Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest Rules

All entries must be in electronic format. Entries are limited to the first 40 entries in each category. A category may be dropped if less than 10 entries are received. If this occurs, you have the option of having your entry (fee included) returned, or you can choose to place your entry in a secondary category. Please note your preference on the IGO Entry Form.

Entry fee: $25.00 (see below or look on the IGO Entry Form for payment options)

Format:

Each entry shall be no longer than 55 pages. The entry should include a copy of the opening of your manuscript, including prologue if there is one, and a copy of your synopsis (no more than 10 pages).

• For example, if your synopsis is seven (7) pages long, you may submit the first 48 pages of your manuscript, for a total of 55 pages.

• Use a header that includes the contest category, title and page number on each page. To ensure anonymity, your name must not appear on any page or your entry may be disqualified. 

Manuscripts will be judged on how well they adhere to RWA’s Golden Heart style sheet: 1″ margins, all double-spaced, Times New Roman or one of the Courier fonts. Please use a 12-point typeface.
You may enter more than one manuscript, but each entry must be sent in a separate file. Name the file: (category) (short title).doc. Example:  historical desperado.doc. Please make payment for each entry separately as well.

You may submit a previously entered manuscript that has been revised if it did not place (i.e., if it was not a First Place winner in a category) in a prior IGO contest.

Submitting electronic entries:

1. Compile manuscript pages and synopsis into a single document that conforms to the contest regulations in the Format section. Place your synopsis at the end of your entry. The combined document should total no more than 55 pages.

• Leave a little room at the end (that is, 54 pages instead of 55), if possible, as formatting occasionally changes between computers.

• Save it as a .doc file. Give it this filename: (category)  (short title).doc.
  Example: historical desperado.doc.
• Use U.S. page size (8.5 by 11 inch page) even if you are not in the U.S. You can do this easily in Microsoft Word from the File-Page Setup. This allows us to make sure the page count is accurate.

2. Fill out the IGO Entry Form and upload your file.

3. There are two options for paying your fee. You can pay using PayPal from the IGO Entry Form. IRWA will cover the PayPal service fee, so your total entry fee remains $25.00. To ensure we properly match your payment(s) with your entry/entries, please note your name, as you have it on the Entry Form and the title of your entry on PayPal’s description line and add your transaction ID to the IGO Entry Form.

Or, if you prefer, you may send a check or money order, payable to INDIANA ROMANCE WRITERS to: IRWA, P. O. Box 34, Jonesboro, IN 46938.

Allow ample time if you are mailing a check. Please note that we cannot accept checks drawn on non-U.S. banks, and all fees must be paid in U.S. dollars. If you are entering the contest from outside the U.S., please use the PayPal option.

4. All correspondence will be done through e-mail. Both your score sheets and judged entries will be returned to you as .doc files. If you are a finalist, we will send a printed copy to the final judge.

5. E-mail your category coordinator if you have any questions.

JUDGING
Two (2) experienced judges will judge each entry. IRWA requires all IGO judges undergo chapter-hosted training and insists that our contest judges provide constructive critiques. If the contest coordinators feel that a judge’s comments do not meet this policy, an alternate judge will be asked to review the entry. That said, please remember, all judging is subjective.

If there is a disparity of more than 75 points between two scores, the entry will go to a third judge for discrepancy judging, and the final score will be the total of the two scores closest to each other. In such cases, all three judged entries and score sheets will be returned.

The top three (3) scoring entries in each category will be sent to the editor or agent for final ranking. The First Place winner from each category (i.e., seven (7) entries) will then be sent to an editor to determine the Best-of-the-Best winner.

SCORE SHEETS

• Historical/Regency
• Mainstream with Strong Romantic Elements
• Paranormal
• Romantic Suspense
• Single Title
• Young Adult
• Erotic Romance

NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS AND ENTRY RETURN

• Finalists will be notified on or near September 12th* when we forward their manuscripts to the editor.
• Winners will be announced around October 15th.*
• Non-finalist entries will be returned by the end of September.

Notification dates are tentative. We always try to get finalist and winning results back before the deadline, but we cannot guarantee it.

CATEGORY COORDINATORS
E-mail any questions to the appropriate category coordinator, or to Jodi Hood, the 2012 IGO Contest Chair, at contest@indianarwa.com.