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June 28, 2011

Milestone Contest – Prize: Me! Wait…er, What?

Open gift box with streamers coming out

My one-year blogiversary is coming up on July 12th.  The occasion has me doing something I don’t normally do: math.  Eek!

This is my 101st blog post, and during that time, this blog has passed 100 Google Friend Connect followers, 250 RSS subscribers, and 1500 comments (not including mine).  I know those numbers look small to some, but they’re huge to me.

And all of that is thanks to you.  I’ve never run a contest asking for people to follow or subscribe, so those numbers are made up of people following because they wanted to.  Wow.  That’s a humbling thought.

To thank you, I’m celebrating by holding a contest.  That’s pretty normal, right?

But there’s a reason I call myself insane.  There’s a reason I write paranormal.  There’s a reason I own a button asking, Why be normal?

I don’t want to do normal.

So for this contest celebrating all these milestones, the prize…is me.

Well, not “me” literally, but my time and/or money.  You get to pick what that means.  (Disclaimer: Subject to reasonability, privacy concerns, and legality.  I haven’t landed in jail yet, and I don’t intend to start now.  *smile*)

I want this contest to be for all my readers, whether they’re a writer or not, whether they’re published or not, whether they’re a newbie or not.  If you win, you decide how I can be most helpful to you.

Some ideas:

  • $25 Amazon gift certificate
  • Critique of your first chapter up to 5K words (Note: I write honest and detail-oriented critiques, and I’m a member of the grammar police.  You’ve been warned.)
  • Critique of your synopsis and/or query letter
  • Beta read up to 25,000 words (includes feedback on overall premise, characterization, and pacing, but not in-depth editing or grammar)
  • General feedback by email brainstorming (story ideas: digging out from plot hole, blog/branding ideas: coming up with tagline, etc.)
  • I’ll write a guest post for your blog
  • You’ll get to write a guest post for this blog
  • Three books from my general blog contest collection
  • Pick my brain about anything (grammar questions, copies of the writing advice documents I’ve collected, a list of the writing advice bookmarks I’ve saved, copies of my blog customizations, etc.)
  • Sneak peek at my completed story, The Resurrected  (The perfect gift for any agent. *snicker*)
  • Or anything else you can think of…within reason.  *smile*

To enter, leave a comment.  It’s just that easy.  Maybe tell me what you’d like to win, or make up a funny choice to amuse us all.  Introduce yourself if you’ve never commented before.  Or tell me how stupid you think this contest idea is.  Whatever.  It will all count.

In addition, I’ll pick an additional winner for every 25 commenters (not including my comments).  So if 1-25 different people comment on this post, I’ll pick one winner.  If 26-50 different people comment, I’ll pick two winners.  And so forth.

This contest will close at midnight EDT on Sunday, July 10th, 2011.  The winner(s) will be chosen randomly and announced on my official blogiversary post on Tuesday, July 12th.  Good luck!

Do you want to win something?  If so, tell me about it!

134
Comments — What do you think?

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Sarah Pearson

Congratulations on your blog’s forthcoming anniversary! I’ve been following you for a while. I only realised today that I wasn’t actually ‘following’ you, so that’s another one you’ve gained!

If I won, and if I was feeling brave, I’d get you to critique my first chapter – assuming I ever finish revising it 🙂

melissa

Congrats on your blogiversary! I didn’t realize our blogs started up around the same time. What a great contest! I’ve been looking for someone outside my writing group to take a look at the beginning of my WIP, so this would be the perfect opportunity!

Karen Tavares
Karen Tavares

Happy early one-year blogiversary!! I think this is my first time commenting although I am a seasoned voyeur of this blog. You as a prize is an awesome idea. I find so much worthy writing advice and resources via your blog. It would be fantastic to actually have your thoughts and criticism on my wip. Great contest and congrats on the success of the blog = )

Miranda Hardy
Miranda Hardy

Congrats! I enjoy your posts, and I like that we can be abnormal together. I’d like you to come clean my house. Lol kidding. I’d enjoy a nice critique by the grammar Nazi. I enjoy breaking all the grammar rules and seeing it red inked to death.

murphy

Hi Jami! Love ya! Miss you! *waves*

Murphy

Ava Jae

Wow, congratulations!

I think it’s a great idea that you’re having us pick the prize (and totally NOT stupid ^_^). The only downside is for indecisive people like myself.

I think I’d like to trade guest posts. I’ve never had anyone guest post on my blog before and I’ve yet to publish one on someone else’s blog (yet) so I think that’d be pretty cool.

Though a grammar Nazi critique is tempting…

But I think guests posts would be my final choice. Yes. That’s my final answer. I should hit “submit” now before I change my mind.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN! 🙂

Susan Sipal

What a great idea for a contest, Jami. And all the prizes are so wonderful, I’d have a hard time choosing. Congratulations on approaching your first year anniversary as well! 🙂

Lori M. Lee

Congrats on your blogiversary! Wow, what an awesome idea for a contest. I’m not sure what I’d pick. Maybe Sunday lunch 😀

Michele Shaw

I don’t want anything. Just wanted to give you BIG congrats. Those are some impressive numbers! Keep at it. Obviously, a lot of people are waiting for your future posts! That’s awesome:)

Brooke Johnson

I love these sorts of contests. 🙂

If I won, I would definitely solicit the beta-reading service. To me, that sort of thing is invaluable.

Congratulations on your one-year blogiversary! Mine’s coming up in October.

Patrick Thunstrom

This is definitely one of the more interesting blog contests I’ve seen. I may steal this for my one year on WordPress!

FARfetched

An evening of drinks & talking shop, boring our spouses to death, would be a pretty cool prize too. 😀

Congrats on the blogiversary. I’ve had a few of those myself, they’re nice.

Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Congrats on your upcoming blog anniversary! Your contest is phenomenal. I LOVE it!! Please don’t enter me, though. I wouldn’t want to take something so neat away from readers. I’m just popping in to say what a great contest it is. And that I’ll be spreading the word. 🙂

Congrats, again!

Nicole

Happy blogiversary! Oooo, weird prizes — a bottle of air from your kitchen. What I would love — guest posting on your blog or a critique.

Nicole Basaraba

Well your numbers look big to me. 🙂 You made me realize that my one-year blogiversary is approaching in August….maybe when mine turns 2 it will grow a little bigger.

Congratulations and thanks for all the great information and entertainment you provide on your blog.

Roxanne Skelly
Roxanne Skelly

Well I find the topics of your blog quite thought provoking, which is why I subscribed. Now what would I ask…

A beta read of 20k words of my WIP? A guest post on my blog? Well, I don’t have many subscribers, but hey. Ah, I’ve an idea…

Let me guest post my twenty thousand word screed on why Times New Roman is a better font than Arial for manuscript submissions.

Suzi McGowen

Congratulations! I’d love to read your book, but I’d also love for you to critique my first 5k words. There’s so many good choices, though! Decisions, decisions…

I’ll just cross my fingers and hope I win and worry about prizes later 🙂

PW Creighton

Ha, Jami you amuse me to no end. This is certainly the most unique contest I’ve ever heard of in the blog-o-sphere. Congrats in the numbers, very cool! My question for you is why paranormal? So many paranormal investigators and enthusiasts have experiences that lead them to their fascination. What’s your story regarding the paranormal?

Charissa Weaks

This is fabulousness! LMAO. You are a brave woman to put yourself at the mercy of other writers! I would ask you to write the first chapter of my novel since it’s DRIVING ME CRAZY. Or…. a beta read would do too. 😉

Jemi Fraser

What a fun contest! You’re a sweetie 🙂

J.L. Campbell

Caught this on twitter. Congrats on this milepost.

Andrew Jack

the beta read sounds good to me!

Excellent work hitting the milestone, here’s to many more to come 🙂

Amber

*cue William Tell Overture (or Lone Ranger theme)*

Ahem.

“Happy blogiversary, happy blogiversary, happy blogiversary, haaaaaappy blogiversary!”

Now that we’ve covered that, I love your prizes.

Can I request that you read part of my WIP and tell me you love it? (I kid.)

Carradee

Congratulations!

My first thought on the open-ended offer was “Are you crazy?! There’s so much room for abuse in that!” >_>

…But then there’s the detail that you have the “within reason” and own the blog and can dismiss “unreasonable” ideas. (Doh! I tend to forget that.)

Personally, the idea of a guest post swap sounds nice to me, too. ^_^

Ellie Ann

Jami-
You’re awesome.
I love this idea. And I hope I “win” you. 😉
Congrats on such a successful and amazing blog! Those are nice numbers. =) And….happy blogoversary.

Click to grab Treasured Claim now!