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Contest Rules and Information
- ALL entrants must enter electronically.
- First chapter (up to 20 pages maximum) and optional
synopsis (5 pages maximum). A prologue may be included with the first
chapter as long as the entry does not exceed 20 pages.
- Each manuscript may be entered in only one category. However, you
may enter as many different manuscripts as you wish. Each new entry
must have a separate contest entry form and payment.
Important Dates:
March 4, 2010 - Contest opens for entries
April 30, 2010 -
Electronic entries must be received by midnight
EST
June 20, 2010 - First-Round Finalists Notification
July 31, 2010 - Final-Round Winners Announced
Entry Fee:
- Payment for electronic entries may be received either through PayPal or by check made payable to Virginia Romance Writers. Again, all payments must be received by April 30, 2010.
- $20 for all current VRW members; $25 for non-members. (Entrants do not have to be members of Romance Writers of America.)
- Anyone wishing to pay by check should contact the contest coordinator for mailing instructions. Check or money oreder must be made payable to Virginia Romance Writers in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. Please write the check number on the entry form.
- Each entry must be accompanied by the appropriate fee.
- Verification of receipt will be made via the email address included on the entry form. If you do NOT receive a verification email, email the coordinator of your category immediately.
Eligibility:
- All work must be the author's original work that has not been contracted for publication prior to the entry deadline.
- Open to entrants who have not published and not contracted in book-length romantic fiction, or authors who have not published, sold or contracted in their category within the past three (3) years.
- Authors who have published e-books or books published with non-recognized RWA publishers are considered published and are not eligible for this contest.
- Previous 1st place winners may not re-enter the winning entry, even in edited format. They may, however, enter another work. Previous 2nd and 3rd place entries will be accepted, revision encouraged.
- Author may enter multiple manuscripts, but must fill out separate entry forms with appropriate entry fees to appy to each entry.
- It is not a requirement to have a finished book-length manuscript in order to enter this contest.
- Failure to comply with any of the rules may disqualify the entry resulting in a forfeit of the entry fee.
Categories and Final Round Judges:
Short Contemporary - TBA
All publishers of contemporary series romance: Harlequin.
Approximate word count: 40,000-85,000
Long
Contemporary - TBA
All publishers of longer contemporary/non-series romance.
Approximate word count: 90,000-120,000
Historical - Lucy Gilmour, Harlequin Editor
Romantic novels with non-contemporary time periods, including Regency and gothic romances.
All publishers of historical single titles, including Harlequin Historical and Mills & Boon Historical.
Approximate word count: 40,000 - 110,000
Paranormal/Futuristic/Fantasy/Time Travel - Amanda Barnett, Senior Editor, The Wild Rose Press
Romantic novels of any time period (historical or futuristic) that contain elements such as time-travel, paranormal or fantasy themes. The emphasis must be on the romance.
All publishers of individual titles of romance, including Harlequin Luna, Nocturne, Berkley, and Dorchester Love Spell.
Approximate word count: 40,000-120,000
Inspirational - Elizabeth Mazer, Assistant Editor, Steeple Hill
Romantic novels with an inspirational message or theme, include romantic suspense, historical, etc.
All publishers of inspirational single title, including Silhouette Love Inspired and Steeple Hill.
Approximate word count: 40,000-100,000
Romantic Suspense - TBA
Romantic novels that include an element of mystery or suspense.
All publishers of individual tiles of romance, including Harlequin Intrigue and Silhouette Romantic Suspense.
Approximate word count: 40,000-100,000
All categories that fail to receive at least 10 entries will be cancelled and the entries and entry fees returned.
Electronic Entry Format and Checklist
- Completed Contest Entry Form with checked Contestant Waiver must be emailed and received by midnight EST, Friday, April 30, 2010.
- Mailed payments must be received by Friday, April 30, 2010.
- Manuscript should be double-spaced
- 1" margins
- Readable 12 point font (Courier New or Times
New Roman preferred)
- Title of the manuscript in the upper left corner of each page
- Page number in the upper right corner of each page
- Your name must NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript
- Send one RTF (rich text format) file containing the prologue (if applicable) and first chapter of the manuscript. Entry must NOT exceed the first 20 pages (prologue and first chapter combined). Do not send anything beyond the prologue and first chapter even if the entry does not reach the 20 page maximum. Entrants may also send one RTF (rich text format) file of the optional synopsis. The optional synopsis should be no more than 5 pages and will not be judged.
- Please use the following formatting when sending your entry:
YourManuscriptTitle-entry.rtf
YourManuscriptTitle-synopsis.rtf
- ELECTRONIC ENTRY FORM -- Complete the entry form on the website and submit it electronically. If you cannot complete the on-line entry form, please contact the Contest Coordinator: foolforlove2010@verizon.net.
Judging
- Each entry will receive a detailed score sheet from two qualified judges.
- Judges will be encouraged to comment on the manuscript.
- A third judge will be used for any entry whose preliminary scores differ by 35 points or more, as will entries tied for the finalist round of judging.
- The top three entries from each category will
advance to the finals.
- The FFL coordinator intends to notify the finalists on their status by phone, mail, or email on or about the last week of June.
- Final-round entries will be judged by editors or agents.
- Non-finalist entries will be returned after finalists are determined.
- All decisions of the judges are final.
Awards:
- 1st Place in each category - $50
International winners have the option to receive their monetary prize through Paypal.
- 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive certificates and will be awarded one free manuscript entry into VRW’s 2011 Fool For Love Contest, providing they haven’t contracted by that time. If contracted before April 1, 2011, then their first eligible published book can be entered into a future HOLT contest at no cost.
If you are interested in being a judge in the first round of the Fool for Love Contest,
please contact Alleyne Dickens at foolforlove2010@verizon.net
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Updated Mar. 4, 2010
FFL Rules
FFL Entry Form
FFL Sample Scoresheet
FFL Winners and Finalists |
