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Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Updated and all sites tested...Compiled by Donna Caubarreaux....May be forwarded with credits. . E = Electronic Format Available EO = Electronic Only MO = Members Only U = Unpublished P = Published P/3 = Not published in three years Pnr = Published, but not by RWA standards PC = Not published in category selected . Golden Synopsis (U) Maine RWA Received by May 1, 2005 Up to 12 pages synopsis http://www.geocities.com/mainerwa/GOLDENSYNOPSISCONTEST.html . Swept Away (U)(E) Celtic Heart Romance Writers Received Deadline May 1, 2006 The first 30 pgs of ms+5 pg max synopsis, not to exceed 35 pages. http://www.celtichearts.org/SA2006.htm . The Jasmine Lowcountry Romance Writers Postmarked by May 1st, 2006 First 45 pages, plus up to 5-page synopsis http://www.lowcountryrwa.com/ . 2006 Published Maggie Award (P-Reg. 3 Only) Georgia Romance Writers Received by 5/2/2006 Copyright of 2005 http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/Maggies/06pubrules.php . Ignite the Flame (U - P/3) Central Ohio Fiction Writers Postmarked by May 6, 2006 Your hero and heroine's first meeting (up to 15 pages) http://www.cofw.org/ . Aspen Gold (P) Heart of Denver Received by May 15, 2006 Copyright of 2006 http://www.hodrw.com/ . The Molly (U) Heart of Denver Received by May 15, 2006 First thirty pages max; synopsis- 5 pages max. http://www.hodrw.com/molly.htm . The Scarlet Writer's Weekend Received by May 15, 2006 First 5 pages; Query letter; Synopsis 2 pg single spaced. http://www.writersweekend.com/contest.php . We Dare You Saskatchewan Romance Writers Postmarked May 15, 2006 First twelve pages http://www.saskromancewriters.4t.com/ . Share the Dream Scriptscene RWA Postmarked by May 15, 2006 First fifteen pages of screenplay. http://www.geocities.com/rewrit2002/contestrules.html . 75th Annual Writer's Digest Competition Deadline: May 15, 2006 There are ten categories http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/annual/75th/ . Share the Dream Scriptscene Chapter RWA Postmarked by May 15, 2006 First fifteen pages of your screenplay (judged by industry professionals) http://www.geocities.com/rewrit2002/contestrules.html . Original Golden Opportunity Toronto Romance Writers Postmarked by May 17, 2006 Synopsis, first chapter & prologue (if applicable) to 30 pages, maximum. http://www.torontoromancewriters.com/goldenop.html . Haunted Hearts (U - P/5 - Pnr) Gothic Romance Writers Received by May 31, 2006 First chapter + one page synopsis not to exceed 26 pages. http://www.gothrom.org/hhguidelines.html . American Title III Dorchester/Romantic Times Received by June 1, 2006 First three chapters & synopsis of a Contemporary novel. http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?ID=2097 . 2006 Unpublished Maggies Georgia Romance Writers Received by June 1, 2006 Synopsis and beginning of manuscript, 35 pages total http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/ . Touch of Magic (U) Central Florida Romance Writers Received by June 1, 2006 First 25 pages plus 3 pg unjudged synopsis http://www.cfrwa.org/contest.htm . The Writer's Voice (U - P/3) Calgary RWA Received by June 1, 2006 2 pg. unjudged synopsis; first chapter to 23 pages. http://www.calgaryrwa.com/contest.html . Emerald City Opener (U) Greater Seattle Romance Writers Postmarked by June 1, 2006 First seven pages http://gsrwa.org/emerald_city_con/ec_opener/EmeraldCityOpener_2006.htm . The Anne Bonney Readers' Choice Award (P) Ancient City Romance Authors Postmarked by June 1, 2006 Copyright of 2005 http://acrarwa.com/contest.htm . Book of Your Heart (U - P) PASIC Postmarked by June 1, 2006 First chapter up to 25 pgs + 3-10 pg synopsis http://www.pasic.net/contest.html . Colorado Gold (U) Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Postmarked by June 1, 2006 First 20 pages plus synopsis up to 8 pages. http://www.rmfw.org/ . Reveal Your Inner Vixen (U - P) Maryland Romance Writers Postmarked by June 1, 2006 One scene that showcases the sexual tension between the hero and heroine, not to exceed twenty (20) pages. http://www.marylandromancewriters.org/contest.html . Lone Star Writing Competition (U - P) Northwest Houston RWA Postmarked by June 5, 2006 First chapter up to 25 pages. http://www.nwhrwa.freeservers.com/contest06.html . Heart to Heart (U) San Francisco Area RWA Received by June 6, 2006 Scene where the Hero & Heroine meet, up to fifteen pages. http://www.sfarwa.com/contests/h2h_info.asp . Golden Leaf (P) Region 1 & NJRW ONLY New Jersey Romance Writers Register by June 10, 2006 Copyright between 8/05 - 7/06 http://www.njromancewriters.org/golden_leaf.html . Labor of Love (U - P/5) Heart of Louisiana Postmark by 6/10/2006 Synopsis, prologue, beginning not to exceed 50 pages. http://www.heartla.com/ContestEntry.htm . Golden Gateway (U - P/5) >From the Heart Romance Writers Received by June 16, 2006 Beginning plus synopsis(10 pg or less)55 pgs total max. http://www.fthrw.com/contest/goldengateway/ . Enter Laughing Contest (U - P/5) Grand Rapids Region RWA Received by July 1, 2006 2 pg synopsis (unjudged) + first chapter up to 25 pages. http://www.grrrwa.org/contest.html . Indiana's Golden Opportunity (U - Pnr) Received by 7/1/2006, 2006 Total entry (manuscript + synopsis) not to exceed 55 pages. http://home.insightbb.com/~irwa/contest/contest.htm . Melody of Love (U) Music city Romance Writers Received by 7/1/2006 Prologue/first chapter, up to 25 pages. http://www.mcrw.com/ . Write, Hook, Query Contest (U - P/3) Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers Postmarked by July 10, 2006 Submit a Query Letter http://www.plrw.org/ . On the Far Side FF&P RWA Received by August 1, 2006 First fifteen pages + up to five page synopsis. http://www.romance-ffp.com/OTFS2006Rules.htm . Picture This Contest Inland Empire Chapter Postmarked by August 1, 2006 Send us the best scene from your book, 5-12 pages. http://geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/2936/contest.htm . Silver Rose Award for Website Excellence (U - P) Sacramento Valley Rose Received by August 15, 2006 http://sacramentovalleyrose.com/contest.html . Barclay Gold (P) Lowcountry Romance Writers Received by 9/11/2006 Copyright of 2005 http://www.lcrw.org/contests.html#gold . Check out all the contests on: http://www.geocities.com/divaswithtiaras/ContestDiva.index.html Contest Alert-All the news on upcoming contests, plus Finalist & Winner listings, questions, etc. Sign up now! ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Announcement only list: ContestDeadlines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . For Published Authors ContestAlertPublished-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . If you're a Contest Judge, join ContestsJudges-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Donna Caubarreaux is a member of Coeur de Louisiane, Scriptscene Chapter, NOLA Stars, Heart of Louisiana, Kiss of Death, Eastside RWA and ChickLitWriters of RWA. She received a RWA Service Award in 1997. 
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 As 'chick lit' wanes, pub houses redefine the genre By DIANE CLEHANE The breathless story of the single gal in the big city who is more adept at shopping than relationships that has come to define "chick lit" is as out of style as last year's Jimmy Choos, say publishing honchos. "What we're hearing from a lot of booksellers is that if they see one more pink cover they're going to scream," says Hyperion's senior VP and publisher Ellen Archer. Ever since Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" crossed the pond in 1998, contemporary women's fiction -- dubbed chick lit, to the chagrin of many authors and publishers -- has spawned a seemingly endless bumper crop of titles with varying degrees of success. Breakout star Jennifer Weiner ("Good in Bed") and one-hit wonder Lauren Weisberger ("The Devil Wears Prada") are among the few authors who have generated sales and lots of buzz for the genre, but the sheer number of books by no-name writers targeted to lovelorn twentysomethings seem to have left the industry with a Cosmo-sized hangover. "When you see 'How to Write Chick Lit' books in the stores and it can be deconstructed that way, you know they've jumped the shark," says literary agent Daniel Greenberg of the Manhattan-based Levine Greenberg Agency. But like its plucky heroines, the genre's highly invested publishers and writers have found a way to reinvent themselves to attract new suitors. "Some people say chick lit is dying out, but I think it's here to stay," says Karen Kosztolnyik, senior editor at Warner Books, whose chick lit imprint 5 Spot was launched in September. "It's starting to spin off into subgenres -- from bride chick lit to 'fancy moms' lit about getting divorced or moving to the suburbs." Not so coincidentally, the imprint's "hot summer read" is Jane Porter's "Flirting With 40," about a newly single woman and her much younger love. "Chick lit is evolving," says Jane von Mehren, VP and publisher of Random House's trade paperback division. "The genre is diversifying with different types of stories -- now there's glam lit, hen lit, even stories involving the paranormal. We're seeing African-American and Latina authors selling very well." The house is banking on Sofia Quintero's road trip tale "Divas Don't Yield" to tap into the ethnic chick lit market. Archer believes the biggest opportunity for growth is in going after the older reader -- "women 35 and up -- the key-demo hardcover book buyers." While the house has had success with authors like "Sex and the City" scribe Candace Bushnell ("Trading Up") and up-and-comer twentysomething Cecelia Ahern ("P.S. I Love You"), Archer believes Hyperion's new imprint will be a place where older writers and readers can "tackle meatier issues." Decrees the publisher: "There will be no chicks or hens here." The yet-to-be-named imprint will be helmed by editorial director Pam Dorman, who edited Helen Fielding while at Viking. Bushnell concurs that the future for the genre lies in more grownup heroines. "The characters in 'Lipstick Jungle' (her latest bestseller, currently in development at NBC) are really the same characters that were in 'Sex and the City' but grown up," she says. "They've discovered it's sometimes more exciting to be Mr. Big than to date him. That's what women want to read about now." Some of the most eagerly awaited books in the genre have replaced sex with power as the key ingredient in one reconfigured formula for success. One such title that's generating high hopes: "Because She Can" (Warner) penned by former ReganBooks editor Bridie Clark and due out next year. The roman a clef chronicles the life of a beleaguered editor driven crazy by her tyrannical female boss. Clark worked for media maven Judith Regan for two years, prompting insiders to salivate over the prospect of having a hit that's a thinly veiled expose. "It's our 'Devil Wears Prada," says von Mehren. Greenberg, who reps Clark, says he's been "besieged by requests" from Hollywood for a look at the manuscript, but the book hasn't been shopped yet. Perhaps that's because producers are waiting to see if "Prada's" bestseller status translates to bigscreen success. Last year, when Chick Lit's high priestess Jennifer Weiner's "In Her Shoes" underperformed at the box office and among critics, industry execs were dismayed. "The book did so well, Jennifer has a huge following and the movie had big stars (Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette), so no one expected that," says one insider. "It just shows that you never know what's going to work. Publishers are really feeling that way about chick lit now." Regardless, Hollywood remains high on the genre. A sampling of projects currently in development: * "Good Grief" (Warner Books) by Lolly Winston has been optioned by Universal's Marc Platt. Michael Cunningham ("The Hours") is writing the screenplay and it's been reported that Julia Roberts is slated to star in the dramedy about a young window trying to rebuild her life. * "Forget About It" (5 Spot), an unpublished novel by Caprice Crane about a woman who fakes amnesia, was optioned by New Line, with Scarlett Johansson attached to star. * Wendy Finerman picked up "P.S. I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern (Hyperion) for Universal. Richard LaGravenese has written the script, which is scheduled to go into production later this year. * Another Ahern novel, "If You Could See Me Now," was optioned by Disney. "Chicago" producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are developing it as a musical, with Hugh Jackman set to star. * "The Ivy Chronicles" by Karen Quinn, about a Wall Streeter turned nanny, has been optioned by Jerry Weintraub. Catherine Zeta-Jones is attached to star. So is chick lit alive and well? "I don't think the term matters anymore," says Bushnell. "Women just want to read interesting, well-told stories about other women's lives."
Thursday, April 20, 2006 Great post on HOW BOOKS MAKE MONEY
Tuesday, April 18, 2006 book: B&N: 4,140 Waldenbooks: 4,888 Borders: 3,993 Anderson Merchandisers/Walmart: 47,671 Target: 16,341 Price/Costco: 17,291 Sam's: 14,108 Amazon: 320 In other words being in the top 100k books for the week at Amazon could mean you sold all of a FEW books
Monday, April 17, 2006 Who’s Got the Power? How a Publisher’s Sales Force Can Make or Break Your Book By Deanna Carlyle Once upon a time before the Internet, I was an entry level sales assistant for a big, multinational publisher. It was a confusing time, not least because I had no idea what was going on in all those meetings my boss attended, seemingly for days at a time. Every now and then an editor and her cohort would wander past my cubicle on the way back from one of the meetings and I’d catch a scrap of conversation, a clue to the mystery that is publishing. “Did you get it past Sales?” editor A would ask editor B, her voice thin with worry. “She has to check with the accounts.” The editors would shuffle by, casting furtive glances into the offices that lined the hallowed halls of Sales. I watched their retreat and scratched my chin. Apparently I worked in a powerful department. But from what I could tell, all my boss ever did was check things in the computer and chat on the phone, then run off to meetings, endless closed-door meetings. What went on in there anyway? Twelve years later I finally got the chance to find out. I asked several publishing insiders for the skinny on sales, and they graciously complied. It turns out the cringing editors were right: Sales is a mighty force. It wields a powerful influence at every stage of a book’s career, from manuscript acquisition to print run and budget calculation to the retail connection. Sales can make or break your book. Acquisition Power How much influence does a publisher’s sales staff have on title acquisition? “Sales is very integral the acquisition process,” says Alison Lazarus, President of the Sales Division at Holtzbrinck Publishers (which owns St. Martin's Press and Tor Books). “We may be asked to read a manuscript or proposal and give our estimates on what we think the title could sell. If the readers are very enthusiastic about the project it can help influence the decision to try to acquire the title.” Sales can also influence the decision to reject a title. “On at least two occasions,” one author says, “I've had books rejected where the editor has hinted to my agent that someone in sales or marketing killed the deal. It was obvious that the editors really loved the books and had wanted to buy them.” If you’re lucky, however, someone on the sales force could bring your manuscript to an editor’s attention. That’s what happened to former romance writer Mary Daheim. In an interview she gave to About.com, Daheim describes how she asked her regional Avon sales rep to take at a look at the opening chapters of her first mystery. The rep then took the chapters to Avon’s regional sales conference and gave it to a senior editor. Within a month, Daheim had herself a three-book contract for a new mystery series. Sales reps also look to acquire authors. “If our sales representatives see a competitor's book selling well,” says George D. Bick, Senior VP, Director of Distributor and Morrow/Avon Sales, “they alert us immediately to that fact and we get into gear to see if that's a viable author to go after. Since several of our accounts—Walden, B & N, Wal-Mart, Target—provide us with point-of-sales (cash register sales) information, we can instantly see competitors’ authors who are doing well. Read the rest HERE: http://www.deannacarlyle.com/articles/power.html
Thursday, April 06, 2006 The Care and Feeding of The Press
GREAT agent and career article!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006 What's hot now!
Monday, April 03, 2006 Search engines such as AltaVista (www.altavista.com) and Google (www.google.com) index the contents of Web pages for free for the benefit of people who want to find information on the Internet. They send out webcrawlers -- robot programs that automatically find and retrieve Web pages and add the information to their indexes. They find Web pages from links to them on other pages. If your Web site is new, there are probably very few links to it; and it could take many months for the webcrawlers to find you on their own. So go to each of the search engines and where and how to "Add URL". )For links straight to the free submission pages of the major search engines, go to www.samizdat.com/submit.html, (so you don't have to hunt and click multiple times, working your way through the maze at each search engine site.) That article also includes brief descriptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the various search engines. Enter the URL of your home page, or better still the URL of a "sitemap" of your page. Keep in mind that some crawlers will only go one layer deep at your site. In other words, if you submit your home page and it has links to about a dozen other pages, and then have links from them to other pages and from them to others, etc., the crawlers will only follow the links from your home page. Hence you are best off creating a "sitemap" page, with links to every page at your site and submitting that page, instead of your home page. Your information will probably be indexed eventually, don't hold your breath -- it could take anywhere from a month to three months from the time of your submission. Recently, search engines have been pushing hard to convince Web site owners to pay for rapid and/or guaranteed inclusion of pages in their indexes. As part of that effort they have degraded and slowed down their free submission process. If you are desperate and have money to burn, check their offers. But they typically charge for each and every URL to be included (not just for a complete crawl from your home page or sitemap page), and the cost can be astronomical for even a medium-size site.
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