The Need Places First in 2013 Golden Palm Contest, Manuscript May Be Too Hot To Handle
Indie author Dorota Skrzypek, also writing as S.L. Hannah, submits entry into New Adult Romance Category of the 2013 Golden Palm Contest, beats out the competition, but agent judging the category is not interested in reading entire manuscript.
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The Need Places First in 2013 Golden Palm Contest, Manuscript May Be Too Hot To Handle
LOS ANGELES, California (December 4, 2013) – Indie author Dorota Skrzypek, also writing as S.L. Hannah, submits entry into New Adult Romance Category of the 2013 Golden Palm Contest, beats out the competition, but agent judging the category is not interested in reading entire manuscript.
“The win is exciting, but the response a little surprising,” says author Skrzypek. “The contest doesn’t guarantee anything, but I really thought winning would mean getting through the sludge pile of a literary agency. Maybe this is just a sign of the times.” Big publishers having to compete against online giant Amazon and its record number of self-published authors are being more cautious than ever about investing in new talent and that’s affecting how agents screen their work. “The impression traditional publishers have left over the last few years is: prove yourself as an author on your own first, and then we’ll be happy to help you. Or maybe the story is just too ‘hot, hot, hot’ as per the judges score sheet,” adds Skrzypek.
In October of this year, Amazon, Kobo, and other e-book retailers cracked down on erotica by removing titles of works that depicted incest, rape and child pornography. Following in similar footsteps, the UK is banning pornography depicting rape and many authors fear books may be the next target. Even Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines video has been banned at over 20 Universities over fears the song glamorizes rape and its lyrics are sexist. While Skrzypek’s manuscript, The Need, does address some of these controversial topics the author argues there is a big difference between gratuitous sex in books written for shock value, and books exploring the psychological factors behind forced sex fantasies, the Madonna-Whore complex, and other studied sexual behavior.
Dorota Skrzypek, also writing as S.L. Hannah, is author of the Sex, Life, & Hannah book series. Her latest book, The Need, about a college-aged girl that falls in love with the woman holding her captive, is set for release in early 2014. With initial reviewers calling the book “one powerful piece of writing; well-told, honest and creepy as hell,” Skrzypek is anticipating the book to make a dent in at least one best-seller list. The Need is based on a screenplay written by Scott Frazelle. To find out more, please visit www.sexlifeandhannah.com.