Nathan Bransford’s first page competition was hotly contested, with a multitude of fine, well-written entries.  To demonstrate how difficult it was to narrow down to six finalists, co-judge Holly had initially selected 30 finalists–but only after her third round of review!  The judges deserve our thanks.  And Heather!Anne! deserves congratulations for being voted the most surprisingly essential first page!

For those who were not selected (and there were 639 of us), I remind you that Nathan Bransford is just one agent.  Yes, he has a talented eye, but his is not the only eye.  What he passed over this time might have been picked up by another.  Finding an agent to represent your work or an editor to publish it is a matter of matching interests.  Think of it in no less complicated terms than finding a spouse: you have to sync up on many levels to make the partnership a success.

So to everyone who entered, congratulations for bravely submitting your work.  Just because you didn’t get picked this time, don’t let the word “failure” creep into your vocabulary.  Keep writing, keep working, keep submitting, keep networking.  The successful writer’s most important trait is perseverance.  You’ll find your match someday.