- What is a romance?
- How do we judge using the 1-9 scale? What do we base our judgment on?
- Should I use all the numbers? For instance, if I think an entry is really, really poor (for whatever reason), should I give it a 1, or is a 3 bad enough?
- What do the scores mean? What differentiates a 5, say, from a 6?
- Am I supposed to be judging these entries against the standard of "publishable"-- that is, if it's at a publishable level, should we give it a high score--or against the standard of "the best book I ever read in this category"?
- Do I judge my entries against each other?
- What is acceptable format for a manuscript?
- Should we penalize a writer for using Times New Roman instead of Courier?
- Do I have to read the entire partial for each entry?
- If pages are missing or duplicated, what should we do?
- May I write comments on the manuscript?
- I recognize the entry as plagiarism of another author's work. What do I do?
- What if the entry is very, very well written--a 9 by any standard-but not a romance?
- If the entry is wrong for the category, what should I do?
- What if I know the person who wrote the entry I am to judge?
1. What is a romance?
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
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2. How do we judge using the 1-9 scale? What do we base our judgment on?
The Golden Heart competition recognizes "excellence" in unpublished romance fiction. Every entry should be its author's "best" work and judges should evaluate entries as though each is ready for publication, but lacking only the benefit of professional editing granted published work.
Judges use a scale of 1 to 9 in formulating their opinion; with 9 the highest score, and 1 the lowest. The entire range can and should be used if appropriate.
We wish we could write hard and fast rules, qualifiers that say if the entry has this, this, and this, then it's automatically a 9; or if it lacks this, this and this, it's automatically a 1. But we aren’t looking for hard and fast. We’re looking for opinion. Because each judge is as different as each entry, we rely on your skill as a writer, your dedication as a reader, and your professionalism as a member of RWA, to evaluate each entry in a fair and consistent manner. Your scores should genuinely reflect where, IN YOUR OPINION, this entry lies in the pursuit of "excellence in romance fiction".
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3. Should I use all the numbers? For instance, if I think an entry is really, really poor (for whatever reason), should I give it a 1, or is a 3 bad enough?
The Golden Heart competition recognizes excellence in romance fiction. It is not meant as a teaching tool, nor are manuscripts entered at various levels that would reflect an author's experience. All entries must be considered the author's best work and judged accordingly. If an entry is so good, it deserves the highest score, then it should be awarded a 9 without qualification. If, on the other hand, the material is confusing, poorly presented, lacking in most qualities that are the benchmark of excellent romance, then the judge has no choice but to give it as low a score as it deserves, whether that's a 3, a 2 or a 1. RWA is an association of professionals striving to raise the quality of their work on a continuing basis. If the Golden Heart is to continue to promote excellence in unpublished fiction, then we cannot award scores based on curves, favoritism, or the fear of hurting an entrant's feelings. When an unpublished author enters the Golden Heart arena, he or she must do it as a professional. That is the only way our genre and our organization will continue to grow.
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4. What do the scores mean? What differentiates a 5, say, from a 6?
As a judge, you determine what each score means based on your enjoyment as a reader of romance and your skill as a writer. Due to different interpretations, we are unable to give definitions beside each number. Someone's stupendous is another person's outstanding.
The Golden Heart does divide scores by percentile to give contestants a better feel for how they did in the contest. Manuscripts fall in the bottom half, second quarter, first quarter and then finalists. Before assigning a number, you may find it helpful to visualize where you think a particular entry fits.
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5. Am I supposed to be judging these entries against the standard of "publishable"-- that is, if it's at a publishable level, should we give it a high score--or against the standard of "the best book I ever read in this category"?
The purpose of the Golden Heart is to promote excellence in romance fiction, with a focus on unpublished works. Comparing an unpublished manuscript to a published, professionally edited work is unfair. Focus on looking at the entry as a whole. Was this an enjoyable read for you?
Often, judges will focus too much on perfection. Were the margins a certain way? Was the grammar perfect? Does it contain a marketable hook? Did the author follow all those unwritten rules we've heard so much about? While these things are definitely important, they may not necessarily hinder the read. Although we're not asking you to put yourself in the place of an editor, it is important to remember an editor will still buy a book if the margins are different and the manuscript contains grammatical errors. Ask yourself instead, did I enjoy what I read of this book? Then give your score accordingly.
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6. Do I judge my entries against each other?
No. Each entry should be judged on its own merits without comparison to other entries in the judge's packet. If you believe more than one of your entries is ready "for prime time" then you are free to award more than one 9 in the group; and if the entry is lacking in all areas comprising excellent romance fiction, then you are free to award scores as low as a 1.
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7. What is acceptable format for a manuscript?
Specific format guidelines were established in the past to put all entrants on the same level playing field. Before, some entrants would purposefully use a small font size in order to have more of a manuscript read or some similar maneuver in order to create an unfair advantage. However, once guidelines were created, often judges became more concerned whether the entrant followed each particular "rule" - this took the focus off the writing.
The Golden Heart mirrors the submission process. Different editors and different houses prefer a different standard. Therefore, the only requirement for manuscripts in the Golden Heart is that they should follow general submission guidelines. Please do not be concerned with measuring margins or worrying about a particular font.
Fonts MUST be clearly readable. Author's name in the header is optional. Single- or doubled-spaced separations after periods are both acceptable.
The RWA office will verify whether the manuscript title and page number are included in the header. Line spacing and page count are also verified by the office and judges need not concern themselves with this aspect of the contest.
In 2001, the Golden Heart moved to using a "Not Properly Formatted" check box for each judge. Checks from three of the five judges and the manuscript is disqualified. Use this box when the manuscript is obviously formatted incorrectly and most particularly when the incorrect formatting gets in the way of the read.
Remember, your focus as a judge of the Golden Heart should always be on the writing.
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8. Should we penalize a writer for using Times New Roman instead of Courier?
We've all heard stories about authors and editors who claim to like only one kind of font. The reality is: tastes are different. An editor's bottom line motivation is to find books that will sell well. Since the Golden Heart is intended to mirror the submission process, whether an author uses Times New Roman versus Courier is not as important as whether the s/he can tell a good story. Yes, an author can squeeze in more words depending on the font. But the most beautiful font in the world can't hide inadequate storytelling. The type of non-script font used in an entry should not impact the GH score. The only requirement is that the font is clearly readable.
Remember, the term "standard manuscript formatting" is a pretty big umbrella.
As a judge, the question to ask yourself is: does the size and/or style of font impede my ability to judge the author's storytelling? If the answer is no, then as a judge, you are obligated to read to the end of each entry you receive. All Golden Heart entries are examined in the RWA office for correct page count. As a Golden Heart judge, it is your job to point out gross formatting problems by checking the "Not Properly Formatted" box. If the font is clear and readable (regardless of style), then that is NOT a gross formatting problem.
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9. Do I have to read the entire partial for each entry?
Yes, that is part of your commitment to the judging process. In the preliminary round, each Golden Heart judge will receive the synopsis and a partial (starting at page 1) of an entrant's manuscript. Each entry will consist of up to 55 pages, including the synopsis. In order to maintain the integrity of the competition, read the synopsis and partial and score it appropriately.
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10. If pages are missing or duplicated, what should we do?
If a page is missing, call the RWA office. They will check to see if the entry was submitted with the missing page and give further instructions. If there is an inconsistency in the page numbers, but the content of the entry appears unaffected, continue to judge the entry as a whole. If a page is duplicated, and can be removed without affecting the submission, continue to judge the entry as a whole. The RWA office will have verified appropriate page count before routing the entries to the judges; so do not be concerned as to the effect of a duplicated page on the qualifying process.
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11. May I write comments on the manuscript?
The Golden Heart competition is not meant to be a teaching tool. Unfortunately, as well meaning as comments may be, they are often misinterpreted or misunderstood by the recipient. In the past, disappointed entrants have attempted to use legal means to reverse the effect of perceived inappropriate judging comments. Given our litigious society, RWA has chosen to eliminate all comments from entrant's submissions and instead focus on recognizing quality in submissions as determined by purely numeric scores.
The Golden Heart competition is meant to promote excellence in romantic fiction. If you read an entry that is on the edge of being great, give it the high score that it deserves. If you read an entry that has considerable flaws, a lower score may encourage the entrant to pursue a contest that offers a helpful critique. Remember, the writers submitting work expect to be treated as professionals and we, as judges, have an obligation to do so.
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12. I recognize the entry as plagiarism of another author's work. What do I do?
An eligible entry must be the original work of the author. If you suspect otherwise, call the RWA Office for further instruction.
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13. What if the entry is very, very well written--but not a romance?
Give the entry a score you deem appropriate to the story and writing, and check the NR box (Not a Romance). Remember, if three or more judges check the NR box, the entry will not be eligible for the final round judging.
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14. If the entry is wrong for the category, what should I do?
If the entry is blatantly wrong for the category; i.e., a historical entered in Contemporary Single Title Romance, call the office to make sure a placement error has not been made. If not, check the WC (Wrong Category) box. Be sure to read the category requirements carefully, they change. Also remember that a book may qualify for more than one category i.e. a Contemporary Single Title Romance could also be a Romantic Suspense. Most writers know the appropriate category for their work; however, mistakes can be made. If you're in doubt, call the RWA office.
Reminder: if three or more judges check the WC box, the entry will be ineligible to advance to the final round.
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15. What if I know the person who wrote the entry I am to judge?
Because we are a fairly close knit organization, and it's easy to know hundreds of people with our conferences, and on-line accessibility--the job would be onerous to try to give every judge manuscripts from people you've never met.
However, if you believe you cannot be impartial, contact the RWA Office immediately.
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Judging Overview
- Focus on the storytelling above all else
- Read the entire entry
- Use the entire 1-9 scale
- 9 is the highest score possible
- 1 is the lowest score possible
- Do not judge entries against each other
- Use the NFP, WC and NR marks if warranted instead of a low score
- When in doubt, contact the RWA Office at 832.717.5200 or email contests@rwanational.org
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