Romance writing competitions

Looking for romance or women's fiction writing competition?
Check my calendar - just updated it with more upcoming contests. Every note contains a web link to the contest site - check it for more details.

Good luck!



Ps. After much deliberation and asking around, I've decided that I wasn't eligible for New Voices, so I'm not entering (but reading entries). Instead, I've entered Strictly single competition (RWNZ) again this year. This year I've entered a completely new story, something I've thought out a couple of years ago as a chick-lit, but since chick-lit is no longer hot (or even worse: editors are not buying new authors any more), and since my story was never conceived as a bit city story I've changed some elements. Now, it's a (single title) contemporary romance, set in a small town (apparently this is HOT!). The characters' arcs have changed, too and becuase I haven't had much time to smooth it out, they're not as goo as they could be.
It was a bit of a touch-and-go with the deadline, as I completely forgoten about it. But I've managed to churn out 6,500 words and a synopsis.
Fingers crossed.
Now, back to my current WIP, which I've been writing for... let me think... 7 years now.


Have any of you entered or is going to enter any contest now? Any of you doing New Voices?

So you think you can write?

Have you written a novel? Or at least a first chapter and an outline? Or maybe, like me, you've done NaNo and have a first draft?
Can your novel by any chance be classified as romance?
Wondering what to do with that?

How about sending it to Harlequin - the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of books for women?
It's the last challenge of their So You Think You Can Write project which featured a series of very informative and encouraging social media events in the first week of November.

All you need to have your submission considered is to sent a synopsis (5-7 pages) and first chapter (max 22 pages) of your novel (can be unfinished, but you'd better be prepared to have the rest handy in case you get a request for more in January!). Your novel can be targeted at any of Harlequin/Mills&Boon lines.

Here you will find some pointers regarding how to write your chapter and the dreaded synopsis. And if you need more info on Harlequin writing guidelines, have a look here.

Deadline: December 15, 6pm EDT. Results by 31 January 2011 (pretty fast, innit?)
I've just sent my submission - my NaNo medical romance.


Good luck to everyone :)

Get your flattie in the door

I don't wear stilettos, never even owned one, let alone a pair, but I was going to see if I could enter this contest by ChickLitWriters and nearly forgotten.

When I first saw the info about Get Your Stiletto In the Door, I thought I'd have my ChickLit novel well under way by the deadline, but, as you know, life gets in the way of writing sometimes. So I'm still nowhere nearer a developed plot, let alone the first chapter.

So I decided to enter what I have, which is half of my very first novel in Women's fiction category.
Luckily, as it's been just confirmed by Brooke Wills, Contest Coordinator, it doesn't matter that I've sent my manuscript for another contest (see post below). As long as I am not contracted by the deadline (2.10.2010) I am eligible to enter. I don't expect miracles in this case, so I'd better get my entry ready - there is a lot of work to do with formatting and submitting (I hate formatting!).

If you unpublished (or published but not contracted for the last 3-5 years, check website for details), have something suitable (it's better be finished or nearly finished - agents and editors DO ask for fulls or partials as the result of the contest - see previous winners' lists), think about submitting your MS: first 5000 words of your novel, 500 words o synopsis is optional and not judged.
It costs USD25 for non-members and USD15 for members; the prize is a USD50 Amazon voucher, but it's not about the voucher. Score sheets with judges' feedback will be returned to entrants.

A $25 for feedbacks by insiders? Cheaper than sending your MS to an agent/editor and you don't risk that dreaded 'thank you, but no-thank you' rejections slip!
I'd better try to get my flattie in that door.

Good luck to all entrants.

Strictly Single strictly on time

Contest of the Month


I've promised myself to send my stuff to at least one contest a month. This is my quota for September - Strictly Single by RWNZ. If you a member of Romance Writers of NZ, unpublished in the past 5 years - send the first 7,500 words + max of 1250 words synopsis of your novel in by 1st October.

Just sent my entry off, well before the deadline.
Now, back to writing, 'cos my novel won't move on without my help.