Captivating Opening Comp 2016

The contest is now closed. Thanks for all of your entries and GOOD LUCK!

Without a doubt, the most important component of a novel is its opening – for unless you get the reader immersed and on board from the get-go they will quickly move on to the next (free) preview available on book sites such as Amazon's. And this was the case even before the advent of electric publishing. In bookstores, readers absorb the blurb on the jacket, and then open the book and read the first few paragraphs before either opting to buy or putting it back on the shelf.

The 2015 competition revealed another rich vein of exciting new and established authors and so Stef is re-staging this fun competition in 2016.

The prize, comprising a 5-day book promotion package, has kindly been sponsored by the #1 Book promotion service TweetYourBooks.com who provide 80 Tweets per day to a network reaching over 1 MILLION loyal Twitter Followers! (value $249) and they are also generously awarding 2 runners up prizes of a 30-day book promo of 10 tweets per day (usually $125 but on offer at the moment for only $59 ~ that's less than $2 per day! click HERE for more details).

We are also awarding a winner's prize of a special featured article on WriteIntoPrint.com, which attracts around 55,000 readers per month. In addition to this, your book cover and link to your sales page or website will be added to our sidebar for three months (usu. $297) and will also be included in TweetYourBooks.com's Bookstore – for a whole year!

The entry process is simple: In the comments field below, post the Book Title and Author name of your novel, or one you recommend, and Stef will read the opening, much like he would in a bookstore or when buying a novel from Amazon (by using their "click to look inside" facility). Also supply your Twitter username, if you have one. Previous entrants may apply. Just one book per author, please (Stef will only read the first one listed.) All genres are eligible.

There is no point in multiple posting, or even recommending one already entered, because the object is to get Stef to read the opening (this is not a vote-oriented competition). Closing date for submissions is July 31st 2016, the winner to be announced (here and on Twitter) in August and featured on WriteIntoPrint.com in September. The  prizes can be used at any time after the competition ends. For nominated entries, the prizes and adjudication are subject to the author's approval, of course.

The novel must be on Amazon Kindle to qualify.

Keep it simple in the comments field: just state the Book Title, Author Name, Twittername – Stef will ignore any blurb, including on Amazon, and will get straight to reading the opening in Amazon's preview.

DO NOT PASTE THE AMAZON LINK INTO THE COMMENTS OR WE WILL DELETE THE ENTRY

No correspondence will be entered into, so no daft questions, please...and please don't post your email in our comments field unless you love being spammed by third parties. Stef will either contact the winner direct via Twitter or email, or invite the winner to contact us via our email address when the winner is announced by @TweetYourBooks and @WriteIntoPrint.

Good Luck!

Please Tweet and g+1 the competition below :-)

Click HERE to read about last year's winner: Beauty and the Bridesmaid by Lisa Souza.

TO PLACE YOUR ENTRY: CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE COMMENTS FORM

(and then scroll down the page until you reach the Comments field)