I have to admit to feeling a bit ambivalent about a contest and a "concept" to which I am a willing participant. But honestly, I entered the contest because I initially, hopefully, and somewhat naively believed that it was intended to: promote the books of four memoir writers, create another venue for unknown writers, and to give one author in particular a shot at a publishing contract. What it has turned out to be is a game. A game to see who has the largest pool of people capable of casting a ballot on the internet.
The contest was started by "THE MEMOIRISTS COLLECTIVE," a group of four recently published memoirists who met on MySpace.com. In an effort to assist other writers, and market the hell out of their own books, they established a contest on MYSPACE. Participants post an 800 word section of their own memoir in three sections with a brief synopsis. Four finalists will be selected by the Collective and one selected by "readers choice" votes. Of the five finalists the Collective will choose one Grand Prize Winner who will get their manuscript read by three publishing houses.
The concept is/was a good one because:
1) Getting literature out where people can read it in whatever form is a good thing.
2) Giving writers an opportunity to hear a new voice, while saving trees, better still.
3) Providing a venue where people can discuss literature in an open forum: really good!
Now the bad:
1) The contest is merely an opportunity for four writers in particular to shamelessly promote the hell out of their own books.
2) In order to enter the contest you had to sign up with MYSPACE (and invite all four of the Collective to be your "friends,") something no one over the age of eighteen should be doing.
3) No one has the time to read all of the entries (over 200) so voting for one to win when (at least) over a hundred haven't been read is unfair to all.
Enter April. April, a person of some notoriety (at least in her own mind) with a built in bevy of tech savvy followers that are willing and able to vote for April regardless of her writing talent (or lack of.) Within minutes of the voting booth being opened, April shot to number one, and stayed there, her numbers doubling and quadrupling over other entrants. Then came a slight shift as other participants realized this was not in fact a literary contest but a popularity contest. Everyone's numbers shot up into the double digits, or at least those with a large group of friends and a venue to contact them and convince them to vote for them.
I have to admit, the competition even swept me up. I vowed to unseat April, and for the first time in my computer saddled life, I spammed my friends and family with "PLEASE VOTE FOR ME" in the subject line. As I watched April's vote tally enter into triple digits, I pulled out pen and paper and began brainstorming; who else can I e-mail? Call? What if I did a posting on Craig's List? In every city? VOTE FOR ME NOW! What if I took several days off from work and logged onto Friendster, Linkedin, Media Bistro, MYSPACE and invited as many people as I had time for to "be my friend," to "Vote for me now!" I would make it my full time job. Hire a group of telemarketers, take out full page ads in every newspaper and free press across the country, billboards, radio, television, personal appearances.... I didn't care if I had to take out second and third mortgages on my house, raid the 401K or sell my collection of first editions on eBay, I would beat April Winchell. My competitive spirit was over-ridding my anger at her for turning this great opportunity into a side-show.
Yes, there is a marketing aspect to the publishing business. But shouldn't that happen once you have proven yourself as a writer, the book has been published and now you have to get it into the hands of readers who have so many OTHER books to choose from? Shouldn't the marketing come once you have proven that your words are worth putting into print (by editors and publishers, and not your circle of friends)? Shouldn't April's entry win because it's the best, and not because she has the loudest voice and the largest network?
Ultimately I think April may have done more harm them good for herself. There has been a backlash against her in the MYSPACE blogs and comments. I would guess that because of the obviousness of her tactics she will ultimately lose. But I have been wrong before. Our nation is full of would be/has been/ trying to be celebrities. Can you say Kato Kalin? Omarosa? Richard Hatch? Integrity and talent are not always the clear winners. And I am not implying here anything about April's integrity or talent, which I am sure are both reputable. I am implying that in our new American Idol/Fat semi-celebrity diet challenge/Survival or the meanest world, those virtues seem not to matter.
April pulled the trigger too quickly and turned a highbrow event into a wet t-shirt contest. So while on principle I won't be withdrawing my entry from the contest, I also won't ask you to vote for me. In fact you can't because I entered under a pseudonym. I will ask you to place a vote for April, she deserves it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get out of these wet clothes.
Note: Contest Voting ends Midnight Monday July 24th 2006.