July Contest Update

 THIS JUST IN SYTYCW 

***Romance Writers! Give us your Great Canadian Heroes and Skip the Slush Pile!***

Welcome to the July Contest Update. Okay, writers, we stand at the midpoint. 178 days or six more months to this year. What are your writing goals for the next six months? Answer this question today to get your name in the sand bucket for your own door sign! Readers need simply comment for their chance to win a Seeker Book of Choice. Winners announced in the next Weekend Edition.

Published Manuscript Contests

Library Journal Indie Ebook Awards. Deadline July 31, 2016

Cover the Words. Entries accepted from August 15 – September 4, 2016.

Unpublished Manuscript Contest

 Put Your Heart in a Book. Deadline EXTENDED TO JULY 7!!!!! Entry consists of the opening chapter of your manuscript, along with a synopsis not to exceed five (5) pages. Submission should not exceed thirty (30) pages total, including text and synopsis.

Final Round Judges: 

Contemporary Series
Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel and Goderich
Editor:Theresa Cole, Entangled Publishing
Author: Katherine Gilles Seidel 

Single Title Contemporary Romance
Agent: Michelle Johnson, Inklings Literary Agency 
Editor: Sinclair Sawhney, Senior Editor, Tule Publishing
Author: Nancy Herkness

Historical
Agent: Miriam Goderich, Dystel and Goderich                     
Editor: Esi Sogah, Senior Editor, Kensington Books
Author: Tessa Dare         

Paranormal
Agent: Margaret Bail, Inklings Literary Agency
Editor: Lori Whitwam, Managing Editor, Limitless Publishing
Author: Terri Brisbin

Young Adult
Agent: Eric Ruben, The Ruben Agency
Editor: Jennifer Herrington, Editor, BookFish Books
Author: Christina June

Romantic Suspense
Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary
Editor: Patience Bloom, Harlequin
Author: HelenKay Dimon

The Rebecca. Deadline July 31. All authors are welcome to enter, regardless of published or unpublished status. Contest entry may not be contracted or published in any form when entered. Entry consists of the opening five thousand (5,000) words.

Contemporary Romance-Final Judge: Editor, Tahra Seplowin, Harlequin.    
                    
Paranormal/Speculative Fiction/Urban Fantasy Romance-Final Judge: Agent, Tricia Skinner, Fuse Literary Agency.                       

Suspense-Final Judge: Editor, Peter Senftleben, Kensington Publishing.                     


Young Adult-Final Judge:  Agent, Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency      



Phoenix Rattler Contest. August 1, opens for entries. Deadline September 3, 2016. This contest is presented by the Christian Writers of the West, a chapter of ACFW. Submit the first ten (10) contiguous pages of your novel plus a one-page synopsis of the whole book no later than September 3, 2016. (Completed manuscript is not required to enter.) Overall winner receives a gift certificate for $150.
Final Judges:

• Contemporary (includes Contemporary, Women's, Romance)-Michelle Grawkowski-Agent, 3 Seas Literary Agency

• Historical (before 1960, includes Historical Romance)-Tamela Hancock Murray-The Steve Laube Agency

• Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense-Elizabeth Mazer-Editor, Harlequin Love Inspired

• Young Adult (for under 18)-Rachel Kent-Agent, Books & Such Literary Management

• Speculative Fiction-Susanne Lakin-Copy Editor, Writing Coach, Owner-Live Write Thrive

The Beacon. Deadline August 31. Open to all authors of romantic fiction. Published authors are eligible to enter any category in which they have not been contracted and/or published in book-length fiction (40,000 words and over) in the last 3 years.  (Self-published authors are considered published.)  Entry: First 25 pages of the manuscript. The entrant may also include an optional 5-page synopsis for a maximum of 30 pages. (Synopsis will not be judged.) Per the chapter president, judges not finalized yet. Will post the final judges as soon as available. Keep an eye on the Weekend Edition for notification.

Categories:

Category Length Romance

Contemporary Romance

Erotic Romance

Historical Romance

Romantic Elements

Romantic Suspense

Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic Romance


Young Adult Romance


Heart to Heart. Deadline August 31. Enter the scene(s) in which the protagonists meet for the first time or for the first time in the book, if previously acquainted, up to a maximum of 15 page.Open to all writers unpublished by an RWA-approved publisher as of the entry deadline. Prospective entrants may be published with a non RWA-recognized publisher. However, they may not enter books/manuscripts that have been professionally edited or have ISBN numbers. 

2016 Final Judges

Contemporary
Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency - Agent
Elle Keck, Harper Collins - Print Editor
Toni Kelley, Extasy Books - E-Pub Editor

Erotica
TBD - Agent
Adam Wilson, Gallery/Simon and Schuster - Print Editor
TBD - E-Pub Editor

Historical
Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literacy Agency - Agent
Nicole Fisher, Avon - Print Editor
Alycia Tornetta, Entangled - E-Pub Editor

Paranormal
Lane Haymont, The Seymour Agency - Agent
TBD - Print Editor
TBD - E-Pub Editor

YA
Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary - Agent
TBD - Print Editor
TBD - E-Pub Editor   

Other Writer Opportunities

The Oregon Christian Writer's Conference.  August 15–18, 2016. Held at the Red Lion on the River Hotel (Jantzen Beach) in Portland. Twelve intensive morning classes and 26 afternoon workshops include a variety of fiction and nonfiction offerings, plus writing for young adults, writing for magazines, writing Bible studies, indie publishing, poetry, self-editing and a premium class with pre-conference manuscript reviews. Writers have opportunities to work on craft, get feedback through manuscript reviews, meet one-on-one with editors and agents, and receive “Next-Step” career advice from award-winning mentors. Each year contacts made during this conference lead to publishing contracts. More information check here.


Moonlight & Magnolias Conference. Date: September 29–October 2, 2016. Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers. Location: Hilton Atlanta Northeast, Peachtree Corners (Near Norcross), Georgia.Fee: GRW Members – $225; RWA Members – $245; Non-Members – $265. Cost will increase after July 31 as we move into late registration. Publishing Houses: St. Martin’s Press, Harlequin, Sourcebooks, & Carina Press. Agencies: Bradford Literary Agency & The Seymour Agency. Conference Features: workshops, pitch workshop, book signing, editor & agent appointments.


Kiss of Death Coffin Online Classes can be seen here. Must be an RWA member. $15 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Check out the August Class:
Murder One: August 1 - 31-Instructor: Elizabeth Heiter
Description: It's crucial that characters in fiction are realistic, or you risk losing your reader.  This workshop will help you add realism to your FBI characters. It will cover the basics (the difference between the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, what the FBI investigates, the difference between FBI agents and other staff), how the FBI works (the Academy; headquarters, field offices and resident agencies; divisions, squads and partnerships; the leadership structure; FBI acronyms), investigations (when the FBI gets involved; how investigations work; joint investigations; fingerprints, labs and forensics; specialty units), and handcuffs, weapons and other tools of the trade (handcuffs, weapons, badges and credentials, Bucars, special rules and regs).  It will also cover how to find more (and accurate!) information after the class ends.

Angels, Miracles, Cats, Dogs, Canada and more... The Chicken Soup upcoming topic line-up can be found here.


Another terrific paying market for your short fiction is Splickety Magazine. Check out the guidelines here.

Interested in selling to Woman's World Magazine? Details for submission can be found in the February Edition of the Contest Update here.

Another viable market is the True's (True Confession and True Story). Guidelines here.

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Welcome to the July Contest Diva, Janette Foreman!

There are two main reasons I enter contests. #1: A shot at the grand prize (I mean, who doesn't want that?), and #2: To utilize the judge's feedback.

I grew up with an active imagination, and once I wrote a story in second grade for a school assignment, my dream was to be a published author. I was one of those strange kids who immersed myself in my dream from the beginning. I memorized the submission guidelines on a CBA publisher's website, I interviewed local writers to discover the secrets to getting books published. But I had a lot to learn. In order to improve my craft, I needed to see how readers viewed my work.

When I finished my first full-length, I submitted it to an organization called The Writer's Edge. It's not a contest, per se, but it's a manuscript service that works in a similar fashion to contests. You submit a portion of your work, receive feedback, and the manuscripts that rise to the top receive a grand prize: their back cover copy is included in The Writer's Edge monthly report, sent out to major Christian publishers and agencies. I was so nervous to send out that baby. My heart--because a book is basically the writer's heart--was about to be critiqued. Folks, I know it's hard, but trust me, building that rhino-tough author skin is necessary and worth it. The feedback I received made me a stronger writer. I learned things I never would've learned otherwise.

Fast forward a couple years to when I became a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). This is the first time I'd really heard of writing contests. I entered the Genesis contest a couple years in a row without moving forward in the competition. And you know what? That is okay! Because, again, the feedback I received helped me grow as a writer. Was it all gushy praise? Of course not. Did some of the comments sting? Definitely. But again, developing that rhino skin is a part of the author life. I would also add that reading others' feedback helps you hone your discernment as a writer. You become teachable. You discover what feedback is helpful for your story and what feedback is simply one judge's opinion and doesn't necessarily need to be included in your story.

Then last year, a friend of mine told me about the Love Inspired Blurb to Book contest. I entered and made it to the final round, ending the contest with a Revise and Resubmit letter. Again, the editors' feedback was fabulous. This year, I have entered two contests: the Love Inspired Manuscript Match contest and RWA's (Romance Writers of America) Faith, Hope, and Love chapter's Touch by Love contest. I'm excited to say that I'm currently a finalist in both! I even tried a new type of story for the Touched by Love contest--something I'd never tried before. I'd entered purely for the feedback, so I was shocked to move forward in the competition! I don't say that to show off any achievements of mine; I'm telling you this to encourage you to try. Put your work out there. See what others say. Learn new things. Develop your tough skin. Contests will help you grow and will make all the difference.

Janette Foreman can be found online here:
Blog/Website: www.janetteforeman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJanetteForeman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJanetteF 
Fiction 411 (Blog and Book Reviews): www.fiction411.com 

Contest Entries:
Love Inspired's 2015 Blurb to Book - Finalist
Love Inspired's 2016 Manuscript Match - Finalist
RWA Faith, Hope, and Love's Touched by Love - Finalist
  


Janette Foreman is a high school English teacher with a passion for the written word. Through her romances, she not only hopes to show inspirational, God-centered relationships, but she also desires that people see themselves as having worth in God's eyes. She is a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), secretary of the ACFW Dakotas chapter, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray at the Steve Laube Agency. When she sneaks in time for extra hobbies, she loves to read, quilt, garden, make cloth dolls, and draw. A graduate of York College and Black Hills State University, she makes her home in the northern Midwest with her husband, polydactyl cat, and bird-hunting dog.


That's it...NOW GO FORTH AND CONTEST!

Today's Contest Update was brought to you by Tina Radcliffe. Tina writes humorous sweet romance and inspirational romance from her home in Arizona. She is a Carol Award winner for Mending the Doctor's Heart,as well as a 2016 Holt Medallion finalist, and a 2016 Greater Detroit RWA’s Booksellers’ Best Book Award finalist for Safe in the Fireman's Arms.


The fourth book in the Paradise series, Rocky Mountain Reunion is currently available.  Rocky Mountain Cowboy will be available in December.