1. The contest is for a romance novel
This contest is for a complete romance manuscript and is open to unpublished paid up members of RWNZ only. The romance must be the central focus of the story. All sub-genres of the romance genre are acceptable. For the purpose of this contest, a romance is defined as a fictional story in which the development and resolution of a romance between two people is a primary motivation of the plot. A happy ending is mandatory. The romance must move from one level to the next through the course of the story. Where there is doubt about the classification of a submission, the sponsors will decide its classification, and their decision will be binding.
2. Entrants
Each entrant must be a current financial member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand throughout the duration of the contest, right up to when the winners are announced. If the manuscript is a collaboration, each contributor must be a current financial member of Romance Writers of New Zealand. For the duration of the judging of the contest (that means until the final judging is completed), entrants (not only the entry) must not have been published, self-published, contracted to publish, or been accepted to publish, whether in print or digitally, within the previous five years. The entry should not be published in any format until the FINAL judging has been completed, but may be published at the end of the FINAL judging rounds before the winners are announced.
3. Entry conditions
Please ensure you have complied with all conditions in the Pacific Heart Contest Rules. Up to two entries will be accepted from each entrant. Submissions must not have received a first, second or third placing in a previous Pacific Hearts or Clendon contest. And the same manuscript may not be entered more than twice. All manuscripts deemed not to be romances by the above definition will be disqualified. Entry fee of NZ$25.00 is not refundable under any circumstances, and is required to finalise the online entry form. A separate entry fee is payable for each manuscript entered and two online entries must be made for each book. Entries close at midnight on 28 February of the year of the contest. Any entries received by the contest manager after this time and date will not be accepted. Please contact us before the closing date if you do not receive email confirmation that your entry has been submitted. Manuscripts submitted must comply with the general terms and also all the following:
Manuscripts must be between 40,000 and 110,000 words in length, by electronic word count, including chapter headings, section dividers, etc.
Format: Times New Roman or Courier, 12 point. The text is to be fully justified.
4. Judging
Initial judging will be of the first 10,000 words plus, at the end, a 2,000 word judged synopsis. Judges are a group of romance readers using standardised evaluation sheets. At least five people will read and evaluate each 10,000k beginning of the manuscript. The top and bottom score will be dropped and the remaining three scores averaged. The finalist entries will then be judged by an editor.
5. RWNZ decisions are final
Failure to comply with any or all of these rules may result in the entry being not accepted or disqualified.
CHECKLIST
- Read the entry information and submission instructions carefully.
- Manuscript pages typed in standard, double-spaced format, Courier New 12 pt or Times New Roman 12 pt font, approx 2.5cm margins on all sides, paragraphs indented approx 1cm.
- Entrant’s name does not appear anywhere on the entry (either the initial 10,000 words plus synopsis, or the full manuscript).
- Header appears on every page with title, subgenre/category line and page number.
- Entry saved as a Word .doc or .docx file and uploaded as an attachment on the online entry form.
- Separate online entry form is completed for each entry as a separate online submission.
- Your entry is not valid unless the entry fee has been paid.
- Word count for the full manuscript does not exceed 110,000 words.
- Entry Fee paid
