Yellow Rose RWA

2010 Winter Rose Contest

Contest Timeline:

January 23, 2010 - Deadline for all print and electronic submissions. *CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*
April 9, 2010 - Finalists notified by telephone or e-mail, on or before this date.
May 15, 2010 - Winners announced at the Winter Rose Luncheon.

Click here for entry form
Click here for rules in PDF format

2010 Final Judges:

Contemporary Single Title: Theresa Stevens, Red Sage
Historical (includes Regency): Alicia Condon, Dorchester
Mainstream: Danielle Poisez, Pocket Books
Paranormal: Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Judith Ehrlich Literary
Romantic Suspense: Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks
Series Contemporary: Victoria Curran, Harlequin
Young Adult: Melissa Frain, TOR

2010 Grand Prize (Agent Read):

Scott Eagan, Grayhaus Literary Agency

Categories:

Contemporary Single Title – romantic novels released as individual titles, not part of a series.Word count: over 90,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Historical – books set in historical setting/time period. May include traditional Regency novels. Word count: over 60,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Mainstream with Romantic Elements – mainstream fiction novels to including but not limited to Women's Fiction and Chick Lit. Word count: over 75,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Paranormal – paranormal element. May include Fantasy, Futuristic, Time Travel, Ghost, Vampire, Werewolf, etc. Word count: over 85,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Romantic Suspense – books that are not part of a series, in which suspense is a major element of the plot. Word count: over 90,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Series Contemporary – books that are targeted for Series Contemporary such as Harlequin: Intrigue, Blaze, Super Romance. Silhouette: Special Edition, Intimate Moments, etc. Word count: 50,000-90,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Young Adult – books that are targeted for young adult and teen readers such as Harry Potter or the Twilight series. Word count: 60,000. Score sheet: PDF version; RTF version.

Please note: Word counts are for general guideline purposes only!

Entrant Eligibility and Guidelines:

Enter the opening twenty-five (25) pages of romance novels of all above sub-genres (projected length of at least 50,000 words). All entrants must be RWA members in good standing who have not published a novel in the last 5 years. Also, it should be noted that entries that won the Winter Rose in years past, may not be entered in any form.

Official Rules:

Yellow Rose RWA reserves the right to limit entries to the first seventy-five (75) manuscripts received in each category. Failure to comply with any of the entry requirements below could result in return of your manuscript. For those entrants desiring electronic format, please see e-judging specific guidelines.

Specific Guidelines for Print Entries

IMPORTANT: Most of the final judges have requested electronic only entries. If you are submitting a print entry, you must submit the fifth copy electronically to the Electronic Coordinator at the same time. This is to maintain fairness for all entries. See below for Electronic Coordinator information. Any questions, contact one of the coordinators.
Entries shall consist of four (4) print copies and one (1) electronic copy of the first 25 pages of the novel. A prologue and/or second chapter may be included if within total page guidelines.
Entries shall be submitted on WHITE paper only.
Entries shall be in standard manuscript format, double spaced, 12 point font (Courier or TNR suggested) with one-inch margins and unjustified right margins. The name of the author, RWA number, or any other identifying information must not appear on the entry. A cover page is not necessary. As a side note, manuscript format is not a judged component of the Winter Rose contest. Judges may or may not point out formatting issues to an entrant, but no points are deducted for perceived infractions.
Print and attach the appropriate category score sheet to each of your entries. You can download the score sheet by clicking on one of the following: Contemporary Single Title, Historical, Mainstream, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Series Contemporary, Young Adult.
The header on each page must contain the title of the manuscript, projected length, and the page number. Entrant may indicate target market if desired to help judges customize their comments. For those entering Series or Contemporary Single Title, you may indicate target line (i.e., Harlequin Super Romance, Blaze, etc.).
Do not include illustrations, author bio/photos, vocabulary lists, footnotes or a synopsis. Again, DO NOT INCLUDE A SYNOPSIS! :)
Bind entries with large paper clips. Large binder clips may be used, but contest coordinators may remove them for mailing purposes. Do not submit an unbound manuscript.
Mail entries in Tyvek envelopes (free Tyvek Priority Mail envelopes may be picked up at the Post Office) with your return address in the upper left hand corner. Include Self-Addressed Stamped Flat Rate Envelope for return of your manuscripts and score sheets and SASP if you want acknowledgement of receipt. Priority mail is preferred. Return SASEs with insufficient postage or no return SASE mean your entry will not be returned after judging. ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY. (ATTN: International Entrants-please be advised that we offer an electronic option. However, if you wish to enter a printed entry, please email us to assist you with postage concerns. We work with our international entrants to simplify the process.)
Each entry may only be entered in one category (i.e., you can’t enter the same exact entry in both historical and paranormal). However, you may enter different entries/different categories, with a maximum of TWO entries per entrant, per category. Each entry must have a separate entry form filled out and release signed. This form may be copied. You may send one check/money order payable to Yellow Rose RWA to cover all entry fees. If you’d like to join Yellow Rose, please note that you must fill out a membership application and attach a separate check to cover membership dues.

Entries must be postmarked by January 23, 2010. If postmark requirement is not met, entries will be returned unopened. Payment and entry form also to be received by Contest Coordinator before accepting contest email entry.

Mail your PRINT ONLY entries to the following:

Brenda Chitwood
Address listed on Entry Form

Specific Guidelines for Electronic Entries

Entrant MUST sign, date and mail entry form and release to Yellow Rose before entry will be entered into contest. This is mandatory. No electronic entry forms will be accepted. Once the E-judging Coordinator has release/entry form and payment is recorded, she will send a confirmation email to entrant advising them that entry can be emailed to her. Entrant has up to contest deadline of January 23, 2010. Once entry is received, the coordinator will send a confirmation email back to entrant.

Entries shall consist of the first 25 pages of the novel. A prologue and/or second chapter may be included if within total page guidelines.
Entries will be received in RTF (Rich Text Format) files only. (To convert your file to RTF, open the document, go into File, click on Save As and choose RTF format. This will create a new document with the same title in RTF format.)
Attach the appropriate category score sheet to your electronic entry by copying and pasting the score sheet to the beginning of your document. Use a page break between the score sheet and the beginning of the entry. It’s okay if the header appears on the score sheet. :) You can download the score sheet by clicking on one of the following: Contemporary Single Title, Historical, Mainstream, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Series Contemporary, Young Adult. Problems? Email the electronic coordinator for assistance.
Entries shall be in standard manuscript format, double spaced, 12 point font (Courier or TNR suggested) with one-inch margins and unjustified right margins. The name of the author, RWA number, or any other identifying information must not appear on the entry. A cover page is not necessary. As a side note, manuscript format is not a judged component of the Winter Rose contest. Judges may or may not point out formatting issues to an entrant, but no points are deducted for perceived infractions.
The header on each page must contain the title of the manuscript, projected length, and the page number. Entrant may indicate target market if desired to help judges customize their comments. For those entering Series or Contemporary Single Title, you may indicate target line (i.e., Harlequin SuperRomance, Blaze, etc.).
Document title should be the title of the manuscript only. Please do not add author name. Please do not name your document “Winter Rose Entry” or any other variation.
Email your entry to the Electronic Contest Coordinator as an attachment.
When emailing your attachment entry file to the coordinator, type the Entry Title and category in the subject header of the email. In the body of the email please include your full name, title of entry, the total number of pages and the font used for the entry (this is to ensure there are no changes during transition).
Entrants will receive email confirmation for receipt of their entry.
Format is not a judged component of the Winter Rose contest. Whether print or electronic, no points are deducted for format infractions.
Each entry may only be entered in one category (i.e., you can’t enter the same exact entry in both historical and paranormal). However, you may enter different entries/different categories, with a maximum of TWO entries per entrant, per category. Each entry must have a separate entry form filled out and release signed. This form may be copied. You may send one check/money order payable to Yellow Rose RWA to cover all entry fees. If you’d like to join Yellow Rose, please note that you must fill out a membership application and attach a separate check to cover membership dues.

Mail ELECTRONIC ONLY entry form and contest fee to:

Michelle Miles
Address listed on Entry Form

If you wish to enter and pay via PayPal, please use one of the buttons below.

Non-Yellow Rose Members ($30):

Yellow Rose Members ($15):

Format

Author

Title

To become a member, fill out the membership form and submit your dues. Use the button below to submit payment for dues ONLY.

Judging:

First round entries will be judged by experienced, qualified, or published judges. Golden Heart Winners/Finalists, RWAPRO members are also a large part of our annual judging pool. Yellow Rose cannot guarantee judge commentary will be on every entry, however, we strongly encourage our judges to provide positive, constructive feedback. E-judging and print judging will use same scoring methods, same scoresheet and same pool of judges. The only difference is entry format.

Entries will be judged by FOUR (4) first round judges. Lowest score will be dropped to determine final average. Three highest scoring manuscripts will advance to the final round. All judged copies will be returned to non-finalist entrants following finalist announcement. Finalist entries will be returned after winners are announced.