Meta, this program feels a little off, to me, with its pay-to-play approach to seeking an agent. Granted, it’s a contest. But the website doesn’t seem to list any of the affiliated industry professionals, to give people a sense of what the value is, so I would be leery of its claims. Yes, it comes through WD, but the announcement/ad raises a lot of questions--at least for me.
I think the WD affiliation gives it legitimacy but it's a good point that entering a pay-to-play requires some careful consideration. I'm glad we got to email back and forth about this a little - interesting issue. In this case, I believe Writer's Digest would have done due diligence before partnering with Book Pipeline (and I myself checked out their website--looks totally legit). And so I encourage anyone considering pursuing this to also go to their website and see how they've helped aspiring authors. https://bookpipeline.com/
Thank you, Meta! I've taken a long break from being plugged in to anything, including Substack, and it was a pleasure to dive back in with this. I'll check them out. I'm in the throws of searching for an agent. I understand their difficulties--searching for a story/writer that they not only enjoy, but who can have commercial financial benefit. On my side, it's difficult to keep the confidence bright and fresh during the search!
Welcome back! This way of submitting work looks like a good way to get around the ol' slush pile. Signing up to meet with agents at writing conferences like Grub Street's Muse & Marketplace is another way, too!
Meta, this program feels a little off, to me, with its pay-to-play approach to seeking an agent. Granted, it’s a contest. But the website doesn’t seem to list any of the affiliated industry professionals, to give people a sense of what the value is, so I would be leery of its claims. Yes, it comes through WD, but the announcement/ad raises a lot of questions--at least for me.
I think the WD affiliation gives it legitimacy but it's a good point that entering a pay-to-play requires some careful consideration. I'm glad we got to email back and forth about this a little - interesting issue. In this case, I believe Writer's Digest would have done due diligence before partnering with Book Pipeline (and I myself checked out their website--looks totally legit). And so I encourage anyone considering pursuing this to also go to their website and see how they've helped aspiring authors. https://bookpipeline.com/
Thank you, Meta! I've taken a long break from being plugged in to anything, including Substack, and it was a pleasure to dive back in with this. I'll check them out. I'm in the throws of searching for an agent. I understand their difficulties--searching for a story/writer that they not only enjoy, but who can have commercial financial benefit. On my side, it's difficult to keep the confidence bright and fresh during the search!
Welcome back! This way of submitting work looks like a good way to get around the ol' slush pile. Signing up to meet with agents at writing conferences like Grub Street's Muse & Marketplace is another way, too!