ROSACon2020 - Annual Conference of Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa

2020 has been the year of the parties that weren't. Weddings canceled. Theatre shows. Dream trips. Family reunions. 

But there's one show that is going on, and it will, as usual, bring all the feels: the love, the excitement, the joy, the camaraderie, all the good stuff you know you need right now. 

Of course the party I'm talking about is The Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa's annual conference.  And you don't even have to but a plane ticket or book a hotel room. 

Because #ROSACon2020 is a virtual event, and it's open to all levels of writers.  

Wait, wait. Don't log off. We know you've done a huge amount of virtual things in 2020.  We know you might have digital fatigue. So, we have prepared a programme for #ROSACon2020 that has such an intriguing array of speakers, topics and events, it will only leave you inspired and empowered. The conference will flow from local speaker to international, from workshop to presentation, from pitch to writing sprint with space in between to relax, or fetch a coffee or network, depending on your mood. 

Are you a beginner writer?  Have you started your first manuscript ever? Or are you a fledgling? Do you have a manuscript that is ready to fly the nest? Are you already down the road, manuscripts out and about, but the road has a few potholes? Are you a seasoned writer, with contracts and bestsellers? 

Each conference day includes a writing sprint or a writing exercise to keep out reason for being in focus. But, this time, you won't be alone at your desk. Find the full program HERE

Kickstarting the conference on a high note is international guest speaker, Julia Quinn, the bestselling author of the Bridgerton historical romance novels, which is coming soon as a Netflix series. We are so excited to hear what Julia has to say in the Keynote Address on Day One.

Are you writing YA? Or a high concept novel? Then make sure it's not your turn to cook dinner on 20 October 2020 because those two genres are on the programme between 17h30 and 19h30 at #ROSACon2020.

Interested in pitching your manuscript? There are six opportunities over the course of #ROSACon2020 to pitch to editors and publishers. (You need to pre-book for these.)

What about marketing? Is that your nemesis? Then Day Two is for you. In one of the presentations, Skye Warren, bestselling author and marketing maven, will share cost effective marketing strategies that work.

Stephen King said, 'To write is human but to edit is divine.'  Editor Joanne Grant will tell you more about editing, what editors expect from authors and what authors can expect from their editors. 

How about writing romance in South Africa? Do you set your books here? Do you write Afrikaans?  If you said yes to either of those, then please join us early on Day Three to hear a number of guest speakers, including Izak de Vries, who will share data about current local book sales and marketing trends.

Indie Authors, Day Four is for you, from Cover Design to Self Publishing tips. Don't miss it. 

On Saturday, we have the wonderful experienced local writer, Elsa Winckler, sharing her wisdom at the start of the day. Later on we have a talk by New York Times Best Selling author, Shirley Jump, on scenes and sequels, and then the inimitable fountain of knowledge, Jane Friedman, will talk about the thing that plagues most writers: self doubt. 

On Saturday evening all the writers who entered the 2020 Imbali and Strelitzia Contest will be on the edge of their seats at the Awards Ceremony, when the winners will be announced. Have your bubbly ready to celebrate all our published and unpublished authors at the event. 

Sunday will include a session about writing the male point of view, and #ROSACon2020 will close with an inspiring talk by bestselling author and Entangled Managing Editor, Candace Havens. She will help us to keep on dreaming big. 

Please join us. Even if you don't write romance. Yes. You. The person in the back writing Cozy Mysteries. Or Fantasy. Or Crime. Whatever you write. There is so much to learn about the craft of writing at #ROSACon2020.

But you know what the best part is? Love is not just a genre. You will find it in this tribe. A tribe who will support you, cheer for you, push you, advise you and most of all, be kind to you, throughout your journey as a writer. 

Wouldn't you agree, in the year 2020, that this is what all of us need?

ROSA's 2020 Cape Retreat

Date: 28-29 March 2020

Venue: Set within the heart of the Cape Winelands between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, Klein Welmoed Wine & Olive Estate offers breathtaking views, luxurious accommodation, and tranquil surroundings.

The retreat: Two full days of fun, informative and inspiring talks and workshops, networking and writing sessions. There will be a wine and olive tasting/talk with sunset canapés and drinks on the Saturday evening, followed by dinner. (Guest speakers and full program to be announced at a later stage.) Space is limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Member Fees:
R745 for Saturday only
R450 for Sunday only

Non-member fees:
R825 for Saturday only
R500 for Sunday only

Saturday evening dinner: On the evening of Saturday 28 March, there will once again be a dinner, an opportunity to network and socialise with other delegates. Partners are also welcome to attend. The dinner will also take place at Klein Welmoed, and costs R245 per person.

Accommodation: The estate offers beautiful and luxurious accommodation, including breakfast. Olive Cottage and Shiraz cottage are two modern and spacious cottages, each with 2 bedrooms with twin beds in each room and 2 bathrooms, perfect for 4 guests sharing a cottage. There are also four lovely guest rooms available in the Manor house which are suitable for single or sharing (twin beds). Please note that space is limited and March is high season for the estate, so although they have offered preferential rates to our members, they cannot hold the rooms indefinitely. If you’d like accommodation, please book asap. To confirm your room or to enquire about cost/details/availability of accommodation, please contact Karin at info@kleinwelmoed.co.za and mention that you’re attending the ROSA writing retreat.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE!

Conference Report from Lydia Gittens

Our final post on ROSACon2019 is from one of this year's scholarship recipients, Lydia Gittens. Thank you Lydia for sharing your experience with us!

* * *

A mere two and a half weeks have passed since the Rosa conference and I am still on cloud nine. Ask my poor colleagues they will confirm this.

My personal highlight? Everything. Okay I know that’s a bit of a cop-out. So let’s start at the beginning. The venue was beautiful. I felt like a Cinderella stepping into the prince’s castle. The food and snacks were fantastic.

The goody bag ROSA gave us was like having Christmas in September. The books are great and the treats ... need I say more.

But in all honesty it was the people that made this conference the success that it was. I want to start with my fellow conference goers. You guys are great. As a newbie I learned so much just from our informal chats around tea-times and mealtimes. Being able to network and just getting the nitty gritty (the do’s and don’ts) from those that have walked the hard and often lonely road to publishing a novel. Thank you for your willingness to share your journey with me and for the encouragement and warnings you gave me.

Moving on to the presentations: I can’t single out any presenters they were all very professional, interesting and loads of fun. I learned about things I knew nothing about. Such as: The challenging world of self-publishing. What it means to have an agent and how to obtain one. How to use social media effectively? To name just a few. The presentations literally covered most of the topics I as a newbie wanted to learn about.

I want to give a BIG shout out and a big THANK YOU to everyone at ROSA for gifting me with the scholarship. Making it possible for me to attend a conference that I know has and will impact my writing career from now and into the future.

Lydia Gittens
7 October 2019
(PS Watch out for my name thanks to ROSA CON 2019 you just might see it in the print)

ROSA's Scholarship Program

Thanks to the generosity of our published members who donated the royalties from ROSA's first anthology, Wedding Season, our scholarship program has been expanded so that more of our members can benefit from the program.

In 2020, scholarships will no longer be linked to the annual conference, and there will be four scholarship beneficiaries. Each scholarship will be to the value of R2,000. This will not be in the form of cash, but rather a value allocation to the ROSA member to cover the cost of any ROSA educational services the member wishes to make use of, including entry into ROSA contests, ROSA webinars or workshops, or attendance at local chapter events, the Cape Retreat or the annual conference. This will enable more members to benefit, no matter where they live, and is focused on benefitting aspiring authors.

You do not need to be a ROSA member to apply for a scholarship, however non-members who are accepted into the program will have the cost of their membership fee deducted from the scholarship amount.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 20 November 2019, and successful beneficiaries will be notified within a few days, to enable them to enter the 2020 Strelitzia contest. Submit an entry form on this link.

Please ensure that you read all the Terms & Conditions on our website here before applying for a scholarship place, and look out for the announcement of the 2020 Strelitzia contest and mentorship program for our unpublished members coming soon.

Conference report from Alissa Baxter

Today's post is from long-time ROSA member and ROSACon veteran Alissa Baxter.

* * * 

I attended this year’s ROSA conference this year, and I found the range of topics that were presented very interesting. I particularly enjoyed listening to Whitney Ross give us an insider’s view into traditional publishing in the United States.

Whitney represents middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction across all genres, including historical, science fiction and fantasy, romance, and contemporary fiction.

She joined the Irene Goodman agency in 2018, and before that she worked as an editor at Macmillan for nearly ten years, so she is uniquely qualified to give authors an insight into the mysterious world of traditional publishing.

I was very interested to learn about how many imprints the big publishers have. It can be overwhelming to know where to start looking for a publisher, especially when there are so many imprints in each house. Literary agents act as the gatekeepers of the traditional publishing houses, and therefore, if you wish to go the traditional publishing route, it is important to know how to set about finding an agent who is the right fit for you.

Whitney gave us some great tips on how to write a good query letter, and she explained the role of an agent in terms of the business side of publishing. She also warned us about agents who might not be what they seem (“schmagents”), and she showed us examples of query letters which grabbed her attention, and those that didn’t.

It was a fascinating talk, and it demystified the role of literary agents and exactly what it is that they do for authors. Some agents have more of an editorial focus (Whitney is an editorial agent), but all agents bring a unique set of skills to the table, and it’s important to find one that is a good fit for you – that’s if you decide to go the traditional publishing route. If you would prefer to go it alone, self-publishing allows you to manage the entire publishing process yourself, but that’s the topic of another blog post entirely – and I’m sure someone will be writing a post about Ashleigh Giannoccaro’s fascinating talk about this topic.

Whitney Ross - image courtesy of Suzanne Jefferies

Review of ROSACon2019

Today's guest post is by Cynthia Kistasamy, a conference first timer.

* * *

I pitched up at ROSAcon 2019, on the first morning, not knowing what to expect. I was a bundle of nerves, wondering whether I was in the right place for a writer starting out. By the end of the last day, during the last session, I realized that I didn’t want ROSAcon 2019 to end. Sadness filled me as the event drew to a close. It was by far one of the most thrilling, fascinating, awe-inspiring workshops/conferences I’ve had the pleasure of attending.

ROSAcon 2019, was in a sentence, absolute fun while learning.

I left swimming in information (perhaps drowning would be a more accurate description as there was so much of valuable info shared over those two days) that more seasoned writers openly gave without reserve.

There was a genuine sense of camaraderie and encouragement.

Each session was conducted by book professionals and authors filled with passion for romance writing and wanting to help others, from beginners, like myself, to those further down the line in their writing careers.

Highlights of the event for me were the panel discussions, in particular ‘The Biggest Mistakes We’ve Made’, in which established authors spoke honestly about their writing journeys to the point of success. It was nice to hear their own personal accounts and know that even accomplished authors start with nothing but a manuscript and hope, and that blunders along the way are common, and that you just need to be brave and push along fearlessly.

Dani René, Ashleigh Giannoccaro, Romy Sommer, Suzanne Jefferies, Whitney Ross, Sharonlee Holder, to name a few, all shared their best secrets to a thriving writing career. In fact, everybody I spoke to at the event had something of value to impart.

I could not believe that I had landed smack bang in the middle of romance writing heaven, surrounded by enthusiasts like myself.

Next year I will be first in line to book my ticket. ROSAcon 2020…can’t wait!

First ROSA Annual General Meeting

ROSA's first AGM takes place at 10:00 on Saturday 5 September in Rivonia, Johannesburg.

Non-members of ROSA are welcome to attend, and also to join us for refreshments and a chat afterwards, however only registered, paid-up members of the organisation will be eligible to stand for election or to have their say on ROSA matters.

Registered members who live outside of Johannesburg and who are unable to attend will be able to participate via Skype.

If you would like to attend or have any queries, please RSVP to Romy on romy@romancewriters.co.za.

For more about membership of ROSA, please visit our website: http://www.romancewriters.co.za/

ROSA Membership is now open

In May 2014 ROSA was registered as a non-profit organisation. This year we are formalising the organisation's membership. If you would like to become a registered member of Romance writers Organisation of South Africa, please contact Romy on romy@sommer.co.za for a membership application form.

There is an annual membership fee to cover administration costs, set at R200 for the 2015/6 year. Bank details are on the membership application form.

As a member, you will:

• be eligible to use a ROSA membership badge on your website/blog/social media sites.
• be eligible for a discount on the conference fee. receive a quarterly newsletter.
• be listed as a member on the blog and/or website.
• have the opportunity to promote your work on the ROSA blog.

We welcome volunteers, so if you would like to assist with management or administration, setting up contests, managing social media, or contributing to the newsletter, please let Romy know or contact us via our website: www.romancewriters.co.za.

Note: The ROSA Constitution and Certificate of Registration are available to download from our website here.

The new ROSA logo

No roses, as might have been expected, but a lotus flower. As Clare explained at the opening of #ROSACon2014, we chose a lotus flower as it symbolises enlightenment, purity and fortune. The shape is similar too to the rising sun, a lovely positive image. (Plus, it looks prettier as a logo than a closed-up rose!)

So what do you think?

Save the Date

ROSA's inaugural conference will be held in Johannesburg on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October 2014.

The conference will be held at Melrose Place in Melrose, Johannesburg. This is a very central location, situated at the heart of Rosebank, Melrose Arch and Illovo. It's a lovely, friendly venue set in a treed garden, and with accommodation on site. Conference delegates will receive special discounted rates on accommodation, which will be announced together with the conference fees.

The conference will include a full day program on the Saturday and a half day followed by lunch on the Sunday. There will be a special gala dinner (partners and friends welcome) on Saturday evening. Delegates will be able to book for Saturday, Sunday or the dinner separately - and there'll also be a special package deal for delegates who want to attend the entire weekend.

We're still in the process of finalising guest speakers, the program line-up, and the gala dinner venue, so watch this space for further exciting updates.
In the meantime, feel free to check out Melrose Place's website.

New Release - Dragonfly Moments

Release day is one of the highlights of being a writer. My book for the Ubuntu Series is out.

I would like to share with you the story behind my book which is now available to buy (see links below.) “Dragonfly Moments” was originally called “Tessa’s Choice” when I wrote a very different book in 2010, an inspirational romance / woman’s fiction. My writing ideas have evolved so much since then so I cringe when I look at how my book started off, but I just couldn’t let the idea go. The concept of Tessa writing a letter to a man she loved deeply years back and Ryan coming back to find her, remained intact. I tightened up “Tessa’s choice” for the Harlequin New Voices competition, making it into Dragonfly Moments. Some comments on my first chapter helped me to neaten it up even more.

When I heard about the Ubuntu Line for Decadent Publishing, I wished I had a book to send to them. I knew I needed something that brought in the feel of Africa more than usual. Then I realised I could work on “Dragonfly Moments” for the line. When I sent it, I honestly expected an outright rejection letter. Instead I received an option to send revisions. I was over the moon and bursting with hope. The revisions made sense so I sent them in. My contract came soon after that. You can imagine how excited I was.

The journey from there has been marvelous. Decadent has taken my book to a new level with their professional editing and they made me feel like a part of the team during the whole process. Zee Monodee, who also belongs to the ROSA group, was my content editor and if anyone is considering writing a story set in Africa, she will do magic with your book if it gets chosen for the Ubuntu Line. I’ve certainly learned the importance of creating a rich setting and showing more of my character’s reactions, emotions, and thought processes.

I loved many things about writing this book but most of all was the symbolism of the dragonflies. I’m not going to give it away yet - you have to read the story to find out. I also loved writing about art. Although I’m not a professional artist, I dabbled in oil painting and sketching, especially in my teenage years and appreciate good art. A heroine who owns her own art gallery was begging to be written.

Here is the blurb and a short excerpt:

A young woman’s first love walks back into her life at the worst time possible—she is about to start a family with another man. But when her dreams begin to crumble, which one will be there to help her pick up the pieces?

Seven years earlier, Tessa Calitz wrote a letter to Ryan le Roux promising her undying love. As time passed, she forgot about that letter...but not Ryan, who clung to the hope that she would wait for him.

Such is not the case when he walks back into her life. Tessa is in a serious relationship, and is busy setting up her art gallery in Johannesburg. She has plans to start a family, and the arrival of Ryan into her life throws her for a spin.

He is the worst thing that could happen to her dream of stability and starting a family...or is he? Because when her relationship and everything she clung to starts to crumble, Ryan is right beside her to inspire her to greater things.

But her obsession for having her own child pushes Ryan away when she falls in love with an orphaned HIV-positive baby. Will Tessa push him away or realize what her heart has longed for all along?

Here is an excerpt:

“You’re making a mistake, Ryan. Coming in here and trying to bring up the past. It’s too late now. I’m committed to Mark and have found a life for myself. You never wanted me then. You loved Annie.”

“I didn’t love her. I loved you. And you promised forever….”

His voice was resigned, and then he winked at her as if to dispel the tension. It did no such thing.

The letter at the back of the sketch had promised she would love him forever, hadn’t it? She had believed she would never love anyone as much as Ryan, and that he showed her what true love was.

“You never loved me.” She dropped her gaze onto her lap. “We were just good friends.”

Pushing up her chin to pretend that her heart wasn’t zinging with emotion, she rose up and walked toward the one wall to adjust a painting. He grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away, but he firmly pulled her close.

Heat and energy radiated off him, and his manly scent encompassed her. Even his breath was a sweetness she wanted to drink in. She took in the shape of his face—his mouth, which drooped slightly to the left, his skewed jaw line and the prominent cheek bones. His eyebrows were dark and perfectly shaped, and he had such long eyelashes. Yanking her burning hand away, she made sure her back was facing him.

“I was blind to the true treasure. All the time when I was going out with Annie, I really wanted you, but I couldn’t do that to her—dump her for her best friend. I’ve loved you for years, Tess. I’ve been trying to find you. No other woman has measured up, and I’ve had several relationships. And you’ve become so beautiful.”

She faced him, her mouth partially open, devoid of words. He’d loved her? Why didn’t he tell her then before it was too late?

His gaze followed her from head to foot, and heat branded her face while a spark ignited her body.

“But I wasn’t then. You thought I was ugly. You must have because Annie was so beautiful, and you never looked at me.”

“I did. Besides the kohl and black clothes, you were adorable, especially in your pajamas.”

Tessa wasn’t usually one to blush easily, but fire lapped up her whole face and neck. “But the way you used to look at Annie. She had the most stunning legs. Long and muscular.”

Ryan smiled. “You have better legs than Annie.”

She pulled back. For a moment, he had her in a trance. Maybe she should leave Mark and pursue this. Jump right in. No, of course not. Who was Ryan now, anyway? She hardly knew him. He could disappear. Mark cared for her, and he was the perfect match to build a family. That’s all she needed.

Links to buy Dragonfly Moments:

Decadent Publishing

All Romance E-books

Amazon

You can read more about the process of writing this book on my blog at www.kathybosman.com

ROSA 2012 Writing Contest - Results

Congratulations to the winners  of  ROSA's  first writing competition.

Unpublished Entrants’ Category

 

Winner: 
“Accounting for Lust” by Ylette Pearson

1st Runner Up:  
“Dream Doctor” by Amanda Holly

2nd Runner Up: 
“Resisting the Enemy” by M-F Morrison

Published Entrants’ Category

Winner: 
 “The Untouchable” by Gina Rossi

1st Runner Up: 
“When September Ends” by Romy Sommer

2nd Runner Up: 
“Love in the Newsroom” by Pamela Kauffman

The ROSA contest closes at midnight tonight!

Happy Workers' Day to everyone in South Africa. I hope you've had a blissful long weekend!

The 2012 ROSA contest closes for submissions at midnight tonight, so if you haven't already entered, I hope you're spending the day working hard on polishing your submissions.

Just a few reminders:

• The contest is open to South African citizens and residents of South Africa only
• Only one entry per person please, as we don't want to overwhelm the judges
• Check here to confirm whether you should enter the Published or Unpublished category
• Entries should NOT have the entrant's name anywhere on the actual entry. Your cover email should contain the following information: full name/pseudonym, daytime contact number, email address, ID number and title of your entry.
• Entries should be formatted in Word or RTF format, ideally double-spaced and professionally presented.
• Full terms and conditions are available here
• Send your entries to contest@romancewriters.co.za

Thank you very much to our Contest Administrator, Clare Loffler, who is no doubt going to be very busy these next few days!

Good luck, everyone!

Update to our Contest page

Please note that the Contest page on our website has been updated to include formatting requirements for all entries. Please check them out, and make sure you are familiar with the Ts and Cs, as entries that do not follow the guidelines will unfortunately be disqualified.

Next Johannesburg Get-together

We're meeting near Cresta on Thursday, 1st March 2012. If you'd like to join in, drop me an email on romy@romancewriters.co.za.

ROSA 2012 Contest - The Judges

Today we introduce to you the judges for the ROSA 2012 Contest.

The unpublished entrants category will be judged by Rhonda Penders, editor-in-chief of The Wild Rose Press. TWRP already publishes three ROSA members and we can can attest to the fact that they are a dynamic, professional and very author-friendly publisher.

TWRP's submission guidelines can be found here.

Since we're expecting quite a few entries in this category, Ceridwen Morris, former editor of Oshun Books (an imprint of Struik Publishers) has agreed to whittle the entries down to a Top 15 which will be forwarded to Rhonda.

The published entrants category will be judged by Helen Breitwieser of the LA-based Cornerstone Literary Agency. Helen is an experienced literary agent, who has managed the careers of (anongst many others) Kayla Perrin, Tessa Dare, Isabel Sharpe and Sophia Nash. She is registered with the AAR.

Thank you very much to all these ladies for donating their time and effort to this contest.

ROSA 2012 Contest - The Prizes

The prizes for the contest are as follows:

Prizes for the Unpublished category

• The winner's prize is a critique of his/her opening chapter by Rhonda Penders of The Wild Rose Press, a bottle of Durbanville Hills Merlot Rosé wine courtesy of Distell, and a 750g box of chocolates
• 2 x runners-up each win a critique of their opening scene by The Fiction Doctor, and a bottle of Durbanville Hills Merlot Rosé wine courtesy of Distell

Prizes for the Published category

• The winner's prize is an online course on Blogging for Brand from author and social media guru Kristen Lamb, a bottle of Durbanville Hills Merlot Rosé wine courtesy of Distell, and a 750g box of chocolates
• 2 x runners-up each win a critique of their opening scene by The Fiction Doctor, and a bottle of Durbanville Hills Merlot Rosé wine courtesy of Distell

* Chocolates available to South African residents only *

Further details of the contest, as well as Terms and Conditions, are available on our website, or click on the link in the left sidebar.

Announcement!!!

ROSA is excited to announce the launch of its first ever competition. This contest is open to all authors who either reside in South Africa or who are South African citizens living abroad.

The contest is for opening scenes between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length, for a completed manuscript in any genre of romance. There are two categories: one for previously unpublished entrants, and one for authors who've already had a work of 15,000 words or more published by a traditional publisher.

Contest prizes include professional critiques, wines, chocolates, an online course with social media guru Kristen Lamb, and the chance to get your work in front of some of the top people in the business.

For more information, including judges and prizes, formatting requirements, Terms & Conditions, and how the contest will be organised, please visit our website at www.romancewriters.co.za/competitions.

Entries should be sent to contest@romancewriters.co.za, but since you only get one entry with which to impress the judges, take your time and get your opening scene as polished as possible before you enter. The closing date is midnight on Tuesday, 1st May 2012.

For more information, visit our website, or keep watching this blog. We'll be posting information on our judges, updates on prizes, writing tips and a whole lot more right here.

If you have any questions about the contest, leave a comment below and we'll address it as soon as we can.

Best wishes for a fantastic Valentine's Day!

Congratulations to the Essentials Winners

Pick up a copy of the February edition of Essentials magazine (available in South African supermarkets and garage shops nationwide) to read the winning story in their Voice of Africa contest. This contest was judged by editors from Harlequin Mills & Boon, and the editors had lots of lovely things to say about the winner, Suzanne Jefferies.

A huge congratulations to our two ROSA members who also finalled. Drue Carter was a runner-up, and Alissa Baxter made the Top 12 with her Regency romance. We are incredibly proud of you, ladies!

Contest season is far from over, though. Watch this blog for a special Valentine's Day announcement - we have a treat in store for you!

All roads lead to Johannesburg

Jo'burg's thriving romance writing community now meets on the first Thursday of every month (that's this Thursday). If you'd like to meet other romance writers for a chat over food and wine, then contact me on romy@romancewriters.co.za for more information.