The
Smoky Mountain Romance Writers sponsors the The
Laurie for unpublished writers.
2012 Laurie Guidelines
The Smoky Mountain Romance Writers of Knoxville, TN, proudly announce the 2012 LAURIE Contest.
Deadline February 1, 2012.
Participation is open to all writers (including previously published authors who haven’t signed a contract in the past three years). No entrant may be contracted in novel-length romantic fiction 40,000 words or more at the time of the contest deadline. Previous finalists and winners may not re-enter the winning entry, even in edited format. They may, however, enter another work.
Guidelines
· The entry form, title page, and complete first chapter—not to exceed twenty-five (25) pages—shall be received by the correct category coordinator on or before the context deadline, February 1, 2012.
· The entry fee of $25.00 must be paid through the designated PayPal account prior to mailing entry form. Entry form must contain the Paypal Unique transaction I.D. as proof of payment. Entries without a Paypal Unique transaction I.D. will be disqualified.
· The title page shall include the manuscript title, author's name, address, e-mail, phone number, category, target publisher and line, and whether the manuscript is complete (for SMRW information only. Does not affect scores or ratings.)
· Entry should be saved as a RTF file.
· Each page of the manuscript shall have one inch margins, be double spaced and have the title, category, and target line (if applicable) in the upper left-hand corner, and a page number in the upper right-hand corner in the form of a header. Do not put your real name or a pseudonym on the entry. This will result in disqualification. Font face should be Times New Roman 14 pt., Courier, Dark Courier, or Courier New 12 pt. Lines per page shall not exceed twenty-five (25). The first page of the manuscript shall begin 6 double spaced returns down the page.
Deadlines
• The entry, entry form, and registration fee (paid through PayPal) must be received by February 1, 2012. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Entries that arrive after the February 1, 2012, deadline will not be accepted.
• Finalists will receive notification of the final round status by May 1, 2012.
• The winners will be announced at the Romfest 2012 in Gatlinburg, TN, June 21-24, 2012.
Contest Rules & Conditions
· Writers who are not members of RWA are eligible to enter, as are previously published authors who haven't signed a contract in the past three years. No entrant may be contracted in novel-length romantic fiction 40,000 words or more at the time of the contest deadline.
· The categories in this year’s contest are:
· Historical (includes Regency)
· Contemporary (includes series, single-title, and mainstream)
· Paranormal/Fantasy (includes Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Fantasy, etc.)
· Romantic Suspense
· Inspirational
· Young Adult
· Entries will be judged according to the category in which they are entered. It is the entrant’s responsibility to choose the most appropriate category. SMRW will not be responsible for entries targeted to the incorrect category.
· All submissions must be submitted electronically to the correct category coordinator.
· Multiple entries may be entered in the contest. However, each submission must be accompanied by separate entry fee and entry form, and must be entered separately.
· Registration fee must be received through PayPal by February 1, 2012. Entry form containing the Paypal Unique Transaction I.D., title page, and manuscript must be received via email by the category coordinator by February 1, 2012. SMRW will not be responsible for misdirected emails.
· By signing the entry form, entrant verifies full understanding that the judging is subjective and that they may receive critiques with which they do not agree. Entrants agree to accept and abide by the decision of the judges. Category coordinators will determine finalists based upon scores and ranking.
· Final round judges will be acquiring editors or agents.
· Entrants will hold SMRW, its members, officers and the judges of this contest harmless and hereby release them from any liability, which may arise from this contest. By signing the entry form, entrants specifically waives any right they may have to bring suit against SMRW, its members, officers, representatives or judges.
Category Coordinators
Submissions should be sent to the attention of the following Category Coordinates at:
· Historical (including Regency): Carolynn Carey HistoricalLaurie@gmail.com
· Contemporary (includes series and single-title): Kate McKeever contemporarylaurie@gmail.com
· Paranormal/Fantasy: Katie Lovette ktlovewrites@gmail.com
· Inspirational: Leanne Tyler laurie.inspirational@gmail.com
· Romantic Suspense: Mallory Kane rrmallory@bellsouth.net
· Young Adult: Ester Grubb ester@esterlopez.com
· Member Entries (All Categories): Kerri Seaton klibanfan@juno.com
Sample Scoresheets: Historical Contemporary Paranormal Inspirational
Final Round Judges
The top three entries in each category will go on to the final round to be judged by editors at the following houses:
· Historical: Tessa Woodward, Avon
· Contemporary: Deb Smith, Belle Bridge Books
· Paranormal/Fantasy: Debra Dixon, Belle Bridge Books
· Inspirational: Tina James, Harlequin
· Romantic Suspense: Allison Lyons, Harlequin
· Young Adult: Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks
Judging & Scoring
Our judges are required to go through an intensive judging workshop. Judges are encouraged to write positive and helpful comments on the manuscripts and comment sheet. Remember all comments are subjective. Three judges will read each entry. Judges are encouraged to be constructive and positive. A detailed comment sheet is required to be filled out by each judge and returned to the entrant. The top three manuscripts in each category will go to the final round.