Long-listed for Hawkeye Publishing Prize

Today I heard I was long-listed for the Hawkeye Publishing Prize for my biography of the pain medicine luminary Professor Michael Cousins AO. Cross fingers I win it.

Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development + Publication Competition 2020

Judges of the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize are mid way through judging an exceptional collection of manuscripts, announcing the Long-Listed writers for 2020—see below.

Exclamations seem to be de rigueur when talking about the calibre of work being submitted. The writing bar was set high in the inaugural 2019 Sydney Hammond Short Story competition.

Judges note that entries are not only extremely well written, but the diversity of story ideas submitted is exceptional, making the task of selecting the most publish-ready manuscripts a difficult one.

The stories range from fantastic fantasy for young adults, insights into post-war Australia and the mixing of cultures, and an ingenious story that reimagines an alternate life for Australia’s notorious outlaw, Ned Kelly.

Having an exceptional manuscript is just one part of the publishing process. The applicants were also required to submit a marketing plan to reassure judges that they understood post-publishing success criteria.

In making the manuscript Long-list announcement, Director of Hawkeye Publishing, Carolyn Martinez, said most of the submissions came with very well-thought-out marketing plans, essential in today’s competitive market.

The Short-list will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to the winner’s announcement on Monday 16th March 2020.

In the meantime, congratulations to these Manuscript Long-Listed entrants in the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize 2020 (valued at $4,500) … listed in no particular order: