Launch Pad Contest: The Final Countdown

Novel Rocket's fourth annual Launch Pad Contest: Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile has moved into the final countdown.

(Ten... nine...)

Over the past six months, we've chosen a winner in each of our six categories: Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller -- General Fiction --  Nonfiction -- Middle Grade/Young Adult -- Romance -- Speculative Fiction.

Those category winners who have elected to move on to the final round have submitted proposals and complete manuscripts. And now, our esteemed final round judges are reviewing all these in order to make their decision.

(Eight... seven...)

If you're not familiar with our contest, it's an opportunity for unpublished authors to receive two professional critiques of the first chapter or two of a finished work, which is a prize every entrant receives. Each category winner has his or her manuscript spotlighted on this blog. And the Grand Prize winner wins a nifty crystal rocket trophy (the 2012 edition is shown here, but each is individually made and so no two are exactly the same). But here's the best part: the Grand Prize winner will also be matched up with a literary agent or publisher, thus circumventing the dreaded slush pile. For complete details, check out the Launch Pad tab above.

(Six... five...)

Wish you could have gotten in on it, but learned about it too late? We plan to launch another edition next year with a similar itinerary. So keep watching this blog and be ready to book your flight when the time comes.

Meanwhile, make sure to check back on December 9 when the Grand Prize winner will be announced.

(Four... three...)

The tension mounts!

When Yvonne Anderson isn't hovering over the Launch Pad contest (or stressing out over an interstate move, as she's currently doing), she writes fiction that takes you out of this world. Check out her Gateway to Gannah for some serious sci-fi adventure!