2009 Awards Program -- Updates

[Andrew Gifford]

A brief discussion here:

http://santafewritersproject.blogspot.com/2009/07/awards-program-updates-and-chance-to.html

The 2009 Program has concluded, and I'll be updating on progress in this thread.  Right now, I'm still processing the entries...and somewhat backlogged.  Confirmations for all entries mailed between July 8th and 16th will be going out next week.  I'm aiming to get everything to Pagan by August 1st.

[marthajones]

Good luck, entrants.  I'm looking forward to reading those winning excerpts!

[Andrew Gifford]

Okay, we have all entries in hand... Confirmations will be mailing out tomorrow and Thursday for everything postmarked 7/8 through the unofficial 7/20 extension.  If you're worried about your entry, then go ahead and shoot me an email.

My goal is to get entries out to Pagan starting next Monday... I'm catching up with all the paperwork and data entry and so on this week, so things look good!

I'm also going to institute a number of changes next year...including the ability to send entries electronically and so forth, which should give you a confirmation right away (and also get rid of that page limit).  Lots of announcements coming to  the blog in the next few weeks...

[marthajones]

Getting rid of the page limit would be great!  It's always a challenge to decide whether to include an excerpt from the beginning of a longer piece (all set-ups and few pay-offs), or whether to choose an excerpt from later in the piece (all pay-offs without set-ups).

Of course, I know from having judged a fair number of screenwriting and fiction contests, the judge is generally not required to read past a certain page if he knows the entry clearly isn't going to advance.  That way the poor judge isn't burdened with having to slog through a 700-page manuscript that's absolutely dreadful.  So, I think lifting the page count could only be a positive thing.  If the judge finds he just can't put an entry down, and he reads all the way to the end even though he doesn't have to, the writer has really accomplished something.  Conversely, if the judge (or preliminary reader) can only get to page twelve before needing to wash down four aspirins with a fifth of vodka...the remaining pages of the entry become moot . 

[Andrew Gifford]

Exactly, Martha.  The page limit started early on at Richard Currey's request, and has become something of a tradition.  Time to let it go.

[Andrew Gifford]

We're on track!  Manuscripts will start heading out to Pagan on Monday...

As she works through them, I'll announce the finalists in stages, starting with however many there are in the first pass.  In the past, I've usually kept it around 70 or so.  Then we'll narrow down to the top 30, the top ten, and then the winners.

[Andrew Gifford]

Okay, I hope to have a finalist list sometime tomorrow night.  It'll be a long list -- 70-80 folks. 

[stephaniewrites]

Thanks Andrew for keeping us up to date!  How many entries were received this year?

[Andrew Gifford]

We had a little over 350 this year.

[stephaniewrites]

Cool!  Thanks for the reply!

[Andrew Gifford]

And here we go... Pagan sent along 74 names.  The folks below made it through the first round, and I've asked that we further narrow this to 30 finalists, and then the top ten.  Don't have a timeframe for that, I'm afraid... But those 30 finalists, the top ten, and the three winners will all eventually come from this list...

If you submitted multiple entries, I won't be able to tell you which one was selected to land you on the list.  I no longer have the entries with me physically, and I don't want to slow down the judging with emails to Pagan.  But we can answer those questions once I get the entries back.  No worries.




Patricia Marshall

Rion Amilcar Scott

Gretchen Duggan

Meaghan Mulholland

Becky Hagenston

John Jensvold

Vanessa Blakeslee

Laura Loomis

Tisha Marie Reichle

John Jodzio

John Laue

Clarence Smith

Gregory Loselle

Vincent Czyz

Karen Robiscoe

Andrea Simon

Francis Roberts

Angela Graziano

Barbara Alexandra Szerlip

Jill Koenigsdorf

Jim Sanderson

Frank Carden

Judith Van Gieson

Janelle B. Ward

Porter Fox

Louise Farmer Smith

Ruth Knafo Setton

Anne Whitehouse

Nicole Louise Reid

James Mathews

Joe Kilgore

Maggie Parr

Andrew Warren

Christy Wise

D.M. Stillwood

Elizabeth Edelglass

Adam Sturtevant

Anita Garner

Trudy Payne Brown

Heather Sellers

Heather M. Spector

Zakhar Berlin

Saborna Roychowdhury

Jesse Goolsby

Erik Sakariassen

John Cristofano

Elaine Jordan

David Fitzpatrick

Jennifer McGaha

Michael Schiavone

Jana L. Gullick

Robin Meloy Goldsby

Patricia Grace King

Matthew Pitt

Colleen De Maio

Nachshon Rothstein

Jackie Zakrewsky

Meghan Cadwallader

Ashley Shelby

Anna MacDonagh

Karima Diane Alavi

Kirsten Lopresti

Susan Kay Anderson

Mary Beth Leymaster Matteo

Thomas Sullivan

Mary Larkin

Sarah Martin Byrd

Susan Pertessis

Edwin Wilson Rivera

Robert Gately

J. Roarke

Christine Wilds

Mark Shannon

Jonathan Pearson

[Andrew Gifford]

More on the list (and looking ahead to 2010):

http://santafewritersproject.blogspot.com/2009/08/74-namesand-future.html

[marthajones]

Wow!  That was fast!  Congrats, everyone.

[marthajones]

I have a question (apologies if this is answered elsewhere and I overlooked it).  Will the three winners have the opportunity to send a revised and/or full manuscript to the agency for consideration, or will the winning entries be forwarded as is?  Thanks.

[Andrew Gifford]

They can send whatever they want to Irene Goodman.  No need to worry about that.  It's the author who wins, not that particular story.

With Goodman, we get the door open, and the rest is up to the author.

In fact, I would strongly encourage that the winners assemble a complete package -- cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters in manuscript format... 

[marthajones]

Thanks for the reply.  Sounds good.

[Andrew Gifford]

And... The top 30, in no particular order.  I expect to have the top 10 in just a few days.  Certainly before the weekend.  And the plan is to announce the winners on Sunday.




Nicole Louise Reid

Colleen De Maio

Sarah Martin Byrd

Vanessa Blakeslee

Susan Pertessis

Edwin Wilson Rivera

Thomas Sullivan

Meaghan Mulholland

Robert Gately

Michael Schiavone

Rion Amilcar Scott

J. Roarke

Becky Hagenston

Adam Sturtevant

Matthew Pitt

Christine Wilds

James Mathews

Vincent Czyz

Mark Shannon

Maggie Parr

Jonathan Pearson

John Jensvold

Jana L. Gullick

Gretchen Duggan

Mary Larkin

Patricia Grace King

Elizabeth Edelglass

Barbara Alexandra Szerlip

Robin Meloy Goldsby

Laura Loomis

[Andrew Gifford]

And, finally, the top ten.  The plan is to have the winners announced by Sunday night...


Adam Sturtevant

Jana L. Gullick

Robin Meloy Goldsby

Patricia Grace King

Thomas Sullivan

Rion Amilcar Scott

Maggie Parr

Matthew Pitt

Nicole Louise Reid

Colleen De Maio

[stephaniewrites]

Congratulations to the top 10!

[Andrew Gifford]

And the winners!

The grand prize goes to Matthew Pitt for his story Listening for Life.

The second prize goes to Nicole Louise Reid for This One Last Thing.

The third place prize goes to Adam Sturtevant for Ease Chest Tuck Hid Debt Art.

I'll be replying to all applicants, and the top ten folks will be hearing from Pagan.  So watch your mail for the next few weeks.  Also keep an eye on Sfwp.org where we'll be featuring lots of folks -- the winners, the finalists, and certain "staff favorites." 

[marthajones]

Congrats, folks!  May this lead to other successes.   

[Andrew Gifford]

Matthew Pitt is up at www.sfwp.org.  Nicole Reid to follow on Monday...