Hello! I’d like to welcome you to The Golden Network, a very special national chapter of Romance Writers of America®. All the writers who are eligible to join this group have reached a special goal in their careers—each has become a Finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart® contest.

If you are here for the first time as a member, I hope you’re as excited to join us as we are to have you in this great company of writers. TGN is a group of talented, caring, supportive people who want to advocate not only for themselves but for their fellow writers and the future of romance fiction.

TGN’s goal is to offer all its members networking opportunities, writing support and current, helpful information about the industry. One of the ways we do this is by hosting a retreat at the RWA national meeting, where agents, editors, publishers and other industry experts meet with TGN members to share their knowledge.

Another way we promote romance writers is by sponsoring a writing competition, The Golden Pen. This contest mimics the Golden Heart® in submission length and scoring procedures, but our judges go a step further and offer constructive feedback. This not only gives unpublished authors a chance to “practice” for the GH, but it gives TGN members the opportunity to act as judges and pass down the knowledge they’ve gained from succeeding in a national contest.

TGN’s board is new this year and raring to go. VP, Katrina Snow; Treasurer, Pam Menz-Baker; Secretary, Nancy Northcott, and I have already begun the planning process for some great activities in 2012. I’m so excited to be working with these smart, insightful women. Please, members, keep in touch with us and let us know what interests and needs you have. We want to represent you the very best we can.

Finally, there’s a great way for TGN members to stay connected, and that’s on the TGN listserve. Whether we’re sharing a success, commiserating a rejection, or passing an interesting article around the loop, we’re always ready online to listen and cheer and help each other toward what really is our ultimate goal: getting published. Have I mentioned, this really is a fabulous group?

Once again, welcome. I invite you to join up and use the resources and the people of TGN, and then get really involved. Volunteer at the retreat, as a judge, or as a board member. You won’t regret it, and you’ll end up feeling just as Golden as you are!

Here’s to nothing but big successes for all of us in 2012!

Liz Selvig
TGN President

See previous letters from our President