Shine Up Those Query Letters ...

NHRWA is proud and excited to launch our second annual Query Quandary Contest for unpublished writers. Entries will be accepted from March 1 through April 1. Finalists will be announced by May 31, and winners will be announced by June 30. We have a fabulous line-up of final judges, so polish up those query letters and give it a go!

And the Final Judges Are...

We know this is what you want to know, so we won't make you scroll. We're very excited to announce the following final judges:

• Historical: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Sanford Greenburger Associates
• Contemporary Series: Charles Griemsman, Harlequin
  
• Contemporary Single Title: Lauren Ruth, BookEnds, LLC
  
• Mystery/Suspense: Patience Bloom, Harlequin
  
• YA: TBA
  
• Paranormal: Esi Sogah, AVON
• Erotica:  TBA
  

New This Year: Open to Published Authors!

Based on interest from last year's contest, we have decided to open this year's entries to published authors as well. On your entry form, you will be asked to indicate whether you are published, but preliminary and final judges will not be made aware of your publishing status before they complete their judging.

Judges? Have we got JUDGES!

NHRWA boasts a wonderful panel of published authors, as well as highly-trained, experienced professional romance writers. Your manuscript will be judged by AT LEAST ONE published author, and you will receive attention from a total of three judges. Judges we have lined up so far include Miranda Neville, Sandy Blair, Terri Brisbin, Christyne Butler, Barbara Wallace, Marissa Doyle, Lori Avocato, Elaine Isaak, Gina Leuci, Flo Fitzpatrick, and many others. 

What's Unique about our Contest?

Besides the fact that we have one of the best judging panels around, we have another element that sets us apart: All finalists have the opportunity to review their contest feedback and make adjustments to their queries BEFORE the finalist entries are sent to the final judges! This was a huge hit last year, and almost every finalist did take advantage of this. Our request rate was excellent, so we're sticking with this unique contest element again this year.

Judging Process

Here's how the contest process will work:

1. Contest opens for entries on 03/01/12.
2. All entries and payments are due by 04/01/12 at midnight EST. We are a green contest — entries must be submitted electronically.
3. All entries will be judged by three trained judges, including one published author.
4. Judges will be trained and encouraged to enter constructive comments on score sheets. First-round judging will be completed by 05/15/2012.
5. Finalists will be announced by 05/31/2012. Score sheets will be returned to non-finalists at that time.
6. Winners will be announced by 06/30/2012. At that time, the first-place entry in each category will be forwarded to the Query Shark herself, who will determine the Grand Finalist by 07/31/2012. We will post winners' names in RWR Magazine and on our website. Finalists' score sheets will be returned after the announcement.

Entry Details

• Entry Fee
  • $10: NHRWA members
  • $15: non-NHRWA members — You do not have to be a member of RWA to enter this contest.
• Queries must be constructed in standard query format and must be no longer than one page. For purposes of the contest, please use a generic "Dear Agent" or "Dear Editor" greeting. For a closing, in place of your name, please use "Author." Do NOT use a pseudonym or make up a name for purposes of the contest, as it only serves to confuse final judges.
  
• Queries must be submitted as .doc or .rtf files.
• Your name must not appear on your query. If your name appears, you risk being disqualified from the contest and forfeiting your entry fee. This also applies to pseudonyms of any sort. We repeat: Your name MUST NOT appear on your query.
  
• Prizes: Amazon gift cards for all first-place finishers and the Grand Finalist
  

The Small Print

Eligibility: Entrants may be published or pre-published, and are not required to be RWA members. In fairness to entrants, we encourage entries that focus on a romantic story arc.

Category Cancellation: NHRWA reserves the right to cancel a category if insufficient entries are received. If a category is canceled, entrants will be moved to their second choice categories. If you forget to indicate a second-choice category, the Contest Coordinator will place your entry in the most logical category. If entrant numbers are small, NHRWA also reserves the right to combine categories or choose a smaller number of finalists.

Ready to Enter?

On March 1, we'll be thrilled to have you do so! As of 3/1/12, you'll see complete details and links for entering the contest. Please check back then...

Questions? Contact the contest coordinator at contest@nhrwa.com.

NHRWA wishes all entrants the best of luck! Thanks for entering!