Chapter Events

View events hosted by RWA chapters. Looking for more chapter contests, workshops, and events? Scroll down the page to see what RWA's chapters are offering in the coming months.

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Chapter Events and Contests

Local RWA chapters offer a number of conferences, contests, and workshops. Listed below are the chapter contests and conferences scheduled for the coming months.

Please submit all contest, conference, and workshop announcements to [email protected]. A response will be sent via return email. If you haven't received a response in 48 hours, please follow up. Thank you!

Deadline and format instructions are provided at the end of the column below. Please also send notification of broken or incorrect links to [email protected]. Thank you!

Updated 01/28/2019


Contests

*Open to published authors
**Open to published and unpublished authors   


February Contests


*New England Readers’ Choice Awards
Sponsor: New England Chapter (NECRWA)
Fee: $25–30.00
Deadline: February 1, 2019
Eligibility: Romance novels, novellas, and short stories published in 2018.
Entry: Digital (epub, mobi, or pdf) preferred. Print accepted if no digital edition is available.
Categories: Erotic, Historical, Long Contemporary (above 80K words), Short Contemporary (40-80K words), Novella (20-40K words), Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Time Travel, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements, Romantic Suspense, Short Story (under 20K words), Young Adult Romance.
Judges: Romance readers, librarians, and booksellers
Top Prize: Publicity package or Author Coaching package worth $250.
FMI, visit http://www.necrwa.org/contest or email [email protected].

**The Catherine
Sponsor: Toronto Romance Writers (TRW)
Fee: $20 USD for members of Toronto Romance Writers, $30 USD for all other entrants
Deadline: Accepting entries from December 8, 2018 – February 4, 2019
Eligibility: All unpublished writers, including writers who have not been published in five years or more. Entrants must not have accepted a publishing offer for original fiction or self-published a work of original fiction on a platform where their work can be made commercially available before February 01, 2019.
Entry: First twenty-five pages and a two- to five-page synopsis submitted electronically. Both entry and synopsis will be judged.
Categories: Contemporary, Contemporary Short, Historical, Mainstream with a Central Romance, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult, and Wild Card: Romantic Elements.
Judges: Two qualified judges from Toronto Romance Writers/RWA. A third judge will be enlisted in case of a discrepancy between the first two judges. Entrants are guaranteed feedback.
Final Judges: One editor and one agent per category. Gold Ticket Round (overall winners): one agent. Full list of 2019 Finalist Round judges is available at http://torontoromancewriters.com/enter/judging/.
Top Prize: Gold Ticket First-Place Winner receives a three-month mentorship with a TRW published author. Second and Third Place Gold Ticket Winners receive published author critiques from TRW members.
FMI, http://torontoromancewriters.com/. Questions can be directed to the contest coordinator at [email protected].

**2019 Great Beginnings Contest
Sponsor: Utah Chapter Romance Writers
Fee: URWA Members $10 / Non-members $15
Contest opens: January 1, 2019 Deadline: February 14, 2019
Eligibility: Contest is open to published and unpublished authors. Published authors may submit only unpublished, uncontracted manuscripts that will remain unpublished until the contest has concluded.
Entry: All electronic. Enter the opening five (5) pages of your romance novel (projected length of at least 50,000 words). Submit as many different entries as you wish.
Categories: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Historical, Paranormal.
Judges: Every entry will be judged 3 times by trained judges and at least once by a PAN member.
Final Judges: Contemporary – TBA; Romantic Suspense – Nicole Resciniti, senior agent, The Seymour Agency; Paranormal – E.L. Felder, editor, Wild Rose Press; Historical – Karen Solem, president and agent, Spencerhill Associates;
Top Prize: A choice of one of two prizes for each category winner: A $25.00 Amazon gift card or a 30-page critique by a multi-published PAN author.
FMI, visit http://www.utahrwa.com/gbcontest.html or email Jennifer Beckstrand, contest coordinator, at [email protected].

*The Carolyn Readers Choice Award
Sponsor: North Texas RWA
Fee: $20–25.00
Deadline: February 14, 2019
Eligibility: Open to all authors of traditional, e-published, and self-published books. Entries must represent the author’s own original work. Authors or publishers may enter more than one book, but no more than two books per category. Books may be entered in one category only. Original copyright or first printing date must be between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.
Judges: readers only, no writers.
FMI, https://ntrwa.org/contests/the-carolyn/ or contact [email protected].

**2019 Melody of Love
Sponsor: Music City Romance Writers
Fees: $22 for MCRW Members, $25 for other RWA Members, $30 for Non-RWA Members
Deadline: February 28, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published and unpublished authors. The manuscript entered must be the author’s original work and be unpublished and uncontracted at the time of deadline. Entries must also meet minimum word count lengths.
Entry: First 25 pages or a maximum of 7500 words.
Categories: Contemporary, Mainstream/Women’s Fiction, FF&P (Futuristic, Fantasy, & Paranormal), Historical, Young Adult.
Judges: Judging is on a point basis, with all manuscripts judged by three authors from a pool of PAN, PRO, and trained general members. Judges are highly encouraged to comment and critique each entry.
Final Judges: TBA. Three finalists per category. Finalist entries will be judged by one editor and one agent.
Top Prize: Finalists in each category will receive a certificate and announcement in the RWR, on the MCRW website, and across MCRW’s social media. The overall winner of each category will be announced at MCRW’s June meeting and will receive: a $50 cash prize, a 50-page critique by a published author or editor, and a commemorative Melody of Love pin.
FMI, visit www.mcrw.com. You can also email our Contest Coordinators Jody Wallace and Dana Brantley-Sieders at [email protected].


March Contests


19th Annual FHL Reader’s Choice Award
Sponsor: Faith, Hope and Love Chapter
Fee: $20 FHL Members, $25 NonMembers
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: Christian fiction books with a 2018 copyright.
Entry: Four new autographed copies of each entry.
Categories: Long Contemporary, Short Contemporary, Long Historical, Short Historical, Women’s Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Novella.
Judges: Readers of Christian fiction.
Top Prize: Winner in each category receives an engraved box.
FMI, visit http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/fhlrca-contest/ or email contest coordinator Nancy J. Farrier, [email protected].

*Athena Contest for Excellence in Young Adult and New Adult Fiction
Chapter: YARWA
Fee: $30–40
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: YA and NA romance novels and novels with romantic elements published in 2018.
Entry: 3 copies of hardback, mass-market, or trade paperback novel, or 1 copy of ebook in pdf format.
Categories: YA Contemporary, NA Contemporary, YA/NA Paranormal, YA/NA Speculative, YA/NA Historical.
Judges: Romance readers, authors, librarians & bloggers.
Top Prize: Plaque, Pin, digital graphic.
FMI, visit http://yarwa.com/the-athena-contest/ or email Contest Coordinator at [email protected].

**Fabulous Five Contest 2019
Sponsor: WisRWA (Wisconsin Romance Writers)
Fee: $25 WisRWA members; $30 Non WisRWA members
Deadline: March 1, 2019
Eligibility: Unpublished in novel length fiction in last 5 years.
Enter: First 2,500 words of ms. No synopsis.
Judges: Trained, published & unpublished.
Final Judges: One agent and one editor per category TBD.
Top Prize: Silver Quill Awarded to top entry in each category, finalists announced in RWR.
FMI, WisRWA website (www.wisrwa.org). Link to Fab 5 contest for rules, entry form, and sample scoresheet. Email contest coordinators Natalie Alamo and Jennifer Rupp at [email protected] for questions not answered from website information.

**Fire & Ice 2019
Sponsor: Chicago-North RWA
Fee: $35 for all entrants
Deadline: Open for entries February 1, 2019. Deadline March 1, 2019.
Eligibility: All work must be the author’s original work that has not been contracted for publication prior to the entry deadline. Open to all authors who have never been published in book-length romantic fiction as well as published authors who have not been contracted or published (traditional or self) since January 1, 2014.
Entry: First 6,000 words, no synopsis.
Categories: No categories, all entries judged together. All sub-genres of romance allowed. Please see website for more details.
First Round Judges: Each entry will receive a detailed score sheet from 3 qualified judges, with at least one published judge per entry.
Final Judges: SIX FINALISTS will be sent to SIX final round judges. Please see website for the complete list of final round judges.
Prizes: 1st Place: $75; 2nd Place: $50; 3rd Place: $25. All finalists will receive certificates.
FMI, http://chicagonorthrwa.org/fire-and-ice-contest/.

The 2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for Unpublished Writers
Sponsor: RWA Kiss of Death Chapter
Fee: $15–30
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Entry: prologue/first chapter up to 5,000 words. All electronic entry.
Final Judges: See website.
FMI, http://www.rwakod.org/daphne or email Brooke Wills at [email protected].

*The 2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for Published Authors
Sponsor: RWA Kiss of Death Chapter
Fee: $30
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Entry: 2018 copyrighted mystery or romantic suspense.
FMI, http://www.rwakod.org/daphne or email Brooke Wills at [email protected].

*2019 PRISM Contest for Published Paranormal Romance
Sponsor: Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal RWA
Fee: $30 for members of FF&P; $40 for non-members
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Eligibility: Traditionally published and self-published paranormal romances with a copyright date of 2018.
Entry: Print and e-book submissions accepted.
Categories: Dark Paranormal, Light Paranormal, Sci Fi & Futuristic, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Erotic, Historical, Steampunk, Young Adult, New Adult, Novella.
Judges: Published/Unpublished Authors and Readers of FF&P Romance.
Top Prize: FF&P Prism statue.
FMI, visit https://ffprwa.com/.

**Diamonds in the Desert
Sponsor: Desert Rose RWA
Fee: $25–35
Deadline: March 15, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published and unpublished authors.
Entry: Up to the first twenty-five pages of an unpublished manuscript plus a 200-word blurb. Finalists will be required to provide a synopsis.
Categories: Please view web page FMI.
Judges: General, PRO, and PAN members of RWA using category-specific rubrics.
Final Judges: Professional agents and editors; consult web page FMI.
FMI, visit http://desertroserwa.org/desert-diamonds or contact the contest chairperson at [email protected].

**2019 Royal Ascot Competition
The Beau Monde Chapter of RWA
Fee: $24–30
Deadline: March 22, 2019
Eligibility: Open to published or unpublished writers of Regency-set romance.
Entry: The first 7,000 words (max) of your unpublished/uncontracted Regency romance. A synopsis is optional, but is not judged. Royal Ascot Contest entrants can choose to submit their entry to the Royal Ascot Readers' Choice Category Awards at no extra cost.
Categories: Regency Historical, Sweet & Mild Regency, Hot Regency, and Wild Regency.
Judges: 1st Round of Royal Ascot Contest, 4 experienced PAN & PRO member judges. In Readers' Choice Category Awards, registered reader-judges.
Final Judges: Royal Ascot Contest only - Janna Bonikowski, The Knight Agency; Lizzie Poteet, The Seymour Agency; Brenda Chin, Entangled Publishing; Janet Clementz, Soul Mate Publishing; and Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks.
Top Prize: Royal Ascot Contest - $100, sash and certificate. Category Winners in the Royal Ascot Readers' Choice Awards - $50, sash and certificate.
FMI, http://thebeaumonde.com/resources/the-royal-ascot-contest/ or contact the Royal Ascot Coordinator [email protected].

**Rosemary Award for Excellence in YA & NA Unpublished Manuscripts
Sponsor: Young Adult Romance Writers of America
Fee: $15 members/$25 non-members
Deadline: Opens on February 1, 2019 and closes on March 29, 2019 at 11:59 pm (ET)
Eligibility: All authors, regardless of publishing status. Manuscripts must not have been published, self-published, or contracted to be published and have a word count of at least 40,000 words.
Entry: First 25 pages. No synopsis.
Categories: YA Contemporary; YA Historical; YA Paranormal; YA Speculative; New Adult.
Judges: First-round judging by three trained judges. YARWA will make every effort to have a published author judge in every group.
Final Judges: Will include at least one editor and one agent in each category.
Top Prize: All finalists will receive a website badge, finalists listing in RWR, and a free YARWA class of their choice.
FMI, http://yarwa.com.

*National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award (NERFA)
Sponsor: First Coast Romance Writers
Fee: $35 (+$5 for Best First Book entry)
Deadline: Contest opens March 1 and closes March 31, 2019 for registration and payment.
Eligibility: Entries must have an original copyright date and for sale in the United States in 2018. Entries must be book-length fiction with a minimum of 40,000 words (except romantic novella category).
Entry: Submit four copies of your print or e-book to the contest coordinator between March 1 - 31, 2019.
Categories: Contemporary Romance 56k words and up, Mid Length Contemporary Romance 40k-56k words, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements, Young Adult Romance, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Erotic Romance and all genre Romantic Novella category. A Best First Book category is also available for an additional Fee of $5 if the book is entered in another contest category.
Judges: Romance readers.
Final Judges: Librarians, bloggers and booksellers.
Prizes: All 2019 finalists will receive a NERFA Finalist web logo and certificate. Winners will receive a NERFA Winner web logo and trophy. Finalists and winners will be announced in the Romance Writers Report and on the FCRW website.
FMI, visit http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/national-excellence-in-romance-fiction-award/

*Published Maggie Award for Excellence
Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers
Fee: $30–40
Deadline: March 30, 2019
Entry: Only eBooks accepted.
Categories: Category Short Romance; Contemporary Single Title; Historical (includes Regencies); Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance; Paranormal (includes Futuristic, Time Travel, Fantasy, etc.); Romance Novella; Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements; Romantic Suspense; and Young Adult/New Adult Romance.
Judges and Final Judges: Acquiring librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and book club members.
Top Prize: First place/highest score in each category will receive the prestigious Maggie Medallion. All finalists will receive a Maggie certificate. Finalists will be notified by June 26, 2019. Winners will be announced October 5, 2019 at the GRW Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.
FMI, please visit our website at http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/the-maggies/ or email Christina Crayn at [email protected].


April Contests


**2019 Touched By Love Award
Sponsor: Faith, Hope, and Love RWA Chapter
Fee: $20–25.00
Deadline: April 1, 2019
Eligibility: Contest is open to all authors who have not accepted a publishing offer from a publisher or self-published a work of original fictional narrative prose of 20,000 words or more in the past three years in the category they wish to enter.
Entry: Electronic only. First 20 pages of an unpublished Christian or sweet romance manuscript; 2-page synopsis.
Categories: Christian Romance categories – Short Contemporary, Long Contemporary, and Historical. Sweet Romance (includes both contemporary and historical).
Judges: Published/unpublished in the first round.
Final Judges: Published authors will score entries in final round and editors and/or agents will critique/review the first-place category-winning entries.
FMI, http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org or email contest coordinator, Kelly Ann Riley, at [email protected].

**The Stiletto Contest
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Writers (CRW)
Fee: $15–25.00
Deadline: April 12, 2019
Eligibility: The Stiletto Contest celebrates and recognizes excellence in the Contemporary Romance genre for published and unpublished work.
Entry: 2018 copyrighted release (published). First 7,000 words (unpublished).
Judges: Unpublished categories – one agent, one editor, and one indie author.
FMI, visit http://contemporaryromance.org/about/.

**The Sheila Contest
Sponsor: Valley Forge Romance Writers
Fee: $25 for VFRW members, $30 for non-members
Opens for Entries: March 3, 2019. Deadline: April 13, 2019
Eligibility: Participation is open to all romance writers who are unpublished, self-published, and published. The entry must be the author’s original work, unpublished in any format (including author’s website, self-publication, ebook, mass market, etc.) and not under contract.
Entry: First 20 pages of manuscript and up to a 5-page synopsis. The synopsis is REQUIRED, but not judged.
Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal, Historical, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult.
Judges: Entrants will receive a detailed score sheet from three qualified judges, including PRO and PAN members.
Final Judges: Editors and Agents. Best of the Best Judges: Best-Selling Authors.
Top Prize: Best of the Best winner receives $100 prize.
FMI, please visit http://valleyforgeromancewriters.blogspot.com/.

*Book Buyers Best Contest for Published Authors
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Fee: $30.00
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Open to all general, associate and affiliate Romance Writers of America members who are in good standing with RWA National with current membership paid.
Entry: Accepting traditionally published and self-published entries – electronic format ONLY.
Categories: Categories (50,000+ except where stated) Contemporary, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic, Historical & Regency, Romantic Suspense & Mystery, Inspirational, Young Adult, Erotic Romance, Romance Novella (all genres, 20–50,000 words)
FMI, please send questions to [email protected] or go to http://occrwa.org/contests/book-buyers-best/.

**Elevation of Love
Sponsor: Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter (CIMRWA)
Fee: $20–35.00
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Both published and unpublished authors are welcome to participate.
Entry: The first 5,000 words of a completed, unpublished manuscript of no less than 40,000 words featuring diverse cultural, interracial, and multicultural romances.
Final Judges: Contemporary - Editor Mackenzie Walton, Carina Press and Agent Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency; Erotic - Editor Diana Carlile, The Wild Rose Press and Agent Sara Megibow, KT Literary; Paranormal/Fantasy/SF - Editor Meghan Ferrell, Tule Publishing and Agent Kat Enright, The Seymour Agency; YA - Editor Cat Clyne, Sourcebooks and Agent Nikki Terpilowski, Holloway Literary; Historical - Editor Norma Perez-Hernandez, Kensington Books and Agent Tricia Skinner, FUSE Literary; Women’s Fiction/Mainstream – Editor Elle Keck, Avon/Harper Collins and Agent - Jessica Alvarez, Bookends Literary Agency; Romantic Suspense - Editor Angela James, Carina Press and Agent Jess Dallow, Brower Literary & Management.
FMI, visit the EOL section of the CIMRWA website at http://www.cimrwa.org/contests.html.

**Orange Rose Contest for Emerging Writers
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Fee: $25 for OCC/RWA Members, East Valley Author Members, Los Angeles Romance Authors Members & RWA San Diego Members; $35 for all other RWA Members
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Eligibility: Authors unpublished author in fiction, published authors who have two (2) or fewer self-published or traditionally published works who have not earned $1,000 or more on a single title.
Categories: (50,000+ except where stated) Contemporary, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic, Historical, Romantic Suspense, Inspirational, Young Adult, Erotic Romance, Romance Novella (all genres, 15,000 - 50,000 words)
FMI, please send questions to [email protected] or go to http://occrwa.org/contests/orange-rose-contest/.

Unpublished Maggie Award for Excellence
Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers
Fee: $30–40.00
Deadline: April 27, 2019
Entry: Entries must be at least 40,000 words and never been published. The total entry cannot exceed 10,000 words and must include a synopsis.
Categories: Category Short Romance; Contemporary Single Title; Historical (includes Regencies); Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance; Paranormal (includes Futuristic, Time Travel, Fantasy, etc.); Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements; Romantic Suspense; and Young Adult/New Adult Romance.
Judges: published authors.
Final Judges: acquiring editors from Carina Press/Harlequin, Tule, Wild Rose Press, Bethany House Publishers, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, Sourcebooks, Entangled, and Soul Mate Publishing.
Top Prize: First place/highest score in each category will receive the prestigious Maggie Medallion. All finalists will receive a Maggie certificate. Finalists will be notified by June 27, 2019. Winners will be announced October 5, 2019 at the GRW Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.
FMI, please visit our website at http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/about-the-maggies/ or email Terra Weiss at [email protected].

**The Golden Rose Contest
Sponsor: Rose City Romance Writers
Fee: $25–35.00
Deadline: April 30, 2019
Entry: all electronic; first 10,000 words.
Judges: published, PRO and unpublished authors.
Final Judges: editors and agents.
FMI, please see our website, http://rosecityromancewriters.com/contest-home/.

Conferences


February Conferences and Workshops


Smart Marketing to Sell More Books (Master Class in Indie Publishing II)
Sponsor: Spacecoast Authors of Romance
Location: Space Coast Convention Center, Holiday Inn Express, 301 Tucker Lane, Cocoa, Florida
Fee: $85; $65 for STAR members
Date: February 9, 2019, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Speakers: Featuring Damon Suede, as well as Eliza Knight, Maria Connor and Rachel Hauck.
Conference Features: Intensive workshops on marketing with a dose of craft for indie, hybrid, and traditional authors; door prizes; raffles; continental breakfast and lunch included.
FMI, https://authorsofromance.com/masterclass/ (registration opens Nov. 1). Send questions to [email protected].

Writing a Novel They Can’t Put Down with Special Guest James Scott Bell
Sponsor: Windy City Romance Writers
Location: Northern Illinois University Naperville Campus Conference Center, Naperville, Illinois
Fee: $135
Date: February 22–23, 2019
Presenter: James Scott Bell.
Topic: Writing a Novel They Can’t Put Down, Indie Publishing.
Workshop Features: Full-day Saturday workshop along with a one-hour Indie Publishing session Friday night. Refreshments served Friday evening and lunch provided Saturday.
FMI, http://www.windycityrwa.org/2019-retreat/ and [email protected].


April Conferences and Workshops


The Write Touch Conference—Daring and Decadent Storytelling
Sponsor: Wisconsin Romance Writers of America (WisRWA)
Location: The Hyatt Regency, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI
Fee: WisRWA Members: $225.00; Non-members: $250.00
Date: April 4–7, 2019
Keynote Speaker: Maya Rodale. Workshop Presenters: Lisa Cron, Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi, Mel Jolly. Featured Authors: Valerie Biel, Amy Reichert, Angie Stanton.
Conference Features: Master Class with Lisa Cron; craft, industry, marketing workshops; one-on-one page critiques w/publishing professionals; agent/editor pitch sessions, book sale, and silent auction for literacy.
FMI, visit http://wisrwa.org/conference/ or email [email protected].

California Dreamin’ 2019—A Conference for Writers
Sponsor: Orange County Chapter RWA
Location: Embassy Suites Hotel, Brea, California
Fee: $350.00 (RWA members); $400 (Non-RWA Members)
Date: April 5–7, 2019
Speakers: Keynote, Tessa Dare and Theodora Taylor; Friday Book Camp, Janice Hardy. Also Justine Bylo, Ingram Spark; Kevin Tomlinson, Draft 2 Digital; and Hannah Wall, Audible.
Publishing Houses: Avon (Harper Collins Publishing), Hallmark Publishing, Random House Publishing, Harlequin, Tule Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, Boroughs Publishing Group.
Agencies: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, KT Literary.
Conference Features: Friday Book Camp, workshops, multi-track, panels, editor/agent appointments, critiques, opportunity drawings, author photography.
FMI, [email protected]; https://caldreaminwriters.com.

In the Company of Writers Annual Retreat
Sponsor: Washington Romance Writers
Location: Best Western Conference Center, Westminster, Maryland
Fee: WRW members – $410 double, $575 single. RWA double occupancy $460, Public double occupancy $525. All meals and events included.
Date: April 12–14, 2019
Speakers: Alexis Daria, Alisha Rai, Cheryl Etchison, Alma Katsu, and others.
Publishing Houses and Agencies: St. Martin's Press, Entangled, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, Prospect Agency, Donald Maass Agency
Conference Features: multi-track workshops and panels, editor/agent appointments, critiques, first pages, awards, raffle.
FMI, please contact [email protected] and visit WRWDC.com for the latest updates.

Let Your Imagination Take Flight
Sponsor: New England Chapter, RWA (NECRWA)
Location: Boston Marriott, Burlington MA
Fee: NECRWA Member: $234, Non-Member $254
Date: April 26–27, 2019
Speakers: Keynote Speaker Sonali Dev; Luncheon Speaker Penny Reid; Master Class Damon Suede.
Publishing Houses: Kensington, Forever/Forever Yours, Sourcebooks
Agencies: Donald Maass Literary, One Track Literary, Handspun Literary.
Conference Features: Workshops and panels on craft, business, and writer’s life, master class, agent and editor pitch sessions, book fair, and Indie/PAN and CampNaNoWriMo sessions.
FMI, http://www.necrwa.org/conference/.

Retreat from Harsh Reality
Sponsor: Mid-Michigan RWA
Location: Bay Pointe Inn, Shelbyville, Michigan
Fee: $190.00
Date: April 26–28, 2019
Speaker: Louise Knott Ahern writing as Lyssa Kay Adams.
Conference Features: Dedicated time for writing, plotting, critiquing, and social networking; two presentations—“Breaking Rules and Breaking In: A Renegade Writer’s Guide to Trusting Your Gut” and “The Art of Backstory”—by 2017 RITA finalist for Best Romance Novella Louise Knott. Louise has 20 years of experience in journalism, fiction writing, and editing and is a founder of Capital City Writers in Lansing.
FMI, visit midmichiganrwa.org.

Growth Hacking a Best Seller One-Day Workshop
Sponsor: Heart of Denver
Location: 7676 South Continental Divide Road, Littleton, Colorado 80127
Fee: $25 Members; $50 Non-Members (includes membership for the rest of the year to HOD) Scholarships Available.
Date: April 27, 2019
Featured Speaker: Liz Pelletier, Publisher, Entangled Publishing, LLC
Workshop Features: Liz Pelletier walks you through the most common elements of best sellers, how to self-edit your novel for maximum viral success, and seven psychology tricks that will help anyone maximize every promotional opportunity.
FMI, https://www.hodrw.com or e-mail [email protected].


Online Workshops


February Online Workshops


Handwriting Analysis
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: February 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Sheila Low.
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.

Social Media for Authors
Sponsor: Western New York Romance Writers
Fee: $20–40
Date: February 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Ines Johnson.
FMI, http://wnyrw.org/workshops/.

Writing the Comedic Mystery
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: February 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Beth Daniels, aka Beth Henderson, J.B. Dane.
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.

It’s All About Character
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30
Date: February 4–8, 2019
Presenter: Carol Henry.
FMI, https://starrwa.org.

Word for Writers
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: February 4–8, 2019
Presenter: Meredith Bond.
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

Marketing and Publicity 101
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $40 non-members/$35 HCRW and CRW/NC members
Date: February 4–11, 2019
Instructor: Marie Force.
FMI, http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.

Surprises, Secrets, and Revelations - Adding Memorable Twists to Your Stories
Sponsor: RWA Online Chapter
Fee: $15
Date: February 4–22, 2019
Presenter: Peter Andrews
FMI, http://rwaonlinechapter.org/.

Deep POV—Going Deep and Staying There
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20
Date: February 4–28, 2019
Presenter: Suzanne Johnson.
FMI, http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.

On Your Mark, Get Set: Starting Your Novel in the Right Place
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: February 4–28, 2019
Presenter: Cathy Chant.
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

Down the Author Marketing Rabbit Hole
Sponsor: Yosemite Romance Writers
Fee: $20 YRW members/ $25 non-members
Date: February 4–March 1, 2019
Presenter: Deborah Riley-Magnus.
FMI, https://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/workshops.

Hooks and Cliffhangers, Scene and Sequel
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: February 4–March 1, 2019
Presenter: Alison McMahan.
FMI, http://yarwa.com/workshops/.

Worldbuilding for All Genres
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25 FF&P Members - $30 Non FF&P Members
Date: February 4–March 3, 2019
Presenter: Rebekah Ganiere.
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.

Pin It! Why Romance Authors Shouldn’t Ignore Pinterest for Marketing
Sponsor: OCC/RWA
Fee: $20 OCC Members; $30 Non-Members
Date: February 11–March 8, 2019
Presenter: Elena Dillon.
FMI, http://occrwa.org/classes/.

Advanced Fiction Writing
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25 FF&P Members - $30 Non FF&P Members
Date: February 18–March 3, 2019
Presenter: Laura Drake.
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.


March Online Workshops


Human Trafficking
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 1–29, 2019
Presenter: Elisabeth Reid. 
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.

World Building for All Genres
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 1–29, 2019
Presenter: Vicky Burkholder. 
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org/.

How to Design and Teach an Online workshop
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15–35
Date: March 4–16, 2019
Presenter: Cathy Chant. 
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

Storytellers Toolkit
Sponsor: Yosemite Romance Writers
Fee: $20–25
Date: March 4–22, 2019
Presenter: Patricia Sargeant. 
FMI, https://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/workshops.

Pain-Free Synopsis Writing
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25–30
Date: March 4–28, 2019
Presenter: Sally Walker. 
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.

Beyond Fifty Shades
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Margaret Bates.
FMI, http://yarwa.com/workshops/.

Bookkeeping for Writers
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $20–25
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Instructor: Pepper O’Neal. 
FMI, http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.

Layering as an Editing Tool
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Cassandra Carr. 
FMI, http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.

Take Your Writing Productivity to the Next Level—Writing More, Regularly and Faster
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Joanna Jast. 
FMI, https://starrwa.org.

Using Your Words for Effective Marketing
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15–35
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Deborah Magnus. 
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.
 
Writing Sex Scenes from First Blush to Climax
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30
Date: March 4–29, 2019
Presenter: Jen Bokal. 
FMI, https://starrwa.org.

Bumps in the Road -- Developing Conflict in Your Story
Sponsor: Charter Oak Romance Writers
Fee: $35, CORW member; $40, nonmember
Date: March 4–30, 2019
Presenter: Kathy Otten.
FMI, http://charteroakromancewriters.com/online-classes-2019.

Self-Publishing
Sponsor: OCC/RWA
Fee: $20 OCC Members; $30 Non-Members
Date: March 11–April 5, 2019
Presenter: Rebekah Ganiere.
FMI, http://occrwa.org/classes/.

Write Fast—Increasing Your Novel Writing Speed Through Art Journaling
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25–30
Date: March 11–April 7, 2019
Presenter: Shea MacLeod. 
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.


April Online Workshops


Fictional Characterization
Sponsor: NEORWA
Fee: $20.00
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Sally J. Walker.
FMI, http://www.neorwa.com/online-workshops/upcoming-meetings/.

How to Self-Publish Successfully While Working Full Time, Raising Children, and Remembering to Feed the Dog
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Casey Clipper.
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

The Essentials of Plotting and Characterization
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members / $25 RWA Members / $35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Tambra Nicole Kendall.
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

Writing Flash Fiction
Sponsor: Southern Tier Authors of Romance
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1–26, 2019
Presenter: Peter Andrews.
FMI, https://starrwa.org.

Bringing Pirates to Life
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25.00 FF&P Members - $30.00 Non FF&P Members
Date: April 1–28, 2019
Presenter: Cindy Vallar.
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.

How to Write When Everything Goes Wrong
Sponsor: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Fee: $25 non-members/$20 HCRW and CRW members
Date: April 1–29, 2019
Instructor: Allie Pleiter.
FMI, http://www.heartofcarolina.org/calendar.

Beyond Boo!: Using Paranormal Creatures, Plots and Elements in Your Romantic Thrillers
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Megan Hart.
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.

Inside Out: Crafting Your Character’s Internal Conflict
Sponsor: Central Ohio Fiction Writers
Fee: $25 for COFW members, $30 for non-COFW RWA members, $35 for non-RWA affiliated students.
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Linnea Sinclair.
FMI, http://cofwevents.org.

Make Goodreads Work for You
Sponsor: From the Heart Romance Writers
Fee: $25.00
Date: April 1–30, 2019
Presenter: Diane K. Peterson.
FMI, https://fthrw.com/how-to-access-and-use-fth-workshop-forums; [email protected].

You Can’t Make This Up: Oddities in Police Procedure
Sponsor: Kiss of Death
Fee: $15–30.00
Date: April 1-30, 2019
Presenter: Lee Lofland.
FMI, http://www.rwakissofdeath.org.

Even Superman Had A Day Job
Sponsor: Contemporary Romance Online Chapter
Fee: $15 CRW Members/$25 RWA Members/$35 Non-RWA Members
Date: April 8–14, 2019
Presenter: Maggie Wells.
FMI, http://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/.

DIY Booktours
Sponsor: YARWA
Fee: $25 for members/$30 non-YARWA members
Date: April 8–19, 2019
Presenter: Ines Johnson.
FMI, http://yarwa.com/workshops/.

Self-Editing—10 Tips to Make Your Words POP!
Sponsor: FF&P
Fee: $25.00 FF&P Members - $30.00 Non FF&P Members
Date: April 8–May 5, 2019
Presenter: Debra Mullins.
FMI, https://ffprwa.com.



CONTEST FORMAT: Contest Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Fee
Deadline
Eligibility
Entry
Categories
Judges
Final Judges
Top Prize
FMI (entry form, rules, score sheet, contact, Web site info)

CONFERENCE FORMAT:
Conference Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Location (place, city, state)
Fee
Date
Speakers [up to five individuals (authors, agents, editors, specialists, etc.), also indicate which ONE speaker is to be featured in the RWR]
Publishing Houses (house names only, no additional individual editor names)
Agencies (agency names only, no additional individual agent names)
Conference Features (workshops, multi-track, panels, appointments, critiques, awards, book fair/signing, raffles)
FMI (contact, Web site info)

WORKSHOP FORMAT (FOR INTENSIVE, HANDS-ON, SINGLE-TOPIC, OR SINGLE-SPEAKER CONFERENCES):
Workshop Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Location (place, city, state)
Fee
Date
Presenter
Topic
Workshop Features (critiques, book fair/signing)
FMI (contact, Web site info)

ONLINE WORKSHOP FORMAT:
On-Line Workshop Name
Sponsor (chapter name)
Fee
Date
Presenter
FMI (contact, Web site info)

Deadlines are firm. Deadline for the April issue (which will include items with a contest deadline or conference date in May, June or July with an online workshop date in June) is February 1. Deadline for the May issue (which will include items with a contest deadline or conference date in June, July, or August or with an on-line workshop date in July) is March 1. Please follow the formats at the end of the website listings, not in the abbreviated RWR listings. Email submissions confirmed by reply—if no reply is received in 48 hours, please resend or follow up. No attachments please. Send to [email protected]. Thank you!