August Contest Update

Five contest months left this year! 

Leave a comment on your plans for August through December. 

How many books will you have completed? 

Reader or writer can answer that question

 and get their name in the tiara box for this week's giveaway: 
for one winner a journal, & to another winner, 
a surprise Seeker two-pack of summer reading!

Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Published Manuscript Contests

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

Unpublished Manuscript Contests

***A word of caution: Do not enter a category of ANY contest where you do not know who the final judge is (unless that info is supposed to be anonymous.). ***

The Beacon. Deadline August 31. Open to non-RWA writers. 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 or Series Romance (Short Contemporary Romance)
 Agent: Scott Eagan-Greyhaus Literary Agency
Editor: Kathryn Lye-Harlequin

Contemporary Romance (Single Title)
Agent: Rebecca Strauss–De Fiore & Co. Literary Agency
Editor: Elizabeth Poteet of St. Martin’s Press

Erotic Romance
Agent: LaToya C. Smith, Lori Perkins Agency
Editor: Toni Kelley – Acquisitions Editor eXtasy Books

Historical Romance (Including Regency)
Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan-Handspun Literary Agency
Editor: Elle Keck-HarperCollins (Avon)

Romantic Elements
Agent: Shannon Hassan, The Marsal Lyon Agency
Editor: Susan Litman-Harlequin

Romantic Suspense
Agent: Laurie McLean – Managing Partner; Fuse Literary Agency
Editor: Nicole Fischer-HarperCollins (Avon)

Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic Romance
Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Agency
Editor: Tera Cuskaden, Editorial Director for Entangled’s Select Otherworld

Young Adult
Agent: Jessica Errera of Jane Rotrosen Agency
Editor: KC Mead-Brewer, Developmental Editor for Bancroft Press

Inspirational ***
Agent: Melissa Jeglinski-The Knight Agency
Editor: Shana Asaro-Harlequin Love Inspired


Heart to Heart. Deadline August 31. Open to non-RWA writers. 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 nonRWA-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
Bethany Blair, Berkley - Print Editor
Stephanie Doig, Carina Press - E-Pub Edito

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

Hot Prospects Deadline September 3. Open to non-RWA writers. The Hot Prospects Contest is open to any Romance work uncontracted and unpublished at the time of entry. Entry consists of up to the first 30 pages to include a 3-5 page synopsis and up to 25 pages of your manuscript.

Single Title Contemporary-
Senior Editor – Johanna Raisanen – Harlequin
Agent – TBA.

Romantic Suspense-
Editor – Kate Seaver - Berkley
Agent – Melissa Jeglinkski – Knight Agency

Historical/Regency-
Editor – Rhonda Penders  – Wild Rose Press
Agent – TBA

Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal–
Editor – Melissa Singer – TOR
Editor  – Michelle Klayman – Boroughs Publishing

Young Adult/New Adult Romance:
Editor – TBA
Agent – Michelle Grajkowski  – 3 Seas Literary

Inspirational Romance:
Editor – Victoria Curran - Harlequin
Editor – Raela Schoenherr – Revell Bethany House

Erotic Romance: 
Brenda Chin – Entangled
Agent – TBA

I have contacted the coordinators and have updated this list to be current.

 
Phoenix Ratter Contest (Christian Writers of the West). Deadline September 3. Submit the first ten (10) contiguous pages of your novel plus a one-page synopsis of the whole book. Completed manuscript no required to enter. THIS IS A GREAT CONTEST TO GET YOUR DIVA/DIVO FEET WET!!
 
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




Fiction from the Heartland. Deadline September 7. Open to non-RWAwriters. Entry must have a projected minimum length of 40,000 words. Contest will have no more than ten overall finalists from all categories. Manuscripts must achieve 85% or greater of
the total points possible to qualify as a finalist. Finalists will be judged by an industry editor AND agent.

Categories.
• Category Romance includes all novels intended for series lines
• Contemporary Single Title
• Historical Romance
• Romantic Suspense
• Paranormal Romance includes time travel, fantasy and futuristic
• Erotic Romance
• Young Adult Romance / New Adult Romance
• Inspirational Romance

Editors
 Elle Keck, Assistant Editor, Harper Collins
 Patience Bloom, Senior Editor, Harlequin
 Theresa Cole, Editor, Entangled Publishing
 David Long, Bethany House

Agents
 Shira Hoffman, McIntosh and Otis
 Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency
 Marisa Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary Agency
 Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency


Gateway to the Best. Deadline September 9. Open to non-RWA writers. Entry consists of up to the first 7000 words of manuscript. The Grand Prize winner will receive a 2-hour coaching session with writing coach Michael Hauge (valued at $700), the Gateway Charm, and a certificate of achievement.

Contemporary Single Title/Series
Final Judge:  Diana Steger, Editor, Evernight Publishing

Historical
Final Judge:  Kathryn Chesire, Editor, Historical Team, Mills Boon/Harlequin

Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic/Time Travel/Alternate Reality
Final Judge:  Stephanie Doig, Assistant Editor, Carina Press

Women's Fiction with strong romantic elements
Final Judge:  Kristine Swartz, Editor, Berkley

Romantic Suspense
Tera Cuskaden, Editorial Director, Entangled Publishing

Young or New Adult
Final Judge:  Megha Parekh, Editor, Grand Central Publishing


The Rudy. Deadline September 30. Open to non-RWA writers. Open to published and unpublished authors. With the exception of Erotic Romance, all categories may have varying levels of sensuality. All entries must include first and last chapters and a synopsis (not more than 2 pages) ONLY. No prologues or epilogues are allowed.Entries must be 40 pages or less, INCLUDING the synopsis (not judged). 

**All entrants must judge at least ONE entry from a category other than the one you entered. Please indicate if you would prefer not to judge Erotic Romance.**

Final Round Judges: Professional editors will judge top three in each category and will be named later. I have contacted the coordinators. No judge names yet.  

Other Writer Opportunities

 Romance Writers! Give us your Great Canadian Heroes and Skip the Slush Pile! From July 1 to September 12, 2016, send us your first chapter plus a 3-7 page synopsis to the Ooooh…Canada! Blitz at Harlequin.submittable.com.  You can submit to any of the Harlequin series we publish as long as your story features a Canadian romantic hero.   Need some inspiration?  Check out all our current series books at www.Harlequin.com

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.

In the Pennsylvania area? Check out the Keystone Christian Fiction Writer's Conference, coming in November. Love Inspired Editor, Emily Rodmell is taking pitches! 

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.

~~~~~~~~

Welcome to our August Contest Diva, Susan Hollaway!

I’ve wanted to write fiction almost as long as I can remember, but I kept that desire mostly in the make-believe worlds of “if-only” and “wouldn’t-it-be-nice.” Until 2008. I finally consulted God, prayed fervently, then shared my dream out loud with my husband and daughter. That’s when I realized it was okay to step out and do something to make my dream come true. And I began to write. 

At first, I wrote sporadically, tucked away time here and there in between homeschooling my daughter and working a part-time job.  

In 2009, a new friend introduced me to ACFW, and I joined.  I met other writers who were people watchers, had stories running through their heads, and asked off-the-wall, weird questions and they didn’t think doing so was the least bit odd. I was welcomed into the writing world and I was thrilled. I cannot begin to give adequate thanks to all the people God has placed in my path. Their advice has helped me grow and understand so much more about this wonderful world of writing. 

I gathered the courage to attend my first Called to Write Conference in southeast Kansas in the spring of 2010, entering my first contest there. I received third place in that contest and was encouraged. I make every effort to attend this yearly conference. It’s been invaluable to my writing and I’ve made so many precious friendships along the way.

Somewhere in late 2010, I learned that Woman’s World magazine accepted unsolicited submissions for short romantic fiction stories. I wanted to try, and God gave me an amazing writer friend who critiqued my work and taught me so much. She deserves an award. Truly. She’d never say so, but I think at times she’d have rather poked herself in the eye than read one more draft of my story. I submitted that eight hundred word manuscript and joined the waiting game. That story was published in their magazine in May of 2011. 

It was that story that helped me pay my registration to my first (and only so far) national ACFW conference in that same year. (Later, two more of my stories were published in Woman’s World, both appearing in January issues of 2014.) 

In 2013, I entered the Harlequin’s Love’s Inspired Happily Editor After pitch contest and received a request for a partial, but life threw me an unexpected curveball, and I did not get my manuscript to a point where I felt like I could submit it. 

In 2014 at the Called to Write Conference, I entered the Adult Christian Fiction category with a romance and received first place.  The next year, in 2015, I entered the same category with a different manuscript and placed second. 

I was learning so much from entering these contests that I entered Harlequin’s 2015 Love Inspired Blurb to Book initiative. I moved on to stage two but did not move on to the final round.  

Later in 2015 I entered ACFW’s First Impressions Contest and moved on to the finals. I received some great feedback from the judges. 

In the spring of this year, with the strong prompting of a dear writer friend, I entered Harlequin’s 2016 Love Inspired Historical Manuscript Matchmaker initiative. I moved on to the finals and just recently submitted my full 70K manuscript. 

I have to say working full-time as a special education para-educator, working an additional part-time job, and trying to write on a deadline taught me lessons I’m not sure I could have learned any other way. No matter how my manuscript fares in this contest, I’ll forever look upon this experience as positive and one where I learned  much about writing and myself. 

If you truly want to be a writer, then remember that fear is not of the Lord.  If you want to do this, step out in faith. You might just surprise yourself and enjoy the journey like you never imagined you could. 

There are so many things this amazing journey has taught me. I’d like to share three with you today. 

1. Writing is hard work, and the only way to get better is to write. A lot. 

2. Writer’s block is an excuse. No other profession gets to use that alibi. We have to write anyway—inspired or not. Write. If it’s important to you, you’ll make the time.

3.  You have to believe in you and your desire to write. So what if you aren’t where you think you should be? Get over it. You never will be if you don’t write, and you won’t learn how to get better if you don’t put yourself out there. 

So, go. Take that step and enter some contests.  

~~~~~~~~

That's it! Now go forth and contest!

Today's Contest Update was brought to you by Tina Radcliffe. Tina writes humorous sweet 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. If you haven't, stop by her author Facebook page and like it, and then enter the Inspirational Romance Contest that ends August 8th. Books and a Kindle Fire are up for grabs!

bit.ly/inspyromance