Chapter Events and Contests
Local RWA chapters offer a number of conferences, contests, and workshops. Listed below are the chapter contests and conferences scheduled for the coming months.
Please submit all contest, conference, and workshop announcements to
chapterevents@rwa.org. A response will be sent via return email. If you haven't received a response in 48 hours, please follow up. Thank you!
Deadline and format instructions are provided at the end of the column below. Please also send notification of broken or incorrect links to
chapterevents@rwa.org. Thank you!
Updated 03/14/2019
Contests
*Open to published authors
**Open to published and unpublished authors
March Contests
19th Annual FHL Reader’s Choice Award
Sponsor: Faith, Hope and Love Chapter
Fee: $20 FHL Members, $25 NonMembers
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: Christian fiction books with a 2018 copyright.
Entry: Four new autographed copies of each entry.
Categories: Long Contemporary, Short Contemporary, Long Historical, Short Historical, Women’s Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Novella.
Judges: Readers of Christian fiction.
Top Prize: Winner in each category receives an engraved box.
FMI, visit
http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/fhlrca-contest/ or email contest coordinator Nancy J. Farrier,
nancyjfarrier@gmail.com.
*Athena Contest for Excellence in Young Adult and New Adult Fiction
Chapter: YARWA
Fee: $30–40
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: YA and NA romance novels and novels with romantic elements published in 2018.
Entry: 3 copies of hardback, mass-market, or trade paperback novel, or 1 copy of ebook in pdf format.
Categories: YA Contemporary, NA Contemporary, YA/NA Paranormal, YA/NA Speculative, YA/NA Historical.
Judges: Romance readers, authors, librarians & bloggers.
Top Prize: Plaque, Pin, digital graphic.
FMI, visit
http://yarwa.com/the-athena-contest/ or email Contest Coordinator at
athenacontest@gmail.com.
**Fabulous Five Contest 2019
Sponsor: WisRWA (Wisconsin Romance Writers)
Fee: $25 WisRWA members; $30 Non WisRWA members
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: Unpublished in novel length fiction in last 5 years.
Enter: First 2,500 words of ms. No synopsis.
Judges: Trained, published & unpublished.
Final Judges: One agent and one editor per category TBD.
Top Prize: Silver Quill Awarded to top entry in each category, finalists announced in RWR.
FMI, WisRWA website (
www.wisrwa.org). Link to Fab 5 contest for rules, entry form, and sample scoresheet. Email contest coordinators Natalie Alamo and Jennifer Rupp at
fabfive@wisrwa.org for questions not answered from website information.
**Fire & Ice 2019
Sponsor: Chicago-North RWA
Fee: $35 for all entrants
Deadline: Open for entries February 1, 2019. Deadline March 1, 2019.
Eligibility: All work must be the author’s original work that has not been contracted for publication prior to the entry deadline. Open to all authors who have never been published in book-length romantic fiction as well as published authors who have not been contracted or published (traditional or self) since January 1, 2014.
Entry: First 6,000 words, no synopsis.
Categories: No categories, all entries judged together. All sub-genres of romance allowed. Please see website for more details.
First Round Judges: Each entry will receive a detailed score sheet from 3 qualified judges, with at least one published judge per entry.
Final Judges: SIX FINALISTS will be sent to SIX final round judges. Please see website for the complete list of final round judges.
Prizes: 1st Place: $75; 2nd Place: $50; 3rd Place: $25. All finalists will receive certificates.
FMI,
http://chicagonorthrwa.org/fire-and-ice-contest/.
The 2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for Unpublished Writers
Sponsor: RWA Kiss of Death Chapter
Fee: $15–30
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Entry: prologue/first chapter up to 5,000 words. All electronic entry.
Final Judges: See website.
FMI,
http://www.rwakod.org/daphne or email Brooke Wills at
daphnecontest@gmail.com.
*The 2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for Published Authors
Sponsor: RWA Kiss of Death Chapter
Fee: $30
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Entry: 2018 copyrighted mystery or romantic suspense.
FMI,
http://www.rwakod.org/daphne or email Brooke Wills at
daphnecontest@gmail.com.
*2019 PRISM Contest for Published Paranormal Romance
Sponsor: Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal RWA
Fee: $30 for members of FF&P; $40 for non-members
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Eligibility: Traditionally published and self-published paranormal romances with a copyright date of 2018.
Entry: Print and e-book submissions accepted.
Categories: Dark Paranormal, Light Paranormal, Sci Fi & Futuristic, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Erotic, Historical, Steampunk, Young Adult, New Adult, Novella.
Judges: Published/Unpublished Authors and Readers of FF&P Romance.
Top Prize: FF&P Prism statue.
FMI, visit
https://ffprwa.com/.
**Diamonds in the Desert
Sponsor: Desert Rose RWA
Fee: $25–35
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published and unpublished authors.
Entry: Up to the first twenty-five pages of an unpublished manuscript plus a 200-word blurb. Finalists will be required to provide a synopsis.
Categories: Please view web page FMI.
Judges: General, PRO, and PAN members of RWA using category-specific rubrics.
Final Judges: Professional agents and editors; consult web page FMI.
FMI, visit
http://desertroserwa.org/desert-diamonds or contact the contest chairperson at
diamonds@desertroserwa.org.
**2019 Royal Ascot Competition
The Beau Monde Chapter of RWA
Fee: $24–30
Deadline: March 22, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published or unpublished writers of Regency-set romance.
Entry: The first 7,000 words (max) of your unpublished/uncontracted Regency romance. A synopsis is optional, but is not judged. Royal Ascot Contest entrants can choose to submit their entry to the Royal Ascot Readers' Choice Category Awards at no extra cost.
Categories: Regency Historical, Sweet & Mild Regency, Hot Regency, and Wild Regency.
Judges: 1st Round of Royal Ascot Contest, 4 experienced PAN & PRO member judges. In Readers' Choice Category Awards, registered reader-judges.
Final Judges: Royal Ascot Contest only - Janna Bonikowski, The Knight Agency; Lizzie Poteet, The Seymour Agency; Brenda Chin, Entangled Publishing; Janet Clementz, Soul Mate Publishing; and Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks.
Top Prize: Royal Ascot Contest - $100, sash and certificate. Category Winners in the Royal Ascot Readers' Choice Awards - $50, sash and certificate.
FMI,
http://thebeaumonde.com/resources/the-royal-ascot-contest/ or contact the Royal Ascot Coordinator
beaumonderoyalascot@bigpond.com.
**Rosemary Award for Excellence in YA & NA Unpublished Manuscripts
Sponsor: Young Adult Romance Writers of America
Fee: $15 members/$25 non-members
Deadline: Opens on February 1, 2019, and closes on March 29, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
Eligibility: All authors, regardless of publishing status. Manuscripts must not have been published, self-published, or contracted to be published and have a word count of at least 40,000 words.
Entry: First 25 pages. No synopsis.
Categories: YA Contemporary; YA Historical; YA Paranormal; YA Speculative; New Adult.
Judges: First-round judging by three trained judges. YARWA will make every effort to have a published author judge in every group.
Final Judges: Will include at least one editor and one agent in each category.
Top Prize: All finalists will receive a website badge, finalists listing in RWR, and a free YARWA class of their choice.
FMI,
http://yarwa.com.
*National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award (NERFA)
Sponsor: First Coast Romance Writers
Fee: $35 (+$5 for Best First Book entry)
Deadline: Contest opens March 1 and closes March 31, 2019, for registration and payment.
Eligibility: Entries must have an original copyright date and for sale in the United States in 2018. Entries must be book-length fiction with a minimum of 40,000 words (except romantic novella category).
Entry: Submit four copies of your print or e-book to the contest coordinator between March 1 - 31, 2019.
Categories: Contemporary Romance 56k words and up, Mid Length Contemporary Romance 40k-56k words, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements, Young Adult Romance, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Erotic Romance and all genre Romantic Novella category. A Best First Book category is also available for an additional Fee of $5 if the book is entered in another contest category.
Judges: Romance readers.
Final Judges: Librarians, bloggers and booksellers.
Prizes: All 2019 finalists will receive a NERFA Finalist web logo and certificate. Winners will receive a NERFA Winner web logo and trophy. Finalists and winners will be announced in the Romance Writers Report and on the FCRW website.
FMI, visit
http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/national-excellence-in-romance-fiction-award/
*Published Maggie Award for Excellence
Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers
Fee: $30–40
Deadline: March 30, 2019
Entry: Only eBooks accepted.
Categories: Category Short Romance; Contemporary Single Title; Historical (includes Regencies); Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance; Paranormal (includes Futuristic, Time Travel, Fantasy, etc.); Romance Novella; Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements; Romantic Suspense; and Young Adult/New Adult Romance.
Judges and Final Judges: Acquiring librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and book club members.
Top Prize: First place/highest score in each category will receive the prestigious Maggie Medallion. All finalists will receive a Maggie certificate. Finalists will be notified by June 26, 2019. Winners will be announced October 5, 2019, at the GRW Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.
FMI, please visit our website at
http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/the-maggies/ or email Christina Crayn at
MaggieChair@gmail.com.
*Northern Hearts
Sponsor: Toronto Romance Writers (TRW)
Fee: $25 USD for members of Toronto Romance Writers, $35 USD for all other entrants.
Deadline: March 31, 2019
Eligibility: An entry must be an original work of fiction published between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2018.
Entry: A single PDF file (English language).
Categories: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal/Sci-Fi, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult.
Judges: Entries will be distributed to three random judges who are readers, authors, librarians, and booksellers. In the case of a tie for first place in a given category, the lowest score will be dropped for each book to determine the winner. If the first-place winner cannot be determined by doing so, the book will be read by an additional judge.
FMI,
http://torontoromancewriters.com/. Questions can be directed to the contest coordinator at
northernheartscontest@torontoromancewriters.com.
**Romance Through the Ages
Sponsor: Hearts Through History
Fee: $20–25
Deadline: March 31, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published and unpublished authors.
Entry: First 25 pages and (optional) two-page synopsis.
Final Judges: editors and agents.
Top Prize: $50 cash for all first-place winners.
FMI, visit
http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/contest-entry/ or for additional questions, email
rtta@heartsthroughhistory.com.
April Contests
**2019 Touched By Love Award
Sponsor: Faith, Hope, and Love RWA Chapter
Fee: $20–25
Deadline: April 1, 2019
Eligibility: Contest is open to all authors who have not accepted a publishing offer from a publisher or self-published a work of original fictional narrative prose of 20,000 words or more in the past three years in the category they wish to enter.
Entry: Electronic only. First 20 pages of an unpublished Christian or sweet romance manuscript; 2-page synopsis.
Categories: Christian Romance categories – Short Contemporary, Long Contemporary, and Historical. Sweet Romance (includes both contemporary and historical).
Judges: Published/unpublished in the first round.
Final Judges: Published authors will score entries in final round and editors and/or agents will critique/review the first-place category-winning entries.
FMI,
http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org or email contest coordinator, Kelly Ann Riley, at
RileyK1@aol.com.
**The Stiletto Contest
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Writers (CRW)
Fee: $15–25
Deadline: April 12, 2019
Eligibility: The Stiletto Contest celebrates and recognizes excellence in the Contemporary Romance genre for published and unpublished work.
Entry: 2018 copyrighted release (published). First 7,000 words (unpublished).
Judges: Unpublished categories – one agent, one editor, and one indie author.
FMI, visit
http://contemporaryromance.org/about/.
**The Sheila Contest
Sponsor: Valley Forge Romance Writers
Fee: $25 for VFRW members, $30 for non-members
Opens for Entries: March 3, 2019. Deadline: April 13, 2019
Eligibility: Participation is open to all romance writers who are unpublished, self-published, and published. The entry must be the author’s original work, unpublished in any format (including author’s website, self-publication, ebook, mass market, etc.) and not under contract.
Entry: First 20 pages of manuscript and up to a 5-page synopsis. The synopsis is REQUIRED, but not judged.
Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal, Historical, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult.
Judges: Entrants will receive a detailed score sheet from three qualified judges, including PRO and PAN members.
Final Judges: Editors and Agents. Best of the Best Judges: Best-Selling Authors.
Top Prize: Best of the Best winner receives $100 prize.
FMI, please visit
http://valleyforgeromancewriters.blogspot.com/.
*Book Buyers Best Contest for Published Authors
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Fee: $30
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Open to all general, associate and affiliate Romance Writers of America members who are in good standing with RWA National with current membership paid.
Entry: Accepting traditionally published and self-published entries – electronic format ONLY.
Categories: Categories (50,000+ except where stated) Contemporary, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic, Historical & Regency, Romantic Suspense & Mystery, Inspirational, Young Adult, Erotic Romance, Romance Novella (all genres, 20–50,000 words)
FMI, please send questions to
bbbcontest@occrwa.org or go to
http://occrwa.org/contests/book-buyers-best/.
**Elevation of Love
Sponsor: Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter (CIMRWA)
Fee: $20–35
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Both published and unpublished authors are welcome to participate.
Entry: The first 5,000 words of a completed, unpublished manuscript of no less than 40,000 words featuring diverse cultural, interracial, and multicultural romances.
Final Judges: Contemporary - Editor Mackenzie Walton, Carina Press and Agent Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency; Erotic - Editor Diana Carlile, The Wild Rose Press and Agent Sara Megibow, KT Literary; Paranormal/Fantasy/SF - Editor Meghan Ferrell, Tule Publishing and Agent Kat Enright, The Seymour Agency; YA - Editor Cat Clyne, Sourcebooks and Agent Nikki Terpilowski, Holloway Literary; Historical - Editor Norma Perez-Hernandez, Kensington Books and Agent Tricia Skinner, FUSE Literary; Women’s Fiction/Mainstream – Editor Elle Keck, Avon/Harper Collins and Agent - Jessica Alvarez, Bookends Literary Agency; Romantic Suspense - Editor Angela James, Carina Press and Agent Jess Dallow, Brower Literary & Management.
FMI, visit the EOL section of the CIMRWA website at
http://www.cimrwa.org/contests.html.
**Orange Rose Contest for Emerging Writers
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Fee: $25 for OCC/RWA Members, East Valley Author Members, Los Angeles Romance Authors Members & RWA San Diego Members; $35 for all other RWA Members
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Authors unpublished author in fiction, published authors who have two (2) or fewer self-published or traditionally published works who have not earned $1,000 or more on a single title.
Categories: (50,000+ except where stated) Contemporary, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic, Historical, Romantic Suspense, Inspirational, Young Adult, Erotic Romance, Romance Novella (all genres, 15,000 - 50,000 words)
FMI, please send questions to
orangerose@occrwa.org or go to
http://occrwa.org/contests/orange-rose-contest/.
Unpublished Maggie Award for Excellence
Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers
Fee: $30–40
Deadline: April 27, 2019
Entry: Entries must be at least 40,000 words and never been published. The total entry cannot exceed 10,000 words and must include a synopsis.
Categories: Category Short Romance; Contemporary Single Title; Historical (includes Regencies); Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance; Paranormal (includes Futuristic, Time Travel, Fantasy, etc.); Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements; Romantic Suspense; and Young Adult/New Adult Romance.
Judges: published authors.
Final Judges: acquiring editors from Carina Press/Harlequin, Tule, Wild Rose Press, Bethany House Publishers, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, Sourcebooks, Entangled, and Soul Mate Publishing.
Top Prize: First place/highest score in each category will receive the prestigious Maggie Medallion. All finalists will receive a Maggie certificate. Finalists will be notified by June 27, 2019. Winners will be announced October 5, 2019 at the GRW Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.
FMI, please visit our website at
http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/about-the-maggies/ or email Terra Weiss at
MaggieChair@gmail.com.
**The Golden Rose Contest
Sponsor: Rose City Romance Writers
Fee: $25–35
Deadline: April 30, 2019
Entry: all electronic; first 10,000 words.
Judges: published, PRO and unpublished authors.
Final Judges: editors and agents.
FMI, please see our website,
http://rosecityromancewriters.com/contest-home/.
May Contests
*The Beverley Award for Published Romance
Sponsor: Colorado Romance Writers
Fee: $25
Deadline: May 1, 2019
Entry: This contest named for the late Jo Beverley focuses on the initial hook of the story. Novels and novellas published in 2018, nine categories. Electronic entries only.
Judges: Romance readers, authors, and librarians.
FMI, go to
http://coloradoromancewriters.com/.
On the Far Side Contest
Sponsor: Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal RWA
Fee: $20-25
Deadline: May 12, 2019
Entry: Back-cover-style blurb and up to the first 20 pages of an unpublished manuscript. Finalists will be asked to include an unjudged synopsis for agents and editors.
Final Judges: Dark Paranormal - Editor Amanda Barnett, The Wild Rose Press and Agent Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary and Media; Light Paranormal - Editor Deborah Nemeth, Carina Press and Agent Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary; Fantasy - Editor Mary Altman, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Agent Margaret Bail, FUSE Literary; Urban Fantasy - Editor Tina Moss, City Owl Press and Agent Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret LLC; Science Fiction/Futuristic - Editor Tessa Woodward, Avon/Harper Collins and Agent Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary; Historical - Editor Cristian Lupo, Forever/Grand Central and Agent Sandy Lu, The L. Perkins Agency; Erotic - Editor Kate Marope, Carina Press and Agent Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Literary Agency; Steampunk - Editor Elizabeth May, Kensington Books and Agent Colleen Oefelein, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency; YA - Editor Candace Havens, Entangled Publishing and Agent Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary; New Adult - Editor TBD and Agent Lesley Sabga, The Seymour Agency.
FMI, visit the OTFS Contest page on the FF&P site,
https://ffprwa.com/contests/on-the-far-side-contest/ or email the Contest Coordinator at
OTFS@ffprwa.com.
**2019 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $25
Deadline: Opens April 15, 2019 and closes May 15, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published and unpublished writers.
Entry: The first 5,000 words of an unpublished, uncontracted manuscript.
Categories: Contemporary-Long; Contemporary-Short; Historical; PNR; YA/NA; Mainstream with Strong Romantic Elements; and Published Author.
Judges: Three trained RWA members.
Final Judges: Three per category, TBA.
Top Prize: All finalists are judged by three industry professionals. All finalists receive a contest graphic for their social media and listings on NEORWA’s website and in the RWR. The winner in each category gets their entry fee returned.
FMI,
http://www.neorwa.com/. For questions, contact
neorwacrrcontest@gmail.com.
**The TARA Contest
Sponsor: Tampa Area Romance Authors
Fee: $25 TARA members; $30 Non-members
Contest Opens: April 01, 2019. Deadline: May 15, 2019
Eligibility: Unpublished or published authors whose contest entry has not been published in full or in part on any format.
Entry: First 4,500 words plus a short non-judged summary to help the judges understand your story.
Judges: First round judges are trained TARA members.
Final Judges: Acquiring editors.
FMI, please visit
http://www.tararwa.com.
**Ignite the Flame Contest
Sponsor: Central Ohio Fiction Writers, chapter of RWA
Fee: $25 for COFW members, $30 for RWA members, $35 for non RWA members
Deadline: Accepting entries May 1, 2019. All entries must be received by 11:59 (EDT) on May 31, 2019.
Eligibility: Open to both unpublished and published (traditional or indie) authors, but entry must be from an unpublished and uncontracted novel-length manuscript (minimum 40,000 words ).
Entry: Up to 15 pages of the scene where your couple meets. If your “Ignite the Flame” scene is not in the first chapter of your manuscript, you may include up to 2 pages of set-up info for the judge. Your set-up information will not be critiqued and will not count toward your total pages.
Categories: Finalists will be selected based on highest score, without regard to category.
Judges: Each submission will be judged by three judges. The top three scorers will be refunded their entry fee and move on to a final round.
Final Judge:
New York Times Bestselling author Karen Harper
Top Prize: Copy edit of entire manuscript up to 150,000 words by Enterprise Book Services—$300 value
FMI, including score sheet, please visit:
http://cofwevents.org/contest.
Conferences
March Conferences and Workshops
Mastering Show vs. Tell and Scene + Sequel
Sponsor: Ottawa Romance Writers Association
Location: Ottawa, ON, Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave. Room T119
Fee: 45$ for RWA members, free for ORWA, 65$ non-members
Date: March 3, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Presenter: Shirley Jump
Topics: Morning workshop "Show me you write, don’t tell me” and afternoon workshop “The basics of a scene and sequel."
Workshop Features: Chapters Kanata book store signing March 2, 2019
FMI,
www.ottawaromancewriters.com or
orwa.eventbrite.com.
April Conferences and Workshops
The Write Touch Conference—Daring and Decadent Storytelling
Sponsor: Wisconsin Romance Writers of America (WisRWA)
Location: The Hyatt Regency, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Fee: WisRWA Members: $225.00; Non-members: $250.00
Date: April 4–7, 2019
Keynote Speaker: Maya Rodale. Workshop Presenters: Lisa Cron, Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi, Mel Jolly. Featured Authors: Valerie Biel, Amy Reichert, Angie Stanton.
Conference Features: Master Class with Lisa Cron; craft, industry, marketing workshops; one-on-one page critiques w/publishing professionals; agent/editor pitch sessions, book sale, and silent auction for literacy.
FMI, visit
http://wisrwa.org/conference/ or email
conference@WisRWA.org.
California Dreamin’ 2019—A Conference for Writers
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Location: Embassy Suites Hotel, Brea, California
Fee: $350.00 (RWA members); $400 (Non-RWA Members)
Date: April 5–7, 2019
Speakers: Keynote, Tessa Dare and Theodora Taylor; Friday Book Camp, Janice Hardy. Also Justine Bylo, Ingram Spark; Kevin Tomlinson, Draft 2 Digital; and Hannah Wall, Audible.
Publishing Houses: Avon (Harper Collins Publishing), Hallmark Publishing, Random House Publishing, Harlequin, Tule Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, Boroughs Publishing Group.
Agencies: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, KT Literary.
Conference Features: Friday Book Camp, workshops, multi-track, panels, editor/agent appointments, critiques, opportunity drawings, author photography.
FMI,
caldreaminwriters@gmail.com;
https://caldreaminwriters.com.
In the Company of Writers Annual Retreat
Sponsor: Washington Romance Writers
Location: Best Western Conference Center, Westminster, Maryland
Fee: WRW members – $410 double, $575 single. RWA double occupancy $460, Public double occupancy $525. All meals and events included.
Date: April 12–14, 2019
Speakers: Alexis Daria, Alisha Rai, Cheryl Etchison, Alma Katsu, and others.
Publishing Houses and Agencies: St. Martin's Press, Entangled, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, Prospect Agency, Donald Maass Agency
Conference Features: multi-track workshops and panels, editor/agent appointments, critiques, first pages, awards, raffle.
FMI, please contact
retreat@wrwdc.com and visit
WRWDC.com for the latest updates.
Let Your Imagination Take Flight
Sponsor: New England Chapter, RWA (NECRWA)
Location: Boston Marriott, Burlington MA
Fee: NECRWA Member: $234, Non-Member $254
Date: April 26–27, 2019
Speakers: Keynote Speaker Sonali Dev; Luncheon Speaker Penny Reid; Master Class Damon Suede.
Publishing Houses: Kensington, Forever/Forever Yours, Sourcebooks
Agencies: Donald Maass Literary, One Track Literary, Handspun Literary.
Conference Features: Workshops and panels on craft, business, and writer’s life, master class, agent and editor pitch sessions, book fair, and Indie/PAN and CampNaNoWriMo sessions.
FMI,
http://www.necrwa.org/conference/.
Retreat from Harsh Reality
Sponsor: Mid-Michigan RWA
Location: Bay Pointe Inn, Shelbyville, Michigan
Fee: $190.00
Date: April 26–28, 2019
Speaker: Louise Knott Ahern writing as Lyssa Kay Adams.
Conference Features: Dedicated time for writing, plotting, critiquing, and social networking; two presentations—“Breaking Rules and Breaking In: A Renegade Writer’s Guide to Trusting Your Gut” and “The Art of Backstory”—by 2017 RITA finalist for Best Romance Novella Louise Knott. Louise has 20 years of experience in journalism, fiction writing, and editing and is a founder of Capital City Writers in Lansing.
FMI, visit
midmichiganrwa.org.
Growth Hacking a Best Seller One-Day Workshop
Sponsor: Heart of Denver
Location: 7676 South Continental Divide Road, Littleton, Colorado 80127
Fee: $25 Members; $50 Non-Members (includes membership for the rest of the year to HOD) Scholarships Available.
Date: April 27, 2019
Featured Speaker: Liz Pelletier, Publisher, Entangled Publishing, LLC
Workshop Features: Liz Pelletier walks you through the most common elements of best sellers, how to self-edit your novel for maximum viral success, and seven psychology tricks that will help anyone maximize every promotional opportunity.
FMI,
https://www.hodrw.com or e-mail
treasurer@elaineclampitt.com.
May Conferences and Workshops
22nd Annual “Shining the Light on Romance” Editor/Agent Luncheon
Sponsor: Long Island Romance Writers (LIRW)
Location: The Fox Hollow, Woodbury, New York
Date: May 3, 2019
Keynote Speaker: Pamela Jaffee, Senior Director of Publicity and Brand Management for Avon/HarperCollins
Luncheon Features: Industry meet-and-greet cocktail hour, luncheon, informal agent and editor pitches, extended networking, industry updates, raffle baskets.
FMI, visit
http://www.lirw.org.
Online Workshops
March Online Workshops
Human Trafficking
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 1–29, 2019
Presenter: Elisabeth Reid.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.
World Building for All Genres
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 1–29, 2019
Presenter: Vicky Burkholder.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.
The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty
Sponsor: Maryland Romance Writers
Fee: Members: $20/Non-Members: $30
Date: March 1–31, 2019
Presenter: T.B. Bond.
FMI,
http://marylandromancewriters.com/event/the-good-the-bad-and-the-dirty/.
Journaling Your Way Toward Success 2019
Sponsor: RWASD
Fee: $10 for members, $15 non-RWASD members
Date: March 4–14, 2019
Presenter: Pamela Moran.
FMI,
http://rwasd.com/register/
How to Design and Teach an Online workshop
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15–35
Date: March 4–16, 2019
Presenter: Cathy Chant.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Storytellers Toolkit
Sponsor: Yosemite Romance Writers
Fee: $20–25
Date: March 4–22, 2019
Presenter: Patricia Sargeant.
FMI,
https://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/workshops.
How to Write a Romance Novel
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: March 4–28, 2019
Presenter: Susan Palmquist.
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAR1.
Pain-Free Synopsis Writing
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25–30
Date: March 4–28, 2019
Presenter: Sally Walker.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
Beyond Fifty Shades
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Margaret Bates.
FMI,
http://yarwa.com/workshops/.
Bookkeeping for Writers
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $20–25
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Instructor: Pepper O’Neal.
FMI,
http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.
Layering as an Editing Tool
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Cassandra Carr.
FMI,
http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.
Take Your Writing Productivity to the Next Level—Writing More, Regularly and Faster
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Joanna Jast.
FMI,
https://starrwa.org.
Using Your Words for Effective Marketing
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15–35
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Deborah Magnus.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Writing Sex Scenes from First Blush to Climax
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Jen Bokal.
FMI,
https://starrwa.org.
Bumps in the Road -- Developing Conflict in Your Story
Sponsor: Charter Oak Romance Writers
Fee: $35, CORW member; $40, nonmember
Date: March 4–30, 2019
Presenter: Kathy Otten.
FMI,
http://charteroakromancewriters.com/online-classes-2019.
Playing Hide and Seek-Learn How Private Investigators, Skip Tracers, and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25| Non-Member $35
Date: March 4–30, 2019
Presenter: Frank Ahearn
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAR4
Plotting Your Novel Bootcamp (Limit 10 students)
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $55| Non-Member $65
Date: March 4–30, 2019
Presenter: Susan Palmquist
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAR2.
Intersection of Character, Conflict, Motivation & Plot: Part 1 of 3
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: March 5–28, 2019
Presenter: Laurie Sanders
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAR3
Self-Publishing
Sponsor: OCC/RWA
Fee: $20 OCC Members; $30 Non-Members
Date: March 11–April 5, 2019
Presenter: Rebekah Ganiere.
FMI,
http://occrwa.org/classes/.
Write Fast—Increasing Your Novel Writing Speed Through Art Journaling
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25–30
Date: March 11–April 7, 2019
Presenter: Shea MacLeod.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
April Online Workshops
Fictional Characterization
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20.00
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Sally J. Walker.
FMI,
http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.
Flashbacks that Please Your Editor and Don't Confuse Your Reader
Sponsor: RWA Online Chapter
Fee: $15.00
Date: April 1
–26, 2019
Presenter: MM Pollard
FMI,
https://rwaonlinechapter.org/
How to Self-Publish Successfully While Working Full Time, Raising Children, and Remembering to Feed the Dog
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Casey Clipper.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
The Essentials of Plotting and Characterization
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members / $25 RWA Members / $35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Tambra Nicole Kendall.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Writing Flash Fiction
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Peter Andrews.
FMI,
https://starrwa.org.
Bringing Pirates to Life
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25.00 FF&P Members - $30.00 Non FF&P Members
Date: April 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Cindy Vallar.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
How to Write When Everything Goes Wrong
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $25 non-members/$20 HCRW and CRW members
Date: April 1–29, 2019
Instructor: Allie Pleiter.
FMI,
http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.
Beyond Boo!: Using Paranormal Creatures, Plots and Elements in Your Romantic Thrillers
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Megan Hart.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.
Inside Out: Crafting Your Character’s Internal Conflict
Sponsor: Central Ohio Fiction Writers
Fee: $25 for COFW members, $30 for non-COFW RWA members, $35 for non-RWA affiliated students.
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Linnea Sinclair.
FMI,
http://cofwevents.org.
Make Goodreads Work for You
Sponsor: From the Heart Romance Writers
Fee: $25.00
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Diane K. Peterson.
FMI,
https://fthrw.com/how-to-access-and-use-fth-workshop-forums;
workshops@fthrw.com.
You Can’t Make This Up: Oddities in Police Procedure
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Lee Lofland.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.
Even Superman Had A Day Job
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 8–14, 2019
Presenter: Maggie Wells.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
DIY Booktours
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: April 8–19, 2019
Presenter: Ines Johnson.
FMI,
http://yarwa.com/workshops/.
Bringing the Past to Life; Young Romance, Historical Times?
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 / Non-Member $35
Date: April 8–30, 2019
Presenter: Lynn Lovegreen
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#APR9
Great Beginnings—Hooking Your Readers in the First Chapters
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: April 8–30, 2019
Presenter: Susan Palmquist
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#APR8
So, You Want to Self-Publish Your Novel?
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: April 8–30, 2019
Presenter: Susan Palmquist
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#APR7.
Self-Editing—10 Tips to Make Your Words POP!
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25 FF&P Members, $30 Non FF&P Members
Date: April 8–May 5, 2019
Presenter: Debra Mullins.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
Intersection of Character, Conflict, Plot & Motivation, Part 2 of 3
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: April 9–May 2, 2019
Presenter: Laurie Sanders
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#APR10.
The Author’s Arsenal: Weapons & Wounds
Sponsor: Connecticut Romance Writers
Fee: $20 CTRWA/CoLoNY/Charter Oak RWA members/$25 Non-Members
Date: April 22–26, 2019
Presenter: Geoff Symon.
FMI,
www.ctrwa.org/ctrwa-college.html.
Write and Market Your Best Seller (Webinar)
Sponsor: Three Rivers Romance Writers
Fee: $0 TRRW Members, $25 RWA members, $35 NON RWA member
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2019 – 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Presenter: Award winning multi-genre author Grace Burrowes on craft and marketing topics.
FMI,
http://threeriversromancewriters.com/write-and-market-your-best-seller/.
May Online Workshops
Back Cover Copy: "Shoot Me Now!"
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: May 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Kathryn Jane.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Seriously Creative: A Life Coach’s Approach to Productive Writing Success
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15–35.00
Date: May 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Laura Gates-Lupton.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Plot Bunny Rodeo… How to Wrangle Those Plot Bunnies into a Story That Works, Using Brainstorming and Outlining
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: May 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Leslie Scott.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Romancing the Holidays—Writing Holiday Romances That Sell
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: May 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Rebekah R. Ganiere.
FMI,
http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
Enterprise in Prison
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: May 1–31, 2019
Presenter: Michael Beedy.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.
How to Build a World…or a Universe
Sponsor: Maryland Romance Writers
Fee: $20 members; $30 non-members
Date: May 1–31, 2019
Presenter: Beth Daniels, aka Beth Henderson, J.B. Dane, Nied Darnell.
FMI,
http://marylandromancewriters.com/event/how-to-build-a-world/.
Website Tips and Tricks for Authors
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: May 1–31, 2019
Presenter: Molly Bryan.
FMI,
http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.
Creating a Book Trailer
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: May 6–17, 2019
Presenter: Ines Johnson/.
FMI,
http://yarwa.com/workshops/.
Layering as an Editing Tool
Sponsor: Western New York Romance Writers
Fee: $10–30
Dates: May 6–17, 2019
Presenter: Cassandra Carr.
FMI,
http://wnyrw.org/workshops/.
Power Writing—From Ideas to Plots to Pages
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: May 6–30, 2019
Presenter: Rebecca Martinez
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY5
Self-Publishing Boot Camp (10-Student Limit)
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $55 | Non-Member $65
Date: May 6–30, 2019
Presenter: Susan Palmquist
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY2.
Story Structure: An Essential Building Block of Your Craft
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25 | Non-Member $35
Date: May 6–30, 2019
Presenter: Beth Barany
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY1.
World Building
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25| Non-Member $35
Date: May 6–30, 2019
Presenter: JoSelle Vanderhooft
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY4.
The Evolution of the Modern Romance Novel
Sponsor: From the Heart Romance Writers
Fee: $25
Date: May 6–31, 2019
Presenter: Diane K. Peterson.
FMI, contact Ruchama Burrell, workshop chairperson,
workshops@fthrw.com.
How to Write Fast
Sponsor: From the Heart Romance Writers
Fee: $25
Date: May 6–31, 2019
Presenter: Peter Andrews.
FMI, contact Ruchama Burrell, workshop chairperson,
workshops@fthrw.com.
Make Your Own Book Trailers
Sponsor: Yosemite Romance Writers
Fee: $20 YRW members/ $25 non-members
Date: May 6–31, 2019
Presenter: Tracee Garner.
FMI,
https://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/workshops.
PTSD for Fiction Writers
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20
Date: May 6–31, 2019
Presenter: Kathryn Jane
FMI,
http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.
Writing Conflict Hurts
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $40 non-members/$35 HCRW and CRW/NC members
Date: May 6–31, 2019
Instructor: Melinda Curtis.
FMI,
http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.
Boldly Going, Level One: Writing Science Fiction Romance
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25 FF&P Members, $30 Non FF&P Members
Date: May 6–June 2, 2019
Presenter: Linnea Sinclair.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
Intersection of Character, Conflict, Plot & Motivation, Part 3 of 3
Sponsor: Outreach International Romance Writers
Fee: OIRW Member $25| Non-Member $35
Date: May 7–30, 2019
Presenter: Laurie Sanders
FMI,
http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY3
Chunky Method
Sponsor: OCC/RWA
Fee: $20 OCC Members; $30 Non-Members
Date: May 13–June 7, 2019
Presenter: Allie Pleiter.
FMI,
http://occrwa.org/classes/.
Love Your Voice
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25, FF&P Members; $30, Non FF&P Members
Date: May 13–June 9, 2019
Presenter: Julie Rowe.
FMI,
https://ffprwa.com.
CONTEST FORMAT: Contest Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Fee
Deadline
Eligibility
Entry
Categories
Judges
Final Judges
Top Prize
FMI (entry form, rules, score sheet, contact, Web site info)
CONFERENCE FORMAT:
Conference Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Location (place, city, state)
Fee
Date
Speakers [up to five individuals (authors, agents, editors, specialists, etc.), also indicate which ONE speaker is to be featured in the RWR]
Publishing Houses (house names only, no additional individual editor names)
Agencies (agency names only, no additional individual agent names)
Conference Features (workshops, multi-track, panels, appointments, critiques, awards, book fair/signing, raffles)
FMI (contact, website info)
WORKSHOP FORMAT (FOR INTENSIVE, HANDS-ON, SINGLE-TOPIC, OR SINGLE-SPEAKER CONFERENCES):
Workshop Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Location (place, city, state)
Fee
Date
Presenter
Topic
Workshop Features (critiques, book fair/signing)
FMI (contact, website info)
ONLINE WORKSHOP FORMAT:
Online Workshop Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Fee
Date
Presenter
FMI (contact, website info)
Deadlines are firm. Deadline for the April issue (which will include items with a contest deadline or conference date in May, June or July with an online workshop date in June) is February 1. Deadline for the May issue (which will include items with a contest deadline or conference date in June, July, or August or with an on-line workshop date in July) is March 1. Please follow the formats at the end of the website listings, not in the abbreviated RWR listings. Email submissions confirmed by reply—if no reply is received in 48 hours, please resend or follow up. No attachments please. Send to chapterevents@rwa.org. Thank you!