Sponsored by the Utah Chapter of Romance Writers of America®
Contest Timeline:
**Contest Deadline Extended** Entry deadline July 18, 2012
August 31, 2012 - Finalists notified by telephone or email
October 6, 2012 - Winners announced at the HOW Conference Awards Banquet
October 15, 2012 - 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Contest is open to published and unpublished authors. Unpublished authors are ranked separately from published authors. Published authors may submit only unpublished, uncontracted manuscripts.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 traditional publisher, e-published, OR are self-published, 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, erotic, YA, suspense or contemporary.
**Published Will Be Judged Collectively**
*URWA reserves the right to combine categories if fewer than eight (8) 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 category will be selected for final round judging. Published Category will also be ranked by the final judge.
Unpublished authors may enter in each submission category: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense and Young Adult.
Unpublished manuscripts by published authors are not separated by category.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 for all categories except Goldent Pen will be awarded $40 and a certificate.
The second through fourth place recipients from each category will receive certificates.
Winner of the Golden Pen (for URWA members only) will receive a plaque.
All finalists will be recognized in the Romance Writers Report.
First round judges will be a mix of published, PRO, readers, experienced and trained individuals who are encouraged to comment on entries and scoresheets.
2012 Finalist Judges
Contemporary, Jennifer Lawler, Crimson Publishing
Historical, Rachael Ekstrom, Irene Goodman Literary and Film Agency
Paranormal, Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Agency
Young Adult & Mystery/Suspense, Adrienne Rosado, NY Literary
Submissions should be in standard manuscript format, 1" margins, double-spaced.
Use 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. At the top of each page, include title, category, and page number
Up to twenty (20) pages of your manuscript. Do not submit more than twenty pages; only twenty pages will be judged.(All Electronic)
Save submission file with the name of [Category]_[Manuscript Title].rtf as a RTF (Rich Text Format) file.
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.
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.)
Attach submission to email with subject header as HOW Contest [Category]_[Title of Manuscript] and send to Joy Spraycar at joy.spraycar (at) yahoo . com.
Please save your submission file with the name of manuscript and category as a RTF (Rich Text Format) file. Send your submission as an ATTACHMENT to the email below.
Send all entries to: Joy Spraycar at joy.spraycar (at) yahoo . com.
For questions and comments, contact the contest coordinator, Joy Spraycar at joy.spraycar (at) yahoo . 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.
2012 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:
Utah RWA PO Box 522365 Salt Lake City, UT 84152-2365
