janice Preston on July 20, 2014 - 11:42 am
Fantastic news, Sally! Well done – just the incentive to keep going on that novel! And the 3rd competition success in a week for members of the RNA Birmingham chapter! On a roll! x
#7 by Sally Jenkins on July 20, 2014 - 12:52 pm
Fingers crossed for success of the B’ham RNA members to continue, Janice!
#8 by Marilyn Rodwell on July 20, 2014 - 12:42 pm
Wonderful Sally!!! Congratulations!!!
#9 by Tracy Fells on July 20, 2014 - 2:28 pm
What brilliant news, Sally. Congratulations! This much give you such a wonderfully positive feeling about the novel. Good luck with finishing it – probably helps to now have a deadline to aim for.
#10 by Sally Jenkins on July 20, 2014 - 6:40 pm
Yes, Tracy, having a deadline is quite scary!
#11 by Anne Harvey on July 20, 2014 - 3:33 pm
Many congratulations, Sally. It seems as if the Birmingham Chapter is on a roll at the moment. Let’s hope the successes continue!
#12 by Wendy Clarke on July 20, 2014 - 6:19 pm
I am so impressed, Sally – that’s fantastic!
#13 by Debbie Young on July 20, 2014 - 6:44 pm
Congratulations, Sally, I’m so pleased for you! You are always so generous in sharing competition opportunities with everyone else – I think it is karma that you’ve won this one! Looking forward to reading your novel when it’s ready. 🙂 I’ve been using Alison Jack for editing (http://www.alisonjack-editor.co.uk/) and she’s lovely. She’s a writer herself too – just finished reading her first novel this weekend, in fact. If you contact her, do tell I sent you!
#14 by Sally Jenkins on July 20, 2014 - 7:33 pm
Thanks for the kind words and the recommend, Debbie. I may well contact Alison when I think I’ve got as far as I can alone.
#15 by Linda on July 21, 2014 - 12:12 pm
Brilliant! Well done!
I saw the details of this comp and tried changing the name of a character in one of my Nanowrimo novels to Ian – but it just didn’t work!
#16 by Sally Jenkins on July 21, 2014 - 3:40 pm
You can always try again next year, Linda.
#17 by susanjanejones on July 21, 2014 - 7:10 pm
Hi Sally, that’s fantastic news, well done. And great that all that nano work paid off. I’d recommend, DebzHobbs Wyatt. I know she’s moving house around now, and she writes her own novels, but she is good, and reasonable.
http://www.debzhobbs-wyatt.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Please tell her Susan Jones sent you, and she will look after you even more. (I think:)))
#18 by Sally Jenkins on July 21, 2014 - 7:20 pm
Thanks very much for the recommend, Susan. It will be a while before I’m ready for editing so Debz house move will probably be complete by then.
#19 by hilarycustancegreen on July 22, 2014 - 9:40 am
Best of luck.
#20 by Julia on July 23, 2014 - 12:52 pm
Congratulations. If you are still looking for a fiction editor, may I suggest Morgen Bailey? http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/editing-and-critique/
#21 by Sally Jenkins on July 24, 2014 - 7:50 am
Thanks, Julia. I’ll take a look at Morgen’s site when I’m ready for editing.
#22 by scribblingscribes on August 8, 2014 - 3:34 am
Well done Sally! I’m a great fan of NaNoWriMo so I’m glad it paid off for you.
#23 by Sally Jenkins on August 8, 2014 - 7:16 pm
Thanks, scribblingscribes!