Golden Heart Awards: Contest Rules

Purpose
Contest Eligibility
Category Eligibility
Entry Requirements and Formatting
Synopsis and Partial Manuscript
Complete Manuscript
Golden Heart Contest Categories
Finalist Announcement and Return of Scores

E-mail questions to contests@rwanational.org.

Purpose

The purpose of RWA’s Golden Heart contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding romance manuscripts.

Contest Eligibility

The Golden Heart Contest is open to members of RWA as well as non-members. Any lapse in membership during the course of the contest (from the time of entry until the winners are announced at the Awards Ceremony) will result in the entrant being required to pay the higher non-member entry fee.

If an entry is the result of a collaboration, all collaborators must be RWA members in good standing in order to qualify for the lower member fee.

The Golden Heart Contest is open to writers who have not accepted a publishing offer for a work of original fictional narrative prose of 20,000 words or more by November 16, 2009. Entrant must retain all rights to the entry and not have granted any of them to a publisher or any other party prior to or by November 16, 2009.

Previously entered manuscripts may be entered again, but no previous Golden Heart-winning manuscript can be entered, even if revised.

Entrants must be 18 years of age by November 16, 2009.

Neither employees of RWA nor members of their immediate families are eligible to enter any RWA contest. “Immediate family” is defined as spouse, parents, siblings, and children. Adopted, foster and stepchildren are included in this definition.

Completed entry forms and appropriate fees must be received at the RWA Office no later than 5 p.m. Central Time, November 16, 2009, for the Golden Heart. Forms and fees received after this deadline will be returned to the entrant.

The Golden Heart contest is limited to the first 1,200 paid entries. If entries in excess of 1,200 are received by November 16, 2009, excess entries will first be returned to those who did not volunteer to judge, and second in reverse order of receipt.

If a check is returned or a credit card charge denied, the replacement money must be in the RWA Office by November 16, 2009, or the entrant will be disqualified.

Entries must be received by RWA at 14615 Benfer Road, Houston, Texas 77069 no later than 5 p.m. Central Time, December 2, 2009, for the Golden Heart. Entrants who fail to meet this deadline will be disqualified, and the entry fee will be forfeited.

Entrants are required to sign the Golden Heart Contestant’s Agreement located on the entry form or check a box on the Web site indicating their acceptance of terms.

Category Eligibility

The entrant selects the category. Entrants may designate a second category for the work in the event the first-choice category does not receive the required number of entries to be judged. No category changes can be made after November 16, 2009, with the exception of entries in a cancelled category.

Each manuscript may be entered in one category only. For example: A historical work that has a strong suspense element may be entered in Romantic Suspense or a historical category, but not both. There are no limits to the number of eligible manuscripts that may be entered for each author in each category.

If any category has fewer than 25 entries (defined as all copies of required work to be judged, not just the entry form) received by December 2, 2009, the category shall not be judged and the entry forms and fees will be returned, unless the author designates a second category for the work.

The RWA staff shall send confirmations by e-mail to all entrants.

Entry Requirements and Formatting

Entrants must submit six printed copies of the partial manuscript, six printed copies of the synopsis, and one copy of the complete manuscript.

The manuscript title and page numbers must appear in the headers (top of page) on every page of the complete manuscript, partial manuscript, and synopsis.

Other than the author’s name, which may (at the author’s discretion) appear in the header on the full manuscript, partial manuscript, and synopsis, no other personal identifying information (such as address, e-mail, or phone number) may be included on the entry.

Synopsis and Partial Manuscript

A partial manuscript is the beginning portion of the manuscript. (Entrants cannot combine non-consecutive sections of the manuscript for the partial.) It must consist of consecutive pages beginning with Page 1. The synopsis can be no longer than 15 pages. When numbering, begin the synopsis with Page 1, and also begin the partial with Page One. (For example: If you have a five-page synopsis and a 50-page partial, number the synopsis 1–5 and the partial 1–50.) When added together, the partial manuscript and synopsis cannot exceed 55 pages in length. The body of the partial manuscript and synopsis must be double-spaced.

An entry will be disqualified and the entry fee forfeited if an entrant sends more than 55 pages of partial and synopsis, a synopsis of more than 15 pages, does not send the required six partial copies, or fails to meet any of the other eligibility or formatting requirements.

Complete Manuscript

The body of the complete manuscript must be double-spaced, and the title of the manuscript and page numbers must appear in the header (top of page) on every page. The complete manuscript may be supplied as a printed copy or on CD. If submitting on a CD, the entire manuscript must be saved as a single computer file formatted as a DOC, RTF, or PDF file that preserves all aspects of the written copy. The CD must be labeled with the entrant’s name and title of the manuscript.

If for any reason the staff is unable to open the file on the CD, the entrant will be contacted and allowed to provide an e-mail or print copy of the manuscript, postmarked within two business days of notification. Note: An e-mail copy of the full manuscript will be accepted only in this situation and not as part of the original entry. Failure to provide a readable copy of the complete manuscript will result in disqualification.

An entry will be disqualified and the entry fee forfeited if an entrant does not include the one copy of the full manuscript or fails to meet any of the other eligibility or formatting requirements.

Golden Heart Contest Categories

For the purposes of the Golden Heart Contest:

A “Novel” is a work of fictional narrative prose in the romance genre of at least 40,000 words as determined by computer word count. Entries with word counts less than 40,000 will be disqualified.

“Series” is defined as those books issued under a common imprint/series name which are usually numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time.

All categories may have varying levels of sensuality, ranging from sweet to extremely hot.

Category Descriptions and Judging Guidelines

Contemporary Series Romance
Series romance novels that focus primarily on the romantic relationship.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
Series romance novels which focus primarily on the romantic relationship but may have more complex suspense or adventure subplots.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Contemporary Single Title Romance
Romance novels which focus primarily on the romantic relationship, released as individual titles, not as part of a series.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Historical Romance
Romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945, and taking place in any location.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Inspirational Romance
Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship.

Judging guidelines: In this category, religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are blended with and form a significant part of the love story, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.

Judging guidelines: Novels of any tone or style, set in any place or time are eligible for this category. A romance must be an integral part of the plot or subplot, and the resolution of the romance is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Paranormal Romance
Romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot.

Judging guidelines: In this category, a futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal element is blended with the love story, which is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Regency Historical Romance
Romance novels in which the majority of the story is set against the Regency period of the British Empire.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Romantic Suspense
Romance novels in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.

Judging guidelines: In this category, a suspense/mystery/thriller plot is blended with a love story, which is the main focus of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Young Adult Romance
Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers.

Judging guidelines: In this category, the love story is an important element of the novel, and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying and optimistic.

Finalist Announcement and Return of Scores

A complete list of finalists will be made public no later than March 25, 2010.

On March 25, the RWA staff shall send finalists an Official Letter of Notification via two-day delivery.

The top 10 percent of each category’s entries (based on number of qualified entries received), with a limit of eight (nine in case of tie), will advance to the final round, provided the minimum total score for each finalist equals 80 percent of the total possible score.

Only preliminary-round scores are reported.

Preliminary-round scores and percentile ratings will be mailed to all Golden Heart non-finalists within four to six weeks after the finalists are announced. Scores are reported to the author(s) only.

Preliminary-round scores will be mailed to Golden Heart finalists after the Awards Ceremony.

If any finalist is disqualified for any reason, no other entrant shall move up to fill a vacant spot.

The identity of judges is confidential. RWA discourages any communication between judges and entrants, other than editors who judge the final round.

Entered works will not be returned, with the exceptions of full manuscripts, which will be returned if the entrants provided SASEs.