This past November, I was going through my emails and came across one from Writer’s Digest, a surprise, to say the least.
Earlier this year, I submitted Silence in the Wild: A Summer in Maine to a contest Writer’s Digest put on for Self-published books. I figured it was worth a shot. The winner’s list came out last month, and I wasn’t on it – no big deal.
The email from the Writer’s Digest contained the competition judge’s commentary on my novel. I wasn’t expecting this. After reading the email, it boosted my confidence about the story and the work I put into this, along with four revised editions. You see, self-doubt has been getting the best of me lately because I haven’t sell a massive lot of copies since it first came out in February 2014. Marketing and getting the word out about the book proved more difficult when you’re self-publishing a book.
But all in all, I’m learning from this whole experience and applying it to future projects.
While some friends and family members said it’s a good story, I wanted true confirmation from someone in the industry. Well, I got it in the email from Writer’s Digest, which included the judge’s commentary.
Here’s some snippets from that email I like to share:
“Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding.”
- Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 4
- Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
- Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
- Plot and Story Appeal: 4
- Character Appeal and Development: 4
- Voice and Writing Style: 4
Judge’s Commentary:
“I was very pleased to discover that the protagonist of Silence in the Wild is a deaf boy named Jake for the simple reason that the deaf are underrepresented in literature. I appreciate that the author establishes the difficult circumstances surrounding Jake’s life and the time period he is in. I liked Jake’s friendship with Paddy, the boy from Ireland who is also at Camp Pawtuckaway. Paddy’s collapse was dramatic and Jake’s rescue touching. The reader roots for Jake and his friend. I followed Jake’s solitary adventure in the woods with interest. The wolf was a great touch. I also liked the presence of the grandfather in this story of a boy’s discovering what he is capable of, and that he is never really alone.”
Boom!
I’m pleased with the judge’s feedback. She added constructive criticism in improving some areas, which I appreciated. It confirmed my desire to rewrite the first few chapters and expand the last chapter.
So, eventually, in a year or two, there will be a new edition of SITW—no timeline on when that will be published.