The time has come to enter the Rainbow Award for Excellence, RRW’s writing contest.

Contest Timeline:

• June 1, 2010 – August 31, 2010. All submissions will be electronic
• Winners will be announced in early October.

Fee: $15 –all entrants.

Awards:

Grand Prize Winner:

Highest scoring entrant from ALL category winners receives the coveted Rainbow Award Of Excellence Trophy and a certificate of achievement.

Category Winner:

Highest scoring entrant from each category receives a certificate denoting First Place in their
respective category.

First, second and third place entrants in each category will receive an RAEs web banner to place on their blog or web site.

Categories:

• Contemporary
• Paranormal
• Romantic Suspense
• Historical
• Sci-fi/Fantasy
• YA
• short/novella (10,000-20,000 words)

All heat levels from sweet to super spicy are welcome.

Official Rules:

Eligibility: Any published work of GLBT romance, either electronic or print with an ISBN number, published in 2009

Rainbow Romance Writers RWA reserves the right to eliminate any category receiving fewer than five entries. If you enter a book in a category that is eliminated for lack of sufficient entries, you will be notified and given the opportunity to enter your book in another appropriate category. If you opt not to select a secondary category, your contest fee will be refunded.

Failure to comply with any of the entry requirements below could result in disqualification of your entry. In case of disqualification, your entry fee will be forfeit.

• Entries shall consist of one (1) electronically submitted copy of published romances in any of the above categories with a 2009 copyright date. Entrants understand that their books will be disseminated to at least three (3) judges and as such will be copied for judging purposes.
• Books will be judged by (3) different judges consisting of authors published in romance fiction. This is an entirely peer-judged award.
• Highest average score denotes winner in each category. The winning entry from each category will advance to the final round. There will be seven finalists in the final round. Entry with highest score will be declared the Grand Prize Winner.
• Entries may be submitted via the RRW web site, using our electronic submission form. Only electronic submissions are being accepted. If your book is not available as an ebook, you may provide an rtf document as long as it includes the ISBN for the published book.
• Entries will be acknowledged via email.
• Please use Paypal to submit entry fees. Remember to include your name, the name of your manuscript and the category being entered so we can associate your payment with the appropriate entry. Payment opens June 1st.
• Each entry may only be entered in one category. However, you may enter different entries/different categories, with a maximum of THREE entries per entrant, per category. Each entry must have a separate entry form filled out and release signed. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee.
• With respect to our judges, their identities will remain confidential.
• For anthologies, please enter under the category “short/novella”. Each story in the anthology will be judged on its own merits.

Questions? Please email Sara at wavyscribe@aol.com

This is the first chapter–online or otherwise–dedicated to supporting authors of GLBT romance.

Membership applications should be live any day now. $25. You need to be a member of Romance Writers of America to join.