2013 Heart-to-Heart Contest

Contest Timeline:
August 31, 2013— Deadline for E-submissions
September 30, 2013 — First-Round Finalists Notification
November 1, 2013 — Final Round Winners Announced

The SFA-RWA chapter is pleased to announce the 2013 Heart To Heart Contest for unpublished writers. Entries will be accepted electronically only. The top three finalists in each category will have their entries read by a literary agent, a traditional publishing house editor and an e-publishing editor. We will announce the winners, and certificates will be awarded to the top winner in each category.

Enter—
Send us that magical scene in which your hero and heroine meet for the first time

Win—
Published authors and experienced critiquers will provide detailed score sheets and feedback in twenty areas

Sell—
Get your story in the hands of acquiring editors and agents

Category Descriptions

PARANORMAL – Novels that mix the elements of paranormal, time travel, futuristic or fantasy

CONTEMPORARY — Novels in which sensuality constitutes a strong element in the romance

HISTORICAL — Novels featuring romance in time periods other than the present. Most editors consider as historical books set prior to WWI

YOUNG ADULT — Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward the young adult reader. These novels may contain paranormal, time travel, futuristic, or fantasy elements.

Eligibility

Open to all writers unpublished by an RWA-approved publisher as of the entry deadline. Prospective entrants may be published with a non RWA-recognized publisher. However, they may not enter books/manuscripts that have been professionally edited or have ISBN numbers.

Entry Guidelines

Enter the scene(s) in which the hero and heroine meet for the first time or for the first time in the book, if previously acquainted, up to a maximum of 15 pages. Each entry may only be entered in one category. However, you may submit as many different entries as you wish. Each new entry must have a contest entry form and payment.

Official Contest Rules

The SFA-RWA chapter reserves the right to limit entries to the first one hundred manuscripts received. Failure to comply with any of the entry requirements herein could result in disqualification.

    1. Categories:
      Awards will be given in the following categories: Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical, and Young Adult. Please indicate on the contest entry form the category your manuscript is entered in and the market targeted. If a minimum of 10 entries is not received for a category, the chapter reserves the right to place the entry in an appropriate category.
    2. Judging:
      First round judges include experienced, trained PRO and PAN members. Final-round judges are acquiring editors and agents. Each entry will be judged by four first-round judges, one of whom is a published author. The lowest score received is dropped and the three highest scores are averaged to constitute a final score. A score sheet focusing on 20 areas for a total of 100 possible points will be used by all judges. Judges may insert comments on the score sheets. The top three entries from each category will be forwarded to the final round. Final-round judges are acquiring editors and agents. First-round finalists in each category will be notified by e-mail or phone on or before September 30, 2013. Final round winners will be announced on or before November 1, 2013.
    3. Submission:
      All submissions must be submitted electronically, up to a maximum of 15 pages. PAPER SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

The following process will apply to all entries:

      1. Entrants must submit the contest entry form online and pay before their entry is officially entered into the contest.
      2. The Contestant Waiver box in the online form constitutes a signature and must be checked for your entry to be accepted electronically. THIS IS MANDATORY!
      3. Pay via Pay Pal  
      4. Your name should not appear anywhere on the submission entry.
      5. The entry is not required to be the opening scene of the book, but pages should be numbered as they appear in the manuscript to a maximum of 15 pages, in which the hero and heroine meet for the first time or for the first time in the book if they are previously acquainted. You may submit more than one scene if you wish, as long as the total is not over 15 pages. The scenes (and all pages) must be consecutive; (for example: submitting pages 9-18 of your book, along with an optional set-up page.) If your entry isn’t the first scene in the book, and if you feel that more information is needed so the judges will understand the situation, you may submit a one-page, double-spaced set-up. This is optional, and will not be scored. The optional set-up page will not count toward the 15-page maximum.
      6. Once you have paid, submitted the online form, and properly formatted your entry, email it to 2013heart2heart@gmail.com attached as a .rtf file.

If there are any questions, please contact the Contest Coordinator at 2013heart2heart@gmail.com.

Manuscript Format Requirements

  • Double-spaced, Courier New or Times New Roman 12 point, 1-inch margins all around, 25 lines per page.
  • DO NOT include your name anywhere on the entry itself. Please include the title and actual page number from the manuscript in the header (left corner) on each page. Your name may appear only on the contest entry form. If it appears on any of the manuscript pages, your entry will automatically be disqualified.

Fees

  • The fee is $20.00 per entry ($15.00 for SFA-RWA members)
  • All fees are NON-REFUNDABLE
  • Fees should be submitted using PayPal
  • Please include your name, book title, and category in the Optional Instructions section on the payment form

Questions

E-mail the Contest Coordinator at 2013heart2heart@gmail.com

Click here for a scoresheet

Click here to enter