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If you haven’t heard of it, that’s about to change. Arguably the hottest news event in the literary world, the Sobol Award, like other literary awards, will be given out to a bunch of different authors this year – the difference here being that unlike the Pulitzer Prize or the National Book Award, the winners of the Sobol Award will be unpublished novelists who will have coughed up $85 big ones (gasp) to enter a contest (double-gasp).
Part of the reason why this award/contest is being discussed all over the web right now is because the literary agency that is sponsoring it doesn’t seem to have much of a track record. Many see this as a quick way for them to not only get a lot of attention, but also rake it in (some have estimated that the firm stands to net several million dollars, even after paying out the cash prizes — top prize is $100,000).
Of course on the other side of the page is this: you probably spend more than $85 a month on your cable TV package, so why not take the chance and submit that novel you’ve had sitting on the shelf forever, even if it means missing a few episodes of Lost? Heck, I know people who spend more than $85 a month on lotto tickets!
So if you’re interested in entering, or just plain old curious, contest information can be found at SobolAward.com. And for some of the nastier (yet funny!) responses to this contest, check out all the comments on MissSnark.com, a literary agent’s website.
Well, I tidied up my manuscript, wrote out my check to Sobol Award but then I decided to check out the link to Miss Miserable Cynical Snark. Oh dear…what to do? Anyone in “the know” have advice for this first time author who has switched from Starbucks to McDonald’s new brew just to gather the $85? Help?????
posted by Linda on 9-19-2006 at 2:15 pm
Dear Linda,
the reason “anyone” in the know, in Miss Snark’s blog has the same cynical opinion is that she does not allow any other opinion be shown, and you’ll have to take my word for it - I’ve been there.
Ask her, I dare her to deny, or say that she is not aware of such cases on her blog.
She is very good with words, this Snark agentwoman, I have to admit, when she feel threatened…
I’m in, anyway.
posted by sapirman on 9-21-2006 at 5:00 am
I love the idea of this contest. To Ms. Snark and the others who leap to criticize, I offer up the notion of “disruptive technology”. The Sobol Award, and I assume it is an honest and legit effort, is different and comes out of nowhere. There are many old, faded, and sometimes defunct businesses that stuck their heads in the sand and hoped this new thing would go away. Dinosaurs and meteorites offer up my favorite analogy. An old stodgy exclusive world full of snooty agents and critics sees something that could ultimately democratize their business and take away their power and they are a bit nervous. I would be too. Change is tough and the established side never likes to see it. I hope this contest begins to change agents and publishers. Agents and publishers are a horrendous bottleneck in my opinion. In fairness to them, most manuscripts are probably not worth being read by the public, but nonetheless, in my opinion, agents should not be judge, jury, and executioner. I think the book reading public should be the deciding party, just like in the rest of our economy. I just hope this is honest, well run, and legit.
posted by Jeff Bach on 10-10-2006 at 11:02 am
I was skeptical, so I did some googling and came across this article:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/09/13/sobol-award.html
The bit that caught my eye was this:
Literary lawyer F. Robert Stein, who represents novelists such as Janet Evanovich (the Stephanie Plum series) and David Baldacci (Absolute Power) is Sobol’s legal counsel. He initially turned down the job because he thought it “sounded terribly suspicious.”
“I thought it would destroy my reputation,” says Stein, an attorney with Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn LLP.
“I laid out conditions for the contest, including that winners are not bound forever to being represented by the Sobol agency. Gur Shomron had no problems. I have been over every word on the website and every word of the promotional material. I have been absolutely satisfied.”
That made me feel a little better about the contest so I coughed up my $85.
posted by Michelle on 10-10-2006 at 11:51 am