**July 8, 2010 - **Deadline extended for all submissions
August 20, 2010 - Finalists notified by telephone or email
October 9, 2010 - Winners announced at the HOW Conference Awards Banquet
October 29, 2010 - Finalist score sheets returned
Enter the opening twenty (20) pages of romance novels of all sub-genres (projected length of at least 50,000 words). Contest is open to published and unpublished authors. Unpublished authors are ranked separately from published authors. Published authors may submit only unpublished, uncontracted manuscripts. NOTE: If you have a romance novel published by a non-recognized RWA publisher, Utah RWA Considers you to be published.
Categories:
Contemporary: Single title; category; mainstream, inspirational in a contemporary setting.
Historical: Single title; category; Regencies; suspense, mainstream, inspirational in an historical setting.
Paranormal: Time travel, ghost, futuristic, paranormals of all other kinds.
Mystery/Suspense: Single title; category; suspense, mainstream, or inspirational.
Young Adult: Single title; category; historical, inspirational, paranormal or contemporary.
Published: Single title; category; historical, inspirational, paranormal or contemporary.
**Published Will Be Judged Collectively**
*URWA reserves the right to combine categories if fewer than eight entries are received.*
NOTE: URWA's Golden Pen Contest, FOR URWA MEMBERS ONLY, is additional to the Heart of the West Writers Contest. URWA Chapter Members who enter the Heart of the West Writers Contest are automatically entered in the URWA Golden Pen.
Judging and Awards
An individual may enter more than one manuscript, may enter in more than one category and may enter more than once per category; however, each submission must have its own entry fee and completed entry form. The same entry may not be entered in more than one category. Manuscripts that won in previous Heart of the West Writers Contests will not be accepted.
Each entry will receive three scores; The lowest score will be dropped.
The top four entries from each of the categories listed above will be selected for final round judging in each separate category. Published entrants (not separated by category) will also be ranked by the final judge.
Unpublished authors in each submission category: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense and Young Adult.
Unpublished manuscripts by published authors are not separated by category.
The first place recipients will be awarded $40 and a certificate.
The second through fourth place recipients from each category will receive certificates.
All finalists will be recognized in the Romance Writers Report.
First round entries will be judged by avid readers as well as published and pre-published authors, who are all encouraged to comment on entries.
2010 Finalist Judges
Contemporary-ELIZABETH POMADA, Michael Larson, Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents;
Historical, BARBARA POELLE, The Irene Goodman Literary Agency;
Paranormal, GAIL FORTUNE, The Talbot Fortune Agency LLC;
Mystery/Suspense, DANIELLE ROSE POIESZ, Gallery/Pocket Books;
Young Adult, ANN BURKHARDT, Kimberly Cameron and Associates;
Published, CHRIS KEESLAR, Dorchester Publishing;
Golden Pen, CANDACE SELIMA, Valor Publishing .
Tips on the Judging Criteria: Is this contest right for your manuscript?
Does your story make the reader want to keep turning the pages from the beginning?
Do you have a great opening line?
Is your manuscript easy to read? (i.e. free of major grammatical and spelling errors)
A completed entry form (All entrants must complete the electronic entry form)
Contest fee of $25, paid via PayPal, check or money order, drawn on U.S. funds, made payable to Utah/Salt Lake Chapter RWA®. (Each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.)
Up to twenty (20) pages of your manuscript. Do not submit more than twenty pages; only twenty pages will be judged.(All Electronic)
Submissions should be in standard manuscript format
1" margins
Double-spaced
Typed in an easily read font that is acceptable for submission to publishing houses, such as Courier or Times New Roman
A maximum of 25 lines per page. In the header on each page, include title, category, and page number
Your name must ONLY appear on the entry form and not on any manuscript page. If authors name(s) appear on the entry pages, the entry will be disqualified and the entry fee will be forfeited.
PLEASE SEND YOUR SUBMISSION AS AN ATTACHMENT IN .RTF FORMAT
Send all entries to: Darcee Yates at darceeyates (at) gmail . com
For questions and comments, contact the contest coordinator, Darcee Yates at darceeyates (at) gmail . com
[NOTE: If you wish to send thank you notes to judges after completion of contest, please e-mail them to the contest coordinator with the judge number.]
To Enter: Please fill out the Electronic Entry Form. (All entrant must complete electronic entry form even if paying by check.)
After you complete and submit the entry form, return to this page and use our easy PayPal Cart to process your entry fee. Please enter manuscript title under merchant instructions in PayPal.
2010 HOW Contest Fee $25.00
If paying by check or money order, click here for Manual Entry Form to mail with check.
Mail entry fee of $25 with manual form to:
