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Saturday, February 15, 2014

ABNA! TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT! Secrets Revealed

ABNA 2014 BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!



There are secrets to ABNA.


Not all of them are known to the public.  It is that way with any world-wide endeavor.


I.)  THERE’S NO ROOM IN THE CYBER-INN!


If you were one of the first to enter last year, then many of you found to your horror that when you tried to copy and paste your EXCERPT, 


          there was only ghostly laughter and frustration awaiting you.


         The word "false" appeared in the field and wouldn’t accept any pasting or typing over.


Amazon published this for all of you:
 

Thank you to all authors who have reported receiving the "False" code when trying to complete the Excerpt portion of ABNA entry form. 

After investigating the issue we isolated the problem to authors using newer versions of the Internet Explorer browser (versions 8 &9). We have deployed a fix to address this and are continuing to monitor the platform.

 If you are still having issues with the contest forms using the IE browser, please try these two alternate solutions:

1.) Reload your IE Browser cache. To do this:
a. Hold down the shift-key on your computer
b. Click the reload button on your IE browser

2. )Try a different browser:
Authors using Firefox, Chrome, Safari and other non-Internet Explorer browsers have not experienced this issue.

You may wish to complete you entry using one of these alternative browsers.

You will need to close your current Internet Explorer session after logging out of CreateSpace.com.
 Good luck to all entrants.

 I used Firefox to enter my EXCERPT, and everything worked just fine.

So you might consider using Firefox this year and spare yourself any unsettling surprises.



II.)  ARE YOU TRYING TO CONFUSE ME?
 

As you began to enter last year, you were asked for a 300 word DESCRIPTION of your book.


Later, you were asked to copy and paste your 300 word PITCH.


Say again?


The difference is that one, the PITCH,

is for the COMPETITION.


And the DESCRIPTION is for the introduction of the work on the website.


I put my pitch in both places.


The "About the Book" isn't used for judging, so don't worry about it.

This year I wrote a short description to not appear lazy or confusing.



III.)  HEY, I’VE GOT A PROSE CLOT!


Many previewed their EXCERPTS  last year, only to find it was one massive formation of prose.

Ouch!


If your excerpt appears as one large mass of text,


you should change your browser to Firefox or Chrome. 

It cannot be a good thing to bruise the judges’ eyes with a blunt instrument of prose.


IV.)  Finally …

If you have properly entered ABNA, you should receive a confirmation email.

You will be given your own code then too.

The following answers from the editors judging 2009’s ABNA are revealing:


4 comments:

  1. They seem to have a hard time defining what they are trying to say.

    Good Luck with ABNA, Roland, it's good to try and see what's happens. My fingers are crossed for you.

    I currently haven't got my email working, as I finally have the new Word program and just getting all the bits together. Slowly, but surely. . .

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  2. Sounds like a lot of confusion. IE is so useless now. Not a fan of Chrome either - too invasive.
    Good luck, Roland!

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  3. In general, not using IE solves a lot of problems.

    Good luck with ABNA! I hope you win :)

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  4. D.G.:
    Judges are like that: makes me leary of being judged! :-) I hope you get your email problems solved soon. Hate that you are having these problems.

    I will enter and hope for the best. :-)

    Alex:
    Chrome struck me as invasive. Why did IE allow itself to get so fouled up?

    My experience with ABNA confirms your impressions that they are confused and unfocused.

    But I can't win if I don't enter. I just hope they don't insult me as they did last year. Sigh.

    Of course, I will have to survive this 19th! All this entering may be moot after the surgery.

    J E:
    Why did IE unravel like this I wonder. Thanks for the good wishes! :-)

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