2012 Contest List

Can you all belive we’re already halfway through January? Crazy, isn’t it?

To commemorate the new year, I have some exciting news. I recently found out I won my first contest. Yup, I actually won the Windy City’s RWA Four Seasons contest (YA category).

When I found out, I was shocked (and then I did a happy dance). When I entered  I never, not in a million years, thought I could actually win a contest. True, I’ve attended classes and workshops–thank you Suh-weet Success Sisters–and I’ve forced my husband read and reread my book–thanks sweetie. I’ve made countless revisions and corrections, but to win. Wow. It’s a great feeling, one I hope everyone gets to experience at least once in their lives.

I keep getting told the road to publication lies in contests. The more contests you can win, the more likely you are to be published. That being said, I came up with a list of RWA chapters who are holding a contest within the next few months. Then I though it would be cool to get the word out to all of my writing friends. Here’s the list. Most of these have a YA category (some don’t even need to be romance). The rest of them are all RWA chapters, so hopefully you have an element of romance to your story. Good luck to y’all.

• Yellow Rose Jan. 21 (the deadline’s tomorrow–eek)
• Desert Rose RWA Jan. 31
• Fire & Ice Contest Feb. 1
• Smoky Mtn. RWA Feb. 1
• NEORWA Feb. 14 (deadline extended to Feb. 29)
• SARA Contest Feb. 15
• Great Beginnings Mar 1
• Fab Five Contest Mar. 1
• Heart & Scroll Contest April 1
• Orange Rose April 14
• Sheila Award April 7 (Contest opens Mar. 1)
• Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest TBD
• Save the Best for Last–This contest looks interesting. You submit the last three chapters of your novel instead of the first, but I couldn’t find a deadline. It may have already passed.

Later this month I hope to put out a list of children writer contests (YA) from the SCBWI.