romance writing contest

Labor of love writing contest - new and improved!

Entry Deadline: October 1, 2008 (postmarked)
Entry Fee: $30
Download the entry form [pdf]

HeartLA is a small chapter and Labor of Love is a small contest (we limit it to 30 entries.) We see that as a positive thing. We give each entry our personal attention. We are a diverse group of avid readers with interest in many genres. We will read any type of commercial fiction, but our score sheet is geared toward the romance genre.

The three highest scoring entrants will receive beautiful wood and brass, engraved plaques. Other finalists will be awarded certificates suitable for framing. The first place winner also gets a reading of the full manuscript by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency.

A number of our previous contest winners have gone on to be published. While we claim no credit for the success of these talented authors, we hope our thoughtful critiques were helpful.

New! Our contest has been revamped and streamlined.  Score sheets have been simplified; page count reduced; and second round and discrepancy judging eliminated.  Happily we have had several members newly published in the last couple of years.  In the new simplified system, each entry will receive three readings (at least one from a published author.)  The lowest score will be dropped and the other two averaged to arrive at final scores.  In the event of a cluster at the top because the quality of our entries is too high (what a lovely thought that is,) we might have to get a fourth reading by a pubbed author to break ties.  This new system will allow us to expedite the completion of the judging and get your precious pages back to you as quickly as possible for rewrites.

Contest rules

• Contest is open to authors unpublished in book length fiction in the last five years.  We do consider epubbed as published; we congratulate you if you have achieved that status, but you’re not eligible for our contest.

• Do not enter a manuscript you have entered in our contest in previous years, though we welcome repeat entrants’ newer works (satisfies our egos that we were helpful the first time around.)

• We are accepting only 30 entries this year.  The contest is not judged in categories; there is one set of winners.  We use categories only to get your writing to judges who read and/or write in that area.

• You should have a completed manuscript (if you win, you will want to incorporate suggestions by your judges as quickly as possible before you submit your FULL manuscript to dynamic agent Kristin Nelson for her perusal.)

• Each entry will consist of three (3) copies of the opening of your manuscript and three (3) copies of synopsis which will be judged.  Maximum total pages-thirty (30) and that includes the synopsis.

• Also include your completed entry form , your check made out to Heart of Louisiana RWA, and one (1) cover sheet which includes your name address, telephone number, and email address as well as the title, genre, approximate word count of completed manuscript, and targeted publishers or lines (optional).

• Your name should NOT appear on any of the entry pages other than cover sheet and entry form.  First page header should include title/genre/word count on the left; subsequent pages just the title at left and page number on right.

• Entry should be in proper manuscript form: one inch margins all around, readable 12 point font (courier or times new roman suggested), printed on one side only, doubled space, on white paper. (We will not count to see if you have 25 lines per page because the contest coordinator’s printer will not do that consistently no matter how she fiddles with it.)

• The three copies of entry should each be fastened with binder clips (small or medium should work.)  You may put a sheet of colored paper between chapter pages and synopsis or use small paper clip to differentiate it.

• You may enter more than one manuscript, but each entry should be in a separate envelope.  Should you enter more than one, you could do just one larger return envelope for the two entries, but it messes up the filing system if each entry doesn’t have its own little home in the box.

• Please mail your entry in such a way that it does not have to be signed for.  We suggest a tyvek envelope you can get free at your post office.  The cardboard all-for-one-price priority mailers from the post office will not accommodate our plaque along with all the score sheets and pages, so be optimistic that you’ll win and use the bigger, floppy envelopes they have.

• Include a SASE of sufficient size to return all your manuscript pages.  We encourage (but don’t require) our judges to write comments on the manuscript pages.  You may also enclose an SASE postcard for acknowledgement of receipt of entry if you choose. Should you prefer only the score sheets returned, send a stamped return manila envelope that will hold a folded sheet of paper (at least 6” by 9”) and put two first class stamps on it.  We will notify the judges to put all comments on score sheets. But seriously, are you that sure you’re not gonna win?

Download the entry form [pdf]

Past Labor of Love Winners

2007
1st - Angels at Almack's/Cathy Leming | 2nd - Mine Forever/Lisa Fontaine | 3rd (tie) - Heaven Sent/Deb Yates | 3rd (tie) - The Masquerading Duke/Stephie Smith | 4th - Take a Chance on Me/Debbie Swanson

2006
1st - Fire at Midnight/Lisa Marie Wilkinson | 2nd - The Prowler’s Daughter/Nancy E. Gibson | 3rd - A Life Worth Living/Lorrie Ann Kruse | 4th - And They Were One/Joy Smith | Honorable mentions: Montana Sky at Dawn/Caroline Fyffe, Letters From Home/Kristina Y. McMorris

2005
1st - Emma's Heart/Melinda Porter | 2nd - Lethal Medicine/Victoria Wasserman | 3rd - Overlander/Gail Zerrade | 4th - Moment of Glory/Kelly Gottuso Mortimer | Honorable mentions: Cat Scratch Fever/Jodi Redford, There's Only Been You/Donna M. Kowalczyk

2004
1st - Playing to Winn/Lynn Mapp | 2nd - DeLinda's Plan/Toni Lea Andrews | 3rd - Burning Bridges/Kristine Anderson | 4th - Till Death Do Us Part/Beth Watson | Honorable mentions: By Jove!/Marissa Doyle, Tangled Web/Sharie Kohler, Secrets & Seduction/Elizabeth Stock

HEARTLA SCRAPBOOK PICS

At our Readers Luncheon, attendees may purchase raffle tickets to win book-related baskets. Plus, everyone receives a complimentary gift bag and is eligible to win door prizes.