I do not normally take part in literary contests – I’m too old to benefit from a newcomer’s award, and I am too young and too little known (and too alive) to run for a career or in memoriam award. Also, I had my fill, back when I was in university, of people that strutted around with a peacock tail of award certificates for their stories and poetry – usually awards handed out by the corner stationery shop or the local bakery.
I am also extremely wary of the “if you win we will publish you” awards from publishers – because that’s too often a publisher just doing their job (you know, publishing) but making look special what’s basically an open call.

Prejudiced, yes I am.

And yet, one of my works was longlisted for a major award a few weeks back (it did not go beyond the longlist) and today for the first time in my life I submitted a story of mine to a major writing award – the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award.
That is sort of a publisher doing their job but calling it special sort of thing.
But I did it anyway.

Why?
Well, basically because a friend posted on his Facebook profile the award announcement, and I happened to read it just as I had here on my desktop a short story, in the historical fantasy field, that might fit the bill.
There is no entry fee (which is good) and there’s a prize in cash.
And Baen is the publisher of a few of my favorite authors and books. It would be nice to be part of that.
And it would be silly not to try, right?

So here I am, at the tender age of 53 and with a good list of publications, waiting for the results of my first literary award.
It’s a weird world, uh?