The 2012 Sandy Entry Deadline is Midnight February 12, 2012
2012 Sandy Final Judges
  • Romance - Sue Grimshaw, Editor at Large & Category Specialist for Ballantine & Bantam Dell
  • Mainstream Adult Fiction - Kevan Lyon, Agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
  • Suspense / Thriller / Mystery - Kat Brzozowski, Assistant Editor at Thomas Dunne Books
  • Fantasy / Science Fiction - James Frenkel, Editor at Tor / Forge
  • Children's & YA - Mary Kole, Agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency
New to The Sandy:
  • New Eligibility Rules. Put your work up against the rest! The Sandy now welcomes published authors. The entry MUST be original and uncontracted at the time of the contest deadline. No self-published works will be accepted.
  • Also, this year we are capping the entries at 250, so enter early!
  • We are doing away with snail mail entry forms this year. To enter, everyone must fill out the electronic entry form. We will still take checks mailed to the CBWriter PO Box for those who do not wish to pay via Pay Pal.
  • We are increasing the prize money. 1st=$60, 2nd=$35, 3rd=$15
  • In the interest of uniformity, we’re using only Times New Roman font this year.
The Sandys

The Sandy is a competitive contest for unpublished and published writers alike to provide aspiring authors the opportunity to gain feedback from experienced writers, to give them the opportunity to get their work in front of industry professionals in their genre, and to provide them the opportunity for recognition for those who have honed their storytelling skills.

It was named after two wonderful Crested Butte women, Sandy Cortner and Sandy Fails, who have spent decades writing, promoting, and nurturing writers in the Crested Butte area.

Testimonials

"Dear Theresa, - My fingers were literaly shaking as I opened the score sheets from The Sandy. No, I wasn't a finalist. I didn't really expect that I would be, but the comments your judges sent were beyond amazing, truly helpful, positive, realistic and encouraging. I have recommended The Sandy to all my friends in the local chapter of RWA. Please keep me on your mailing list for next year."

Fran Abram
2011

"Theresa,
I wanted to say thank you for picking such knowledgeable judges for the SF/Fantasy division of The Sandy. I entered a few contests with this piece, and was devastated recently by some non-helpful, destructive critique from another judge. While I realize judges don't get paid, it's nice to have a contest like The Sandy that offers writers helpful, constructive comments to make the entrants better writers. I appreciate the thorough judging and feedback on each section of the entry. The breakdown was a fantastic way for me to understand the scoring, and weigh the judge's opinion of the strengths and weaknesses in the piece. Looking forward to entering again."

Best,
Jen Greyson
2011

"Dear Theresa,
Thanks so much for your dedication to your chapter, for the efforts you put in to coordinate such an important contest, and for your prompt replies to my inquiries! I can't tell you how much I appreciated the wonderful and encouraging feedback from all the judges! It's not about whether or not you final, it's about whether or not you are 'reaching the reader' - which makes all the difference in a future writing career.

I wish you all the best in your own writing career!"

Meg Mims
2010

"Dear Theresa,
Thank you for coordinating this contest. Though I didn't final, The Sandy was a very positive experience. The process was easy and (relatively) painless, and I appreciated that it was also paperless. The judges' comments were thoughtful and fair. I came away with some positive feedback and excellent suggestions for improving my manuscript. Posting the rankings is a fantastic idea. Having the opportunity to compare my scores to those of the other contest entrants was extremely helpful.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this contest, and I hope to someday attend the Crested Butte Writers Conference."

Best wishes,
Jennifer Sundstedt
2010

"Dear Theresa,
While I'm handing out thanks, I felt it was just plain wrong to leave you out! Thanks so much for all your hard work. This is the second year I've entered this contest. I came close to placing last year, and placed with one of my entries this year. Two of my other entries this year nearly made it, too! This is what I have discovered about The Sandy: Whether the judges gave me compliments or criticism, whether I made the finals or not, there is one consistency throughout: The judges are by far the most professional and courteous I've come across. I get the feeling that these judges really like to read, write, and help other writers. I have entered many contests, and I've placed in quite a few, too -- and this contest just beats all for helpfulness, professionalism, and an absence of personal ego on the part of the judges. Thank you!"

~Elysia Whisler
2009 1st Place Romance

"If you can only enter one contest, this is the one I recommend. The Sandy is special. My experience is that everyone: the first round judges, the coordinator and the editors and agents who regard the finalizing work, has the writer's interest at heart. They provide positive, encouraging words as well as candid feedback. The kindness entries receive will keep you, like me, coming back."

~Brenda Nelson-Davis
2007 1st Place
2009 3rd Place

"The Sandy is a great contest with a large enough writing sample to provide a good representation of the writer's work. The feedback was specific and helpful and very encouraging. Since my entry was a western-themed historical romance, I was especially grateful for the detailed feedback by judges who were familiar with the area/setting of the manuscript. Thanks to all who took such care in judging it."

~Kaki Warner
2007 2nd Place Romance
Sandy Honor Roll

"The Sandy was the first contest I entered In Over Her Head in, mainly to see reader feedback and if the story was working. When a judge wrote, "Let me know when this gets published," I realized the story was on the right track. I'm happy to report that two years after the contest, In Over Her Head hit bookstores around the country-and will be followed up with two more in my Mer series."

~Judi Fennell
2009 3rd Place
Sandy Honor Roll