Many writers throughout the contest wrote to express their thanks and appreciation for Ink & Insights.
Others filled out an after-c0ntest survey.
Here are the comments we received for 2016.
Thinking about entering? My advice is go for it. Even if you don't reach the top ten you're still guaranteed some superb feedback, and with four different judges you get a range of professional opinions. Some might sting but others might make you smile. All will be worth it. For me, I've found the experience of entering has helped me to improve as a writer.
--Nemma
The best contest I ever entered. The critique feedback was excellent; clear and on-target from experienced judges.
--William
As a first-time entrant, I was pleasantly surprised by the scoresheet. I thought it in-depth and loved the breakdown; a number wouldn't have held much weight for me, but to see it in detail was most helpful. And I really appreciated, and found the most value from, the comment sections.
--Janet
The level of insight you get into your MS is astounding. Thank you so much to Ink & Insights & all the judges!
--Lorna
I enjoyed the intelligent and largely useful evaluations.
--Courtney
I only have high praises, which I would have had regardless of my score. The depth of the contest was amazing as was the professionalism of each judge. Their comments were kind as well as constructive which is what, in my opinion, all authors want. I've entered other contests but this by far is one of the best for feedback, direction and encouragement.
--Nadine
Yet again this year, the Ink & Insights feedback was excellent - detailed, thoughtful and with clear ideas for development/improvement of my manuscript. This is a unique competition, and no other comes close to giving authors the level of feedback that is obtained here from judges who are specialist editors in their own right. I have entered in the past and will continue to do so with my subsequent novels. Thanks to everyone involved for all their hard work.
--Stuart
The scoring is way more thorough than I thought possible! Great job. I wish I had this score sheet when I first started writing.
--Lori
WOW, what a phenomenal opportunity this has been. I am telling all my writing group friends about this. The feedback I received was amazing, well thought out, and extremely constructive. I've never received anything this helpful before. I am blown away and plan to enter this contest for as long as I can.
--Andrea
This is all great feedback! I really value this contest. Extremely helpful comments that will assist me in improving my manuscript. Thank you for running this!
--Meghan
This is my first time entering the competition and it exceeded all of my expectations. I've struggled with my manuscript for over a year, and it was fantastic to receive so much objective and detailed feedback from four different perspectives. Thanks to the wonderful insight of the four judges, I now have a much clearer idea of how to progress. I'd highly suggest Ink & Insights to any writer. Thank you so much!
--Holly
Feedback is detailed and spot on. So glad I entered!
This is the only contest I intend to enter again. The feedback is fantastic. And on top of that, prizes? Awesome!
--Cesar
Extremely helpful reviews. The judges noted and explained just about every feature I felt by instinct should be deleted or revised. Thank you!
--Lisa
The feedback I received from the Ink and Insights judges is extremely valuable to me. Accepting criticism is always difficult, because it’s hard to separate the information that is helpful to my story, from the feedback that seems particular to a specific reader. I’ve devised a chart that compares how the judges responded and am considering the things they agreed on. Those are the parts I am revising. Thank you, Judges, for your time and attentive reading. This is my first novel you have critiqued. I feel a little less like I’m squandering my time, making stuff up in a dark corner of my bedroom, entertaining no one but myself! LNC
--Lori
Entering Ink and Insights this year was the best decision I could have made for my writing. The critiquing process has been so valuable, and all the judges comments were very thoughtful, and helpful. It was interesting to see a pattern in my scores, which means that obviously,the judges know their stuff, and it has clearly shown me the areas I need to work on moving forward. Thank you.
--Paulette
I'm continually impressed by the level of feedback, which is always professional and thoughtful. Entering into Ink & Insights is becoming something of an annual tradition now. Particularly as no matter where your MS places in the competition it always receives excellent feedback - which is something very few other competitions provide - and for such a reasonable entry fee. So thank you for another wonderful year - and it's not even over yet. All the best for the rest of the season. :-)
--Nemma
I love this contest. Though my scores from Aaron, Cat, Kevin, and Visnja varied greatly (115, 156, 99, 186) I found their comments to be the most valuable part about this contest. Each one has helped me rewrite and polish this manuscript beyond what I had imagined. Thank you all for your very thorough evaluations, well-explained criticisms, and extremely helpful advice. You have a very difficult job and I am in awe of your expertise.
--Debra
I'm blown away with what I've seen in the reviews, although I have only given them a cursory look so far. I don't know how to tell you how wonderful this is for me, and how much I appreciate it The disparity in the scores is interesting, but not particularly surprising. Even so, several important issues come out of almost all the reviews, issues I recognize and think I know how to deal with. This book is a first effort for me, so I'm learning. Amazing how, when someone else points out a problem you didn't see before, it suddenly becomes clear. Like you knew it all along, but somehow didn't face it!
--Arthur
I love doing this with each of my novels. Your judges are very knowledgeable and insightful, and I really appreciate the time each spent with my novel. I know it cannot be easy to do with all the books you must receive each year.
--Robert
The depth of the scoring was shocking. From the highest score to the lowest, each judge was professional and supportive and gave positive suggestions for the places in the story that were "lacking." I am so glad I entered this contest and will recommend it as often as I can. Thank you!
--Nadine
I want you to know that I learned so much from the judges’ comments that the numeral evaluations were of minor importance. I have never had a writing class, seminar, or contest that provided such quality and in-depth critique of my writing. Thanks you, and thanks to the judges for all their efforts.
--Bill
This is my first time entering Ink and Insights, and in fact sharing more than my first chapter. Although I feel confident with my writing, I am not very confident about other people reading it and my entry was an exercise in forcing myself to do so. All four judges have given me fabulous feedback, highlighting/confirming areas of weakness to improve upon as well as instances within the 10k that require expansion and clarification, and also specific advice on some elements I included. I now feel able to continue to work on my novel with a little more objectivity than I had, and prepare it for the involvement of beta readers and editors. Thank you so, so much. You have no idea just how much you have helped me.
--Michelle
I felt that the contest was well-organized, helpful, and a lot of fun. When I had questions, they were answered in a timely manner. The feedback I received was extremely helpful and I enjoyed each judge's perspective.
Ink & Insights is a great way to get constructive feedback on your manuscript. The comments I received showed me the specific parts of my manuscript that needed work as well as the parts that were strong.
--Whitney
I was amazed at the amount of effort that went into the scoresheet creation. Breaking down such a subjective process into objective goals (with scores) had to be labor intensive. Kudos to those who devised the critique criteria. Kudos also to the judges who provided valuable insights with their comments.
--Hale
Ink & Insights offers an extremely economical way to get input from four different book judges. I've entered twice and will do so again in 2017.
--Allan
I recommend this contest for any writer who needs an objective set of eyes for their book. The variety of feedback I received was valuable for revisions.