| By Connie Cox | October 23, 2009 |
HI all! Connie Cox here!
I’m new to the blog. Thanks to everyone for letting me play! I want to blog today about a huge event that brought all of us together at Nobody Writers It Better. We are all 2007 Golden Heart Contest finalists. It’s a sisterhood I’m very proud of. I’m a prodigal and have only been back in the fold for a few months, and already I’ve received all the camaraderie and support I could hope to find.
Want to know more about this Golden Heart thing? Let’s start at the beginning.
What’s the Golden Heart® Contest?
Here’s official definition, from the Romance Writers of America’s website: The purpose of the Golden Heart Contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding romance manuscripts.
What do I get if I win?
Here’s the cool part–you don’t have to win to benefit from the Golden Heart Contest.
- First off, you need to have a complete manuscript to enter. Right there, you’ve got incentive to finish the book. A real deadline, testing your mettle as a pre-published, yet professional writer. Are you up to the challenge?
- By entering, you’re joining a sisterhood of hundreds of other writers who take their work seriously. Pssst. If you’re not a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), considering joining. You’ll be glad you did.
- Should you become a finalist, a whole new dimension is opened to you. First, there’s the special acknowledgment of RWA and all our members. Then, there’s the parties at the Nationals Conference that make you feel like royalty. And, perhaps the best part is adding Golden Heart Finalist to your signature line and agent/editor correspondence giving you instant prestige and credibility.
That’s for the finalists. What about the winner?
The winner gets a very cool charm that is exclusive to Golden Heart winners. But I’ll let you in on an insider secret. From my experience, being a finalist gets you all the benefits except the charm. The experts know that if you make the finals, your manuscript is outstanding. Your peers who judged it said it was. I’m a 2007 Golden Heart finalist and I’ve been able to take advantage of all the same benefits offered to my friend, a Golden Heart winner.
Incentive to complete and polish my manuscript; support and community with fellow writers just like me; a chance to have an extra nudge with agents and editors all sounds great! How do I enter?
Click this link to check out the Golden Heart info on the official RWA website.
And best of luck!
PS Will the Golden Heart help to sell your book?
Maybe. Mine sold the same week finalists were announced. Pretty spooky coincidence, wouldn’t you say? Check it out, Taking Flight by Connie Cox.
Taking Flight by Connie Cox