Romance Through The Ages Contest

 2012 Romance Through The Ages Contest

Hearts Through History (an RWA special interest chapter) is pleased to host the 11^th annual Romance Through The Ages Contest. We would be honored if you would join us, show us your inspiration and motivation while our judges provide honest, constructive feedback. We wish you the best of luck!

Click here to enter.

Eligibility

Entrants do not need to be members of Romance Writers of America to enter the contest.

Chapter membership in Hearts Through History is also not required. Participation is open to both published and unpublished authors. All entries must be the author’s original work. Any work of fiction that has not been contracted for publication by March 15, 2012, may be entered. Self-published work will be considered contracted for the purposes of this contest.

Previous RTTA first-place and RTTA Best of the Best winning entries are not eligible. (All other previous finalist entries are eligible.)

Categories

• Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance (AMR)….worldwide, for these eras through early 1700s
• Georgian/Regency/Victorian (GRV)……..….….worldwide, less America, for these eras
• Colonial/Western/Civil War (CWW)……….…America, for these eras through late 1800s
• Post-Victorian/World War 2 (PVW)…………………….…… worldwide, for these eras
• Time Travel/Historical Paranormal (TTP) …for all eras of Earth history to end of WW2/bulk of entry (over half) must be in historical period
• Historical Erotic (HER)……worldwide, all eras of history to the end of WW2/erotic romance submission only – no straight erotica
• The Legend (LGD)…………………….special award given to the Most Memorable Hero— all entries considered

Categories may be eliminated or combined with another category at the discretion of the

RTTA Contest Committee if fewer than ten entries are received.

Entries

All first round entries are now e-mail submissions only.

The contest entry shall consist of ONE (1) copy of the opening of the manuscript (including any prologue) Entries cannot exceed 30 pages. The contest entry shall also include a 1 to 2 page, synopsis, which may be singled or double-spaced. The synopsis will not be judged and does not count toward the 30 pages.

Although up to 30 pages is acceptable, remember more is not necessarily better. Contestants are urged to take into consideration the most effective stopping point for their entry, even if that point is short of the 30-page limit. Entries will not be penalized for being under 30 pages, and manuscripts do not have to be complete to enter.

All entry forms, fees, and entries must be received by Category Coordinators no later than March 15, 2012. The official Entry Form and manuscript cover page must be uploaded  to the website prior to submitting your entry. Once these have been received your Category Coordinator will contact you with requirements for submitting your entry.

Entry Fees

Hearts Through History RWA Chapter Members: $20.00 U.S.

All other entrants: $25.00 U.S.

Only U.S. or Canadian currency (equivalent to U.S. payment) will be accepted.

We do accept PayPal. ~ NO CASH PLEASE

(See Payment Options for more information)

Rules

Entries must be novel-length Historical Romance or Romantic Historical Fiction (when the manuscript is/will be finished). Short stories, nonfiction, and fiction in other genres other than historical romance will not be accepted. Contest Coordinators reserve the right to reject any entry that does not meet this requirement or that does not meet acceptable industry formatting standards.

Entrants must have a confirmation of entry fee and payment for each submission. Participants may enter multiple entries, however, each entry may be entered in only one (1) category (for example a paranormal medieval can be entered in either the medieval category or the paranormal category, not both). Each submission will be treated as a separate entry. All fees and rules apply separately and individually to each entry.

First-Round Entry Checklist

_____ Read the Waiver and be sure you understand the terms and conditions. Please contact the contest coordinator if you have any questions.

_____ Fill out entry form with manuscript information and upload entry to the appropriate Category Coordinator.

_____ Ensure the synopsis is pasted at the end of your entry. You can only upload one document.

_____Any entries received after the deadline will not be accepted.

_____ Contest fees can be paid via Paypal on our website or checks/money orders sent to our treasurer:

HHRW/Contest

c/o Deborah Trickey
2251 Glencara Court
Kennesaw, GA 30152

______ Manuscript should follow standard submission requirements (double-spaced, one-inch margins, legible font such as Courier or Times New Roman).

_____ Header on manuscript pages should contain the title and category only on the left (For example: The Heir/GRV) and the page number on the right. Author’s name and full manuscript title will appear only on the entry form, which is kept by Contest Coordinators. Any entry and/or synopsis in which the author’s name appears will be immediately disqualified and no fees returned.

_____ Coordinator will review complete entry and notify you of receipt or any format errors. Category coordinator will also ask for proof of payment to complete the entry process. In the event of format error (too many pages, etc.) you will only have until March 15, 2012 to get a revised entry to Coordinator.

Judging – First Round

• Each first-round entry will be evaluated by THREE (3) qualified judges. Judges may or may not “write” on manuscripts at their discretion, however all scores of less than “3” will be explained on score sheet.
• Once score sheets are returned to Category Coordinators (for each entry), the lowest of the three scores will be dropped and the remaining two scores will be averaged to determine the entry’s final score. There will be no discrepancy judging. The top three scoring entries in each category will advance to the Final Round. Four will advance in the event of a tied-score for third highest category score.
• Legend Finalists are picked from all entries, based on a special Legend score sheet (separate from overall score sheet). The highest Legend score in each category will advance to the Final Round. In the case of a tie for Legend in any category, the entry with the highest overall score will be the one to advance to the Legend Final Round. All first round judges are kept confidential unless a judge elects to disclose his/her name once the contest is completed. The Contest Chair(s) and/or Category Coordinators will not discuss the names of judges. Finalists will be notified and their scored entries will be returned first. All non-finalist scored entries will be returned within the 30-day period after finalists entries are announced.

Judging – Final Round

• Finalists will be notified on or around April 12, 2017. All finalists will have an allotted amount of time (approximately two weeks) to review the first round judges’ comments and make desired changes to his/her manuscript. A revised copy must be received by the Contest Chair no later than April 26, 2012, for submission to the Final Round. If the revised copy is not received by that time, at the discretion of the Contest Chair, the previously entered copy will be sent to the final round judge. Category Placement, Legend winner and Best of the Best winner will be determined by the scores of Final Round Judges. All decisions of Final Judges are final. For Best of the Best Award, the winning entry will be chosen from among each category’s first-place winners. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the higher overall score from the first round judging.
• Each Final Round Entry will be formatted and presented as follows:
  • Entry must be presented in proper standard manuscript format (double-spaced, one-inch margins, legible font such as Courier or Times New Roman).
  • A typed cover page which shall include the title, category and word count; entrant’s full name [no pseudonyms], address, telephone number, and email address. Cover page must be legible (to be kept by Contest Chair).
  • Header on manuscript pages should contain the title and category only on the left (for example: The Heir/GRV) and the page number on the right. Author’s name and full manuscript title appears only on the cover page, which is kept by the Contest Chair. Any entry and/or synopsis in which the author’s name appears will be immediately disqualified and no fees returned.
  • Contest Chair will email you within approximately 48 hours of receipt.

Final Round Judges

We are still determining our final-round judges and will update with judges and categories as soon as possible. Additionally, the list of final judges may change at any time, and Hearts Through History assumes no liability for such changes.

Prizes

• The Legend, A Man for all Reasons Award is now a $50 cash prize.
• Each First Place Historical Category Winner will receive a gift certificate good for one HHRW Campus Workshop of winner’s choice.

Failure to Comply

Any entry failing to comply with the rules stated herein will be disqualified and entry fee forfeited. No fees will be refunded on the basis of disqualification or withdrawal by entrant for any reason.

Notification

Contest finalists will be notified by the Contest Chair via email on or about April 12, 2012. Non-finalists will receive notification within 30 days after all finalists entries have been sent (for 2012, by May 12). All winners will be announced at Hearts Through History’s annual meeting at the RWA National conference in Anaheim, California. Should any finalist not be in attendance, he or she will be notified of status by email or telephone shortly after. Final round scores/sheets will be sent to finalists within 30 days after the winners are announced.

Click here to enter.

Category Coordinator Contact

Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance

Barbara Scott

Email: AMR@heartsthroughhistory.com

Georgian/Regency/Victorian

Samanthya Wyatt

Email: GRV@heartsthroughhistory.com

Colonial/Western/Civil War

Lana Williams

Email: CCW@heartsthroughhistory.com

Post Victorian – WWII

Rebecca Lynn

Email: PVW@heartsthroughistory.com

Time Travel/Historical Paranormal

Melba Moon

Email: TTP@heartsthroughhistory.com

Historical Erotic

Ashlyn Macnamara

Email: HER@heartsthroughhistory.com

If you have any questions about our contest, please contact our Contest Chair,

Keena Kincaid at RTTA@heartsthroughhistory.com.

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