Great Expectations Deadline Extended to January 1st at Midnight

Heads up folks! I have extended the deadline for Great Expectations to midnight tomorrow due to low entries in the Erotic category! I am really looking for more Erotic Romance entries, so review the rules and get those 25 pages in. Because I extended for that category, we are open to all other entries as well. I will shut down entry forms and paypal links tomorrow at midnight CST (that's 1 a.m. for you East Coasters) and January 2nd for our Australian friends.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get your entries in front of our judges! Don't delay!

Why Enter Great Expectations?

It's November 5, one day before the U.S. elections, day 5 of NaNoWriMo 2012, one week after Hurricane Sandy, forty-nine shopping days until Christmas and yes, it's a Monday. In other words, there's a lot going on in the world.  But take a few minutes to assess why entering a writing competition like Great Expectations can be a great thing for you, your writing, and your career.

Great Expectations encourages inspiration, learning, improvement, discipline, experience, and publishing.  

Inspiration

A writing competition with different categories can encourage you to polish that story you've always wanted to write. Great Expectations offers you a chance to enter the first twenty-five pages of your manuscript in the following romance categories:

• ·         Contemporary Series
• ·         Erotic Romance
• ·         Historical
• ·         Inspirational Contemporary
• ·         Mainstream with Romantic Elements
• ·         Romantic Suspense
• ·         Single Title
• ·         Specialized (Futuristic/Fantasy/Time Travel/Paranormal)
• ·         Young Adult

Learning

Every entry will be evaluated by at least five first round judges and scored. Feedback is often provided by those judges. Finalists will then be reviewed by professional editors from a variety of publishing houses. Previous entrants to Great Expectations have found the feedback invaluable to improving their manuscripts.

Improvement

Writers who apply what they learn from the feedback have the chance to polish their manuscripts for future competitions and submissions. Imagine the chance to know what in your first twenty-five pages really resonated with the judges and where they had questions. Too often, writers don't have access to this kind of information. You have a chance to improve the quality of your writing, your submissions, and your story just by entering.

Discipline

Like all competitions, Great Expectations has some hard and fast deadlines. From early bird entries to the very last day you can enter. To take advantage of the other benefits, you have to meet those deadlines. Discipline helps writers become more focused not only on their story, but also their method.

Experience

Experience is the best teacher. Whether you are a first time pre-published author, a veteran of writing competitions, or an author looking to experience a new genre, Great Expectations can help you achieve experience in that area with valuable feedback, contacts, and learning.

Publishing

Many finalists in the Great Expectations contest (and even some who didn't final) used the experience, the learning, and the feedback to turn their entries into polished full submissions and publication. Final judges may request full manuscripts during the judging process as well, so just by entering you have the chance to make it to the short-list of authors an editor wants to see more from.

The only question you should have left is, why aren't you entering Great Expectations?

Enter today.

Great Expectations 2013 Is Open and Accepting Entries

Welcome to the 2013 edition of Great Expectations. This is a great contest for unpublished authors and authors seeking to try their hand at a new genre. Everything you need to know about the contest is here at the blog including how to enter and to submit your entry fees. Many previous winners have gone on to publish their manuscripts and NTRWA couldn't be prouder or happier to host this event.  I'm looking forward to seeing your entries! So be sure to check back often for updates and you can also like our Facebook page where I will do my best to keep up to date with everything you need to know.

Great Expectations 2013 Needs First Round Judges!

If you are entering the Great Expectations Contest (or even if you aren't), please consider serving as a judge!  We need both published and pre-published writers of romance and women's fiction who are willing to provide constructive feedback to their fellow writers.  Don't worry if you've never judged before; we'll provide you with informative training and answer all of your questions via our judges' Yahoo group.

If you are interested in judging, please take a few minutes to fill out the information form here:



Within about 48 hours of the submission of your form, we'll send you an e-mail invitation to join the Yahoo Group.  We ask that all judges join the group (if you don't want to receive the messages, you can set your preferences to "daily digest" or even just receive "special notices" from your friendly neighborhood coordinator).

As always, thank you for supporting the Great Expectations!

2013 Editor Judges

North Texas RWA is pleased to announce the final round judges for the 2013 Great Expectations contest:

Contemporary Series – Shana Smith, Harlequin

Erotic Romance – Kelli Collins, Ellora's Cave

Historical – Mallory Braus, Carina Press

 

Inspirational Contemporary – Becky Monds, Thomas Nelson

Mainstream with Romantic Elements – Emilia Pisani, Simon and Schuster

Romantic Suspense – Libby Murphy, Entangled

Single Title – Sue Grimshaw, Random House

Specialized (Futuristic/Fantasy/Time Travel/Paranormal) – Deborah Nemeth, Carina Press

Young Adult – Erin Black, Scholastic 

2012 Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS
North Texas Romance Writers of America is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Great Expectations Contest.  We had six requests for partial manuscripts and four requests for full manuscripts. we can't wait to see these submissions (and all our talented finalists and entrants) see their publishing dreams come true!

Contemporary Series 
Denise Zaza, Harlequin
First ~ Southern Comforts by Nan Dixon
Second ~ Dangerous Exposure by Tracey Alvrez
Third~ The Italian's Return by Angela Bissell
Honorable Mention ~ Blueprint for Love by Gina Nelson

Erotic Romance
Katherine Pelz, Berkeley
First ~ Teach Me by Ella Sheridan**
Second ~ Second Chances by Anna Moder*
Third ~ Final Girl by Kylie Breakey*

Historical Romance
Sue Grimshaw, Random House
First ~ The League of Rogues by Lauren Smith
Second ~ Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Lea Taddonio
Third  ~ The Winds of Fate by Elizabeth Bysiek
Honorable Mention ~ The Secret of Whitfield Manor by Kerry Feldmann

Inspirational Romance
Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson
First ~ The Centurion by Tina Leonard*
Second ~ The Heir of Stainsby Hall by Susan Mason
Third ~ The Lady's Masquerade by Sherrinda Ketchersid
Honorable Mention ~ Suburban Straightjacket by Carol Moncado

Mainstream with Romantic Elements
Emilia Pisani, Gallery/Pocket Books
First~ Good Liars by Genevieve Wilson
Second ~ Taylor Made Life by Kary Rader
Third ~ Fire Point by Meg Mims
Honorable Mention ~ Barefoot Family Chronicles by Kristi Rhodes

Romantic Suspense
Libby Murphy, Entangled Publishing
First ~ To Trust a SEAL by Julie-Ann Miskell**
Second ~ Edge of Danger by Danniele Worsham w/a Dani Wade*
Third ~ Mesmerized in Madagascar by gg guthridge
Honorable Mention ~ Dancing with Danger by Laura Sheehan

Single Title Romance
Meredith Giordan, Berkley
First ~ Balancing Act by Pamela Gibson**
Second ~ One Final Night by Nan Dixon*
Third ~ Alive at 5 by Linda Hurtado w/a Linda Bond
Honorable Mention ~ Betting Brenda by Jennifer Britt

Specialized (alternate earth, dystopian, fantasy, futuristic, paranormal & time travel)
Talia Platz, New American Library
First ~ Dark Bringer by Mia Celeste*
Second ~ The Book of Dracon by Mac Perry
Third ~ Moon Borne by Heather Boey
Honorable Mention ~ When Angels Soared by Lana Douglas

Young Adult Romance
Elizabeth Bistrow, New American Library
First ~ Alyce in Werewolf Land by Bailey Lynn**
Second ~ Invisible by Clover Autrey*
Third ~ The Gift by S.A. Tudhope
Honorable Mention ~ Dead Lucky by Abby Gaines

* Partial Requested
** Full Requested
Permission to forward granted ...

Finalists Announced!

North Texas RWA is proud to announce the finalists of the 2012 Great Expectations Contest.

~~ Please forward ~~

North Texas RWA congratulates the following finalists of the 2012 Great Expectations contest. We wish everyone the best of luck in the final round. 

~~ Contemporary SERIES Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Denise Zaza, Harlequin

·         Dangerous Exposure  by Tracey Alvrez

·         The Italian’s Return by Angela Bissell

·         Southern Comforts by Nancy Evertz

·         Blueprint for Love by Gina Nelson

~~ EROTIC ROMANCE Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR:  Katherine Pelz, Berkley Heat

·         Final Girl  by Kylie Breakey

·         Second Chances by Anna Moder

·         Teach Me by Ella Sheridan

~~ HISTORICAL CATEGORY ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Sue Grimshaw, Random House

·         The Winds of Fate by Elizabeth Bysiek

·         The Secret of Whitfield Manor by Kerry Feldmann

·         The League of Rogues by Lauren Smith

·         Between the Devil and the Deep Blue See by Lea Taddonio

~~ INSPIRATIONAL Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson

·       The Lady’s Masquerade by Sherrinda Ketchersid

·       The Centurion by Tina Leonard

·       The Heir of Stainsby Hall by Susan Mason

·       Suburban Straightjacket by Carol Moncado

~~ MAINSTREAM with romantic elements Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Emilia Pisani, Gallery and Pocket Books

·       Fire Point  by Meg Mims

·       Taylor Made  by Kary Rader

·       Barefoot Family Chronicles by Kristi Rhodes

·       Good Liars by Genevieve Wilson

~~ Romantic Suspense Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Libby Murphy, Entangled Publishing

·       Mesmerized in Madagascar by gg guthridge

·       To Trust a SEAL by Julie-Ann Miskell

·       Dancing with Danger by Laura Sheehan

·       Edge of Danger by Danniele Worsham

~~ Single Title Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR:  Meredith Giordan, Berkley

• Betting Brenda by Jennifer Britt
• Alive at 5 by Linda Bond
• One Final Night by Nancy Evertz
• Balancing Act by Pamela Gibson

~~ SPECIALIZED Category

      Fantasy, Futuristic, Paranormal & Time Travel ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR:  Talia Platz, New American Library

·       Moon Borne by Heather Boey

·       Dark Bringer by Mia Celeste

·       When Angels Soared by Lana Douglas

·       The Book of Dracon by Briana MacWilliam

~~ YOUNG ADULT Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Elizabeth Bistrow, New American Library

·       Invisible by Clover Autrey

·       Alyce in Werewolf Land by Lynda Bailey

·       Dead Lucky by Abby Gaines

·       The Gift by S. A. Tudhope

Almost there ....

We're thiiiis close to finishing the first-round judging.  All you contestants, please try to be patient.  With any luck, we'll be able to announce finalists by Monday, February 6.

Entry Period Closed

The entry deadline for this year's Great Expectations Contest has passed.  In the next few days, I'll send out the entries to our fabulous first round judges.  If you entered, I'll send you an e-mail to let you know when the judges have the entries.

If you missed our deadline, we're so sorry ... but we hope you'll come back next year!