Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Before you all disappear into the sunset to enjoy your well deserved holidays ... don't forget about the annual contest run by Amazon to discover that new voice in fiction! Amazon will be accepting entries for this from the 23rd of January 2012. 

Don't know what it's all about? If you are an author of general fiction or young adult fiction with an unpublished or previously self-published novel waiting to be discovered, click here to visit the Amazon site and find out more. 

Each grand prize winner will be published by the Penguin Group who run this competition together with Amazon! 

The competition closes on the 5th of February 2012 and only 5000 entries will be accepted in each category. Good luck to all those entering!

Writing Contests

There are a few contests open at the moment for Romance writers, for those of you into entering contests.

Local is lekker, so we'll start with two home-grown South African contests. First up is the second short story contest run by Essentials Magazine in conjunction with Mills & Boon. Deadline is 28th February and the details are available here. This year's prize is awesome so you really should give it a go!

Next is Penguin Books' Prize for African Writing. The deadline is 30th January and the contest criteria can be found here. This contest is for full-length adult contemporary novels out of Africa. Again, an awesome prize - but if you want to enter you'll either need a completed manuscript ready and waiting or be an awesomely fast writer.

Further afield, the Washington DC Romance Writers (a chapter of the RWA) is running its annual Marlene contest, open to entrants word-wide. The deadline is 15th January and you can find more information here. This contest does have an entry fee so I'd recommend it only if you want to get your work in front of these specific contest judges, all editors from top romance publishers.

Then there's the Chase the Dream contest. This annual contest for the opening 1,000 words of a novel, runs from 1st January to 3rd March. Details can be found here. It's great fun, easy to enter, completely free, and can also get your work in front of some top editors and agents.

If you know of any other contests for writers, and specifically for romance writers, open to South African residents, then please drop us a line in the comments section.

Writing Contests

There are a few contests currently open to aspiring romance writers in South Africa:

If you have a completed single title novel you might consider Penguin's contest for aspiring African authors. For more information, check out http://www.penguinbooks.co.za/african-winners/index.php.

For category romance writers, Harlequin is running another Presents contest (Modern & Modern Heat to us here in SA). All you need to enter is a synopsis and first chapter - but as Amanda Holly can attest, it's probably a good idea to have written a little more than that! Winners of the last two contests have already sold their completed manuscripts to Harlequin, but even if you aren't confident of winning, I highly recommend you enter. Every entrant is guaranteed feedback and I know several people who've had full manuscripts requested based on their entries. (Isn't it time you submitted yours, Mandy?) Details are available on http://www.iheartpresents.com/2009/07/official-rules-for-the-harlequin-presents-writing-competition-2009/.

Finally, Essentials magazine is running another Voice of Africa short story contest in conjunction with Mills&Boon. Pick up the August issue of Essentials, or visit their website at http://www.essentials.co.za/index.php?p[IGcms_nodes][IGcms_nodesUID]=da425e83de610e013f2f16d3fdbfdca3. The prizes are absolutely awesome!

So get writing, and please leave a comment to let us know if you plan to enter any of these. Good luck to all entrants!