Now CLOSED for Entries!

Entry fee: $20 NWH members; $25 non-NWH members. Only electronic entries will be accepted. Early bird entry: $5 discount on all entries submitted by midnight May 23, 2010. All contest entries must arrive by midnight June 6, 2010. Any entries received after the deadline will be deleted unopened.

Finalists will be announced on August 20, 2010. Non-finalists will have entries returned by September 15, 2010.

Winners will be announced at the Lone Star Conference in October.

Eligibility: Unpublished may enter any category.  Published may enter any category in which they're not published, or in which they've not been contracted for five years. Open to RWA and non-RWA members.

Enter: First 25 pages, including prologue, if desired. All entries must be in the standard submission form: 1” margins all around, 12 pt. font, double space, 25 lines per page.

Scoring: All entries will be sent to three first round judges: two published authors and one unpublished author. The lowest score will be tossed and final round contestants will be chosen by the average of the final two scores.

Top three high scorers in each category will be category finalists. Those entries will be sent to both an agent and an editor for placement.

Final judges:

Inspirational Category:
Editor - Lindsay Guzzardo – Guideposts Books
Agent - Tamela Hancock Murray – Hartline Literary

Young Adult Category:
Editor – Kat O'She – Leap Books
Agent –Tina Wexler – International Creative Management

Romantic Suspense Category:
Editor: Leis Pederson – Penguin
Agent: Tina Tsallas – Great Titles, Inc.

Contemporary Series Category:
Editor: Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin
Agent: Pam Strickler with Pam Strickler Author Management

Single Title Category:
Editor: Deb Werksman – Sourcebooks
Agent: Lois Winston – Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

Historical Category:
Editor: Alicia Condon – Kensington
Agent: Sara Megibow – Nelson Literary Agency

Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Category:
Editor: Tara Gavin – Harlequin Nocturne
Agent: Alexandra Machinist with Linda Chester Agency

CATEGORY COORDINATORS – Entries must be sent to the correct coordinator, or they will be ineligible for the contest and returned to the contestant. Electronic entries must arrive by midnight June 6, 2010. Any entries received after the deadline will be deleted unopened.

Inspirational Category:
Jenn Bray-Weber
jbrayweber@earthlink.net

Young Adult Category:
Bethany Eastman
bethanyintexas@yahoo.com

Romantic Suspense Category:
Merissa Murray
seemerissawrite@yahoo.com

Contemporary Series Category:
Ann James
msaejames@gmail.com

Single Title Category:
Elizabeth Pina
contest@elizabethpina.com

Historical Category:
Karen Hankins
nwhrwahistorical@gmail.com

Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Category:
Robin Haseltine
RobinHaseltine@robinhaseltine.net

For any questions or FMI contact Melinda Porter at bdogs80@aol.com

2010 Contest Rules and Entry Form
click here

2010 Score Sheet-Single Title, Chick Lit and Women's Fiction click here

$20.00 NWHRWA Members
$25.00 Non-Members

Northwest Houston RWA
P.O. Box 11801
Spring, TX 77389

 

***Please put the category you are entering in the comment box.