2012 Touched by Love Award Contest Rules

Deadline: (11:59:59 p.m.) EST, April 1, 2012

(Contest is Now closed)

Deadline:  Entry Form, nonrefundable fee (checks made out to FHL or by paid by Paypal) and manuscript must be received no later than (11:59:59 p.m.) EST, April 1, 2012. Entries and fees received after contest is officially closed will not be accepted.

Eligibility: Contest is open to all unpublished authors and to any author not published in the past three years. All work must be the author's original work. Entrant must retain all rights to the entry and not have granted any of them to a publisher other party by the contest entry deadline.

Definition of an inspirational romance: Stories written by writers whose worldview, influenced by their faith in the God of the Bible, is woven into the fabric of the book or manuscript. Entries in FHL's contest should not include inappropriate or gratuitous demonstration of sin, whether in language, violence, or sexual situations.

Inspirational Romance Categories:

• Contemporary (under 75, 000 words)
• Contemporary (over 75,000 words)
• Historical

Entry fee: $20.00 for members of the Faith, Hope and Love (FHL) chapter. $25.00 for non-FHL members. Payments may be made through Paypal. Non-members can elect to join FHL and pay the member entry fee. Any checks must be made out to the FHL Chapter of RWA.

ENTRY FORMAT:

1. An entry consists of up to the first 30 pages of an unpublished manuscript and an unjudged synopsis (no more than two pages double-spaced) for a maximum of 32 total pages.
   
   
2. The entry must be in .doc or .rtf format (please do not send .docX).
   
   
3. The entry should have at least one inch margins all around.
   
   
4. Be 12 point font either Time New Roman, Courier or Courier New.
   
   
5. Entry and synopsis must be double-spaced using the same font (exactly 25 lines per page is acceptable also).
   
   
6. Chapter headings (Chapter 1, Chapter 2 ...) should be one-third to one-half down the page.
   
   
7. Each chapter should start on a fresh page (insert page break).
   
   
8. The entry should end with a complete sentence.
   
   
9. The author's name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. Remove all personal information from the computer document.
   
   
10. The header must have manuscript title and projected or approximate word count (as if a finished manuscript) on the left and page number on right.

Example:

Love’s Journey/ 60,000 words

Page 1

Optional: You may include your target publisher in the header to assist the judges in evaluating your manuscript.

Example: If you are writing a Short Contemporary targeted for Steeple Hill Love Inspire line, your header would look like this:

Love’s Journey/60,000 words, Steeple Hill: Love Inspired

Page 1

The Synopsis must:

1. Be in the same font and format as manuscript pages.
2. Be in same document containing manuscript pages and synopsis.
3. Be put at the end of the manuscript pages.
4. Be formatted with TITLE Synopsis on first line (at top of page), skip a line, next line begin synopsis information.
5. Be free of all personal identifying information.

ENTRY AND EMAIL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Entrant may complete an entry form online and pay entry fee using Paypal OR mail an entry form and a check to the contest coordinator. (mailing instructions for entry forms and checks are on the entry form) Entry forms, contest fee and entry manuscript and synopsis are due before midnight (11:59:59) EST, April 1, 2012.
   
   
2. Short or Long Contemporary to Kelly Ann Riley.
   Historical Entries to Sandra Orchard.
   
   
3. In the email body include the author's name, phone number, email address, mailing address, manuscript title, projected length, and category entered. Your name appears only in the email body, which is kept by the contest coordinator.
   
   
4. The file name should contain the title of the manuscript. Send the email and attached file to the contest coordinator before the deadline. Follow formatting guidelines listed above. The total attached submission is to be no more than 32 double-spaced pages with up to 30 pages of the beginning of the manuscript and a synopsis of not more than two pages. (synopsis is not judged)
   
   
5. Attach to the email a copy of entry and synopsis in one file in .doc or .rtf format only. Please do not send .docX manuscripts.
   
   
6. Enter as many manuscripts as you wish. For each entry, the entrant must complete an online entry form and pay the entry fee with Paypal OR send an entry form and check to the contest coordinator. (Mailing information is on entry form) Each entry should be emailed separately.

**Entrants who do not comply with the above rules may be disqualified and entry fee may be forfeited if entries are received late and/or corrections are not made by the deadline. Please contact your category coordinator if you need assistance prior to the deadline. We will be happy to work with you to solve the problem.**

JUDGING:

Preliminary judging begins April 10, 2012. All manuscripts will be judged by three judges, one of which will be published or PRO. The highest two scores will be averaged for the preliminary score. The lowest score will be dropped.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, finalists will be notified no later than May 16, 2012. Finalist scores must be in the top 25% with an overall possible point total of 155.

Finalists will have three days to edit and polish their entries once they are sent their first round manuscripts and score sheets back. Failure to meet the 3 day deadline will result in the original entry being sent on to the final round judges.

Finalists will receive the opportunity to have their entry judged by five published inspirational authors. Scores will be averaged in order to establish a winner. The winner will be announced at the 2012 RWA National Conference. There will be three finalists in the three categories. There will be a winner in each category and an overall winner from the three categories.

The overall winner chosen from the three winners of the categories will receive a critique of their entry by an editor and $100 toward any writing related expense paid within one year of the end of the TBL contest.

Critiquing Editor for 2012 is Raela Schoenherr of Bethany House Publishers

The remaining two First place category winners will receive $75 toward any writing related expense paid within one year of the end of the TBL contestcontest and NEW THIS YEAR, 1st place category entries will be sent to editor to review (not critique).   Second place winners will receive $50 toward any writing related expense paid within one year of the end of the TBL contest. Third place winners will receive $25 toward any writing related expense paid within one year of the end of the TBL contest. Writing expenses include the Golden Heart or other writing contest entry fee, conference fees, National RWA dues, etc. Receipts are required for reimbursement.

Any questions may be directed to Contest Co-Coordinator, Kelly Ann Riley, at RileyK1@aol.com.