Hey everyone! It’s that time of year again. The selection committees are assembled and it’s time to start accepting Writer of the Year (WOTY) and Independent Writer of the Year (IWOTY) nominations. The WOTY will be open to those traditionally published, and the I-WOTY will be for those independently published.
If you are a member of PAL or IPAL, and you published a novel in 2017, please check out the website HERE and look for the guidelines and entry forms. If you know an RMFW member who would be great for this, but would not enter themselves, you are welcome to nominate them for consideration.
We will be accepting entries from January 25 through March 15 at 12:00 am
How the work is judged:
Each work is reviewed several times before three finalists for each award are selected. Once you have submitted your entry we will verify it is entered in the correct category (WOTY or I-WOTY) and your application will be forwarded to the judges on the Selection Committees.
Each judge on the panel is responsible for reviewing your application and reading a couple of sample chapters from the work you submit. Every entry will receive approximately one hour of evaluation by each judge (for a minimum of five hours of review on your work). The judges will score all of the works and candidates to determine who they think represents the WOTY or IWOTY award best.
In March, the Selection Committees will meet and determine the three finalists for each award. The committee members judge each nominee on his/her own professional merit. The judges have several years’ experience in both writing and working with RMFW writers, and are well-qualified volunteers who want the best for not only RMFW as a whole, but all of the individual members. Only three finalists are allowed per category, so please remember that if you are not selected this is not a reflection on you or your talent. We are looking to find authors who best represent the writing values of our organization.
We will announce the finalists in April, at which time the entire RMFW membership will get to learn more about each finalist.
Finally – from May 1- June 15 – open voting begins. This is your opportunity as a member to help decide who our WOTY and I-WOTY should be. We try to give everyone plenty of time (and reminders) to select the two writers they think should be recognized as RMFW’s Writer and Independent Writer of the Year. To this end this is why we’re allowing votes to go through June 15.
The Summer Party
Every July RMFW announces and celebrates the winners of the WOTY and I-WOTY at the Summer Party. Announcements for this event will be in RMFW newsletter, on the blog, Facebook and in our Yahoo groups. Keep an eye out for these announcements, and be sure to join us for the Summer Party!
WOTY & I-WOTY Panel
In August, this panel where members get a chance to visit with all of our WOTY and IWOTY finalists at the Tattered Cover bookstore marks the beginning of the Colorado Gold celebrations. The panel is an enjoyable evening of interviews, prizes, and a chance to socialize with your writing tribe. Plan on coming – it’s a lot of fun!
If you’re thinking of entering your work for consideration, do it! We are looking forward to seeing your applications!
To find out more about the eligibility requirements, please visit the website for more information.
Diane Jewkes and Stephanie Reisner
PAL & IPAL Chairs
Diane R Jewkes writes historical romance and is the author of two books published by Crimson Romance, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She is the current PAL chair and is a member of RWA. She has two children, three grandchildren, two dogs and loves to travel. You can find out more at http://dianerjewkes.com/.
Stephanie Reisner is the author of the Thirteen Covens series (thriller/horror), the Sorcerers’ Twilight series (fantasy). and the bestselling Gilded Lily series (erotic romance). When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her husband and a clowder of cats. Stephanie is the current RMFW IPAL Chair and writes under four pseudonyms: S.J. Reisner, Audrey Brice, Anne O’Connell, and S. Connolly. You can find out more about her work at www.the-quadrant.com.