| Organization |
Contest |
Type |
Eligibility |
Dates |
Entry |
Fee |
Submission |
Categories / Judges |
Awards / Other Info |
| Mid-America
Romance Writers of America |
Fiction
from the Heartland |
Romance |
unpublished and uncontracted; excludes MARA members |
Received by Sept 7, 2010 |
prologue, 1st chapter, synopsis (35 pp max) |
$20, $30 for 1st entry, add'l entries half price. Check or PayPal |
mail, electronic |
Contemp Series (Susan Litman, Harlequin); Contemp ST (Danielle Poiesz, Pocket Books); HR (Tessa Woodward, Avon Books); Inspirational (Melelissa Endlich, Steeple Hill); RS (Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing); ER (Meghan Conrad, Ellora's Cave); Para (Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group); YA (Natashya Wilson, Harlequin Teen). Agent Judges: Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency; Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary Agency; Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates; Claudia Cross, Sterling Lord Literistic |
Prize: $50.00 / Plaque / Certificate. |
| Bear Deluxe Magazine |
Doug Fir Fiction Award |
Short Story |
original, unpublished short story; open to any writers in English, escept those affiliated with Orlo or the Bear Deluxe Magazine |
Postmark by / e-deadline of Sept 8, 2010; winner announced by Jan 15, 2011 |
up to 5,000 words, relating to a sense of place or the natural world, interpreted as broadly or narrowly as you wish |
$15 |
mail, online. Pay by check, or money order in USD drawn on US bank. |
Judge: Jim Lynch, author of the acclaimed and award-winning novels, The Highest Tide and of Border Songs (Alfred A. Knopf), which was listed as a "Best Book of 2009" by the Washington Post, the Toronto Star, the Oregonian, and Amazon. |
Winner: $1,000 and publication in the Bear Deluxe Magazine Finalists (2): Honorable mention in the Bear Deluxe Magazine |
| SpacecoasT
Authors of Romance Romance Writers of America |
Launching
A Star |
Romance |
unpublished writers in book-length fiction who are not PAN eligible (entries may be capped at 120) |
Received by midnight EST Sept 8, 2010; finalists notified
Nov 7; winners notifed mid-Dec. |
1st 25 pp of ms |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
1st round: at least 2 judges. If 40 point difference, a discrepancy judge will be assigned. 5 finalists per category. Final judges: ST (Selina McLenmore, Grand Central Publishing; Becca Stumpf, Prospect Agency); General Para (Meredith Giordan / Berkley Jove; Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Agency); Futuristic / Fantasy (Devi Pillai, Orbit; Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary); HR (Talia Platz, New American Library (NAL); Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Agency); Series Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin Special Edition; Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency); RS (Katherine Pelz, Berkley; Laura Bradford, The Bradford Literary Agency); Inspirational (Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson; Rachelle Gardner, WordServe Literary); YA (Kristin Daly, Harper Collins; Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency) |
All finalists will receive a certificate. 1st Place
winner of each category receives engraved STAR paperweight. Overall contest winner
will have a star named for them through the International Star Registry. |
| Oklahoma
Romance Writers of America |
Finally
A Bride |
Romance |
unpublished, uncontracted authors whose ms have finaled
(but not won) in a RWA sponsored contest or whose ms placed in the top 25% of
the Golden Heart. Do not have to be member of RWA. |
e-deadline midnight Sept 10, 2010 (extended from Sept 3) |
first 30 pp. For final round entries, an optional synopsis (5 pp max) is strongly recommended |
$25, $30 |
emailed with rtf or Word doc format |
1st round: 3 judges, RWA trained or published authors. Lowest score dropped. Combined scores of 2 final judges for each category: Inspirational / Traditional (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill; Barbara Scott, Abingdon Press); Series Contemp (Patience Smith, Silhouette; Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); Para / TT / F / F (Margo Lipschultz, HQN; Alicia Condon, Kensington); RS (Charles Griemsman, Silhouette; Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing); HR / Regency (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks; TBA); MS / RE (Keyren Gerlach, HQN; Esi Sogah, Avon); YA (Anne Bensson, St. Martin's Press; Leah Wilson, BenBella Books) |
The Bride (First Place Winner) in each category will receive a lovely engraved knife and cake server, suitable for cutting the cake in celebration of THE CALL. In addition, any book that is published as a result of this contest will receive a free entry into the National Readers' Choice Award the first year of eligibility. All other finalists will receive suitable recognition. |
| Missouri
Romance Writers of America |
Gateway
to the Best |
Romance |
not contracted / not published with RWA approved publisher
within last 3 yrs |
e-deadline 11:59 p.m. CDT Sept 10, 2010; finalists announced ~Oct 30; winners announced ~Dec 3. |
up to 1st 25 pp |
$20, $30; half price for add'l entries |
electronic |
3 judges for 1st round, lowest score dropped. Contemp Series (Laura Barth, Harlequin); HR (Esi Sogah, Avon); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); Para (LaToya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); RS (Margo Lipschultz,, Harlequin); YA (Kathy Dawson, Dial Books / Penguin Group) |
Overall Grand Prize: $100 + full reading and critique
of ms by a major pubbed author. 1st Place: Gateway charm, electronic banner for
website, + 1 yr newsletter membership. 2nd Place: newsletter membership. 3rd
Place: certificate (all receive certificates). |
| Hunger Mountain |
Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize |
Creative Nonfiction, unpublished, in English |
Anyone |
Postmark, e-deadline September 10, 2010 |
Submit an orginial, unpublished work of creative nonfiction in English of up to 10,000 words |
$20 by check or PayPal |
Mail, online |
2010 Judge is Melissa Febos, author of WHIP SMART |
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Hunger Mountain website. Two honorable mentions receive $100 each. |
| New
York City Romance Writers of America |
Kathryn
Hayes Love and Laughter |
Romance with humor |
not contracted / published in novella or novel-length
fiction as of deadline. RWA membership NOT required. |
Postmark or e-deadline midnight Sept 13, 2010 |
Any scene in your novel between the hero and heroine which illustrates humor and love / romance (15 pages max.); story / background summary (two pages max., will not be judged). |
$25, $30
can pay by PayPal |
mail, email |
Judges = published authors. No categories, open to any romance genre in category or ST length. Final Judge Chris Keesler, Senior Editor at Dorchester Publishing |
Grand Prize: $75 |
| The Ante Review |
Prose Poem Contest |
Poetry |
entries must be in English |
e-deadline Sept 15, 2010 |
poem of up to 300 words |
free |
email |
Categories / Judges: The Ante Review editors will choose their favorite piece |
Awards: Grand prize includes publication in the Review and a $75 cash prize. Finalists will be offered publication at our discretion. |
| GuideGecko.com |
GuideGecko International Writing Contest 2010 |
International writing contest for travel, food & lifestyle guidebooks |
new and previously published titles can be submitted |
September 15, 2010 |
To enter you must publish your guide on their site (it's free) using their publishing wizard. Book must have at least 32 pp and be published as a PDF download and as a print on demand. |
free, authors keep all copyrights |
electronic |
Winner decided by: Jury of guidebook industry veterans + online vote |
Winner receives trip to the world’s largest book fair in Frankfurt, Germany in October 2010, and will have his title published and showcased on the fair. |
| The Ayn Rand Institute |
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest |
Essay with specific theme |
open to high school seniors (12th graders) and college undergrads and graduate students worldwide |
Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 PM PST Sept 17, 2010; winners notified by Nov 27. |
Choose one of 3 topics. Winning essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words and demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged. |
free |
mail, online |
Judged on style and content. Essay submissions are evaluated in a fair and unbiased four-round judging process. Judges are individually selected by the Ayn Rand Institute based on a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Ayn Rand’s works. |
One first prize of $10,000; 3 second prizes of $2,000; 5 third prizes of $1,000; 20 finalist prizes of $100; 20 semifinalist prizes of $50 |
| Mills & Boon |
New Voices |
Romance |
unpublished (?) |
Sept 22, 2010 (begins Sept 6) |
Enter first chapter |
free |
online |
4 stages: (1) upload your first chapter; (2) Mills & Boon editorial team will select 10 finalists who willsubmit second chapter (3) Readers vote for favorite entry out of top ten to choose 4 finalists (4) Finalists submit the "privotal moment" of their novel; readers and Mills & Boon judges select winner. |
publication of the winning entry by Mills & Boon and a Mills & Boon editor for a year |
| Real Simple |
Life Lessons Essay Contest |
Essay in English |
U.S. legal residents age 19 or older |
Postmarked by 11:59 P.M. ET Sept 24, 2010 and received no later than Sept 31; winner notified after Jan 3, 2011. |
Typed, double-spaced submission (1,500 wds max) essay theme-based, finishing the sentence "I never thought I'd..." |
Free |
Mail or email |
Judged by Real Simple editors, based on originality, creativity, language and appropriateness to contest theme (25% each) |
One winner receives $3,000, round trip economy plae tickets for two to NYC plus hotel accommodations for 2 nights, tickets to a Broadway play, lunch with Real Simple editors, and publication in Real Simple magazine. |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Fiction Open |
Short Story |
all writers, all themes |
midnight PST, Sept 30, 2010; results posted Nov 30 |
word count 2,000 to 20,000 |
$18 |
online |
|
1st place wins $2000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $1000; 3rd-place:$600 |
| Pudding House |
Pudding House Chapbook Competition |
Poetry |
Some poems may be previously published but not the collection as a whole. No simultaneous submissions. |
Sept 30, 2010 |
10-36 pp manuscripts of poens (prefer 24-28 pp) in TNR 11 pt |
$15 |
email |
Judged by editor, Jennifer Bosveld, sometimes with editorial staff for finals. |
$2000 First Place divided between author ($1,000) & a shelter program for the homeless ($1,000) plus publication 20 free copies; deep discounts on optional additionals |
| L. Ron Hubbard |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally published
a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories
in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least
5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight Sept 30, 2010 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy.
No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter.
Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| New
England Romance Writers of America |
First
Kiss |
Romance |
unpublished in book-length fiction |
Emailed by Oct 1, 2010; 1st round, judged entries returned ~Dec 15 |
scene of first kiss (10 pp max) plus 1 p set-up |
$15, $20, $23 by check or PayPal |
email |
1st round scored by 1 pubbed author and 1 qualified,
unpubbed judge. Discrepancy judge if scores differ by 30 or more and the point
spread keeps entrant from finaling. Patience Smith (Harlequin / Silhouette)
will choose winners from 6 finalists |
1st Prize: $50 or Free registration to the New England
Chapter Conference ($189 value). 2nd Prize: $35, 3rd Prize: $25. |
| First
Coast Romance Writers of America |
Beacon
Award, Unpublished |
Romance |
unpublished / not contracted in book-length (50K min)
in last 3 yrs; RWA membership not required. Contest limited to first 125 entries. |
midnight EST Oct 1, 2010. Finalists notified
Dec 15; winners announced at 2010 conference) |
1st 30 pp with optional
synopsis (synopsis will not be judged but should be included in page count) |
$25 FCRW members, $30 RWA members, $35 others |
electronic; cn pay by check or PayPal |
1st round = 2 judges, at least one published; 3 finalists per category. ST / Contemp (Georgia Woods, Samhain; Agent TBA); ER (Raelene Gorlinski, Elora's Cave; Agent TBA); Contemp Series (Rhonda Penders, Wild Rose Press; Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency); RS (Tessa Woodward, Harper Collins; Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Agency); Para (Leis Pederson - Penguin / Berkley; Agent TBA); Inspirational (Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill; Agent TBA); Chick Lit / MS (Mercedes Fernandez, Kensington; Agent TBA); YA (Editor TBA; Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger Agency); HR (Editor TBA; Amy Boggs, Donald Maass Literary Agency) |
1st place per category - Beacon Lapel Pin. All finalists will receive a certificate for their
achievement. Winners will be posted in the RWR |
| Chick
Lit Writers of the World |
Get
Your Stiletto in the Door |
Chick Lit |
Any writer unpublished / uncontracted by RWA approved publisher in novel-length fiction. Entry must have a projected minimum of 75,ooo word (35,000 for YA) |
e-deadline 11:59 PM PDT Oct 1, 2010; finalists notified ~Nov 10; winners announced ~Dec 20. |
Beginning of ms (5,000 words max) plus synopsis (500 words max, will not be judged) |
$15, $25 |
electronic. Pay via PayPal, check on US bank or money order in US funds. |
Preliminary round judged by 4 1st round judges; lowest score dropped. Top 3 entries in each category (must receive a score totaling at least 105 points out of 140 posible points) advance to the final round. Final judges: ST (Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management; Amanada Bergeron, Harper-Collins); Women's Fiction (Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary; Leis Pederson, The Berkley Publishing Group); Thrill (Agent TBA; Kathleen Gilligan, St. Martin’s); Para (Chelsea M. Gilmore, Maria Carvainis Agency; Megan Records, Kensington); Inspirational (Kelly Mortimer, Mortimer Literary; Beth Adams, Guide Posts); Red Hot (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Sharon DeVita, Red Sage Publishing); YA (Mandy Hubbard, D4EO; Emilia Rhodes, Simon Pulse) |
1st place winner in each category will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Results will be published in the RWR. |
| Maine
Romance Writers of America |
MERWA
- Synopsis Contest |
Romance |
Unpublished |
Postmark / e-deadline Oct 1, 2010 |
synopsis (10 pp max) |
$20 (by check, money order, PayPal) |
electronic preferred, mail |
Contemp; HR; Para; RS; RE. Preliminary
round = 3 judges, published and / or trained. 3 highst averaged scores are finalists.
Top entry in each category goes to final judge. Final Judge: Chris Keeslar, Dorchester
Publishing. |
The finalists in
each category and grand prize winner will receive certificates and be announced
in the RWR. |
| Clark Library Friends |
Scare the Dickens Out of Us and Junior Scare the Dickens Out of Us for ages 12-18 |
Short story, ghost theme, any genre, any tone, any subject |
Published and unpublished writers. Story must be original, unpublished and in English. |
Postmark by Oct 1, 2010 |
short story, 5,000 wds max |
$20 |
mail, pay by check or MO. |
|
1st prize, $1000 and a trophy. 2nd prize, $500 and a ribbon. 3rd prize, $250 and a ribbon. Junior contest prize $250 and a trophy. |
| North
Louisiana StoryTellers and Authors of Romance |
The
Suzannah |
Romance |
Published or unpublished. Entry must be unpublished and
uncontracted as of Nov 30, 2010. Contest closes after 120 entries are received. |
e-deadline midnight CST Oct 1, 2010; finalists
announced Dec 1, 2010; grand prize winner announced at NOLA STARs conference in March 2011. |
Beginning of ms, synopsis (25 pp max, 7,200 words max) |
$30, $35, check. money order or PayPal |
electronic |
No categories (6 finalists). Three 1st
round judges are published authors, RWA PRO members, industry professionals (i.e.
librarians and booksellers) with lowest score dropped. Finalists are ranked 1 to 6 by Danielle Poiesz, Pocket Books; Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Ehrlich Literary; Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency; Jill Marsal, Marsall Literary Agency; Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin / Silhouette; Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing; Dr. Julie Nelson, sponsor of The Suzannah. Lowest score wins, no other
rankings announced. |
Grand Prize Winner will receive $300 in cash and a trophy. |
| West
Houston Romance Writers of America |
The
Emily |
Romance |
Not contracted by Oct. 7, 2010; not published in category
entered in past 3 yrs. |
Received by / e-Deadline Oct 7, 2010 |
1st 7,000 words, max in TNR or Courier, 12 or 14 point size |
$20, $30 |
online |
3 judges for 1st round, lowest score dropped. Finalists judged by 3 experts (agent, editor, bookseller). Categories: Contemp ST (Jessica Faust, Faust Agency; Francis Jalet-Miller, Grand Central; Stacy Morris, Katy Budget Books); Contemp Series (Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency; Patience Smith, Harlequin; Diana Perini, Barnes & Noble); ER (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Martin Biro, Kensington; Arshi Naqvi, Katy Budget Books); FF&P (Emmanuelle Morgen, Judith Ehrlich Literary Management; Amanda Bergeron, Harper Collins; Gary Robson, Red Lodge Books); HR (Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency; Caitlin Alexander, Random House; Kathy Robson, Red Lodge Books); RE (Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary; Esi Sogah, Avon; Teresa Kennedy, The Book Cellar); RS (Elizabeth Pomada, Pomada Literary Agency; Susan Litman, Silhouette Special Editions; John Kwiatkowski, Murder By The Book); YA (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency; Sarah Shumway, Katherine Tegan; Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookstore); Best of the Best ( Jan Crow and Karla Hoode, Katy Budget Books; Kay Meriam, Barnes and Noble) |
1st Place: EMILY brooch, all other finalists: certificate. Best of the Best receives critique of the first 50 pages by the fabulous Leis Pederson, Berkley Books, Penguin Group (USA) Inc. |
| Gothic
Romance Writers of America |
Haunted
Hearts |
Romance with Gothic Elements |
RWA member unpublished in novel length romantic fiction
by a royalty-paying publisher within the last 5 yrs nor contracted at contest
deadline. |
Postmark / edeadline midnight Oct 8, 2010 |
1st chapter (25 pp max), Synopsis (one page max) |
$15, $25 |
mail, email |
1st round: 3 judges, at least one
of which will be published author. Lowest
score dropped. All 3 score sheets along
w/ annotated entries will be returned to the entrant. 3 finalists per category. Historical
Gothic; Contemporary Gothic. Final judges: Contemp (Alicia Condon, Dorchester); HR (Julia Thornhill, The Wild Rose Press) |
Certificate |
| Southern
Magic Romance Writers of America |
Linda
Howard Award of Excellence |
Romance |
RWA members unpublished or not contracted in past
5 years |
e-deadline
10 PM CST Oct 11, 2010; finalists announced by Jan 1, 2011; winners announced by Mar 26, 2011 |
1st 25 pp of ms. Finalists must supply a synopsis with revised entry |
$20, $25, $30, $35 via check or money order |
email |
1st
round: 3 judges. Lowest score will be dropped.. Short & Long Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin); ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central);
RS-series or ST (Kate Collins, Ballantine); HR (Margo Lipschultz, HQN); YA
(Alicia Condon, Kensington); F / F / TT / Para (Melissa Frain, Tor); The Write Magic (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency) |
1st place will receive $25, a
metal bookmark with name, contest and year printed on it. 2nd to 5th place will
receive a certificate. 1st to 4th place will have their
names printed in the RWR |
| Earth
Vision |
The
Earth Vision Nature Writing Contest |
Fiction, non-fiction or poetic prose with nature theme. See page 3 of this pdf. |
anyone (English entries only) |
Oct 15, 2010 (winners notified by Nov 15, 2010) |
500-2500 words of original fiction, creative non-fiction
or poetic prose. Theme must be nature, deep ecology or spiritual ecology |
$12 |
email |
no categories, 2010 judge is Ann Palmer |
First prize: $500. Second and third prizes: $100 each.
Two (or more) honorable mentions. |
| Chick
Lit Writers of the World |
Get
Your Stiletto in the Door |
Chick Lit Novel |
Books must be printed and bound with a copyright of 2009 |
Postmark by Oct 15, 2010 |
4 printed and bound copies |
$25 |
electronic. Pay via PayPal, check on US bank or money order in US funds. |
Categories: ST, Women's Fiction, Thrill, Para, Inspirational, Red Hot, YA. Judges: Avid readers and writers of commercial women’s fiction trained in contest critique. Each entry will have three judges. No final round. |
First place in each category, $50 Amazon gift card. Winning authors names and titles will be published in RWR®. |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Family Matters |
Original, unpublished fiction / non-fiction / creative non-fiction short story about family |
all writers, all themes |
midnight PST, Oct 31, 2010; results posted Dec 31 |
story about family, 12,000 wds max |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| Silicon
Valley Romance Writers of America |
GOTCHA! |
Romance |
unpublished in category entered |
Received by Oct 31, 2010 |
1st 15 pp of ms |
$25 |
electronic |
1st round judges: 1 published author and 3 experienced,
trained writers. Lowest score is dropped and 3 highest determine final score.
All score sheets will be returned. Top 4 winners in each category will be sent
to an final judge. Categories: Harlequin / Silhouette Series (Susan Litman, Silhouette); ST / MS Contemp (Meredith Giordan, Berkeley); HR (Megan Records, Kensington);
Para (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Inspirational (Emily Rodmell, Steeple Hill) |
Each category will be capped at a maximum of 40 entries. Entries received after the first 40 will be moved to the entrant’s alternate category if that category is not closed, or the entry fee will be refunded. Please indicate your preference on your Contestant’s Agreement. |
| August Moon Publishing House |
Short Story Contest |
Fiction |
All submissions must be unpublished and not submitted or accepted elsewhere |
Oct 31, 2010 |
4000 words or less |
$15 for first entry. $10 for each subsequent one |
Electronic only |
Thriller/suspense, crime fiction, mystery, romance, historical romance, horror, literary fiction, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy. There are four judges, two of which are editors and the other two published authors |
Genres are broken into 3 categories. Each category will have winners ranging 1 through 10. 1st place $1000, 2nd $500, 3rd $100, 4th through 10th $25, in each genre. All 30 winners receive certificate. The top three in each category win a free copy of the winning Anthology. All 30 winners will be published in the winning Anthology. |
| Smoky Mountain Romance Writers of America |
Sweet, Spicy and Spooky Contest |
Fiction short story or novella |
Unpublished writers. RWA membership not required. |
Received by Oct 31, 2010 |
1st ten pp of short story or novella that has a max of 15,000 wds total count. |
$12 (RWA member); $17 (others) |
Electronic |
3 judges will score each entry on a 50 point scale; lowest score dropped. The top five scoring entries in each category will go to the final round. The final round judges are the multi-published members of SMRW. |
1st place $50.00 and published in the Sweet, Spicy and Spooky anthology;. 2nd place $25.00 and a certificate; 3rd place $10.00 and a certificate; Honorable Mention certificate. |
| Hudson
Valley Romance Writers of America |
Hook,
Line and Sinker |
Romance |
all RWA members, published or unpublished |
Postmark by midnight Nov 1, 2010; winners announced January 2011 |
1st 3 pp of ms. |
$10 |
mail |
Top 5 entries will be ranked by Brenda Chin, Harlequin |
1st Place-$50.00, 2nd Place-$25.00,
3rd Place-$10.00. 4th and 5th Place will receive certificates. |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
One Act Play Contest |
One-act play |
Students and faculty of the University of New Orleans FTCA and Creative Writing Workshop are ineligible. Plays that have won any other playwriting contest are ineligible. |
Postmark / e-deadline Nov 1, 2010. Winner announced by March 1, 2011. |
Submit unpublished, never publicly performed one-act play up to one hour in length. See guidelines for more info. |
$25 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
|
Grand Prize: $1,500; staged reading at the 2011 Festival (25th anniversary: March 23-27); full production at the 2012 Festival; VIP All-Access Festival pass for 2011 and 2012 ($1,000 value); publication in Bayou. Top Ten Finalists: Names will appear on website. Finalists will also receive a panel pass ($60 value) to attend the 2011 Festival. |
| Writer's
Digest |
Popular
Fiction Awards |
Fiction |
anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest |
Postmark by Nov 1, 2010 |
4000 words or less |
$20.00 |
mail or electronic |
Romance; Mystery / Crime Fiction; Sci-Fi / Fantasy; Thriller / Suspense;
Horror |
Grand Prize: $2,500 cash + $100 worth
of Writer's Digest Books + 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. 1st
Prize each category $500 cash + other prizes. |
| Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival |
Saints and Sinners Short Fiction Contest |
Short Story on broad theme "saints and sinners" |
Unpublished short stories only |
Postmark Nov 1, 2010 |
5,000—7,000 words with GLBT content on broad theme “saints and sinners.” |
$15 |
mail |
Judged by John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil |
Grand Prize: $250, publication in QueerMojo anthology, reading at Festival (May 12-15, 2011). Two 2nd place prizes: $50 each, anthology publication, reading |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
Fiction Contest |
Short Story |
Open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Includes self-published books with ISBN. Story cannot have won any other writing contest. |
Postmark / e-deadline Nov 15, 2010. Winner announced by March 1, 2011. |
Original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. |
$25 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
Judged by Robert Olen Butler |
Grand Prize: $1500; Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 2011 Festival in New Orleans; VIP All-Access Festival Pass ($500 value); Public reading at the 2011 Festival (25th anniversary: March 23-27); Publication in Bayou. Top Ten Finalists' names will appear on website. Finalists will also receive a panel pass ($60 value) to attend the 2011 Festival. |
| Romance
Writers of America (RWA) |
Golden
Heart |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted (from non-subsidy, non-vanity
publisher) writer by contest entry deadline |
Register by
5 PM CST Nov 15, 2010; entry must be received by RWA office by 5 PM CST Dec 2, 2010; Finalists announced by Mar 25, 2011 |
6 printed copies of partial (beginning of manuscript
and 15 pp max synopsis, total entry 55 pp max.) and one printed copy of full
ms or one .rtf / .doc file on CD. Limited to first 1,200 entries. |
$50 for RWA members; $150 for non-members |
RWA members register by mail or online; non-members
by mail. Entry sent via mail. |
Contemp Series; Contemp Series RS / Adventure; Contemp
ST; HR; Inspirational; Novel w/ strong RE; Para; Regency HR; RS; YA. Judges are PRO members of RWA for first round. 5 judges, each give a single score of 1-9 (9 being best), and those scores are totaled. Approximately 10% of each category become finalists. Editors judge finalists. |
Finalists are announced in Romance Writers Report,
online at RWA website and at RWA National conference. Winner receives a golden
heart necklace. |
| Short Story Radio |
Short Story Radio Romance Award |
Romance short story |
Anyone. Story must be original, unpublished and unbroadcast. |
Received by Nov 15, 2010. Winner notified approx 4 wks later. Winning story will be broadcast from Feb 14, 2011 |
Romance short story must be between 3,500 and 4,000 words, in English similar to the type found in women's magazines. None overly religious, political, sexual or violent in nature; no expletives. |
£7 |
mail or email. Pay by check drawn on a British bank or by PayPal. |
Final judge: Pat Richardson, founder of Perfectly Worded Writing and Editing Consultancy and former Fiction Editor at Best magazine (UK). |
The winner receives a cash prize of £50 (approx. $78 USD or 57 EURO) and the title of winner of the Short Story Radio Romance Award 2011. Winning story will be recorded and broadcast by a professional actor and will be a high quality production, complete with incidental music. The story will be available for broadcast for a period of 12 months. All entrants, including the winner, will retain the copyright to their story. |
| Avery: An Anthology of New Fiction |
Small Spaces Fiction Prize |
Short Story |
Anyone |
Nov 25, 2010 |
short story, up to 30 double-spaced pages in length |
$10 |
online only |
Judge: Junot Diaz |
Winner to receive $300 and publication in Avery 7. All submissions will be considered for publication |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Short Story Award for New Writers |
Short Story |
writer whose fiction has not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. |
midnight PST, Nov 30, 2010; results posted Jan 31, 2011 |
up to 12,000 words |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Nov 30, 2010. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) |
| Bottle Tree Productions |
One Act Competition |
One Act Screenplay |
Written i n English, not professionally produced |
Received by Nov 30, 2010 |
10-70 minutes in length. Format doesn't matter; author info on separate sheet. |
Entry fee $25. Critique $50. |
Email / PayPal or via Mail with Check. |
Final judge: Charles Robertson |
1st prize: $1,000; 2nd prize: $250; 3rd prize: $100 |
| Hunger Mountain |
Hunger Mountain Ruth Stone Poetry Prize |
Poetry, unpublished, in English |
Anyone |
Postmark, e-deadline December 1, 2010 |
Submit up to 3 poems, not to exceed 6 pp |
$20 by check or PayPal |
Mail, online |
2010 Judge is Matthew Dickman, author of ALL AMERICAN POEM |
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Hunger Mountain website. Two honorable mentions receive $100 each. |
| Dunes & Dreams Romance Writers of America |
Picture Perfect |
Romance Book |
Open to all covers for full-length romance novels (60,000 words min), traditional or electronic, from non-vanity, non-subsidy publishers with an original copyright date of 2009-2010. Dreams & Dunes members not eligible. |
Midnight EST Dec 1, 2010 for entry forms; midnight EST Dec 8 for covers. Finalists announced by Jan 15, 2011; winners announced by Feb 14. |
Submit book cover and blurb |
$10 |
Email. Pay by PayPal or check. |
5 finalists per category: HR, Contemp, Para / Futuristic. Final judge: cover artist, Elaine Duillo. |
One winner per category receives an engraved plaque, a button for your website, and covers will be prominently displayed on the Dunes & Dreams RWA website (with links to the author’s website) for one year. |
| Romance
Writers of
America (RWA) |
RITA |
Romance Book, Novella |
Book published in English by non-subsidy, non-vanity
publisher with original copyright date of 2010. Entrant must be 18 yrs of age by registration deadline. Limited to first 1,200 entries. |
Register by 5 pm CST Dec 1, 2010. Books must be received by 5 pm.
CST Jan 4, 2011. Finalists announced by Mar 25, 2011 |
5 copies of the book submitted in print book format, complete with copyright page, produced by the publisher, with perfect or case binding and printing on both sides of the page. Text and formatting must be identical to published version. |
$40 for RWA members; $140 for non-members |
RWA members register by mail or online; non-members
by mail. Entries sent by mail. |
Contemp Series; Contemp Series RS / Adventure; Contemp
ST; HR; Inspirational; Novel w/ strong RE; Para; Regency HR; RS; YA; Novella;
Best First Book |
Finalists are announced in Romance Writers Report,
online at RWA website and at RWA National conference. Winner receives a Rita
statue. |
| Writer's
Digest |
Short
Short Story Competition |
Fiction short story |
Anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest. Entries must be in English, original, unpublished and not submitted or accepted elsewhere at time of submission. |
Postmark / e-deadline Dec 1, 2010. Winners notified Feb 14, 2011 |
1,500 words or fewer; word count includes title of entry |
$20 |
mail or electronic |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $3,000, 2nd Place: $1,500,
3rd Place: $500, 4th thru 10th Place: $100, 11th thru 25th Place: $50 gift certificate
for Writer's Digest books. 1st Place winner has option of a free Best Seller
Publishing Package from Trafford Publishing. Winners' names will appear in the May / June 2010 issue of Writer's Digest magazine. |
| Writer's
Digest |
Poetry Awards |
Poetry |
anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest |
Postmark / e-deadline Dec 15, 2010, winners notifed Mar 15, 2011. |
32 lines or fewer of rhyming poetry, free verse or
haikuas |
$15 |
mail or electronic (if paying by credit card) |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $250, 3rd Place: $100,
4th thru 10th Place: $25, 11th thru 25th Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's
Digest Books. 1st Place winner has the option of a FREE package from Lulu.com.
Names and poem titles of 1st thru 10th place winners will be in August 2009 Writer's
Digest, and winners will receive the 2009 Poet's Market. |
| Random House Delacorte Press |
Delacorte Press Contest |
First Young Adult Novel |
U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previously
published a young adult novel. |
Postmark by Dec 31, 2010, writers notified between
Jan and Apr as submissions are evaluated, winner announced ~Apr 30, 2011. |
Book length ms (between 100 and 224 double spaced
typewritten pp, 10 pt or larger font) with contemp setting suitable for readers
ages 12 to 18. Include cover letter and brief plot summary. |
Free |
mail |
Judges are editors of Delacorte Press Books for Young
Readers. The prize will be awarded on the basis of originality, style, and creativity. |
The prize of a book contract (on the publisher’s
standard form) covering world rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition.
The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties. |
| Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival |
Saints and Sinners Playwright's Competition |
Full-length play |
Previously produced plays will be considered as long as they have not been produced in the greater New Orleans area. |
Postmark Dec 31, 2010 |
See rules. |
$15 |
mail |
Judges come from all over the country, and all entries are judged anonymously. |
Prize: $250, production by the Marigny Theatre Corporation at Festival, registration at Festival (May 12-15, 2011). |
| Memoirs, Ink |
Half-Yearly writing contest |
Essay, memoir or auto-biographical stories |
previously unpublished entry, includes websites and blogs |
Feb 15, 2011. Late deadline is Feb 28 (extra $5 applies); winners announced Apr 30 |
1,500 words max, must be written in first person in English |
$15 1st entry; $10 each add'l (+$5 if "late") check or MO |
by mail |
Panel of Memoirs Ink judges. Final judge: TBA |
First Prize: $1000; Second Prize: $500; Third Prize: $250; plus publication. |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Feb 28, 2011. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
25 winners. 1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST May 31, 2011. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
25 winners. 1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Aug 31, 2011. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
25 winners. 1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) |
| Organization |
Contest |
Type |
Eligibility |
Dates |
Entry |
Fee |
Submission |
Categories / Judges |
Awards / Other Info |
| Random House |
Delacorte Yearling Contest |
A First Middle-Grade Novel |
U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previously
published a novel for middle grade readers. |
Postmark by June 30, 2009; winners notified between July and Oct; final contest results announced Oct 31. |
Book length ms (between 96 and 160 double spaced
typewritten pp, 12 pt font) with contemp or historical North American setting
suitable for readers ages 9 to 12. Include cover letter and brief plot summary. |
Free |
Mail |
Judges are the editors of Delacorte Press Books for
Young Readers. |
Book contract (on the Publisher’s
standard form) for a hardcover and a paperback edition. The award
consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties. |
| East
Texas Romance Writers of America |
Southern
Heat |
Romance |
unpublished authors who are not contracted to an agent or publisher at deadline; published authors not published in entry category within last 5 yrs |
e-deadline Sept 1, 2009; finalists
notified Oct 30; winners announced Dec 20 |
1st 10 pp plus 5 pp max synopsis |
$20, $25, $30 |
electronic; check or PayPal |
1st Round judged by 2 (usually published) authors. Discrepancy judge used for entry whose 2 scores differ by at least 25 point with one of those scores at least 85% of total points possible. YA (Sarah Shumway, HarperCollins; Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Associates); Para (Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester; Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Agency); HR (Amanda Bergeron, Avon / HarperCollins; Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group); Contemp ST (Margo Lipschultz, HQN; Tina Wexler, ICM); Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin SuperRomance; Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight Agency); RS (Editor Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks; Firebrand Literary Agency); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill; Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency) |
|
| Short Story Radio Broadcasts |
A Slice of Life short story competition |
Fiction short story |
Anyone |
Received by midnight GMT Sept 4, 2009 |
2,500 word max short story. Must fit into theme of "A Slice of Life" (a look into the life of a female protagonist; read submission guidelines for full details.) |
£5 |
Email or post. Can pay by PayPal or check. |
|
Winner will have story recorded by a professional actor and broadcast via Short Story Radio website and will also receive a free critique from best-selling writer Sophie King of the first 4,000 words of a short story or novel. |
| Heartland Romance Writers of America |
Ahh! Romance |
Romance |
Published authors (need not be RWA member) defined as having fully-executed a contract with any non-vanity, non-subsidy publishing house where author did not contribute financially to the publication of the manuscript. |
Midnight PST Sept 25, 2009; finalists announced Oct 15; final placements announced Nov 30. |
1st 25 pp of ms of work in progress. The submitted work may not presently by under contract for publication. |
$10, $15 via check, MO or online payment |
electronic |
Initial Round Judging -- Three trained / certified judges. Top three entrants in each category will go on to the final round. Second Round Judging: Contem (Krista Stroever, Harlequin Silhouette Desire); Erotica (Kelli Collins, Ellora's Cave); HR (Nicole D'Arienzo, The Wild Rose Press); Inspirational (Lori Graham, The Wild Rose Press); Para (Chris Keeslar, Dorchester Publishing); RS (Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin) Sci-Fi / Fantasy (TBA) |
First Place: $50.00 and Certificate All Other Finalists: Certificate |
| Stella Cameron |
Scarlet Boa |
Paranormal |
Published or non-published. |
Received by Sept 25, 2009; submissions posted online Oct 1; 1st rd voting Oct 1-15, Finalists announced Oct 18; 2nd rd voting Oct 18-31; Winner announced Nov 1 |
An opening scene that introduces your paranormal world, (500 - 1,000 words) |
Free |
electronic |
Readers vote. One winner and three honorable mentions will be chosen from 10 finalists. |
Winner announced in a LIVE chat at Writerspace at 10p EST! |
| Nominated (the Movie) |
The Nominated Executive Producer Essay Contest |
Essay |
Anyone |
e-deadline Sept 29, 2009; finalists posted Sept 30; winner posted Oct 31. |
Essay explaining why you should be the Executive Producer (50 words max). Must use these 5 words: vindictive, superficial, validation, sleazeball, gravy |
$25 |
email or mail. Pay via check or PayPal. |
10 finalists will be posted on the movie's blog; winner will be announced in a press release |
Winner recieves Opening / Closing Movie Credit, IMDB Listing, Director's Cut DVD. Finalists receive autographed script and movie tee shirt |
| Rosebud Magazine |
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award |
Short story of fantasy, science-fiction, mystery and horror |
Original, unpublished work. Author need not be US citizen. |
Postmark by Oct 15, 2009 (extended from earlier date) |
one typed copy of short story, prefereably 1000 to 3500 words (up to 4500 words will be considered). |
$10 (or $15 to include a copy of the awards issue). |
mail |
Screening judge: Rosebud Editor Roderick Clark. Final judge: Nina Kiriki Hoffman, fantasy and science fiction author whose many distinctions include a number of World Fantasy and Nebula Award nominations. |
Awards: $1,000 and publication in Rosebud. Four runners-up will receive $100 each and publication. All submissions considered for regular publication in Rosebud. |
| Western Pennsylvania Romance Writers of America |
Bump In The Night |
Flash Fiction Paranormal Romance |
anyone |
Email and mail entries must be received by noon, Oct 17, 2009; can also deliver in person at the Pittsburgh Mills Borders between noon and 2:00 PM Oct 24. Judging takes place at 2:00 pm, winners announced at 3:00 PM unless number of entries requires longer judging period (then by Oct 31) |
Complete entry of 1,000 words or less. |
Free |
mail or emai or deliver in personl |
Judges: published authors and industry professionals from the Western PA area. |
Top prize: $10.00 gift certificate for Borders and one year free membership to WPRW (for RWA members) |
| Christian Writers of the West (Arizona branch of American Christian Fiction Writers) |
The Phoenix Rattler |
Christian Fiction |
Unpublished or not published within past 5 yrs |
Midnight PST, Oct 31, 2009; finalists announced mid-Dec; winners announced mid-Feb 2010 |
First ten pp of ms in 12 pt Courier New or TNR |
$20 |
email |
Contemp Fiction (Melissa Endlich, Love Inspired, Harlequin); Historical Fiction (Barbara Scott, Abingdon Press); Suspense / Thriller / Mystery (Elizabeth Mazur, Love Inspired Suspense); Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Allegory (Diedre Knight, Knight Agency); YA (Janet Grant, Books and Such); Literary Women’s Fiction (Rachelle Gardner, Wordserve Literary) |
Finalists receive certificate. The winner in each category receives designer championship pin and mention on ACFW loop, on our CWOW website, and Michelle Sutton’s highly trafficked blog. |
| Harlequin |
Harlequin Presents Writing Competition |
Romance |
Must be 18 yrs or older. Story concept must be original
and must not have won a previous prize / award nor have been previously submitted,
reproduced or published. |
e-deadlineNov 2, 2009. Winners announced Dec 2009 on I Heart Presents.. |
Entry must consist of the first chapter and synopsis of ms suitable for a Harlequin Presents or Modern Heat novel |
free |
email |
Judged by a panel of members of the Harlequin Mills & Boon
editorial staff, based on the following criteria: Voice, Content, & Writing
Skills in equal measure. |
1st Place: awarded the services for 1 yr of a Harlequin
Mills & Boon editor. 2nd Place: critique of 1st chapter and consultatios for 2 runners-up |
| Ohio
Valley Romance Writers of America |
Enchanted
Words |
Romance |
RWA member not contracted / published by RWA-eligible publisher in book-length romantic
fiction in last 3 yrs. |
Received by Nov 8, 2009 (extended from Nov 1), finalists
notifed in Feb 2010, winners in Apr 2010. |
Query letter, synopsis (7 pp max), beginning of ms
(5 pp max). |
$20 by check or PayPal |
email, online entry form |
3 judges for first round. 4th judge assigned (with lowest score dropped) if difference of 15 points or more between the highest and lowest scores, and entry had chance to final with higher score. 3 finalists per category. Contemp, incl category romance (Tracy Bernstein, NAL; Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); HR (Leis Pedersen, Berkley; Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Erlich Literary Agency); Paranormal (Margo Lipschultz, HQN / Luna; Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester & Assoc. Literary Agency). 1st
round=3 experienced RWA member judges. 3 entries with highest combined scores
go to editor. |
All finalists receive Certificates. Winners receive
$20 + Enchanted Words Award. Names and titles published in RWR. |
| Pikes Peak Writers |
The Paul Gillette Awards |
Fiction |
unpublished in short story and book-length fiction
with uncontracted entry |
Received by 11:59 MST Nov 15, 2010 (winners notified early April
2011) |
Entire Short Story (5,000 wds max) plus paragraph about target market. For book-length, 1st 4,000 wds of novel plus synopsis
(up to 1,250 wds) |
$30, $40 |
electronic only |
1st round: 2 judges (3rd judge if scores are 25+ point apart, with lowest score dropped).3 finalists per category. Final round judges are editors and agents. Short stories, all included in same category; Book Length: Children’s (for ages 8-12); Historical Fiction; MS; Mystery / Suspense / Intrigue; Romance; Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror; YA (for ages 12-18) |
1st Place winner in each
category will be refunded his / her conference registration fee if attending the
2009 PPWC or will be awarded a cash prize of $100 if not attending. 2nd Place
= $50, and 3rd Place = $30. In addition, winners
attending the conference will be given top priority with respect to their editor / agent
pitch appointment selections. |
| Wag's Revue |
Wag's Revue Biannual Contest |
Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction |
all submissions must be previously unpublished |
Nov 30, 2009; winners announced Dec 21, 2009. |
Poetry submissions may include multiple poems (10 pp max); fiction and nonfiction submissions (8,000 words max) |
$20 by credit or debit card or PayPal |
email only |
Judged by the editors of Wag's Revue. |
First prize in each category receives $500 and publication in Wag’s Revue, and all submissions are considered for publication. Wag’s Revue asks for first serial rights to all published work; all other rights revert to the author upon publication. |
| Oklahoma
Romance Writers of America |
National
Readers' Choice Awards |
Romance Book, Novella |
Published romance novel with copyright
date of 2009 or “First US Printing” date of 2009. e-book OK
if submitted in either perfect bound or spiral bound, galley-printed book
form with an ISBN and evidence of copyright date of 2009
is provided. |
Register by Dec 1, 2009; books received by Jan 15,
2010 |
5 copies of Book (see Eligibility column for e-book
info) |
$25 (+ $5 if entering Best 1st Book category also) |
Online form entry, pay via PayPal, check or MO. Books sent via mail. |
Traditional; Short Contemp Series; Long Contemp
Series; ST Contemp; YA; HR; F / F / TT / Para; RS; Inspirational; MS / RE; Erotica, Novella.
Best First book category also. Judges
are readers from across the U.S. |
Entries accepted from authors, editors, publishers, agents, readers, etc. - from whomever wishes to fill out the entry form, pay the entry fee, and supply the required number of copies of the title being entered. |
| International Thriller Writers |
Thriller Awards |
Thriller fiction novel or short story |
Novels and short stories first published in 2009 by an ITW recognized publisher in the English language. |
Received by Dec 1, 2009 for 1st round; received by Jan 27, 2010 for final round; finalists announced Apr 1, 2010; winners announced at ThrillerFest in NY, July 10, 2010. |
4 hard copies for 1st round judging. 3 add'l copies for 2nd round. |
No fee. |
Mail. |
Categories: Best Hard Cover Novel; Best Paperback Original Novel; Best First Novel; Best Short Story (includes novellas under 35,000 wds) . The top scoring entries (a total of 20 or 10% of entries) advance to 2nd round. Top 10 novels in each category are ranked 1-10. The top 5 ranked novels in each award category are named Finalists, with the number 1 position being the Winner. |
|
| Connecticut
Romance Writers of America |
The Write Stuff |
Romance |
RWA member, unpublished and non-PAN (those who have not earned more than $1000 in royalties or advances). |
Received by Dec 1, 2009; winners
announced in April |
1st 20 pp of ms in 12 pt TNR, double-spaced; optional 1 pp single-spaced synopsis (will be not judged). |
$20, $30 via PayPal, check
or money order |
Email entry |
Final Judges: Para (Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates);
Series Contemp (Victoria Curran, Harlequin / Silhouette); ST (Leis Pedersen, Berkley);
RS (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); HR (Megan Records, Kensington Books);
YA (Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Associates) |
Top Prize: $100 in each category. Entries limited to the first 85 submissions. Winners announced at 2010 Connecticut Fiction Fest Conference in April. |
| North
Texas Romance Writers of America |
Great
Expectations |
Romance |
Must be unpublished and uncontracted
in book-length romantic fiction, or published authors who have not published
or contracted in the entered category within the past 5 yrs. |
Received by midnight CST Dec 30, 2009 |
1st 25 pp plus query letter |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
Contemp Series (Victoria Curran, Harlequin Books), ER (Katherine Pelz, Berkley Heat), FFTP / Specialized (Talia Platz, New American Library), HR (Danielle Poiesz, Gallery / Pocket), Inspirational, MS with RE (Abby Zidle, Gallery / Pocket Books), RS (Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing), ST (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press), YA (David Linker, HarperFestival, HarperCollins) |
All finalists will have opportunity to update their entry for the final round of judging. Cash prices for first, second and third places: $50, $30 & $15. All finalists receive certificates. Winners will have their names printed in the RWR. |
| Dream Quest One |
Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest |
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry |
Unpublished, published, All entries must be original to entrants. |
Postmark by December 31, 2009; winners announced January 31, 2010 |
Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject and / or write a short story, 5 pages maximum on any theme, single or double line spacing. |
$5 per poem; $10 per short story |
Mail. Can pay via PayPal. |
All categories welcome. Judges: Dare to Dream Master Selection Committee |
Prizes: Writing First Prize: $500.00, Second: $250.00, Third: $100.00; Poetry First Prize: $250.00, Second: $125.00, Third: $50.00. All winning entries will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages. |
| Writers
of the Future |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally published
a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories
in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least
5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight Dec 31, 2009 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy.
No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter.
Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| Colorado
Romance Writers of America |
Award
of Excellence |
Romance Book |
Novels with original copyright in 2009; e-books accepted. |
Received by Jan 8, 2010; finalists notified Apr 15; winners announced at May conference. |
3 copies of book; e-books must be submitted in book
or bound galley format. |
$20 |
mail but can pay thru Paypal |
Judges: Readers, booksellers or authors. Categories:
Short Contemp; Long Contemp; ST Contemp; RS; HR; F / F / TT&P; Inspirational;
MS with RE; ER / Spicy Romance |
Winners will receive a trophy. All finalists will receive a certificate. |
| Orange
County Romance Writers of America |
Book
Buyer's Best Award |
Romance Book |
Published RWA members with novel with 2009 copyright
date, first printing date, and / or first North American release date. |
Received by Jan 9, 2010, finalists announced Apr 10; winners announced June 12. |
5 auto-graphed Books. e- book OK if author
has signed standard royalties agreement and the ms is submitted in
ARC or galley form w/ spiral or perfect bound. |
$30, $40 |
Pay by mail or Paypal. |
Preliminary round judged by booksellers and librarians.
Final judge: Sue Grimshaw, romance book buyer for Borders Group, Inc.. Categories:
Series Short Contemp; Series Long Contemp; ST with RE; RS / Mystery with RE; HR / Regency
(both series and ST); Para / TT / Fantasy (both series and ST) |
Winners announced at OCRWA general meeting. Sue Grimshaw will present the "Top Pick." |
| New England Romance Writers of America |
Readers'
Choice Bean Pot Award |
Romance Book (no anthologies or novellas) |
Limited to members of RWA. Novels with original copyright of 2009. e-books accepted. |
Received by Jan 11, 2010; finalists notified Feb 26, winners announced March 27. |
3 autographed copies of book; e-books accepted in printed form-loose. |
$25 by check or PayPal |
Mail books |
Judges: Readers, librarians, booksellers. Judges give each entry a score of 3-10 (10 is highest). Different judges rank entries in the event of a tie. Categories: Short Contemp (50,000 to 70,000 words); Long Contemp (over 70,000 words); RS; HR; ER; F / F / TT / P |
1st Place in each category: $50.00, Bean Pot engraved trophy, and a certificate. 2nd & 3rd Place: certificate. Winners announced on website, in newsletter, in RWR and at Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference, March 27, 2010. |
| Wisconsin
Romance Writers of America |
Write
Touch Reader's Award |
Romance Book |
RWA members with full-length romance novels copyright
date or 1st North American printing of 2009 |
Received by midnight Jan 12, 2010 |
3 autographed copies of each book; e-books must be
submitted in book or bound landscape galley format |
$25 (WisRWA members are entitled to one free entry) |
mail; can pay via PayPal |
Judges: romance readers not associated in any way
with writing organizations or the publishing industry. Categories: Short & Long
Series Contemp; MS w/ RE; ST Contemp; RS; HR (Short & Long, includes Regency);
Erotica/ Romantica; Inspirational/ Traditional Contemp; F / F / TT&P |
1st thru 3rd Place winners will be recognized at WisRWA's
Write Touch Conference in June 2009 and invited to participate in booksigning
reception. A plaque or similar award will go to 1st Place winners. Certificates
will be awarded to 2nd and 3rd Place winners. Contest results will be published
in the RWR. |
| Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America |
Bookseller's Best Award |
Romance Book |
Published authors with books of 50,000 word minimum with 2009 copyright or 1st US printing;
includes e-books. |
Postmark by or online entry and fee received by Jan 15, 2010; books
postmark by Feb 20; finalists notified by Jun 10; winners announced at awards ceremony at RWA National Conference |
5 autographed copies of book |
$22, $27, add'l $6 to enter book in Best 1st Book |
Online or mail for entry form, fee. Mail books. Pay by check, credit card or Paypal. |
Judges: Booksellers, librarians. They try to match book with judges from another region. Categories: Traditional / Sweet,
Short Contemp, Long Contemp, ST / MS, RS, ER, Short HR (up to 95,000 words), Long HR, Para / TT / F, Inspirational
(contemp or historical), Best First Book |
Roster of winners’ names and covers printed and mailed to booksellers nationwide; uniquely designed pendant / pin to each winner; reception for all finalists at National RWA conference where winners are announced; winners’ names listed in the RWR; finalists’ names, and winners’ names and book covers posted on GDRWA site; certificates to all finalists and winners |
| Southern Magic Romance Writers of America |
Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence |
Romance Book, Novella |
Published authors of novel length romance fiction published by RWA-eligible publisher |
Received by Jan 15, 2010, finalists
notified Mar 2010 |
3 copies of your book with 2008 copyright or 1st print date, e-books eligible if printed and bound with copyright page produced by publisher. |
$20 1st book, $15 add'l books. |
Mail entry. Pay via check or PayPal ($1 add'l) |
Judged by romance readers and booksellers.3 judges, lowest score dropped. Lowest score used in case of tie. to form the final score. Categories: Short Contemp; Long Contemp; HR; RS ST; Series RS; F / F / TT&P; Contemp ST; YA; Inspirational ST; Novella |
All finalists receive a certificate. Winners receive an engraved bookmark and inclusion in a full-page RWR ad. |
| Desert
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Quill |
Romance Book, Novella |
Published RWA members. Copyright dates or 1st North
American printing / release date between Jan and Dec 2009 |
Received by Jan 15, 2010; finalists announced
~Apr 30, winners announced in July RWR |
5 autographed copies of each book; e-books must be submitted in
book or bound galley format |
$25 per book and / or each category |
mail; pay by check, money order or Paypal |
Judges: romance readers. Categories: HR, HR / Regency, MS / ST, Long Contemp, Short Contemp, Traditional, Para / TT,
Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Futuristic, Inspirational, RS, Hot Sexy & Sensuous, ER,
Best 1st Book, Romantic Novella (40,000 words max). Category winner will be highest scoring
book in its category, providing the score is in the upper 25% of scores of all
contest entries received. If none of the entries in a given category scores in
the overall top 25%, there will be no finalist in that category. |
Winners and finalists will receive plaques
or certificates, lapel pins and Golden Quill logo graphics for authors' websites,
as shown on their site. Announced in July RWR |
| Houston
Bay Area Romance Writers of America |
Judge
A Book By Its Cover |
Romance Book |
Books published in 2009 by traditional publishers,
ePublishers, POD publishers or self. |
Front
cover image must be uploaded by midnight Jan
15, 2010; winners announced Feb 10. |
Front cover of book in jpg or gif format |
$15 by PayPal or check |
electronic |
Judges: Booksellers from U.S, Canada, UK, Australia,
and New Zealand. Categories: ST / MS; Contemp Series; HR; RS; Sci-Fi /
Fantasy / Para; Sexiest |
Winners may be asked to send high resolution image
files for inclusion in April 2010 RWR ad |
| Washington Romance Writers of America |
Marlene
Award |
Romance |
RWA members unpublished or not contracted for novel-length
romance in past 3 yrs, or if book is with a small press, it cannot have earned $1,000 or more in royalties |
Postmark by, edeadline 11:59 pm EST Jan 15, 2010; finalists notified week of Apr
1; winners Apr 18 at WRW Retreat. |
synopsis up to 5 pp and beginning of ms (35 pp max for entry). 12 pt courier, courier new, or TNR fonts only, 25 lines per page. |
$25, $30 paid thru PayPal only |
email with .rtf or .doc file |
Each entry will be read by 3 judges and scored using a 50 point scale. The lowest score will be dropped. The top 3 entries in each category will be ranked by an editor or agent. Final Judges: ST Contemp (Alicia Condon, Dorchester; Author Elise Chidley); Series Contemp, long and short (Patience Smith, Harlequin / Silhouette; Author Dana Marton); HR (Jen Enderlin, St. Martin’s; Critique Author: Diane Gaston); Para / F / F (Katherine Pelz, Berkley; Author Gwyn Cready,); Women’s Fiction with RE / Chick Lit (Latoya Smith, Grand Central; Critique Author: Lani Diane Rich); YA (Emilia Rhodes, Simon Pulse; Critique Author: Carrie Jones) |
The winner of each category will receive a Marlene Medallion and a detailed critique of her or his submission by a published author. All other finalists will receive certificates. |
| Yellow
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Winter
Rose Award for Excellence- Published |
Romance Book |
RWA PAN or PAN-eligible authors. Novels published
in 2009. Limited to first 75 entries received in each category. |
Postmark by Jan 23, 2010; winners announced May 15 at conference |
4 print copies of book |
$20 ($15 for YR members) |
Mail |
Books are judged by 3 different judges consisting of booksellers, reviewers, readers' group, librarians.
Categories: Para / TT / F; RS / ST Contemp; HR; Series Contemp; Insiprational. |
Highest scoring entrant from ALL category winners
receives Sterling Silver Rose pendant, Yellow Rose badge pin and certificate
of achievement. Highest scoring entrant from each category receives a certificate
denoting 1st place in their category, a Yellow Rose badge pin. |
| Yellow
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Winter
Rose Award for Excellence- Unpublished |
Romance |
RWA members not published in book-length fiction in
past 5 yrs. Limited to first 75 entries in each category. |
Postmark / e-deadline Jan 23, 2010; finalists notified by Apr 8; winners announced May 15 at Winter Rose Luncheon |
1st 25 pp of 50,000+ projected-length ms |
$30 ($15 for YR members) Can pay by check, MO or PayPal. |
Entry form must be mailed. . Entry can be via mail or
email but everyone must email a copy to the coordinator. |
4 first round judges. Lowest score dropped. Three
highest scoring entries advance to final round. Final Judges: Contemp ST (Theresa Stevens, Red Sage); HR, includes Regency (Alicia Condon, Dorchester); MS w/ RE
(Danielle Poisez, Pocket Books); Para (Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Ehrlich Literary); RS (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Series Contemp (Victoria Curran, Harlequin); YA (Melissa Frain, TOR) |
Top scoring ms from all 7 categories receives partial
read by Scott Eagan of Grayhaus Literary Agency. 1st thru 3rd place winners receive Yellow Rose badge
pin and certificate. Also, 1st place winners receive $50.00 and Sterling Silver
Rose pendant, 2nd place receive $25.00, and 3rd place receive $15.00. Finalists
and Winners will be recognized in Romance Writers of America’s RWR. |
| Chicago-North
Romance Writers of America |
Fire
and Ice |
Romance |
Unpublished / not published in book-length fiction
in last 5 years |
Feb 1, 2010; winners announced at conference April 23-24. |
Prologue / 1st chapter (25 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
Two experienced critiquers and published authors score
first round. Point spread of 20+ points where highest score is at least 80% of
total possible points will receive a 3rd judge and lowest score will be dropped.
Judges are encouraged to give comments. 3 finalists in each category. Final judges:
HR (Amanda Bergeron, Avon); Series Contemp (Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency); Para (Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary Agency); YA (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); ST (Emily Ohanjanians, Harlequin); Women's Fiction (Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing) |
1st Place Winner: $30. All finalists receive certificates.
Announced in RWR. |
| Women Writing the West |
WILLA Award |
Romance Book about girl or woman set in the American West |
Novels with original copyright of 2009 (in any form--hardcover, softcover, e-books, CD, Internet downloads, POD, etc.) |
Postmark by Feb 1, 2010, winners announced at conference in Oct 2010.. |
3 books, if paper books. If e-books or electronic, such as CD, etc., one copy of the actual product plus 3 bound, hard copies. |
$50 |
Mail |
Judges: Panel of 21 professional librarians. Categories: Contemp Fiction; Creative Nonfiction; Scholarly Nonfiction; Historical Fiction; Poetry; Original Soft Cover Fiction; Children's / YA Fiction & Nonfiction |
|
| Writers
League of Texas |
Book Awards (previously known as the Violet Crown Book Awards) |
Fiction, Nonfiction, poetry & literary prose, children's books |
American authors of books published in 2009 |
Received by 6 pm Feb 3, 2010. |
3 copies of the published book |
$25, $35 |
Mail. Pay by cash, check, credit card or money order. |
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry & Literary Prose, Children's books (short works), Children's books (long works) |
Winners in each category receive a $1000 cash prize, a commemorative award and an appearance at the 2010 Texas Book Festival. |
| Passionate
Ink |
Passionate
Plume |
Erotic Romance Book, Novella |
1st copyright date or 1st NA printing in 2009 |
Received by Feb 5, 2010. Winners announced at Passionate
Ink gathering at RWA National convention. |
e-book (pdf format only) or 4 copies of print book |
$15, $25 |
Mail / email. Pay by mail or Paypal. |
Contemp; HR; F / F / Sci-Fi; Para / TT; Novella (25,000
wds or less). 1st round judges: Readers, writers, reviewers, booksellers, librarians.
Final Round Judges: Multi-published authors and reviewers. 5 finalists in each
category. |
1st Place winners
receive a Passionate Ink pendant and award graphic for their website. All
others will receive certificates and a finalist graphic for their website. Names
published in the RWR. |
| Lilac City-Rochester Writers |
1st & 10 |
Fiction |
Published or unpublished. Entry must be uncontracted and unpublished at time of deadline. |
Midnight EST Feb 7, 2010 (extended from Jan 31); finalists notified by March 31. |
First 10 pp of uncontracted, unpublished ms. |
$10 ($8 for LCRW members) |
electronic |
1st round judges, including published and unpublished authors, are trained on the RWA model. Judges are strongly encouraged to provide feedback on submissions. All entries will be returned electronically after the finalists have been announced. Final judges are an agent and multi-published Harlequin and Berkley author. |
First Place $50, Second Place $30, Third Place $20; plus certificate. |
| Amazon, Penguin Group (USA) & CreateSpace |
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award |
Novel |
Open to unpublished and previously self-published novels. See rules and content guidelines. |
11:59 p.m. EST Feb 7, 2010 (or when 5,000 entries have been received in each category, whichever is earlier. |
See Categories / Judges column. |
Free |
electronic in doc, docx or rtf format |
2 categories: General fiction and YA fiction. 4 phases of judging: 1st: Amazon editors review 300-wd Pitch. Top 1000 entries in each category move to next round. 2nd: Amazon customers rate a 5,000 wd excerpt. Top 250 entries in each category move to next round. Quarterfinals: Publishers Weekly reviewers read and rate full ms of each quarterfinalist. Top 50 in each category move on to the Semifinals. Semifinals: Penguin USA editors read full ms and review all accompanying data for each semifinalist. Top 3 finalists in each category go to finals. Finals: Amazon customers will vote on the three finalists in each category resulting in two grand prize winners. |
Each winner will receive apublishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance. |
| Valley
Forge Romance Writers of America |
The
Sheila |
Romance |
All RWA members not published in category entered within
past five yrs or contracted at time of deadline. |
Received by 11:59 P.M. EST Feb 13, 2010; finalists
notified April 17, can submit revised entry by Apr 26. |
Synopsis, beginning of ms (35 pp max), no more than
25 lines per page. Finalists can submit revised entry for final round. |
$25-$30. PayPal unless you email
the coordinator by Feb 1 for Money Order payment.. |
electronic |
Entrants will receive a detailed score sheet from
4 qualified judges. The lowest score will be dropped. Five finalists in each
category, but must receive minimum score of 240 (out of 300) to final. ST (Emily Ohanjanians, Harlequin / MIRA); HR, incl. short, long, Regencies (Leis Pederson, Berkeley / Penguin); F / F / P (Alicia Condon, Kensington); Women’s Fiction w/ RE / Chick Lit (Alex Logan, Grand Central); RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press) |
All finalists receive certificates. First through
fourth place winners will have their names printed in RWR Magazine. All decisions
of the judges are final. |
| Greater
Detroit Romance Writers of America |
Between
the Sheets |
Romance |
RWA members unpublished / uncontracted in book-length
fiction by Feb 14. |
Received by Feb 14, 2010; finalists notified Mar
28; final placements announced on or by May 4. |
love scene, 10 pp max, 1 pp set-up, unjudged |
$25 |
Electronic only. Can pay by PayPal or check. |
All categories, Sweet to Erotic. Each entry will
have three 1st round judges with lowest score dropped. Top 4 entries ranked by:
Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester; Patience Smith, Harlequin; Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight Agency |
All 4 winners receive certificates. In addition, 1st
Place receives $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25. |
| San
Antonio Romance Writers of America |
Merritt
Contest |
Romance |
Unpublished or uncontracted in last 4 yrs |
Received by midnight Feb 14, 2010; winners announced May 3. |
25 pp incl 5 pp max synopsis |
$25, $30, $35 |
Electronic |
Final Judges: Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin;); HR (Meredith Giordan, Berkley); RS (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); Para (Selena James, Kensington); MS w/ RE (Latoya Smith, Grand Central); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill) |
Top Prize: All finalists will receive a certificate. Winners for each category will receive a Texas charm and a year’s electronic subscription to SARA’s The Love Letter. |
| Maryland Writers' Association |
MWA Novel Contest |
Fiction |
Entry must be completed book-length (50,000 words+), work of fiction, unpublished / uncontracted by an agent or publisher. |
Postmark by Feb 15, 2010; prizes awarded at MWA Awards Dinner Apr 24. |
1st 25 pp plus 1 pp synopsis and title page, all in TNR 12 font. Must also include a 3x5 index card with author info and a 40 word max summary of novel, which will be used in publicizing the winning entries. |
$35, $45 |
Mail. Pay by check or money order. |
Each entry receives 2 judges' critiques. Judges' names will be posted after contest is over. Categories: Action / Adventure / Horror; MS / Literary; Mystery / Suspense / Thriller; Romance / Historical; Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Speculative; YA |
Grand prize winner receives $150. 1st Place in each category receives $100. 2nd Place in each category receives $50. 1st and 2nd place also receive complimentary annual conference attendance. All receive complimentary Awards Dinner reservations for winner and one guest, Award Certificate and a quotable letter from the MWA. |
| Maryland Writers' Association |
MWA Short Works Contest |
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction |
Entry must be original, unpublished and in English. |
Postmark by Feb 15, 2010; prizes awarded at MWA Awards Dinner Apr 24. |
Fiction or creative nonfiction up to 3,000 wds max, poetry 50 lines max; plus cover page |
$10, $15 |
Mail. Pay by check or money order. |
Each entry receives 2 judges' critiques. Judges' names will be posted after contest is over. Categories: Poetry; Short Fiction; Creative Nonfiction |
1st Place receives $150 and complimentary Annual conference attendance. 2nd Place receives $100. 3rd Place receives $75. All receive certificate to be awarded at Apr 24 Awards Dinner and complimentary Awards Dinner reservations for winner and one guest. |
| Crested
Butte Friends of the Library |
The
Sandy |
Fiction |
Unpublished, uncontracted by deadline in novel length
fiction. Ms length 90,000 - 110,000 wds; children's 40,000 - 60,000) |
Received by midnight Feb 15, 2010; finalists notified
April 13; winners announced Jun 19. |
first 20 pp of novel plus synopsis (2 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
Email only |
1st round evaluated by 2 judges. A 40+ discrepancy
will result in 3rd judge with lowest score dropped. 3 highest scoring entries
in each category advance to final round. All finalist entries must have at least
a combined score of 300 / 334. Finalists will have one week to edit their entries
before they are submitted to final judges: Romance (Megan McKeever, Pocket Books); MS Adult (Christine Pride, Broadway / Random House); Suspense / Thriller / Mystery (Mark Tavani, Ballantine); Fantasy / Science Fiction (Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown Literary Agency); Children's & YA (Julie Scheina, Little, Brown Books) |
1st Place winners receive $50 and a certificate, 2nd
Place receive $25 and a certificate, and 3rd Place will receive a certificate. |
| Pacific
Northwest Writer's Association |
PNWA
Literary Contest (Zola Awards) |
Fiction, Screenplay, Poetry, Non-Fiction |
Entries must be original and not previously accepted
for publication or production at time of submission. |
Postmark by Feb 19, 2010; finalists notifed ~Jun;
winners announced at July 22-25 conference |
Categories 1-7: beginning of ms and synopsis (28 pp
max); category 8: complete ms (90-130 pp); category 9: 3 poems; category 10:
complete short story; category 11: complete ms (text); category 12: complete
ms |
$35, $50 |
Mail |
Final judges are agents or editors. Categories: Book-length: 1-MS; 2-Inspirational; 3-Romance;
4-Mystery / Thriller / Horror; 5-Sci-Fi / Fantasy; 6-YA; 7-Non-Fiction Book / Memoir, Non-books:
8-Screen Writing / Play-writing; 9-Poetry; 10-Adult Short Story; 11-Children's
Picture Book, Short Story or Chapter Book; 12-Adult Short Topics (Article / Essay
/ Short Memoir) |
Every entry receives two critiques. 1st Place: $600
and the Zola Award. 2nd Place
$300. 3rd Place $150. Finalists who attend PNWA Conf. receive finalist
ribbon for name badge. Finalists’ mss made available
to agents and editors during conf. Winners have opportunity to
attend Agents and Editors Reception at PNWA Summer Conference. |
| Golden Heart Finalists of 1999 |
Jeannie Gray Golden Friendship Award |
Romance |
2010 Golden Heart Entrants who are unpublished |
Received by midnight EST on Feb 20, 2010, winner notified
~Feb 28. |
250-300 wd essay on: What novel inspired you to become a writer and why? along with
proof of entry in the Golden Heart® 2010 Contest: |
No fee (I think) |
Submit essay in body of email. GH entry proof may
be sent in a separate email. No attachments. |
Judges are members of the Golden Heart 1999 Loop |
$100 and a beautiful certificate for the winner |
| Passionate
Ink |
Stroke
of Midnight |
Erotic Romance |
Unpublished, uncontrtacted in the category entered |
Received by Feb 20, 2010 (extended from Feb 5) |
Beginning of ms (35 pp total entry x for full-length, 20 pp for novella). A 5 pp max single-spaced synopsis must be included (it will not be judged). |
$15, $25 |
Email entry. Pay by mail or paypal. |
Contemp (Susan Swinwood, Harlequin Spice); HR (Laura Bradford,
Bradford Literary Agency); F / F / Sci-Fi (Kelli Collins – Ellora’s Cave); Para / TT (Chris Keesler – Dorchester Publishing); Novella (Theresa Stevens – Red Sage Publishing). 5 finalists in each category. |
1st Place winners will receive
a free one-year membership in Passionate Ink ($25 value), a certificate, and
an award graphic for their website.
All other finalists will receive certificates and and a finalist graphic for
their website. |
| Writers
League of Texas |
Novel
Manuscript Contest |
Fiction, Non-Fiction |
Unpublished / not accepted for publication at time of entry. |
Postmark by Feb 24, 2010, or delivered
by 6 PM; finalists notified May 29; winners notified Jun 25. |
1st 10 pp of ms plus 1 pp, double-spaced synopsis |
$50 |
Mail. Pay by check or money order. |
Fiction: MS, Thriller / Action-adventure, Mystery,
Romance, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Historical;
Children: Children / Middle
Grade, YA;
Nonfiction: Narrative Nonfiction. Memoir / History / Biography |
Prize: Winner in each category meets individually with agent or editor at annual Writers' League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference held June 25-27.. |
| From the Heart Romance Writers of America |
The Lories Best Published |
Romance Book, Novella |
Authors published in romantic fiction--print or electronic. Does not have to be RWA recognized. Book, novella published in 2009. |
Postmarked by Feb 26, 2010; received by March 5, 2010. Placements announced ~Apr 24. Winner notified ~Jun 18. |
Book in pdf, html or 4 copies in print format |
$20, $25, $30 (subsequent books: $15, $20, $25) |
electronic or mail. Pay with check, money order or PayPal. |
First round judged by a panel or readers using a simple scoring system. Top 3 entries for each category will place as they score. 1st place entry in each category goes to final judge. Final Judge: Bookseller. Categories: Contemp Category, MS / RE, ST, HR, incl. Regencies, RS, Para, Erotica, Inspirational, Novella |
Grand prize: plaque, e-certificate, and registration fee paid for RWA, RT or the writing conference of your choice, up to $400 value; or cash prize of $200.autographed paperbacks and e-certificates to 2nd through 8th placement from final ranking. |
| Virginia
Romance Writers of America |
Holt
Medallion |
Romance Book |
Copyright date of 2009. Need not be RWA approved publisher. |
Received by Feb 27, 2010 |
4 autographed copies of print book or e-book printed and bound with
copyright info. |
$30. VRW members may enter one book free of charge. |
Pay by check, MO, or Paypal. |
Judged by readers. Single round judging will establish top 5 entries in each category. Entry with highest score wins; other 4 (in no particular order; scores are not disclosed) receive Award of Merit. Categories: HR, MS / ST Contemp, Long Contemp,
Short Contemp, Long Inspirational, Short Inspirational, F / F / TT&P, RC, RS,
Extra Spicy / Erotic, Best First Book, and Southern Theme |
Each category winner receives certificate and pewter HOLT Medallion. Merit winners receive certificate. Contest results (all or in part) will be published in RT and RWR. |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction, see website for theme |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Feb 28, 2010. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
(Assume) judges are Women On Writing editorial staff |
|
| Review
Fuse |
Poetry
Contest |
Poetry |
Anyone |
Midnight Feb 28, 2010 for submission of poem and reviews. Winner notified March 13, announced March 15. |
Original poem (50 lines or fewer) with open theme. Must submit your
poem for peer critique and must complete assigned reviews of other poems (4 for
free members; 2 for premium). |
Free but you must register for free Review Fuse account |
Electronic |
Authors from Review Fuse staff select the 10 best poems for Round 2; of these 10, Review Fuse management will select 5 authors who gave the most detailed and well thought out critiques of their peer’s poetry for Round 3. Winner is selected by 3 creative writing and poetry professors. |
Prize: $100. Winner will be announced on their blog.
All participants will receive 3 peer critiques of their poem. |
| RomCon |
Readers Crown (AKA RomContest) |
Romance book or novella |
Books with original copyright of 2009 |
Feb 28, 2010; winners announced at RomCon Convention July 9-11. |
5 copies of each book per category being entered. Ebooks must be submitted as printed, bound copies with publisher's copyright page. |
$75 |
Mail |
5 finalists per category. Short contemp; Short contemp RS / adventure; Long contemp; Long contemp RS / adventure; Short HR; Long HR; Novella; Para; Urban Fantasy with RE; Sci-Fi / F / F / TT; ER; Best first book |
NOTE: Harlequin has agreed to REPRINT any series romance title that wins its category in The Readers' Crown!
Winners receive: lapel pin; trophy; full page display on RomCon site; admission to following year’s RomCon™; incl. airfare within the continental U.S. (or mileage for those who are within driving distance of RomCon) and 2 nights' hotel stay; end-cap placement for limited time at all Borders stores (provided the winning work is available through Baker &Taylor or Sony's ecatalog); listing on Borders' True Romance site for a limited time; invitations to be interviewed by Borders' True Romance team at RomCon™; invitations to be a guest at Borders' True Romance blog |
| Wisconsin
Romance Writers of America |
Fabulous
Five |
Romance |
Authors unpublished in RWA approved full-length fiction
for last 5 yrs |
Received by 11:59 PM CST Mar 1, 2010; finalists announced
~Apr 10; winners announced at WisRWA conference May 14-16. |
1st 10 pp of ms in TNR 12 font (2,500 wds max) |
$18, $20 |
Email entry, payment by mail or PayPal |
3 judges, lowest score dropped. Top 5 entries (out of 25 max entries) in each
category final. HR Amanda Bergeron, Harper Collins); Para (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); RS (Katherine Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group); Series Contemporary Long / Short ( Kathleen Scheibling, Harlequin Enterprises) ST (Mercedes Fernandez, Kensington Publishing); Women’s Fiction (Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary Associates); YA (Rachel Vater, Folio Literary Management) |
1st Place winner in each category receives Silver
Quill Award. 2nd, 3rd and HM receive certificates. Final placements published
in RWR Sept 2010 issue. |
| Wilkes University, James Jones Literary Society |
First Novel Fellowship |
Fiction novel, novella, or collection of closely linked stories |
U.S. writers who have not published a novel. |
Postmark by March 1, 2010; winner notified ~Sept 1. |
1st 50 pp of a book-length fiction ms and a 1-2 pp outline (may be single-spaced) of the book. If selected for final round, you must send pp 51-100. |
$25 |
Mail. Pay by check or money order. |
Judges: Bonnie Culver, Kaylie Jones, and J. Michael Lennon |
Winner receives a $10,000 fellowship. A selection from the winning work is published in Provincetown Arts July 2011. Winner must accept the award at the James Jones Literary Society Conference held each fall, usually in early November. Transportation funding will be provided. Two runner up awards of $750 each. |
| Utah
Romance Writers of America |
Great
Beginnings |
Romance |
Published or unpublished authors submitting unpublished,
uncontracted ms (published not limited to RWA-recognized publishers) |
March 1, 2010; finalists notified Apr 1; winners announced
May 8. |
1st 5 pp of ms, 25 lines max per page (projected length min 50,000 wds) |
$10 |
Mail or electronic. Can pay via PayPal. |
Contemp includ. ST, MS / RE, series, YA, inspirational;
HR includ. ST, Regencies, Suspense, YA, Inspirational (Pam Ahearn, The Ahearn Agency); Para (Christine Witthohn, Book Cents Literary Agency); Mystery / Suspense includ. ST, category, YA, MS (Faith Black, Berkley Books). Unpubbed authors ranked collectively and separately from pubbed. 3 scores, lowest score dropped. There will be 2 finalists from each
unpublished category, and they will be ranked 1 to 8. Top 3 entries from published
authors will also be ranked by final Amanda Bergeron, Avon-HarperCollins. |
The 1st Place winners receive $10 Barnes and Noble
gift card, a bookmark and a certificate. Others receive certificates. All 11
finalists will be recognized in the Romance Writers Report. |
| Faith,
Hope & Love Romance Writers of America |
Inspirational
Readers Choice |
Romance Book, Novella |
Inspirational romance copyrighted or with 1st print
date in 2009. No POD, self-published or e-book entries. Need not be RWA member
but publisher must be RWA approved. |
Entry received by Mar 1, 2010. Books received by Mar
15, 2010; winners announced at RWA National. |
4 autographed copies of book. If there is a tie, 3
more copies must be submitted. |
$20, $25 |
Mail books, entry form by mail or electronic, payment
by check or PayPal. |
Judges: Inspirational Readers nationwide. Categories:
Short Contemp, Long Contemp, Short HR, Long HR, RS, Women's Fiction, Novella |
Finalists in all categories receive certificates.
Winner in each category receives engraved box. |
| Romance
Writers Ink |
More
Than Magic |
Romance Book, Novella |
Books w/ 2009 copyright |
Entry deadline is Mar 1, 2010, books must be received
by March 8; finalists notified in June, winners
announced in July. |
3 copies of book; ebooks may be entered electronically
(author must provide 3 downloads or rtfs, including copyright page) |
$25, $27 if by PayPal |
Mail, electronic. Pay by mail or Paypal. |
Judges: Readers. Categories: Sensual Contemp; Sweet
Contemp; RC, HR, ST, Para, RS, ER, Novella, First Book. |
Grand Prize: Cash prize equivalent to RWA member's
national conference registration fee, certificate and pin. 1st, 2nd,
3rd places: certifcate and pin. Finalists and winners posted on RWI's
contest website. |
| From the Heart Romance Writers of America |
The Lories Best Proposal |
Fiction |
Authors published in works of 25,000 words or more; entry must be unpublished / uncontracted |
Received by March 5, 2010; finalists notified ~Apr 23; winner notified ~Jun 20. |
proposal (up to 55 pp comprised of the beginning of ms and synopsis) |
$15, $20, $25 (subsequent entries $10, $15, $20) |
electronic entry pay w/ check, money order or PayPal |
No categories. Final Judges: Panel consisting of TBA Literary Agency; TBA, Literary Agency; TBA, Editor, Single Title House; TBA, Editor, Category House; TBA, Reviewer |
The first place winner will receive a 1/3 page ad in the RWR issue of their choice to promote the book of their choice. Alternate cash prize of $100. |
| Hearts
Through History Romance Writers of America |
Romance
Through The Ages |
Historical Romance or Romantic Historical Fiction |
Published or unpublished authors with entry uncontracted
as of Mar 1, 2010. Do not need to be an RWA member. Previous 1st place entries
not eligible but previous finalists are |
e-deadline Mar 8, 2010 (extended from Mar 1); finalists
notified ~Apr 18-20; a hard copy of finalist's revised entry must be received back
by May 16; winners announced at RWA National. |
First 30 pp + 1-2 pp synopsis (single
or double spaced, will not be unjudged,) |
$20, $25 |
Email, PayPal, U.S. check or MO. Finalists must mail hard copy and SASE
for receipt back. |
Three 1st round judges, lowest score dropped. Scores
less than 3 must have comment. Finalists can revise entry. Ancient / Medieval / Renaissance (Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); Georgian Regency / Victorian (Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Agency);
Colonial / Western / Civil War (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Post-Victorian
/ World War 2 (Laurie M. Rausch, Samhain Publishing); TT / Para (Alicia Condon, Dorchester); ER (Audrey LaFehr, Kensington Books).
Legend Award (Esi Sogah, Morrow / Avon Books); Best of the Best |
Best of the Best Award is $100. Legend Award is $50.
Each 1st Place winner receives gift certificate for one HHRW Campus workshop. |
| Kiss
of Death Romance Writers of America |
Daphne
du Maurier Award for Excellence: Published |
Mystery / Suspense Book |
Book w/ 2009 copyright or with both a 2008 original copyright date and a 2009 NA print date or 2009 first print date). E-books, POD, subsidy, self-published
are eligible. |
Received by Mar 15, 2010; finalists notified ~Mat 25; winners announced at RWA National. |
4 copies of book. e-books accepted in hard copy, printed in a 12-point font, both sides of 8-1/2 x 11 white paper, bound. |
$25 |
Mail |
All
categories must be Romantic Mystery / Suspense except MS category, where romance
is optional. Category (Series) romance; HR: Inspirational romance; MS; TT / F / P; ST romance. |
1st Place winners receive engraved bookmark and gift certificate for one COFFIN online class. A certificate of recognition will be awarded to the editor of the winning entry. All other finalists will be awarded a certificate. The top overall scoring entry will receive the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellencein Mystery / Suspense. Results published in the RWR®. |
| Kiss
of Death Romance Writers of America |
Daphne
du Maurier Award for Excellence: Unpublished |
Romantic Mystery / Suspense (except MS category, where romance
is optional). |
Never contracted in book-length fiction from any publisher |
Received by midnight MT Mar 15, 2010; winners announced at RWA National. Note: MS and ST entries capped at 100, rest capped at 50. |
1st 5,000 wds + 1 p (675 wds max) single-spaced,
synopsis which will not be judged. Rules for finalists vary slightly from the above.. |
$15, $30 |
Electronic |
Four 1st round judges, lowest score dropped but all scoresheets returned. Top 5 qualifying finalists must receive score totaling at least 92 points. Categories and final judges: Series Romance (Patience Smith, Silhouette & Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency);
HR (Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing & Kevin Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); Inspirational (Caleb Sjogren, Tyndale House Publishers & Steve Laube Agency); Para / TT / F (Heather Osborn, Tor / Forge & Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management); ST Romance (Margaret Marbury, MIRA / HQN & Stephanie Maclean, Trident Media Group); MS (Toni Plummer, St. Martin's / Thomas Dunne & Stacia Decker, Donald Maass Literary Agency) |
1st Place winners receive engraved bookmark, $25 and a certificate for one COFFIN online class. 2nd Place winners receive certificate, $15 and a certificate for one COFFIN online class. 3rd Place winners receive certificate, $10 and certificate for one COFFIN online class. HMs receive certificates. The top overall scoring entry receives the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Results will be published in the RWR®. |
| Cassell
Network of Writers |
International Writers Competition |
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry |
Unpublished or self-published entries (except for
category (A) |
Postmark by March 15, 2010; winners announced May 31. |
See rules for category entry info |
$3, $5 per poem. Else: $5, $10 for entries under
3,000 wds; $10, $20 for entries 3,000-5,000 wds. |
Mail. Can pay via Paypal. |
Nonfiction Division: (A) Previously Pubbed Article /
Essay / Column / Nonfiction Book Chapter; Unpublished or self-published for rest
of categories: (B) Article / Essay / Column / Nonfiction Book Chapter. Fiction Division:
(C) Short Story (D) Novel Chapter. Children's Lit Division: (E) Short Story /
Nonfiction Article / Book Chapter / Poem. Poetry Division: (F) Free Verse / Traditional |
In each category: 1st Place - $100 plus certificate;
2nd Place - $75 plus certificate 3rd Place - $50 plus certificate; Honorable
Mention certificates will be awarded in each category as warranted. |
| Futuristic,
Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Writers of America |
Prism
Contest |
Novels, novellas with both paranormal and
romanctic elements |
Books with publication date of 2009 |
March 20, 2010 |
1 electronic copy + 3 printed copies of book |
$30, $35 |
Mail and electronic |
Time Travel / Steampunk, Fantasy, Futuristic, Light Paranormal,
Dark Paranormal, Erotica / Romantica, YA, Novella, Best First Book. |
Top Prize: Prism Award, certificate, pin. |
| Central
Florida Romance Writers of America |
Touch
Of Magic |
Romance |
RWA members not published in book-length fiction in past 5 yrs. |
Received by noon on March 27, 2010 (extended from March 20 - need Erotic entries to avoid cancelling category. HR and ST are also a little light) |
1st 25 pp plus unjudged synopsis (3 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
Electronic |
All below categories include RE entries. Para (Meredith Giordan, Berkley); YA (Danielle Poiesz, Simon and Schuster / Pocket Books); HR (Helen Rosburg, Medallion); RS (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); NSRE (Esi Sogah, Harper Collins / Avon); Series/Short Contemp (Gail Chasan, Silhouette); ST/Long Contemporary (Kate Dresser, Simon and Schuster); ER (Theresa Stevens, Red Sage). (Note: novels with other elements, such as paranormal, YA, romantic suspense, etc., should be entered in those categories. NSRE, e.g., novel w/romantic elements, is limited to women's fiction, chick lit, etc.) |
Top Prize: Certificate, Frog Prince charm. Announced
in RWR. |
| River
City Romance Writers of America |
Duel
on the Delta |
Romance |
not published in book-length fiction in the last 5
years or contracted for book-length fiction within past three years |
Received by midnight CST March 28, 2010 (extended from March 15); finalists notified April 20. Winner notified !May 31. |
First 15 pp plus optional one-page, single-spaced synopsis |
$25 |
email (can pay via PayPal) |
At least 3 judges (published authors, PRO members, or RCRW-trained) with two highest scores added together. 3 finalists in each category (score must be at least 200 to final). Final judges: RS (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Contemp (J.L. Stermer, Donald Maass Literary Agency); Para (Laurie Rauch, Samhain Publishing); HR (Deborah Nemeth, Carina Press); YA (Danielle Rose Poisez, Gallery / Pocket Books); Inspirational (Ami McConnell, Thomas Nelson); MS (Angela James, Carina Press) |
Finalists will have approx 1 wk to review judges' critiques and revise ms before the final round. If a finalist does not return revised ms by deadline, the entry will be disqualified from final round judging. Top prize: Duel on the Delta pin and $25. All finalists receive certificates. Winners announced in RWR. |
| American
Christian Fiction Writers |
Book
of the Year |
Christian Fiction |
Published ACFW members in good standing (can join
at time of contest enrollment). Publisher must be on ACFW Recognized Publishers List. Books must have original copyright date in 2009. |
Entries and contest fees must be received by March 31,
2010; finalists announced July 19; winners announced at ACFW Conference in Sept. |
3 copies of the book, unless also entering Debut Author
category, then 6 copies. E-Book entries accepted as 3 copies of a standard bound book with cover art. No electronic copies, spiral bound, stapled or 8 1/2 x 11 manuscripts will be accepted. |
$35 per title per category via Paypal, check,
credit card, or MO. |
Mail |
One round of judging. 5 finalists in each category.
No scoresheets. Categories: Contemp Novella; Debut Author; General Fiction;
Historical Novella; Lits (includes chick-lit, mom-lit, lady-lit, lad-lit, etc.);
Long Contemp; Long Contemp Romance; Long Historical; Long HR;
Mystery; Short Contemp; Short Contemp Suspense; Short Historical; Speculative
(includes Sci-Fi, fantasy, allegory, etc.); Suspense/ Thriller; RS; Women's Fiction; YA |
Winner in each category receives a plaque. Editors
of all winning entries receive a certificate. Finalists receive certificate. |
| American
Christian Fiction Writers |
Genesis |
Christian Fiction |
ACFW members unpublished in adult or YA fiction in
past 7 yrs. Entries are ineligible if they become contracted during contest. |
Entries and contest fees must be received by 11:59
Pacific Time on Mar 31, 2010; finalists notified between May 1 and May 15. Finalists have 2 days to polish & resubmit entry. |
1st 15 pp (max) double-spaced of ms plus one page,
single-spaced optional symopsis |
$35 |
Online entry form. Upload entry in rtf or doc format
when filling out entry form. |
1st round has 3 judges, with scores averaged. 5 finalists
in each category. Final judges do not use scoresheet but give a numerical score
up to 100. Categories and final judges: Contemp Fiction (Beth Adams, Guideposts; Stephanie Broene, Tyndale; Barbara Scott, Abingdon Press); Contemp Romance (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill; Ami McConnell, Thomas Nelson; JoAnne Simmons, Barbour); Historical Fiction
(Janet Grant, Books and Such Literary; Sarah Long, Bethany House; Tamela Hancock Murray, Hartline Literary); HR (Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson; Charlene Patterson, Bethany House; Emily Rodmell, Steeple Hill); Mystery / Suspense /
Thriller (Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary; Susan Brower, Zondervan; Jan Stob, Tyndale); RS (Susan Downs Summerside Press; Tina James, Steeple Hill; David Long, Bethany House); Speculative Fiction (Jeff Gerke, Marcher Lord Press; Julie Gwinn, B&H; Annie Tipton, Barbour); Women's Fiction (Rachelle Gardner, Wordserve Literary; Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary; Raela Schoenherr, Bethany House); YA (Jacque Alberta, Zonderkidz; Terry Burns, Hartline Literary; Rachel Zurakowski, Books and Such Literary) |
First Place entry in each category, will receive a
winner's plaque and first choice for editor / agent appointments at the 2011 ACFW
National Conference. The runner up in each category will receive a certificate.
Winners and runner ups announced at 2010 ACFW Conference. |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction, see website for theme |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST March 31, 2010. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
(Assume) judges are Women On Writing editorial staff |
|
| Charter
Oak Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Acorn |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted by RWA publisher at time
of deadline |
Submitted by midnight EST March 31, 2010; finalists announced ~May 31; winners announced ~July 15. |
1st 20 pp plus synopsis (5 pp max, double spaced). |
$25 |
electronic only, pay via check or PayPal |
Limited to 95 entries. Contemp Series (Lucy Gilmour, Harlequin), Contemp ST (Shauna Summers, Random House); Para (Megan Records, Kensington); HR (Sally Williamson, Harlequin) |
Five finalists in each round will receive certificates.
The first place winner will receive $25.00 and their certificate. Results will
be publicized. |
| Writers
of the Future |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally published
a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories
in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least
5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight March 31, 2010 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy.
No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter.
Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| First Coast Romance Writers of America |
Published Beacon Award |
Romance Book, Novella |
RWA members with 1st print romance novels
published in 2009. Any publishing venue (Traditional, POD, self-pubbed, ebook,
etc.) |
Postmark by Apr 1, 2010; finalists notified July 1; winners notified Aug 1. |
3 copies of book per category (book may be entered
in multiple categories; no add'l books required for 1st book category); ebooks accepted in hard copy. |
$25 (no add'l fee for 1st book category) |
Mail. Pay by mail or Paypal. |
Final Judges: Booksellers. Categories: Contemp Series (all except Suspense / Adventure); Contemp ST; HR / Regency; Inspirational; F / F / Para; RS / Contemp Series; RS / Adventure Novel with Strong RE; YA; Novella; ER; Best First Book (No fee or extra books required for entries that qualify. See entry form.) |
First place per category - Beacon Lapel Pin, and .gif for website. All finalists will receive a certificate. Winners announced in RWR. |
| Romance Writers of America
San Diego |
Spring
into Romance |
Romance |
Unpublished / not contracted in book length fiction
in last 3 yrs |
Postmark by April 2, 2010 (extended from March 19); can also turn in at RWA-SD Meeting on March 20; finalists
notified end of May; winners notified ~June 20. |
1st 25 pp. |
$20, $25, $35 |
Mail |
1st round judges: published authors or trained. Discrepancy
judge for point spreads of 30 or more if the top score is at least 100, to determine
top 4 entries advancing to final round. Contemp Series (Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group); Contemp ST (Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group); Suspense / Adventure Romance (Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); RE / MS (Adam Wilson, MIRA Books); HR (Tessa Woodward, Harper Collins); Para (Megan Records, Kensington); YA (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency) |
Winners listed in RWR |
| Faith,
Hope & Love Romance Writers of America |
Touched
By Love |
Inspirational Romance |
Unpublished / not published in last 3 yrs |
Received by midnight Apr 5, 2010 (extended from Apr 1); finalists notified
by May 16; winners announced at RWA National. |
Up to first 30 pp plus synopsis (2 pp max, double-spaced)
of inspirational romance (see rules). 12
pt font, exactly 25 lines per page. |
$20, $25 |
Email. Pay by check or PayPal |
3 judges (one will be published or PRO) with lowest
score dropped. 3 finalists per category (must be in top 25% of scores to final).
All finalists receive opportunity to have their entries judged by 5 published
inspirational authors (scores averaged to determine winners). Categories:
Short contemp, Long contemp, Historical |
Overall winner chosen from the category winners receives
critique of entry by an editor and $100 toward any writing related expense paid
within on year of the end of TBL contest. Remaining two 1st Place category winners
receive $75, 2nd Place winners receive $50, and 3rd Place winners receive $25
toward any writing related expense (as above). |
| Orange
County Romance Writers of America |
Orange
Rose |
Romance |
RWA member unpublished / not contracted in last 5
yrs. Entry must have projected min. length of 50,000 wds |
Received by April 19, 2010 (extended from Apr 10); finalists announced July
10; winners notified Oct 9. |
5 copies of synopsis plus beginning of ms (55 pp max) |
$25, $35 |
Mail (non-US residents by email). Can pay via PayPal. |
3 in-depth critiques by published authors; scores
averaged. Top
10 finalists across all categories (must receive min. of 82% of points) go to 2 editors for final
judging; scores averaged. Short Contemp; HR; Inspirational; MS / RE;
Para / TT / Fantasy; RS; ST; ER |
Four top-scoring entries receive Orange Rose Certificate
and check: 1st = $100; 2nd = $75, 3rd = $50, 4th = $25. |
| Land
of Enchantment Romance Writers of America |
The
Rebecca |
Romance |
Published or unpublished authors with unpublished,
uncontracted entry. |
cancelled for 2010 |
First 5,000 words |
$25 |
electronic, pay via PayPal |
Only 30 entries accepted per category, top 3 entries
final. Series contemp ST contemp; HR; Para; Erotica |
1st Place winners in each category: $50, certificate,
silver pendant. 2nd Place winners: $30 and certificate. 3rd Place winners: $20
and certificate. |
| The
Beau Monde Romance Writers of America |
Royal
Ascot |
Regency Romance |
RWA members who are unpublished or have not been published
in book-length romance by RWA Pan standards in last 5 yrs. Entry must be uncontracted
at time of entry. |
Received by midnight PDT Apr 20,
2010. |
Beginning of ms plus synopsis (8,500 words
max). If time travel, begin where Regency
setting begins, with a 1-page summary to that point. Story must follow guidelines:
Regency Definition: Broadly set at 1780 to 1830. Setting must be at least partially
in the British Empire or any setting which includes British citizens in any other
part of the world during this period. Includes military settings. |
$25, $30 |
Email entry. Pay by check, MO or PayPal. |
3 judges in 1st round, at least one published
in Regency romance. Discrepancy judging
only if 30 point spread between two lowest scores and the entry would have possibility
of finaling with higher total score. 3 finalists per category. Regency - longer Regency or MS Regency-set (Leis Pederson, Editor, Berkley); Hot Regency - very sensual to erotic (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Wild Regency - Para / TT / other similar Regency (Tessa Woodward, Avon); Sweet & Mild Regency - Traditional, Inspirational, YA other w/o explicit sex (Nicole D'Arienzo, The Wild Rose Press); Short Regency (5,000 to 40,000 words, open to all authors, published and un-published (Nicole D'Arienzo, The Wild Rose Press) Note: Entries w/ strong paranormal
or erotic elements are best placed in the Hot and Wild Category. Entries without
explicit sex in the story lines would be best placed in the Sweet and Mild category. |
1st Place winner in each category: $75; 2nd Place
winners: $50; 3rd Place winners: $25. Note: If the sub-genre of any finaling
entry is not one acquired by the final round judge, an attempt will be made to
obtain a read from an editor who acquires that sub-genre. This editor will not
participate in judging. All final round judges place priority on story quality,
not acquirability. |
| Virginia
Romance Writers of America |
Fool
for Love |
Romance |
Not published in book length |
Received by April 30, 2010; finalists notified June 20; winners announced July 31. |
Prologue, 1st chapter ( 20 pp max) plus optional symopsis
(5 pp max; will not be judged) |
$20, $25 |
electronic; pay by PayPal or check. |
Short Contemp (Jonathan Clements, Wheelhouse Literary Group); Long Contemp (Katelynn Lacopo, BookEnds, LLC); HR (Lucy Gilmour, Harlequin); Para / F / F / TT (Amanda Barnett, The Wild Rose Press); Inspirational - Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill); RS (Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin) |
Top price $50. 2nd and 3rd place winners receive certificates and one free manuscript entry into VRW’s 2011 Fool For Love Contest (or first eligible book into the Holt contest, if published before then) |
| Inland Valley Romance Writers of America and Fire Opal Romances |
Bad Kitty II Contest |
Fiction with specific theme of tantalizing tabbies or sexy Weres |
All writers, published or unpublished |
Postmark / e-deadline ; May 1, 2010; Top 10 finalists notified Aug 1; full ms required by Sept 1; winner announced Dec 1 |
1st 15 pp of completed (15k-16k) ms about tantalizing tabbies or sexy weres. Heroine must be African-American. Sensuality level Hot. Specific rules apply. |
$15 |
email or mail, pay via PayPal |
1st round judged by a panel of authors and editors; finalists will be chosen by the editorial staff of Parker Publishing. |
The winning manuscript will be published in the Fire Opal Romances 2011 Anthology Bad Kitty II: Bigger and Badder. |
| Alaska
Romance Writers of America |
Breakup |
Romance |
Unpublished as of deadline |
Received by May 1, 2010; winners
announced July 1 |
Best breakup, big fight, darkest moment or makup scene
(10 pp max), unjudged setup / synopsis (3 pp max) |
$25 |
mail or electronic. Paypal OK. |
All judges are trained, PRO members or published authors.
Each entry receives at least 3 scoresheets. Finalists judged by Laurie M. Rauch, Executive Editor of Samhain Publishing. Winning entry will receive a reading by Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen- Pomada Literary Agency. Categories: Contemp, Fantasy / Para, HR, Erotica,
Inspirational, YA, RS, Chick Lit. Heat Levels: Sweet, Sensual, Ultra Sensual,
Erotic, Highly Erotic |
All entrants receive a certificate of participation.
Winning entry will receive a reading by Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen- Pomada Literary
Agency |
| Southwest Review |
David Nathan Meyerson Prize for Fiction |
Fiction |
Open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction, either a novel or collection of stories. |
Postmarked by May 1, 2010; winner announced in August. |
Story of up to 8,000 words. |
$25 |
mail or email (can pay online) |
The final judge is not mentioned on the site, but the 2009 judge was Alice Hoffman. |
Prize: $1,000 and publication in Southwest Review Vol. 95, No. 4 (autumn), 2010. . |
| Notes and Grace Notes |
Discovering the Undiscovered |
All genres |
Anyone 18 yrs and older |
Received by May 1, 2010 |
complete manuscript |
$25 for Novels / Memoirs, $15 for Novellas and Short Story / Essay Collections |
email entry, pay by PayPal |
Novels / Memoirs- 70,000-100,000 words. Novellas and Short Story / Essay Collections - 40,000-65,000 words. Both open to all genres. 1st round judged by editors and authors who had previously judged monthly Notes and Grace Notes writing contests. Finalists chosen by Notes and Grace Notes staff. |
Winner of the Novels/Memoirs Contest receives $1000, publication plus 3 contributor copies. Winner of the Novella and Short Story/Essay Collections contest receives $300, publication and 3 contributor copies. All finalists will also be considered for publication. |
| Georgia
Romance Writers of America |
Maggie |
Romance Book |
RWA authors who meet RITA guidelines for eligibility.
Books must have 2009 copyright date. |
Received by May 1, 2010. Finalists notified by July
14, winners announced Oct 2 at M&M conference. |
3 copies of book as published by publisher
(electronic and audio accepted in print-book format produced by publisher w/
copyright page) |
$20 |
Mail. Pay by check. |
Series Contemp, HR (includes Regencies),
ST Contemp, Para / TT / F / F, Inspirational. 2 judges from bookseller / librarian
pool will score each entry from 1 to 10. |
1st Place winner per category receives Maggie Medallion. |
| Heart
and Scroll Romance Writers of America |
Magic Moments |
Romance |
Unpublished in last 5 yrs |
Postmark by May 1, 2010 |
1st 10 pp |
$25, $30 |
Mail, pay by check. |
4 detailed critiques of each entry. Top 3 entriest to to Final Judge: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency |
1st Place Winner receives $100 and certificate; 2nd and 3rd Place winners receive certificates. |
| Academy
of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences |
Nicholl
Fellowship |
Script |
Screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000
writing for film or television (see rules). Up to 2 authors per script. |
Uploaded by 11:59 pm May 1, 2010 |
Original feature film screenplay, approx 90-120 pp, in PDF format, written in English. |
$30 |
electronic |
First, quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds
of judging. Semi-final round judged by Academy members of the motion picture
industry. Final round judged by the Nicholl
committee. Finalists must write a letter
to Nicholl Committee, giving the Committee some idea of the writer’s
personal and professional interests should he or she receive a Fellowship. |
Up to five $30,000 fellowships are awarded to authors
who have previously earned less than $5,000 writing for film or television. |
| Scriptscene
Romance Writers of America |
Romancing the Script |
Story with Romantic Elements |
RWA members in good standing |
Received by May 1, 2010. |
1st Act, not to exceed the first 30 pp |
$20, $25 |
mail or electronic in pdf or rtf. Pay with check or PayPal |
Top 3 winners must submit the full completed screenplay for critique. Final Judge: Robert Gosnell |
|
| Tampa
Area Romance Writers of America |
TARA |
Romance |
unpublished or not published during past 3 yrs; uncontracted
for novel-length (40,000+ words) fiction in any format |
Received by May 1, 2010. |
prologue / first chapter (4,000 words max); optional
synopsis (1,500 words max; will not be judged) Synopsis is required if you final. |
$20, $25 Can pay via PayPal |
email |
Judging is based on the Diederich scale in the first
round for a possible max score of 50. At least 2 judges (published authors or
TARA-trained and certified). Top 3 finalists in each category are determined
by averaging scores. To final, entry must have min overall score of at lest 40.
Finalists have a week to make changes before final round. Series Contemp
(Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Para (Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester); ST (Jhanteigh Kupihea, NAL); Women's Fiction (Amy Pierpont, Grand Central); RS (Peter Senftleben, Kensington); Inspirational (JoAnne Simmons, Barbour Books) |
Top prize Sterling Silver TARA pendant, certificate.
Winners announced in RWR. |
| Ozarks Romance Authors |
Weta Nichols Writing Contest |
Fiction |
Manuscript must not be accepted for publication at time of entry. |
e-deadline May 1, 2010; winners announced at Ozarks conference July 10 |
1st 10 ppof ms. in .doc format TNR 12 |
$10 |
Email entry. PayPal preferred as payment |
Any genre...romance, sci-fi, mystery, etc. All judges published authors. If 25 point or more spread between scores, discrepancy judge will be used and lowest score dropped. Top 5 scoring entries will be judged by a separate judge. |
1st Place: $100.00 2nd Place: $50.00 3rd Place: $25.00 4th and 5th Places are honorable mention. |
| Writers
Digest |
International
Self Published Book Awards |
Various (see categories) |
English-language self-published books for which the
authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of printing has been
paid for by a grant or as part of a prize |
Postmark by May 3, 2010. Winners notified by Oct 15,
2010. Capped at 70 entries per category. |
printed, bound book published OR revised and reprinted
between 2005 and 2010 |
$125 for 1st entry; $75 each addl |
online registration but send entry by mail |
MS / Literary Fiction; Genre Fiction; Nonfiction; Inspirational
(Spiritual, New Age); Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories,
Memoirs); Children's Picture books; Middle-Grade / Young Adult books; Reference
Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books); Poetry; Humor |
Grand Prize is $3,000 cash plus promotion in Writer's Digest and Publishers Weekly. The editors of Writer'sDigest will endorse and submit 10 copies of the Grand Prize-Winning book to major review houses (see site for more info). 10 First Place Winners receive $1000 cash and promotion in Writer's Digest (plus more, see site). Honorable Mention Winners receive promotion at www.writersdigest.com, $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books and Certificate. All other entrants receive Certificates (plus more, see site) |
| PAGE Awards with co-sponsors InkTip, SellAScript, TV Writers Vault and TVFilmRights.com |
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards |
Screenplay, various genres |
Anyone. Script must be in English. |
Received by May 15, 2010; quarter-finalists posted on July 15. |
see categories for page length |
$69 for entry, addt'l $70 for judge's feedback, if desired |
by mail or online as pdf, final draft, movie magic or MS Word file. Pay via check, MO, or online with credit card, PayPal or bank transfer. |
Categories: Feature Film Scripts, 80-130 pp incl. Action / Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family Film, Historical Film, Science Fiction, Thriller / Horror; Short Film Scripts, under 40 pp; Original TV Pilots, 30-70 pp incl. TV Drama Pilot, TV Sitcom Pilot. |
31 Awards in this year’s screenwriting contest – including a $25,000 Grand Prize – plus Gold, Silver and Bronze Prizes in ten different genre categories. All told, this year’s Winners will receive over $50,000 in Cash and Prizes. |
| Central
Ohio Fiction Writers |
Ignite
the Flame |
Romance |
Unpublished in book length fiction, including e-books
and POD |
Postmark / e-deadline May 22, 2010 (extended from May 8).
Mailed entries must be received by May 15. Winners notifed ~Aug 15, 2010. |
hero and heroine's first meeting, 15 pp max; optional
one page set-up for necessary background (will not be judged) |
$22, $27 |
mail or email; pay by check or PayPal. |
Two judges per entry, at least
one a published author. All unpublished judges are RWA PRO. 3 finalists in each category: Series Contemp (Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill / Silhouette); HR (Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group); ER
(Deb Werksmen, Sourcebooks); Para
(Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency); ST Contemp
(Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group); RS (Esi Sogah, Avon Books / Harper Collins) |
First place winner in each category receives $25. |
| Heart
of Denver Romance Writers of America |
Aspen
Gold Reader's Choice |
Romance Book |
book length romantic fiction with ISBN published in
2009. Bound e-books eligible. |
Received by May 25, 2010; finalists notified by July 20; winners notified by Oct 28. |
book; if e-book, must mail galley copies and a CD |
$20, $25, $30 |
by mail |
YA, Contemp, ST, HR, Para / TT / F, RS, Erotica. First round judged by romance readers. Top 3 books in each category advance to final round. Final
judges: Booksellers or librarians. |
1st Place winner receives Aspen Gold award. |
| Heart
of Denver Romance Writers of America |
The
Molly |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in past 3 yrs |
Note: Historical category held open until 11:59 PM MDT, May 30, 2010. Deadline for all other categories has passed.
Received by 11:59 PM MDT, May 25, 2010; 1st round semi-finalists notified ~July 1; 2nd round finalists notified ~Aug 5; winners notified ~Oct 17, 2010, following contest award ceremony. |
1st 30 pp plus synopsis, 5 pp max |
$25, $30, $35; -$5 early bird discount; check or Paypal |
by mail or email. |
1st Round has 2 qualified judges. Top 30%
in each category moves to 2nd round. Re-judging will
occur in the 1st round only, and only w/ diff of at least
20 points between judges and if higher judge gave score
of 85 or more. When re-judging occurs, lowest score is discarded. 2nd
Round judged by 2 pubbed authors. After the 4
scores from 1st and 2nd round are received, the lowest of the 4 scores
is dropped. The 3 entries with highest total of the 3 remaining
scores advances to finals. All entries are judged for the Unsinkable Heroine
award. Categories: Contemp (Patience Smith, Harlequin ), HR (Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group), RS (Danielle Poiesz, Simon and Schuster, Pocket Books), Para / TT / Fantasy (Chris Keeslar, Dorchester Publishing), YA (Katelynn Lacopo, BookEnds Literary Agency), ST (Holly Blanck, St Martins Press), Hearts of Molly (Tina Gerow, Sapphire Blue Publishing); Unsinkable Heroine (Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents). |
The 1st Place winner in each category will receive
the "Molly Award Plaque." All other finalists will receive certificates.
Results will be publicized on loops and in the RWR. |
| Ohio
Valley Romance Writers of America |
Summer
Sizzle |
Romance |
RWA member, unpublished or not published or contracted
in last 3 yrs by RWA recognized publisher |
Contest cancelled due to lack of final judges. e-deadline June 1, 2010; Finalists notifed mid-June; winners announced by Sept 1. |
best sexual tension scene (love scene or not) 12 pp
max; optional 1 pp set-up (won't be judged). Courier 12 font, 25 lines per page. |
$20 |
Electronic entry. Pay by check, MO, or PayPal. |
3 experienced RWA members for 1st round. Categories are: Sweet (Inspirational
type scenes); Sensual (Desire / Temptation type
scenes); Spicy (Blaze / Brava type scenes) and Sexy (Erotica type scenes). Final Judges TBA. |
Winners receive $20. Finalists published in RWR. |
| Rocky
Mountain Fiction Writers |
Colorado
Gold |
Fiction |
Unpublished, uncontracted in book length fiction at
time of entry. Entries capped at 200. |
Postmarked or emailed no later than June 1, 2010; winners announced at Colorado Gold Conference Sept 11. |
first 20 pp of ms; synopsis, 8 pp max; courier 12
pt font and either 24 or 25 lines per page (must be consistent). First pp of
chapter and synopsis must start 1/3 down page. |
$30; critique is add'l $25. |
by mail or electronic (finalists must send electronic
if entered via mail) |
2 judges evaluate each entry. 5 highest-scoring entries
in each category will final. MS, Action / Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Speculative
Fiction (SF / Fantasy / Horror). Final judge will be an acquiring literary agent
or editor who is attending conference. |
1st Place winner: $100 and certificate. Remaining
finalists receive $30 and certificate. Winners will be announced at Colorado
Gold Conference September 11-13 at Renaissance Denver Hotel. |
| Windy
City Romance Writers of America |
Four
Seasons Award |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published in past 5 yrs in novel-length fiction in any format. Windy City members not
eligible. Each category capped at 30 entries. |
Receipt deadline 5:00 PM Central Time, June 1, 2010 9extended from May 1). |
1st 25 pp of ms. |
$25, $30 |
Mail, electronic |
Judges are experinced critiquers and published authors
of Windy City RWA. 4 highest scores in each category final. Lowest score dropped
to determine final ranking. Final judges: editors and agents, scores averaged. ST (Adam Wilson, MIRA / Harlequin; Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency); Short / Long Contemp (Charles Geiemsman, Harlequin; Cori Deyoe, Three Seas Literary Agency); HR (Helen Rosburg, Medallion Press; Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Mgmt); F/F/Para (Leah Hultenshmidt, Dorchester; Diana Fox, Fox Literary); ER (Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora's Cave; Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency) |
Winners in each category receive an engraved plaque.
All finalists receive certificates and will be in RWR. |
| Greater
Seattle Romance Writers of America |
Emerald
City Opener |
Romance |
Unpublished writers (RWA and non-RWA) who have not
accepted a publishing offer from a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher for a novel
or novella by contest entry deadline. Previous finalists of this contest may
not re-enter finalist entries, even in an edited format. |
Postmark by midnight PDT, June 1, 2010; winners announced Oct 2; scoresheets and entries returned Oct
16 |
first 7 pp of ms |
$12, $20 |
Electronic entry. Pay by check, MO, or PayPal |
Judges will be: PRO members, published authors, or Golden Heart finalist / winners. Categories: HR (Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Ehrlich Literary Agency); RS (Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Agency); RE (Tessa Woodward, Harper Collins); Para (Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester); Series / Category Romance (Michelle Grajkowski, 3Seas Literary Agency); Contemp (Alex Logan, Grand Central) |
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners in each category
will receive an award certificate and an individual editor or agent appointment
at the Emerald City Writers' Conference (Oct. 1-3, 2010). In addition, the 1st
Place winner in each category receives a $25 gift card. |
| Celtic
Hearts Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Claddagh |
Romance |
unpublished / not published in last 5 yrs, no accepted
offer. Entry must be from full-length, completed manuscript. |
e-deadline June 1, 2010 (extended from May 14); finalists notified by July 1; winners notified by Sept 1. |
beginning of ms, 30 pp max plus synopsis, 5 pp max |
$20, $25 check or Paypal; |
email |
First round scored by 2 trained judges and one published
author and the lowest score is dropped. 3
highest scoring entries go to final round. Final judges: FF&P
(Leis Pederson, Berkley / Jove ); RS (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary); Erotic (Kate Seaver, Berkley Publishing);
HR (Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Agency); Celtic (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Contemp
(Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency |
1st Place winner in each category receives a golden
claddagh pin. 2nd Place winner in each category receives a silver claddagh pin.
3rd Place winner in each category receives a bronze claddagh pin. All winners
receive certificates and icons to place on their websites. |
| Heart of Louisiana Romance Writers of America |
Heartbeat Website not updated as of 5/29/10 |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published in past five yrs in any novel-length work of fiction in any format. |
Received by June 1, 2010 |
Query Letter |
$10 |
|
Final Judges: Adam Wilson, editor with MIRA/Harlequin, and Scott Eagan, agent with Greyhaus Literary Agency. |
|
| Toronto
Romance Writers of America |
Toronto Gold |
Romance |
Open to all unpublished writers (whether or not a
member of RWA) and any member of RWA who is not eligible to join RWA-PAN. Entry
must be uncontracted, unpublished as of entry date. |
Received by 11:59 PM, June 1, 2010. |
30 pp total, including synopsis |
$25, $30 by check or Paypal |
by mail or email |
Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); Contemp ST (Margo Lipschultz, HQN); HR (Leis Pederson, Berkley); RS (Celia Johnson, Grand Central); Strong RE (Kathleen Gilligan, St. Martin's); Para / F / F (Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester); YA (Karen Chaplin, Puffin Books). |
Top Prize: Category winners will be entered into the Gold Ticket competition judged by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency. The Gold Ticket winner receives a three-chapter critique by NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. |
| Writers Digest |
Writers Digest Annual Writing Competition |
Various (see categories) |
Original, in English, unpublished (except Magazine Feature Article category) and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer at the time of submission. |
Postmark by June 1, 2010 - late deadline; addl fees apply. Regular deadline was May 14. |
Memoirs / Personal Essay, Magazine Feature Article and Children's / YA Fiction: 2,000 words max; MS / Literary Short Story and Genre Short Story: 4,000 words max; Inspirational: 2,500 words max; Poems: 32 lines max; Scripts: 1st 15 pp in standard script format, plus one-page synopsis. |
Poems $15 for first entry, addl $10 ea. All others $20 for first entry, $15 each addl. (Add'l $5 for late entry between May 15 and Jun 1) |
mail or online if paying with credit card |
Inspirational (Spiritual / Religious); Memoirs / Personal Essay; Magazine Feature Article; Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.); MS / Literary Short Story; Rhyming Poetry; Non-rhyming Poetry; Stage Play (*submission by mail only); Television / Movie Script (*submission by mail only); Children's / Young Adult Fiction |
Grand Prize: $3,000 cash and a 3 day / 2 night trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. 1st thru 3rd place in each category receive $100 worth of Writer's Digest books plus 1st Place receives $1,000 cash, a ms critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member; 2nd Place: $500 cash; 3rd Place: $250 cash. 4th Place: $100 cash. 5th Place: $50 cash. 6th thru 10th Place: $25 cash. 1st thru 10th Place also receive a copy of the 2011 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition and a 1-yr subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest Magazine. 11th through 100th Place: All other winners receive distinctive certificates. |
| The Society of Southwestern Authors |
Writing Contest |
Short Story; Personal Essay / Memoir; Short Story for Children 6-12; Poetry |
Original work, previously unpublished. |
Postmark by June 1, 2010; winners notified by Oct 1 and announced Oct 17 at awards luncheon |
Short Story or Personal Essay - 2500 words max; Short Story for Children 6-12 - 1500 words; or Poetry - 40 lines max. |
$10 per entry (+$25 if critique wanted) |
Mail |
Short Story; Personal Essay / Memoir; Short Story for children 6-12; Poetry. |
1st: $250, 2nd: $125, 3rd: $75, HM: $25. Winners and honorable mentions published in our StoryTeller--rights retained by author. |
| Georgia
Romance Writers of America |
Maggie
(unpubbed) |
Romance |
Unpublished RWA member not receiving full-time writing
income in fiction writing, Golden Heart eligibility rules. Entries limited to first 70 received in each category. |
Received by 10 PM EST, June 5, 2010; finalists notified by Aug
15; winners notified Oct 2 at M&M conference |
synopsis, prologue and first chapter, 35 pp max plus
SASE. |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
2 published authors judge each entry, giving score
of 1 to 10. No scoresheets, scores not released to entrants. Judges write on
ms. ST (LaToya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); Para / Fantasy (Esi Sogah, Avon); HR (Danielle Poiesz, Pocket Books); Contemp Series (Kathryn Lye, Harlequin); Inspirational (David Long, Bethany House) |
1st Place winner in each category receives Maggie
Medallion. All finalists receive certificates. |
| Northwest
Houston Romance Writers of America |
Lone
Star |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in last 5 yrs (if published
in last 5 yrs, must be in different category than entered) |
e-deadline midnight June 6, 2010; fnalists announced Aug 20; winners announced
at Lone Star Conference |
first 25 pp |
$20, $25 ($5 discount on entries submitted by midnight May 23) |
by mail and email. Pay by check or PayPal |
3 first round judges, at least 2 of them published. Lowest score dropped. Top 3 high
scores in each category final. Final judges: Inspirational (Lindsay Guzzardo, Guideposts Books & Tamela Hancock Murray, Hartline Literary); YA (Kat O'She, Leap Books & Tina Wexler, International Creative Management); RS (Leis Pederson, Penguin & Tina Tsallas, Great Titles, Inc.); Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin & Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management); ST (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks & Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency); HR (Alicia Condon, Kensington & Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); FF&P (Tara Gavin, Harlequin Nocturne & Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Agency) |
First place winners in each category will receive the Lone Star Brooch. Achievement certificates will be awarded to all finalists. |
| Short Story Radio Broadcasts |
First Chapter Competition |
Fiction, novel first chapter |
Anyone. Entry can be unpublished or published by an independent or mainstream publisher or self-published between Dec 1, 2009 and June 1, 2010. |
Received by 9 a.m. June 7, 2010. Winner notified approx 4 wks later. |
1st chapter (5,000 word max) of completed novel. |
£7 |
Email or post. Can pay by PayPal or check. |
|
Winner will have story recorded by a professional actor and broadcast via Short Story Radio and Talking Bookshelf websites and podcast. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £50 (approx. $78 USD or 57 EURO) and a dedicated webpage for their novel on our sister website www.talkingbookshelf.com All entrants, including the winner, will retain the copyright. |
| Maryland
Romance Writers of America |
Reveal
Your Inner Vixen |
Romance |
unpublished or published but entry must be original and uncontracted
as of June 1, 2010 |
Postmark / e-deadline June 8, 2010 (extended from June 1) |
scene showcasing chemistry between hero and heroine,
20 pp max; 1 pp set-up |
$20, $25 |
by mail or email |
Three 1st round judges, trained and / or published.
3 finalists per category. Final judges: Series Contemp (Gail Chasan, Harlequin / Silhouette;
Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); ST (Allison Brandau, Penguin / Berkley; Bethany
Morgan, Samhain Publishing); HR (Mary Altman, Ellora's Cave; Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks);
Alternative (Chris Keeslar, Dorchester; Amanda Barnett, The Wild Rose Press)
ER (Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora's Cave; Angela James, Samhaim Publishing); YA (Krista
Marino, Delacorte; Lindsey McGurk, Samahain Publishing) |
All finalists receive a brief critique by the final
round judge, a certificate, and mention in a paid advertisement in the RWA® Romance Writers Report. 1st Place winners receive a $50 prize. |
| Notes and Grace Notes |
Collected Poetry Contest |
Poetry |
Anyone 18 yrs and older |
Received by June 15, 2010 |
Complete manuscript 45-200 pp |
$15 |
Email entry. Pay by PayPal. |
1st round judged by editors and authors who had previously judged monthly Notes and Grace Notes writing contests. Finalists chosen by Notes and Grace Notes staff. |
Winner will receive $300, publication and 3 contributor copies. All finalists will be featured on website as well as a special edition of lit mag, including 5 poems published, full bio and author interview. All finalists will also be considered for publication. |
| Final
Draft |
Big
Break |
Screenplay |
Anyone 18 years or older at date of entry. |
Received by extended deadline of June 15 (standard deadline was June 1) |
Full-length screenplay, 90-120 (max) pp; screenplays
over 135 pp will be disqualified. Must submit in Final Draft or pdf format. |
$50 for standard entries; $65 for extended deadline
entries. |
online entry system |
Final judges: industry experts. |
1st Place: $15,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare
to Los Angeles, and 3-night hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los
Angeles). 2nd Place: $4,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare to Los Angeles,
and 3-night hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los Angeles). 3rd
Place: $2,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare to Los Angeles, and 3-night
hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los Angeles). Top 10 Finalist
Prizes - Final Draft software - Script read by top industry companies - Gotham
Writers’ Workshop 10-week class - Pitch Perfect video pitching from StoryLink.com
- One-year Script magazine subscription - $150 gift certificate from The Writers
Store and more... |
| Fox Broadcasting Company, Procter & Gamble Productions,
and the New York Television Festival |
Fox-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest |
Script, comedy (TV sitcom) |
Any legal resident of the U.S., 18 yrs and older |
12 Noon ET on June 15, 2010; winner announced at the
NYTVF Sept 25. |
script for original half-hour comedy TV pilot, in
pdf format, 25 to 35 pp. Script must be copyrighted or registered, and can not
have been entered into any other contest or competition. |
Free |
upload to NYTVF web site |
The judging panel, selected by the NYTVF in its sole
discretion, will determine 25 finalists, based on the following
criteria, weighted equally: originality; creativity; humor;
overall impression. In event of tie, entries will be re-judged based
solely on the criteria of overall impression. |
Grand Prize: $25,000 and consideration
to be produced by Procter & Gamble
Productions as a pilot with a first-look at the Fox network. |
| Colorado
Romance Writers of America |
Heart
of the Rockies |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted as of deadline. Entries limited to first 215 received. |
e-deadline June 15, 2010; finalists notified by Sept 1; winners announced Oct 9 at CRW Romance Lovers Tea.. |
1st two chapters plus 1-5 pp synopsis (35 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
Email. Can pay via PayPal or check. |
Each entry has 2 judges, one is published author.
Final judges: Erotic (Kelli Collins, Ellora’s Cave); Long Contemp (Victoria Curran, Harlequin Books); Short Contemp (Shana Smith, Harlequin Books); ST (Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency); RS (Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight Agency); HR (Tessa Woodward, Avon); Para / TT / F / F (Alicia Condon, Kensington Books); Inspirational (Jen Leep, Revell Books, Baker Publishing Group); MS w/ RE (Danielle Poiesz, Pocket Books) |
All entrants receive one written critique and two comprehensive evaluations of their work based on 20 different potential problem areas. Each category has individualized score sheet. 1st Place winners receive $25; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
Place in each category receive a plaque; honorable mentions receive certificates.
Winners announced in the RWR. |
| New
Jersey Romance Writers of America |
Put
Your Heart In A Book |
Romance |
RWA member, unpublished / not contracted in book-length
romantic fiction at the contest deadline by any publisher and in any format within
the last five years. |
Received by 11:59 EST June 15, 2010 (extended from June 1); final rankings annoucned Oct 24, 2009. |
synopsis, prologue, first chapter, 30 pp max. |
$20, $35 |
electronic only |
Short Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin; Agent Sharlene Martin-Brown); author Shirley Hailstock); ST (Brenda Chin, Harlequin; Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management; author Robyn Carr); HR (Alicia Condon, Kensington; Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; author Madeline Hunter); Para (Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press; Agent Cori Deyoe; Author Deborah Cooke); RE (Patience Smith, Harlequin; Agent Emily Kim, author Dee Davis) |
1st Place: $50 + plaque; 2nd Place: $35 + certificate;
3rd Place: $25 + certificate |
| Hollywood
Book Festival |
Hollywood
Book Festival |
All |
Published, self-published, independently published
works |
Postmark by COB on June 25, 2010 |
one copy of book |
$75 |
Mail. Payment by check, money order or online with
credit card or thru PayPal |
Categories: General Non-fiction, General Fiction,
Children’s book, E-book, Comics, Zines, How-To, Fan Fiction, Wild Card,
Unpublished Story, Teenage, Biography / Autobiography, Audio / spoken word, Genre-based |
Grand prize for the 2009 Hollywood Book Festival Author
of the Year is $1,500 and a flight to Los Angeles for our gala awards ceremony
in July |
| Indiana
Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Opportunity |
Romance (YA entry does not have to be romance) |
Anyone unpublished according to Romance Writers of
America guidelines. Need not be a member of RWA. Members of the Indiana RWA chapter
are not eligible. |
Received by June 27, 2010 |
first 35 pp, including synopsis (10 pp max) |
$25. MO, Check or PayPal. |
electronic entry. Pay by check, MO or PayPal. |
1st round: 2 experienced judges who MUST provide
constructive critiques. If the 2 scores are 75 or more points apart, a 3rd judge
is used and the 2 scores closest to each other prevail. 3 finalists per category.
Final judges: HR (Jesse Feldman, NAL); MS w/ Strong RE (Maureen Walters, Curtis Brown, LTD); Para (Alicia Condon, Kensington); RS (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); YA (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency); Best-of-the-Best (Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing) |
1st Place: $35.00 and certificate; 2nd Place: $30.00
and certificate; 3rd Place: $25.00 and certificate; Best of the Best Award: $100 cash and certificate. |
| New
Jersey Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Leaf |
Romance Book, Novella |
All NJRW members and RWA members in Region One published
in novel-length fiction who are eligible for RWA PAN or NJRW PAN |
June 30, 2010 |
Romance novel with 1st copyright date or 1st North
American printing date of August 2009 - June 2010. Includes E-books in print
book format, with copyright page produced by publisher, with perfect or case
binding and print on both sides of the page. See rule about erotic or sexually
explicit scenes. |
$15, $25 |
by mail |
Best First Book; HR; Long Contemp; Novella; Paranormal;
Traditional Regency; Short Contemp; ST |
|
| Rainbow Romance Writers of America |
Rainbow Award of Excellence |
Romance |
Any published work of GLBT romance, either electronic or print with an ISBN number, published in 2009 |
June 30, 2010 |
Book or novella, electronic entry |
$15 |
electronic |
Categories: Contemp, Para, RS, HR, Sci-fi / Fantasy; YA; Short / Novella (10,000-20,000 words). Judges: A panel of top writers in the GLBT genre. |
|
| Writers
of the Future |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally published
a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories
in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least
5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight June 30, 2010 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy.
No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter.
Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| Utah / Salt
Lake Romance Writers of America |
Heart
of the West |
Romance |
published or unpublished with uncontracted entry |
July 1, 2010; finalists notified Aug 20; winners announced Oct 9 |
prologue, first chapter, up to 20 pp (max of 25 lines
per page) |
$25 |
electronic only, can pay by PayPal, check or MO |
1st round: 3 scores, lowest dropped. Categories: Contemp (Elizabeth Pomada, Michael Larson, Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents); HR (Barbara Poelle, The Irene Goodman Agency); Para (Gail Fortune, The Talbot Fortune Agency); Mystery / Suspense (Danielle Rose Poiesz, Gallery / Pocket Books); YA (Ann Burkhardt, Kimberly Cameron & Assoc); Published (TBA - will be judged collectively.) Golden Pen (Candace Selima, Valor Publishing) |
1st Place Winners receive $40 and a certificate. 2nd thru 4th Place receive certificates. All finalists will be recognized in the Romance Writers Report. |
| Ancient City Romance Writers of America |
Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Award |
Romance Book |
Open to RWA members |
Postmark by July 5, 2010; finalists announced Sept 30; winners announced at Oct Boot Camp |
3 signed copies of romance novel (at least 50,000 words) with original copyright date of 2009 or "First US Printing" date in 2009. e-books accepted in bound, hard copy. |
$15 |
mail |
Judges are RWA members, non-RWA members, romance readers, booksellers, and librarians. Short & Long Series Contemp; ST; RS; HR (includes Regency); Inspirational / Traditional; Para; Strong RE; Erotic Romance |
1st Place winners in each category receive trophy and winner’s graphic to include on their website. 2nd and 3rd Place winners receive certificate and graphic for their website. Announcement sent to RWR. |
| Romance
Writers Ink |
Where
the Magic Begins |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published in the category entered in the past three years. Includes non-RWA recognized publishers and published novellas of 15,000 words or more. |
Cancelled for 2010. Aug 15, 2010 (extended from Sept 1 due to low entries in Dark Para, RS, Sensual Contemp, Sweet Contemp and especially ER); finalists notified at Nov 14 meeting and by email shortly thereafter |
1st 25 pp, synopsis (1 pp, may be single spaced, will not be judged) |
$25, $27 |
electronic |
1st rd judges are trained and instructed to provide constructive written feedback BOTH on the manuscript pages and the score sheets. Each entry receives 3 first round scores; lowest score dropped. 2nd round of judging held in the case of a tie. The 3 top-scoring entries in each category will be sent to the appropriate editor for final judging. Dark Para, HR, Light Para, RS, Sensual Contemp, Sweet contemp, ST |
|
| From
The Heart Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Gateway |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in book or e-book in
last 5 yrs (An author is considered published regardless if their publisher is
RWA recognized.) |
July 15, 2010 (extended from July 12); finalists notified
Aug 27; finalists must have latest copy to coordinator by Sept 3; winners announced
~Oct 22. |
beginning of ms and 10 pp max synopsis, max total
55 pp |
$20, $25, $30 |
electronic; pay by check, MO or PayPal |
3 first round judges, experienced or published. Discrepancy
judge if scores vary by 20 points or more. Top 5 entries with score of 225 or
above will final. Final judges: Short / Long Contemp Series (Shana Smith, Silhouette); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); MS / RE (Meredith Giordan, Berkley); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); RS (Jessica Sebor, Random House); TT / FF&P (Latoya Smith, Grand Central) |
1st Place in each category receives plaque and choice of a free FTHRW contest entry fee or a year’s worth of FTHRW dues. 2nd Place in each category receives an e-certificate and choice of FTHRW dues paid or a free FTHRW contest entry. 3rd, 4th, and 5th Place in each category receive e-certificates. A Grand Prize of $100 goes to highest overall scorer based on 1st round judging. |
| San
Francisco Area Romance Writers of America |
Heart
to Heart |
Romance |
unpublished by RWA recognized publisher as of deadline |
e-deadline July 15, 2010; finalists notified Aug 31, winners announced Sept 30 |
hero and heroine's first meeting, 15 pp max (numbered
as it appears in the ms) plus optional unjudged, double-spaced, one-page set-up. |
$15 |
electronic only. Can pay by PayPal or mail. |
Four 1st round judges, one of whom is a published
author. The lowest score is dropped. Top 3 entries in each category final. Final
judges: Para (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency; Leis Pederson, Berkeley; Angela James, Carina Press); Contemp (Stephanie MacLean, Trident Media Group; Editor TBD; Editor TBD); HR (Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency; Amanda Bergeron, Avon; Jessica Schulte, Carina Press); Erotica (Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency; Editor TBD; Tera Kleinfelter, Samhain); YA (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Adam Wilson, Harlequin; Kimberly Myers, Omnific Publishing) |
|
| Kensington Publishing Corp. |
Writing with the Stars |
Romance |
Unpublished authors with completed 80-90,000 wd manuscript (with sensuality tone that matches the Brava line) in any romance genre, written in English.. Limited to 1st 500 entries. |
Received by 11:59 PM EST July 15, 2010; finalists announced Sept 1. |
80-90,000 wd full manuscript, any genre, with Brava sensuality tone |
free |
electronic |
5 rounds of competition; each round will include comments from celebrity judges from the romance blogosphere. |
Top ten contestants will have a chance to work with Brava authors in the hopes of being the one lucky winner who lands a publishing contract with Brava! Top 10 contestants will also have their own webpage on the Brava Authors blog and the RT website. |
| Savvy Authors |
Lori Wilde's Drive 'Em Wilde Contest |
Romance, Fiction |
Must not have been published in the last 2 years by any of the major publishers (or its imprints) listed by Agent Query |
Received by midnight PST July 20, 2010 (extended from July 15 due to lack of erotic entries); finalists announced Aug 1 |
Query letter AND first 10 double-spaced pages of unpublished manuscript |
$20, $25 |
electronic; pay via PayPal or money order |
HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Para / Urban Fantasy / Fantasy (Chris Keeslar, Dorchester Publishing.); Sci-Fi / Futuristic (TBA); Contemp (Angela James, Carina Press); Suspense (Kristin Sevick, Tor / Forge Books); YA (Danielle Rose Poiesz, Gallery / Pocket Books); ER or Erotica (Lindsey Faber, Samhain Publishing) |
1st place winners for each category receives $25 credit toward workshop of their choice at Savvy Authors. Overall Grand Prize Winner: Lori Wilde will read each of the 1st place winners and rank them 1 thru 7, with the 1st place winner receiving a free year’s tuition in her upcoming Mentoring course at Savvy University. |
| Southern
Louisiana Romance Writers of America |
Dixie
Kane Memorial Contest |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in book length fiction
by RWA approved published in last 5 yrs |
Postmark by July 31, 2010 (extended from July 15); winners announced Sept 30. |
first 5 pp of ms, 1 pp synopsis (not judged) |
$15 |
Mail. Pay by check or MO. |
All entries will be reviewed by 4 published or non-published
trained members of RWA. The lowest score will be dropped. In the event of a tie,
both entries will be winners. Final Round Judges: Short / long series contemp (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); ST contemp (Debra Dixon, Bell Bridge Books); Para (Lill Farrell, The Wild Rose Press); Inspirational (Nicke Martinez, White Rose Publishing); RE (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); RS (Lori Graham, The Wild Rose Press); HR (Nicole D’Arienzo, The Wild Rose Press); ER (Alicia Rasley, Red Sage Publishing) |
The top prize for the highest overall score among
all entries receives $50 cash and special certificate. Certificates for 1st
through 3rd Places and honorable mentions. Names published in RWR,
the New Orleans Times Picayune, and on SOLA's website. |
| Dream Quest One |
Poetry & Writing Contest |
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry |
Unpublished or published. All entries must be original
to entrants. |
Postmark by July 31, 2010; winners announced Aug 31,
2010 |
Poem (30 lines or fewer) on any subject and / or short
story (5 pp max, single or double spacing) on any theme |
$5 per poem; $10 per short story |
mail, can pay via PayPal |
All categories welcome. Judges: Dare to Dream Master
Selection Committee |
Prizes: Writing First Prize: $500, Second: $250,
Third: $100; Poetry First Prize: $250, Second: $125, Third: $50.
All winning entries will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages |
| Rose
City Romance Writers of America |
Golden Rose |
Romance |
Anyone unpublished or not published by RWA recognized publisher in novel length fiction in last
3 yrs and uncontracted at deadline |
e-deadline 11:59 PM PST Aug 7, 2010; finalists notified by Oct 13; winners notified Dec 6. |
beginning of ms (50 pp max). Finalists must supply a 1-2 pp synopsis which will not be judged. |
$30, $35, $50 (+$2 if paying by payPal) |
electronic only; pay by PayPal or check |
Preliminary round: 3 trained judges, at least one will be published author. Discrepancy judging if there is at least a 30 point spread between the two lowest scores, and the entry would have a possibility of finaling with a higher total score. Entries must have a minimum average score of 80% of the total available points to final. The top 10% in each category final. Finalists have 1 week to edit entry, before it goes to final judges. Contemp Series (Susan Litman, Harlequin); ST Contemp (Megan Records, Kensington); HR (Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Ehrlich Literary Management); MS / RE (Amberly Finarelli, Andrea Hurst & Associates); Para / F / F (Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency); RS (Kristin Sevick, Tor); YA (Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger) |
The GRAND PRIZE winner is the entrant with the highest total score overall. This winner will win an American Beauty Rose dipped in gold. First Place Winners in each category will be offered a free chapter membership. All 1st through 3rd place winners will receive a Certificate of Accomplishment and a web banner they can proudly display on their websites. The names of all winners will be publicized. Recognition will include announcements on the RCRW website and in the Romance Writers Report (RWR). |
| Florida Romance Writers |
Golden Palm |
Romance |
Any writer who has never been contracted in book-length fiction (40,000 words or more) from any publisher. |
e-deadline midnight EST Aug 15, 2010; finalists notified Oct 4, winners announced at Fun in the Sun Conference Jan 24-27. |
First 25 pp |
$20, $25 |
electronic entry, pay by check, MO or PayPal |
1st round: 3 judges, at least one a published author. Lowest score dropped. Final judges: Short / Long Contemp (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); ST (Adam Wilson, Mira); MS / RE (Lucy Childs, The Aaron Priest Agency); HR (Erika Tsang, Avon); Para / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / TT (Eric Raab, TOR) |
Finalists can send a revised copy to final judges. First Place in each category will received $25, along with a Certificate and a Golden Palm pin. Second and third in each category will receive a certificate. |
| The
Golden Network Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Pen |
Romance |
RWA member unpublished and uncontracted by Aug 15,
2010 (or not published in last 5 yrs) by a non-vanity, non-subsidy publisher |
e-deadline Aug 15, 2010; finalists notified Oct 1;
winners announced Jan 1, 2011 |
beginning of ms, synopsis (55 pp max, including the synopsis, which can't exceed 10 pp) |
$30 by PayPal, check, MO |
electronic entry |
Preliminary round: 3 judges, incl. at least one published author, one Golden Heart finalist, and one PRO. Lowest score is dropped. The 3 top-scoring entries in each category proceed to final round. Final judges: Series Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin); HR (Leis Pederson, Berkley); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); Para (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks);
RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill); YA (Regina Griffin, Egmont); Strong RE (Valerie Gray, Mira) |
1st Place in each category: Engraved gold pen, a certificate and a check for $30. 2nd Place: Certificate and a check for $20. 3rd Place: Certificate. Final placements will be announced in the RWR. |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
Poetry Contest |
Poetry |
Poem must be unpublished. Open to writers who have not published a book of poetry (may have published in other genres). Authors who have self-published or have published chapbooks are eligible provided poetry collection does not have an ISBN number. |
Postmark / e-deadline Aug 15, 2010. Winner announced by January 15, 2011. |
2-4 unpublished poems of any theme with combined length of up to 400 lines |
$20 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
Judge: Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque |
Prize: $1000; public reading and VIP Festival pass ($500 value) at 25th anniversary Festival, March 23-27, 2011; and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas. Top 10 finalists will receive a panel pass ($60 value) to attend the 2011 Festival, and their names will be published on www.tennesseewilliams.net. |
| EPIC |
EPIC eBook Awards |
EBook |
e-book with publication date between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010. |
e-deadline for entries (forms and files) is 11:59 PM CST Aug 15, 2010. Fees must be received and processed by Aug 16th. |
ebook submitted in an "as it is sold" non-DRM PDF format Single Title or Anthology |
$25, $35, $45 by PayPal, check, MO |
email file conforming to strict naming convention (see rules) |
Poetry; Children (non-fiction, fiction); YA (non-fiction, fiction); Non-Fiction; Anthologies (non-fiction, fiction, romance, erotic romance or erotica); Fiction (adventure, erotica, fantasy / para, historical, horror, mystery / suspense, sci-fi, spiritual / metaphysical, western, MS); Romance (contemp, fantasy, historical, horror, mystery / suspense / adventure, para, sci-fi, spiritual / metaphysical, western); Erotic Romance (contemp, fantasy, historical, horror, mystery / suspense / adventure, para, sci-fi, western) |
|
| Memoir Journal, Inc. |
Memoir
(and) |
Traditional and experimental prose, poetry, graphic
memoir, narrative photography, lies, and more |
Anyone |
Aug 16, 2010 |
prefer Microsoft Word format. See
guidelines for details. |
Free |
prefer electronic but also take mail |
Prose (one submission, maximum 10,000 words); ; Poetry (maximum of five poems of any length, all in one document); Graphic memoir (one submission that will fit on no more than twenty 7” x 10” pages); Narrative photography (up to five images) |
4 prizes: Memoir in Poetry or Prose: Grand Prize:
$500, 2nd Prize: $250, 3rd Prize: $100; and Graphic Memoir Grand Prize: $100. Winning entries published
in print and online plus receive free copies of the
journal. |
| FF&P
Special Interest Romance Writers of America |
On
the Far Side |
Romance (Every category must contain a futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal element.) |
not contracted / published by RWA recognized publisher
in genre entered in book-length fiction in last 5 yers |
e-deadline midnight EST Aug 29, 2010 |
first 20 pp of ms, plus optional 2 pp synopsis, not scored. Font: 12 pt Courier / Courier New or 14 pt TNR |
$20, $30 |
electronic |
RE (Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency); Futuristic (Danielle Rose Poiesz, Gallery Books / Pocket Books); General Dark or Light Para (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); TT (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Fantasy (Sarah LaPolla, Curtis Brown Ltd); YA (Melissa Frain, Editor, Tor / Forge Books) |
All finalists receive certificate and OTFS finalist website banner. Winners receive check for $20, pin, an OTFS winner website banner, and a certificate. 2nd Place receives a check for $15 and a certificate 3rd place receives a check for $10 and a certificate |
| Gemini Magazine |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction short story |
previously unpublished flash fiction; new or established writers; no restriction on content, style or genre. |
e-deadline Aug 31, 2010 |
up to 1,000 words |
$4 |
email; pay via PayPal |
Gemini Magazine editors will judge. |
Grand prize: $1,000; 2nd Place: $100; 4 honorable mentions. All 6 finalists will be published in October 2010 issue of Gemini Magazine |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction, see website for theme |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Aug 31, 2010. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
(Assume) judges are Women On Writing editorial staff |
|
| Glimmer Train Press |
Short Story Award for New Writers |
Short Story |
writer whose fiction has not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. |
midnight PST, Aug 31, 2010; results posted Oct 30 |
up to 12,000 words |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| Volusia
County Romance Writers of America |
Laurel
Wreath Award |
Romance Book |
published RWA member, copyright of 2009 |
Received by Aug 31, 2010 (winners notified by mid-Nov) |
3 copies of book, e-books accepted in a printed / book
form, bound and covered. |
$20 |
mail |
Short Contemp; Long Contemp; RS; HR / Regency; RE;
FF&P / TT. Judges: booksellers. Judges give each entry a score of 3-10
(10 being the highest). Judges also rank entries, if needed, for tie-breaking. |
|
| NANO Fiction |
Nano Prize |
Fiction |
Anyone except friends and family of the editors. Piece must be unpublished. |
Received by Aug 31, 2010. |
flash fiction piece, prose poem, or micro essay of
300 words or less. |
$15 for first 3 pieces, $2 each add'l piece. (You
also receive a 1-yr subscription to NANO Fiction). |
1) by mail with check or money order or 2) by email with payment thru PayPal |
Judges are editors at NANO Fiction. |
One winner receives $500 and publication. All entries considered
for publication. All entrants receive a 1-yr subscription to NANO Fiction. |
| Heartland
Romance Writers of America |
Show
Me The Spark! |
Romance |
Unpublished, not published in last 3 yrs. |
e-deadline midnight CST Aug 31, 2010. Finalists notified by Sept 30. Winners announced Nov 6. |
1st chapter (25 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
Email only. PayPal. |
1st round: 3 trained/certified judges. 5 finalists in each category proceed to the final round.
Contemp (Susanna Einstein, LJK Literary Management); Erotica (Elaine English, Elaine English PLLC Literary); HR (Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency); Inspirational (Kelly Gottuso Mortimer, Mortimer Literary Agency); Para / Sci-Fi / Fantasy (Jewelann Cone, Cascade Literary Agency); RS (Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); YA (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency) |
First Place: $25.00 Cash Prize or Border's Gift Card (Winner's Choice), Short Sleeved Chambray Shirt & Certificate. All Other Finalists: Certificate |
| Memoirs, Ink |
Annual writing contest |
Essay, memoir or auto-biographical stories |
previously unpublished entry, includes websites and blogs |
Late deadline is Aug 31, 2010 (extra $5 applies after regular Aug 14 deadline); winners announced Oct 7 |
3,000 words max, must be written in first person in English |
$15 1st entry; $10 each add'l (+$5 if "late") check or MO |
by mail. Can pay via Paypal. |
Panel of Memoirs Ink judges. Final judge: TBA |
First Prize: $1000; Second Prize: $500; Third Prize: $250; plus publication. Winners' stories will be published. |
| Southwest
Florida Romance Writers of America |
Hold
Me, Thrill Me |
Romance |
RWA member not published in book-length
fiction |
E-deadline Sept 1, 2010 |
1st 20 pp |
$25 |
mail |
Entries must contain a romantic element. Contemp (Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency); HR (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency); Para (Joe Veltre, The Veltre Company); RS (Elaine English, Elaine English Literary Agency); YA (Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency) |
|
| Valley
of the Sun Romance Writers of America |
Hot
Prospects |
Romance |
Published or unpublished RWA member in good standing |
e-deadline / postmark by 11:59 pm PST Sept 1, 2010; finalists notified by Oct 31. Finalists will have one week to revise before submitting to final judges. Winners announced Dec 15. |
synopsis (5 pp max), beginning of ms (25 pp max) |
$30 |
mail or electronic. Pay by check or PayPal. |
1st round - 2 judges. If scores vary by 26 or more points, there will be a 3rd judge with lowest score dropped. 3 finalists per category. Final round judges: HR (Rose Hilliard, St. Martin's Press; Sharene Martin-Brown, Wylie-Merrick); FF&P (Jennifer Enderlin, St. Martin's Press; Amy Boggs, Donald Maass Literary Agency); RS (Katherine N. Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group; Agent Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency); Long Contemp / ST (Deb Werksmen, Sourcebooks; Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency); Series Contemp (Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin; Leanne Morgena, The Wild Rose Press) |
All finalists in each category receive a certificate, a graphic for their website and mention in the RWR Grand Prize Winner can choose between a book trailer, static banner and active banner from Bella Entertainment for the book of their choice (a $300.00 value) or $100.00 USD. |
| Music
City Romance Writers of America |
Melody
of Love |
Romance |
unpublished or not contracted / published in last
5 yrs in category entered (contest is limited to first 75 entries
received) |
Received by Sept 1, 2010; finalists announced by mid Oct; winners announced in Dec. |
first 25 pp |
$22, $27, $32 |
electronic only, can pay by check or PayPal |
Discrepancy judge employed if needed. Finalists can revise before submitting to final judge and may submit a one page synopsis at final judge's request. Contemp (Beth Miller, Writers House Agency);
Para (Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency); HR (Elaine Spencer, Knight Agency) |
Winners in each category receive: 1st place, $50,
certificate, and special prize; 2nd and 3rd place, certificate and special prize. An optional benefit for finalists is a one year membership to MCRW. Applies to current members of RWA or members who join RWA within a couple months of finaling in the Melody of Love contest. |
| 3-Day Novel.com |
3-Day Novel Contest |
Novella |
Anyone. Can co-write with a second person. Work cannot be published in any form before winners are announced. |
Register by Sept 3, 2010; mail completed novel by Sept 10. |
must write your entire novel over Labor Day weekend. No length limit but entries average about 100 pp double-spaced |
$50 |
can register by mail or online. Send completed entry by mail. |
Judged by the Vancouver writing and publishing community |
The goal: write a complete novel in only 72 hours. The reward: a heck of a creative experience and one coffee-stained, tear-tinged, rule-breaking first draft. Prizes: 1st: Publication, 2nd $500 and a 3rd $100. It's a notorious rite-of-passage for writers. Author retains copyright. |
