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GUIDELINES & ENTRY FORM - 2007
Postmark Deadline: August 18, 2007 extended to
midnight Saturday, September 1st
E-Receipt Deadline: August 21, 2007 extended to
midnight Tuesday, September 4th
Eligibility:
1)
Any
unpublished/uncontracted RWA member in good standing, who is
able to enter RWA National Golden Heart may enter any
category except Cross-Over. Short Story category is for
unpublished/uncontracted RWA members only.
2)
Any
published RWA member in good standing who has not contracted
a story in the last five (5) years (on or after June 1,
2002).
3)
Cross-Over category is for published RWA members in good
standing that are writing in a category other than the one(s)
in which they have been published.
4)
Contestants may submit more than one entry in a category or
enter multiple categories, but each entry must be
accompanied by a separate Entry Form and fee.
5)
The
same entry cannot be placed in more than one category
(except as a second choice). If the first choice category
doesn’t have enough entries, any entry received for that
category will be moved into the second choice category and
no additional fee will be charged.
6)
Members of the Valley of the Sun Chapter may also enter, but
they cannot judge entries in any category which they have
entered.
Categories and Final Round Judges (Editors/Literary Agencies):
1)
Historical/Regency
Vivian Beck Vivian Beck Agency
2)
Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Leah Hultenschmidt
Dorchester Publishing
3)
Romantic Suspense Paige
Wheeler Folio Literary Mgt.
4)
Young Adult Kate Seaver
Berkley
5)
Short Contemporary Michelle Grajkowski 3
Seas Literary Agency
6)
Long Contemporary Patience
Smith Harlequin/Silhouette
7)
Chicklit / Women’s Fiction
Sara Megibow
Nelson Literary Agency
8)
Inspirational
Denise Silvestro
Putnam Praise
9)
Erotica
Raelene Gorlinsky Ellora’s Cave
10)
Short Stories (10-12K)
Anne Scott Samhain Publishing
11)
Cross-Over (see eligibility rules) Elaine
Spencer
Knight Literary Agency
(Word count for categories follow RWA Golden Heart
guidelines.)
Entry Fee:
Novel Length…Postmarked (or e-submit)
on or before 7/20
·
$30 for non-members of VOS Chapter
·
$25 for members of VOS Chapter
Novel Length…Postmarked
(or e-submit) after 7/20
·
$35 for non-members of VOS Chapter
·
$30 for members of VOS Chapter
Short Story…Postmarked
(or e-submit) on or before 7/20
·
$20 for non-members of VOS Chapter
·
$15 for members of VOS Chapter
Short Story…Postmarked
(or e-submit) after 7/20
·
$25 for non-members of VOS Chapter
·
$20 for members of VOS Chapter
(Not eligible for early discount unless payment has also been
received/verified by cutoff date of 7/20/07. Chapter website has PayPal capability.)
Prizes:
· Grand
Prize Winner:
The single highest scoring first place entry across all
novel length categories will receive a written critique
by Scott Eagan of Greyhaus Literary Agency.
· Short
Story Winner:
The First Place entry in the short story category will
receive a written critique from Anne Scott of Samhain
Publishing.
·
All finalists in each category will receive a
certificate and an acknowledgement in the RWR.
Deadline:
Postmark Deadline: August 18, 2007
extended to midnight Saturday, September 1st
E-Receipt Deadline: August 21, 2007
extended to midnight Tuesday, September 4th
Finalists are expected to be posted to the website by
mid-September and winners will be notified by phone prior to
the end of November…watch the website for more accurate
posting/notification times. The contest is limited to the
first 40 entries received in each category. All entries
received over the limit will be returned. If less than five
entries are received in a category, the entry may be placed
in the contestant’s second choice or returned if no second
choice is indicated. Contestants may enter more than one
entry in a category or submit multiple entries to multiple
categories, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate
waiver form and fee, and no entry may be placed in more than
one category.
Judging:
Each entry will be judged by three trained judges, including
at least one published author. Preliminary judges may make
comments directly on the manuscripts or in the electronic
files and each will provide a score sheet to be attached to
the manuscript for return to the contestant. Finalists will
be determined based on the average of the three preliminary
scores for each entry. If the preliminary scores for any
entry vary as much as a 100 point spread, the entry will be
judged a fourth time and the
lowest score (of the four) will be thrown out.
Editors/Agencies will read the top three manuscripts in each
category to determine final placements.
HOW TO ENTER
(print form at
bottom and complete)
For
hard copy submissions:
1)
1
copy of COVER PAGE
containing author’s name, address, telephone, email address,
National RWA membership number, title of manuscript,
manuscript category, specialized category (if applicable),
and word count. Please do not put your name, address,
email or phone number on any other page of your entry. If
they appear elsewhere, your entry will be disqualified and
your entry fee forfeited.
2)
4
copies of SYNOPSIS
up to 3 double-spaced pages for NOVEL length or 2
double-spaced pages for SHORT STORY. Manuscript title must
appear at the top left of each page, and page number must
appear at the top right of each page.
DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME.
3)
4
copies of MANUSCRIPT,
up to the first 20 double-spaced pages for NOVEL length or
up to the first 10 double-spaced pages for a SHORT STORY.
Prologue, if included, will be counted in entry pages and
total count cannot exceed 20 for novels and 10 for shorts.
Manuscript title must appear at the top left of each page,
and page number must appear at the top right of each page.
DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME.
All pages, including the synopsis, are to be double-spaced
with 1-inch margins throughout, with 24
–
26 lines per page and 12 pt. or larger font.
4)
1
signed copy of the ENTRY FORM,
provided below.
5)
1
CHECK
payable to
Valley of the Sun Romance Writers for appropriate fee, or
indication that payment was made via
PAYPAL. See entry fees section above.
6)
4
Self-Addressed mailing labels for hardcopy entries only.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ENVELOPES OR POSTAGE.
We pay the
return postage and your manuscript will be returned to you
along with your scoresheets. You may include a postcard
(with postage) if you need physical proof that your
manuscript was received.
For Electronic Submissions:
SEND ELECTRONIC
SUBMISSIONS TO:
lcombsgraves@earthlink.net
All of the same components are required as outlined above for
hardcopy submissions and all of the guidelines and rules are
the same. But only one copy of each item is required to be
“attached” to the submission e-mail, as follows:
1)
1
copy of COVER PAGE
(same rules as above)
2)
1
copy of SYNOPSIS
(same rules as above)
3)
1
copy of MANUSCRIPT
(same rules as above)
4)
1
copy of the ENTRY FORM
(submission of an electronic entry form is considered the
same as a signed hardcopy)
5) 1 CHECK
payable to Valley of the Sun Romance Writers may be mailed
separately or indicate payment has been made via
PAYPAL. See Entry Fees
section above. Note that entry will not be accepted if
PayPal payment cannot be verified prior to cutoff date.
6) Mailing labels are not
required; all returns will be handled electronically.
If you would like to
have preliminary judges
provide comments
on your entry, please
include entry as WORD document.
Contest Coordinator will
make sure
integrity of
original entry is
preserved for submission to editor/agency in the
event it is a finalist.
ENTRY FORM
Read
the following legalese and sign below…
Contest Waiver. I hereby request that the enclosed manuscripts, which I
certify are my original work, be entered in the 2007 Hot
Prospects Contest. I understand that contest judging is
subjective by nature. In consideration of Valley of the
Sun’s acceptance of my entry, I agree to indemnify, defend,
and hold harmless the chapter, its officers, members and all
judges of the Hot Prospects Contest from liability for
its/their actions arising from, or relating to, judging and
from liability for its/their handling my entry and
conducting, sponsoring and advertising this contest, which
expressly results from my entry.
Print name of
manuscript:____________________________________________________________
(typed name is considered signature
for electronic submissions)
Preferred category:
_________________________________________________________________
Second Choice:
____________________________________________________________________
(used only if there are not
enough entries in preferred category)
Print
Name:________________________________________________________________________
Signature:____________________________________________________________
Date:__/__/__
(typed name is considered signature for
electronic submissions)
If two people are authors of this manuscript, both must sign
this waiver.
2nd author - Print
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Signature:____________________________________________________________
Date:__/__/__
(typed name is considered signature for electronic submissions)
Indicate
amount paid: $________ Check One:
Check___
Money Order___ Cash___ PayPal___
Mail it all to:
Hot
Prospects Contest
Lori Combs-Graves
P.O. Box 1338
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340
For more information contact: lcombsgraves@earthlink.net
Permission to copy this form for entry purpose is granted to
all RWA chapters and members
TO PAY WITH PAYPAL, CLICK
BELOW:
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