The sparkling dazzle of a roman candle, the white-hot brilliance of summer lightning, the slow smolder of a winter fire, or the breath-taking inferno of a wildfire--Whatever sort of heat you're building between your hero and heroine, it all begins with the spark of their first meeting. The Ignite the Flame Contest is designed to help you polish that critical scene so that it crackles with romantic energy! Electronic and paypal available.

Winners: First place winner in each category receives $25. The top three manuscripts in each category with a average score of 80 will go to:

  Young Adult: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Agency
  Category-Length Contemporary: Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill/Silhouette
  Erotic Romance: Deb Werksmen, Executive Editor, Sourcebooks
  Historical Romance: Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group
  Paranormal Romance: Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency
  Single Title Contemporary: Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group
  Suspense Romance - Esi Sogah, Avon Books, Harper Collins

Qualifications: Contest open to all writers of romance fiction unpublished in book-length fiction. COFW recognizes e-books and print-on-demand books as publications.

Submission: 15 pages max of your hero and heroines first meet or reunion meet scene and an optional one page unjudged set-up.

Fee: COFW $22, all others $27

Deadline: May 8, 2010

Look what a past contestant and Golden Heart® winner said:

"ITF has been very helpful for me. Several times I've entered and received wonderful feedback that helped my manuscripts shine. More than once I've received requests from top editors through this contest and in 2008 I ended up making my first sale to one of these publishers. Thanks, COFW, for putting on a great contest!"

--Susan Gee Heino, 2008 Golden Heart® winner, Regency Historical Category, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE 2009, Berkley Publishing

Electronic Submission:

• Email your entry as an attachment in RTF format, to ITFcontest2010@hotmail.com.
• Your entry should be the scene of your hero and heroine's first meeting or reunion (up to 15 pages). You may also submit an optional, non-judged one-page set-up providing necessary background for the first-meeting, as a page within your attached submission.
• Your cover email should include the name of the category you are entering and an indication of how your entrance fee is being submitted.
• Your entry should not have your name anywhere on the document. This includes removing your name from the "User Information" area that is found in "Options" under the "Tools" drop-down menu of Microsoft Word, or any similar program feature.

Contest Entry From and Contestant's Agreement can be downloaded in RTF
Contest Score Sheet may be downloaded in RTF or PDF

Paypal: To pay $22 COFW member fee click here.

Paypal: To pay $27 fee click here.

To pay by check: Make check out to COFW and send to Rebecca McEvoy, 7294 Arborlee Dr., Reynoldsburg OH 43068 (Please indicate if submission was electronic or traditional)

Print Submission:

• Submit three copies of your hero and heroine's first meeting (up to 15 pages). You may also submit three copies of an optional, non-judged one-page set-up providing necessary background for the first-meeting scene
• Write the name of the category you are entering in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, and send to: Rebecca McEvoy, 7294 Arborlee Dr., Reynoldsburg OH 43068
• U.S. residents must include a self-addressed, stamped priority mail envelope with the proper postage for return of your manuscripts and score sheets. The envelopes are available free of charge at your local post office. Return envelopes must be stamped, not metered, and must include sufficient postage for return of all manuscript pages submitted.
• Canadian residents should add five (5) U.S. dollars to their entry fee to cover return postage for their entry; other international residents should add ten (10) U.S. dollars to their entry fee to cover return postage for their entry.

Contest Entry From and Contestant's Agreement can be downloaded in RTF
Contest Score Sheet may be downloaded in RTF or PDF

General:

• Entrants may submit more than one entry in a category, but a separate entry fee (and return envelope, if submitting in print form) must accompany each entry.
• If fewer than seven entries are received in the entry's category, it will be reassigned to an alternate category (see entry form).
• If an entry is disqualified for any reason (clearly not romance fiction, improper format, etc.), the entry and entry fee will be returned to the contestant.
• Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins all around and unjustified right margins. The optional set-up sheet may be single-spaced
• Please use readable font (12-point Times New Roman or Courier New recommended). As long as the font is clear and readable, there is no deduction for failure to use a specific font.
• Every page, including the set-up, should have the title of the manuscript and the category in the upper left-hand corner and the page number in the upper right-hand corner. Start the first page of the entry (not the set-up sheet) with page number one, even if this excerpt is not the beginning of your manuscript.
• Each copy of the entry--excerpt and optional set-up--should be bound with a binder clip or paper clip.
• The author's name must not appear anywhere on the entry.

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by May 8, 2010 (online entries are due May 8) and received by May 15, 2010. Every effort will be made to notify winners on or around August 15, 2010. Submissions can be sent after February 1, 2010.

Judging: Each entry will be evaluated by two judges, at least one being a published author. All unpublished judges have RWA PRO status. Entries submitted by COFW members will be judged by non-COFW members.

Total scores will be averaged to determine winners. If a 20-point variance occurs and one of the scores is 80 or higher, a third judge will score the entry and the two closest scores will be averaged to determine the final score.

Central Ohio Fiction Writers thanks you for entrusting us with the fruits of you labor. We hope the Ignite the Flame Contest is a rewarding experience for you. Best of luck and happy writing!

For more information: ITFcontest2010@hotmail.com

ITF Member button --- $22 COFW member fee

ITF non-member button -- $27 for non COFW members

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