Contest Update

We're already one-third through the contest year.

Where are you? Are you achieving your writing and contest goals?

How many contests have you entered as of April 30th? I'm at 10 contests and 13 entries. Winner of the quarter gets Godiva. Check out 2008 Challenge. The Godiva winner will be announced this evening. Seekerville sisters are welcome to enter the contest. Just send me a list of contests you entered. The second contest period is May 1-August 31 and is for manuscripts completed. Published or unpublished authors.

RWA Contests:

• Pasic Book of Your Heart Contest. "..a one-of-a-kind contest for material that is unpublished and non-contracted. The contest is open to both published and non-published authors. All authors may enter as many categories as desired, whether or not the author is published in one or all of the categories. The preliminary judging will be done by booksellers and librarians across the United States with published authors used if needed; the final round will be judged by top editors." Deadline May 15, 2008.

• Utah/Salt Lake Romance Writers, Heart of the West. "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 Contest is open to published and unpublished authors. Unpublished authors are ranked separately from published authors." Deadline, June 14. Cash prize, no synopsis and they drop the lowest score!!! Plus there is a stellar judging line up which includes:Tessa Woodward, Avon Books/Harper Collins;
  Historical, Caren Johnson, Caren Johnson Literary Agency;
  Paranormal, Jacky Sach, Book Ends, LLC;
  Mystery/Suspence, Natashya Wilson, Harlequin/Silhouette;
  Inspirational, Rachelle Gardner, WordServe Literary;
  Published, Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency.

• Colorado Romance Writers, Heart of the Rockies. This is one of my home chapters and this contest is well run and is known for the feedback they provide. "The entry fee also includes one separate, typewritten critique discussing the manuscript’s strong and weak points and suggestions for improvement. Entries are limited to the first 215 received." Deadline June 15. New this year, an all electronic contest. Categories include:Spicy, Long Contemporary, Short Contemporary, Contemporary Single Title, Romantic Suspense, Inspirational, Paranormal/TimeTravel/ Fantasy, Mainstream with Romantic Elements and Historical Romance. "ONE copy of the first two chapters and one copy of the complete 1-5 page synopsis, total entry is not to exceed 35 double-spaced pages, excluding the cover page."

• The New Jersey Romance Writers, Put Your Heart in a Book. Cash prizes and an editor and agent AND multi-published author finalists judges distinguish this contest from the rest. An electronic contest, entry deadline is June 15. Entries consist of a synopsis and first chapter. Categories include: Short Contemporary, Single Title Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal and Romantic Elements.

Other Writing Opportunities:

• The Hillerman Prize-Co-sponsored by St. Martin’s Press. Seeking unpublished mystery novels in the Hillerman tradition. The book-length manuscript must include a murder or another serious crime or crimes at the heart of the story, and place emphasis on the solution rather than the details of the crime. The story’s primary setting must be the Southwestern United States. Deadline: July 1, 2008 Prize: $10,000 and publication by the Thomas Dunne imprint of St. Martin’s Press

• The Life Before Her Eyes Poetry Contest. Please submit a poem that captures a moment in your life in which you had to make difficult choice and how that choice impacted the course of your life. Please email entries to poetry@magpictures.com. Enter your poem by May 8th to win the grand prize $500 Amazon.com gift card or be one of five runners up to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card! "Starring Academy Award®-nominee UMA THURMAN and EVAN RACHEL WOOD The Life Before Her Eyes is the new film from Vadim Perelman, the acclaimed director of House of Sand and Fog. The Life Before Her Eyes is an intense and visually evocative drama about the loss of youth, investigating how a single moment in time can define an entire life. Based on Laura Kasischke’s visionary novel, the story hinges on a pivotal confrontation: two high school girls held captive by a gunman and forced to make the terrifying choice as to who will live and who will die."

• The Delacorte Press Novel Contests are open! The Sixteenth Annual Delacorte Dell Yearling Contest for a First Middle-Grade Novel with a deadline of June 30, 2008 and The Twenty-Sixth Annual Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel, opens October 1, 2008 and ends December 31, 2008. Both contests offer the prize of a book contract (on the publisher’s standard form) covering world rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties.

• WRITERS’ Journal Write to Win! Short story contest.First prize: $150.00, Honorable Mention winners receive a one-year subscription to WRITERS Journal. First prize winner will be published in the WRITERS’ Journal. Not to exceed 1,500 words, only previously unpublished stories, no profanity, manuscript format, cover sheet, must use starter phrase: "The cellar was open, but," Follow guidelines precisely: details at the website. Deadline June 20. This is a great place to jumpstart your writing. I won this contest years ago and went on to resell the short story to a magazine. They also have a romance short story contest with a deadline of July 30.

JUST FOR FUN!!

• The Debbie Macomber Make Your Wish Come True Contest. Tell Debbie Macomber and Mira Books in fifty (50) words or less what your wish is and why you would like to make it come true. A prize consisting of Ten Thousand dollars ($10,000.00 USD) cash will be awarded to the contest winner. One (1) winning entry will be selected by a panel of judges consisting of author Debbie Macomber and a representative from the Sponsor based on the following criteria: Creativity – 40% Grammar – 30% Word Count – 30% . BTW to get to the contest page you have do the ENTER YOUR WISH HERE and BLOW portion. That is not the contest. :)

• Carla Neggars, LIVE YOUR ADVENTURE Contest. "New York Times best-selling author, Carla Neggers thrives on adventure and it shows in every book she writes. Now, the author is offering one lucky reader a chance to seek out and experience his or her own adventure. To win Carla's Live Your Adventure contest, readers need simply tell Carla and Mira Books in 50 words or less about the new adventure they would like to experience. Once entrant will win $1,000 to bring his or her own next adventure to life."
  Online entries must be received by 11:59 PM (ET) on July 31, 2008. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by July 31, 2008 and received by August 7, 2008.

• THE NEW VOICES, NEW CHOICES SWEEPTSTAKES
  "Grand prize: a year of books by great new storytellers and a Bantam Discovery tote bag. Ten first prize winners, too! Sometimes the right book is just waiting for the right time to be discovered. Bantam Discovery presents entertaining, intelligent and lively books by fascinating storytellers you won't want to miss. Win a complete set of Bantam Discovery novels! One grand prize winner will receive a set of 12 Bantam Discovery titles and a tote bag. Fill out the form below and click submit. Ten first prize winners will receive a set of three Spring 2008 Discovery novels. To enter, fill out the form and submit. "

And a last note for the week--I don't know about you, but free is one of my favorite words. I'm giving away a free pound of Bald Lady coffee.

For details see my webpage: http://www.tinarusso.com/