MCRW PITCH Contest

MCRW is pleased to announce the finalists in the Pitch contest! Finalists will receive their score sheets and will have a chance to revise before entries are sent on to our final judges. The winner will be announced on June 1st. Congratulations to our finalists!!

New this year, Music City Romance Writers is having a PITCH contest. Whether the “pitch” is for back cover copy that you plan to self-publish, or that oh-so-perfect query letter blurb, we want to help you get it right! And we’ll get you there fast! The entire contest from deadline to announcement of the winner will be six weeks! (Assuming no unforeseen circumstances arise.)

Additionally, there are terrific prizes for the winners!

Contest Information:

• Enter 200 word max. This would be the back cover copy or pitch letter blurb.
• $15 entry fee
• Accepting a max of 100 entries only, so get yours in soon!
• There will be time to revise after round one.
• All genres accepted.
• Published and non-published authors accepted, as long as the entry is not published.
• Judged fully by PAN members, three judges per entry. Scoresheets will be minimal and to the point: Would you request or buy this book based upon this blurb? What about the blurb worked? What about the blurb did not work? Additional Comments (optional).
• Top 10% move on to the final round. Scoring for final round will be based on a single score from each judge of 1 to 10.
• All final round entries will be seen by all final round judges.

Important Dates:

(Please note that dates could change due to unforeseen circumstances, but we will make every effort to stick to this scheduled.)

• Mar 1 – Contest open for entries
• Apr 15 - Deadline to enter (Midnight CST)
• May 3 - Finalists announced and entries returned
• May 7 – Revised entries to be received back to contest coordinator
• June 1 – Winner announced!

Prizes:

• 1st place – e-Copy of “QUERY: Everything You Need to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed”, choice between a PR campaign or cover by Vania Stoyanova, Premium membership to Amy Atwell’s Author EMS, Announcement in RWR
• 2nd place – e-Copy of “QUERY: Everything You Need to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed”, Announcement in RWR
• 3rd place – e-Copy of “QUERY: Everything You Need to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed”, Announcement in RWR

Final Judges:

• Kristin Daly Rens, Senior Editor for Balzer + Bray
• Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, Agent and partner for Foreward Literary
• Abby Zidle, Senior Editor for Gallery & Pocket Books
• Jill Marsal, Agent and founding partner for Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
• Jennifer Enderlin, Vice President and Associate Publisher for St. Martin’s Press
• Lauren MacLeod, Agent for The Strothman Agency

Entry Requirements:

• One page document with 200 max word blurb. Title/genre in upper lefthand corner
• No name on the entry
• Name your entry “[title of your book].docx”
• Fill out the registration form (include your title in the name of the file) and mail to pitchcontest@mcrw.com
• Pay $15 via paypal – add a note with your name and title (see registration form for paying by check)
• You’ll receive confirmation of entry within three days

For questions, please contact the PITCH coordinators at pitchcontest@mcrw.com.

Melody of Love Novel Contest Tips

1. The contest allows up to 25 pages. That doesn’t mean you should try to squeeze as much as possible into those 10 pages! Leave judges with a snappy ending, even if it means sending fewer than 25 pages. It’ll be worth it.
2. Make sure you double check for typos and grammatical errors. If necessary, get someone to proof for you. A professional manuscript is not sloppy and will be nearly free of such errors. Honest.
3. If you are uncertain about the electronic formatting of your manuscript, please give yourself enough time to work with the contest coordinator to meet the contest guidelines. We will work with you!
4. An interesting beginning is definitely an asset. You don’t want to drown your judges right up front with backstory, nonessential or as-you-know-Bob dialogue, or long sections of worldbuilding or scenery. Sneak that stuff in. Find a balance!
5. If the text of your entry is sizzlin’ hot, please consider checking the appropriate subcategory box on the entry form. This will help us assign judges who are familiar with the erotic romance market. Ditto if your entry is an inspirational or women’s fiction instead of mainstream romance. If your entry is not sizzlin’ hot in the part of the manuscript you’re submitting, it is your choice as to whether or not to check that box.
6. If you happen to final, take advantage of the chance to revise before we send you to the final round editor or agent. Put your best partial forward!
7. The judges really appreciate thank you notes. If you feel so inclined, you are welcome to hand write them and send them to the contest mailbox for distribution or email them to the contest coordinator. They can be anonymous if desired, in either format. Your personal information will not be shared with judges unless you request it.

Ideas from our judges!

• If you write cross-genre fiction (ie, a romance with a science fiction/fantasy setting or plot), please make sure you are familiar with the other genre(s). Every genre has tropes, some of them tired and clichéd. Many of our judges, like many readers, are well-versed in numerous genres. They will appreciate a non-romance genre trope done with flare, inspiration, or a new twist.
• Make sure you include enough hints of the story’s key conflicts to let the judges know what the rest of the story is about and they will be begging to read more. We only get to read the first 25 pages, so we need promises that the rest of the story will be just as fabulous as the first pages.
• Create your own style guide for the entry so you can ensure their characters’ names, settings, brands, etc., don’t change in the middle.

Additional questions can be directed to contest coordinator, Jody Wallace at contest@mcrw.com.

Why enter our contests when there are so many to choose from?

Because we:

1. Welcome electronic entries and PayPal payments for those who like to be green and/or save postage;
2. Don’t require a synopsis for the initial round (yay!);
3. Give finalists a chance to incorporate judge comments (including optional comments from our resident Grammar Wench) before mailing the manuscripts to the editors and agents;
4. Accept a limited number of entries so judges can focus on each manuscript;
5. Allow contestants to specify alternate subcategories such as erotic, inspirational, or romantic elements for precise judge assignment;
6. Constantly improve our score sheet and rules from year to year based on judge and entrant feedback;
7. Have a high ratio of published to unpublished authors who help with the contest;
8. Use almost all in-chapter judges who are personally known to the contest coordinator;
9. Employ experienced discrepancy judges when needed;
10. Have a lot of experience handling contests — this is the Melody of Love’s 13th year; and…
11. Get our entrants noticed! Many finalists’ manuscripts have been requested by editors or published since they entered our contest.
    • Laura Navarre, the 2008 winner in the Historical Catagory with THE DEVIL’S VIRTUE,  sold the manuscript to Dorchester as THE DEVIL’S TEMPTRESS. This title was released in August 2011.
    • Lisa Cooke, author of TEXAS HOLD HIM, a 2006 finalist, was purchased by Dorchester publishing and released in 2008. Lisa said, “Thank you for the great feedback from your judges and the exposure your contest provided!”
    • Catherine Kean, author of DANCE OF DESIRE, from Medallion Press had what she called a “great experience with the Melody of Love Contest. Winning second place was a tremendous thrill. Not only did I receive solid feedback from the contest judges and the opportunity to have an editor read [DANCE OF DESIRE], but the much-needed encouragement to keep writing. Thirty contest finals and nine first-place wins later, I clinched my first sale!”
    • Said Robin T. Popp, author of TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN and MCRW’s 3rd place Paranormal category winner in 2000:  “I’m a big proponent of contests because I think they’re a great source of feedback while you’re learning your craft and a terrific opportunity to get noticed. I sold my first book, TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN, as the result of finaling in a contest. The Melody of Love will always be one of my favorite contests because it is the first one I ever finaled in.”Robin also finaled in the 2003 Golden Hearts and her novel won the the RT Reviewers’ Choice Nominee for Best Futuristic.
    • From that same year, another of the paranormal finalists, Patti O’Shea, published her winning manuscript RAVYN’S FLIGHT. That was a good year for paranormals!

 

Previous Contest Winners

2012 Minuet of Love Winners

Final Round Judges: Linda Ingmanson (Samhain Publishing), Deborah Nemeth (Carina Press), and Adrien Luc Sanders (Entangled Publishing).

1. Scarlett Scott – Her Errant Earl, Historical Novella
2. S.E. Gilchrist – Bound By Love, Paranormal Novella
2. Jenn Fitzgerald – Children with a Chance of Marriage, Contemporary Novella
4. Jane O’Reilly – Perfect Timing, Contemporary Novella

2011 Melody of Love Winners

Contemporary:
Final Round Judge: Latoya C. Smith, Grand Central Publishing

1. Wrestling with Alligators — Lateia Elam Sandifer
2. Betty’s House of Beauty — June Bowen
3. Living on Air — Lucy Taylor
4. Hawaiian Heat — Diane Garner
.
Paranormal:
Final Round Judge: Angela James, Carina Publishing

1. Maya Malice — Diane Garner
2. Seducing Eve — Heather Lounsbury
3. Caller of Light — TJ Shaw
.
Historical:
Final Round Judge: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Agency

1. An Unsuitable Duke — Kate Parker
2. Heart of the Phoenix — Barbara Bettis
3. A Regency Engagement — Kate Pembrooke
.
Young Adult:
Final Round Judge: Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Fire

1. Forget Tomorrow — PH Dunn
2. The Matter of Souls — Stephanie Winkelhake
3. Forces of Nature — Denise Cychosz

2010 Melody of Love Winners

Contemporary:
Final Round Judge: Beth Miller, Writers House Agency
1) The Wedding Favor, by Lisa Connelly
2) Totally Dody, by Tracy Brogan
3) Lost Mountain, by Rita St. Claire

Paranormal:
Final Round Judge: Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency
1) Kindred of the Fallen, by Isis Rushdan
2) Dream Crafters, by Kit Riordan
3) Wolfen Time, by Roxy Boroughs
4) Inhale, by Kendall Grey

Historical:
Final Round Judge: Elaine Spencer, Knight Agency
1) Deception of a Highlander, by Madeline M. Martin
2) The Rake’s Handbook, by Sally Orr
3) Promises, by Jennifer Beane

2009 Melody of Love winners

2008 Melody of Love winners

2013 Minuet of Love Novella Contest

The Music City Romance Writers is pleased to announce the second annual Minuet of Love Novella Contest, open to entries April 16, 2013.

Entries consist of the first 10 pages of your Romance Novella (15-40K) with HEA or HFN ending, including an OPTIONAL (unjudged) 250 word query/synopsis in .doc format; all heat levels accepted.  All electronic.

Categories:  Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal

Entry Deadline:  June 1, 2013

Eligibility:  Open to both unpublished and published authors, but novella entered must be unpublished

Novella Scoresheet 2013

Minuet of Love Rules 2013

First Round Judges:  Published/trained unpublished authors

Final Judges*:

• Contemporary: Rhonda Helms, Editor, Carina Press

• Historical: Kerri-Leigh Grady, Editor, Entangled Publishing

• Paranormal: Holly Atkinson, Editor, Samhain Publishing

Top Prize:  $25 in each category, certificate, and announcement in RWR

Please contact the contest coordinators at novella@mcrw.com with any questions.

MCRW MINUET OF LOVE 2013 Entry Form

Entry fee: $15

* In the event that we receive a low number of entries in one or more categories, the three highest scoring entries out of the combined categories will be selected as finalists and will be reviewed by all finalist judges.

2012 Melody of Love Novel Contest

The Music City Romance Writers’ RWA chapter is happy to announce the winners  of their annual Melody of Love romance novel contest. The placements in the  four categories are:

CONTEMPORARY judged by Libby Murphy of Entangled Publishing

1. Lost Melody by Dolores Wall Maroney
2. Synchrony’s Call by Susan J. Bickford
3. In the Shadow of Evil by Nancy C. Weeks

HISTORICAL judged by Deb Dixon of Belle Bridge Books

1. Love to Be Bound by Angelyn Schmid
2. His Roman Heart’s Desire by Melanie Rose Meadors
3. The Truth about Family Money by Joanna Davidson

PARANORMAL judged by Dana Hamilton of Harlequin

1. Guardian by Tara Sheets
2. Angel Bait by Tricia Skinner
3. Sweet Revenge by Vivi Dumas
4. Epicenter by Kimberley Troutte

YOUNG ADULT judged by Kristen Rens of Harper Collins

1. Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner
2. The Button Girl by Sally Apokedak
3. Timewalker by Lynne Hartzer

**********

MCRW’s 2012 Melody of Love Romance Novel Contest, now in its 14th year!

Entries are now closed – Updates will be posted soon.

Categories and Final Round Judges:

Contemporary – Libby Murphy, Entangled Publishing

Paranormal – Dana Hamilton, Harlequin Nocturne

Historical – Debra Dixon, BelleBooks

YA – Kristin Daly Rens, Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins

Entry Fees and Eligibility:

* Entry fee for MCRW Members: $22

* Entry fee for RWA Members: $27

* Entry fee for non-RWA Members: $32

* All entries must be received by September 5, 2012 (a Wednesday)

* Author can be published, including in the category entered.

* Manuscript being entered cannot have been published and cannot be currently contracted to be published via any means at any time, including self or subsidy publishing.

* Manuscript should be a romance or romantic elements novel of 40,000 words or more.

* Questions? Contest Coordinator Jody Wallace: contest(at)mcrw.com

Submission:

Your entry must have the following three elements:

1) Payment Via check or PayPal.

2) A completed entry form.

3) Your manuscript’s first 25 (or fewer) pages, no synopsis, emailed to contest coordinator as an attachment. We recommend but do not require that you omit prologues and end your partial at a cliffhanger, even if it means you don’t send 25 whole pages. (Note: finalists may need to provide a short synopsis at the request of the final round judges.)

Send your entry to contest coordinator Jody Wallace at: contest(at)mcrw.com by September 5, 2012.

Entry Specifics:

1) All entries must be electronic and in standard manuscript format: 12 point standard font (TNR, Courier New), double-spaced, indented paragraphs (ie not block style), 1-inch margins. Pages should be numbered and include a header which states title and category of manuscript. Your name should not appear on the entry.

We have uploaded a properly formatted .rtf document as an example. The document is not intended to be an example of anything besides formatting! This is a sample used in the past by our contest coordinator for training judges. It contains a number of grammatical errors, painful anachronisms and crimes against the English language.

2) Coordinator will send emails to confirm receipt of entries. Please allow 5 working days (ie, not weekends or holidays) before you ask the coordinator whether the entry has been received. Email address for questions is contest(at)mcrw.com and the contest coordinator is Jody Wallace.

3) Contest limited to 75 total entries, in order of receipt of all three parts. The optional subgenres (Fiction w/Romantic Elements; Erotic; Inspirational) on the entry form are used only to determine the best judges for your work and do not affect scoring or final round editor assignment.

4) While it is acceptable to submit the entry form and payment before you submit your pages, all three parts (pages, entry form, payment) must be received by September 5, 2012, or your entry will not be counted in the contest. Your entry fee will be reimbursed if this happens. The entry form alone is insufficient to “reserve your spot” should the contest fill up; payment must be included as well.

5) Scoresheets and/or critiques will be emailed to contestants. You will be asked on the entry form if judges may employ Microsoft Word’s “Comments” feature on your manuscript. Agreement is not required. If you are assigned a judge who prefers to print her entries out, MCRW will cover the cost of postage to return the paper copies via USPS.

Document Formatting Tidbits:

* Your chapter should be in .rtf or .doc format. Please do not send .docx files.

* Be aware that your name may be in the document properties as the document’s creator because of software settings. If you don’t know how to change it, the coordinator can delete this for you with your permission.

* Do not paste the chapter into the body of the email.

* Use a standard font and standard formatting, as described above.

* Your entry will be test-opened upon receipt; if there are issues, you will be notified. If you do not respond to the notification before the contest deadline and work with the coordinator to rectify the issues, your manuscript may be disqualified. With your permission, the coordinator can standardize the format of the manuscript for you.

***

Judging Specifics

1) First round judged by trained judges. Final round judged by editors and agents. All judges’ decisions are final.

2) Barring unforeseen circumstances, finalists will be announced mid October 2012. Finalists may be asked to provide a short synopsis. Finalists will be notified via e-mail and posted on the MCRW website, http://www.mcrw.com. First round scores of finalists will be mailed or emailed as soon as possible; finalists may submit a revised draft electronically before it is forwarded to the final round judges, with a deadline to be specified at that time. Finalists also have the option of consulting with MCRW’s “Grammar Wench” about revisions during that two week period.

3) Other scores will be released within 30 days after the finalists are announced. Winners will be announced shortly after all final round judges return their scores, hopefully December 2012. Winners in each category receive: 1st place, $50, certificate, and special prize;  2nd and 3rd place, certificate and special prize.

***

Fine print: (left in 12 pt font for ease of reading)

1) Entries received that are found to have been published by any means will be disqualified. No entry may be withdrawn after being submitted to the contest with one exception (see below). Entry fees from disqualified entrants will not be refunded. Entrants who finaled in our contest previously may enter again, but don’t re-enter the finaling manuscript. Membership status of entrants who claim RWA membership will be verified with RWA. For the purpose of this contest, published is defined as available for sale by any means or as a free download via retail sites such as Smashwords and Amazon. Entry fees will be refunded to entrants in any category that does not receive the minimum number of entries unless they request placement in another category. Any entries over the contest limit of 75, or those received after the due date, will be returned along with the entry fees.

2) Here is the one exception about withdrawing your entry. If you receive a contract for your submission or self publish it before the contest deadline of September 5, 2012, you may withdraw your entry with proof of contract or publication and your fee will be returned.

3) Some more fine print, this time about prizes: An optional benefit for finalists is a one year membership to MCRW. Due to RWA rules, this benefit can only apply to current members of RWA or members who join RWA within a couple months of finaling in the Melody of Love contest. We are not authorized to extend membership to anyone who is not a member of RWA National.

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