About The Golden Pen Contest

OVERVIEW OF THE GOLDEN PEN CONTEST

The Golden Pen is an annual contest for unpublished romance fiction sponsored by The Golden
Network, an online chapter of the Romance Writers of America that is comprised of current and former Golden Heart finalists. While with our contest we strive to prepare writers
for the Golden Heart by emulating many of that contest’s rules and requirements, we also pride ourselves
on our differences, particularly the strict qualification requirements that we place on our first-round judging
panel. Unlike the Golden Heart, we do not require the submission of a full manuscript in addition to the
partial and synopsis. We also are an all-electronic contest.

We hope to make the entry and judging process easy for you. Please read all of the information on this
website and direct any questions about the Golden Pen contest to the Overall Coordinator.

2011 FINAL-ROUND JUDGES

Historical – Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks Inc.
Inspirational – Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements – Valerie Gray, MIRA Books and SPICE Books
Paranormal – Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group
Romantic Suspense – Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press
Series Contemporary – Susan Litman, Harlequin Enterprises
Single Title – Katherine Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group
Young Adult – Regina Griffin, Egmont USA

AWARDS

First place in each category: “Golden Pen Winner” pen, a certificate, and a check for $30.
Second place in each category: Certificate and a check for $20.
Third place in each category: Certificate.
Final placements will be announced in the Romance Writers Report.

ENTRY FEE

$35 per entry received on or before midnight EDT July 16.
$40 per entry received on or before midnight EDT August 15.
$5 judging discount for any entrant who is also a first-round judge in a different category.

KEY DEADLINES

June 1: Contest opens to submissions.
July 16: Early-bird entry submission deadline at midnight EDT.
August 15: Entry submission and PayPal payment deadline at midnight EDT.
August 22: Payments by check must be received on or before this date.
October 1: All finalists notified of status.
October 10: Finalists have the opportunity to revise their entries before final-round judging begins.
Finalists will be instructed to submit their final-round entries to the Overall Coordinator before
midnight EDT on October 10.
October 10: All non-finaling entries will be returned on or before this date to allow entrants time
for revision before the Golden Heart deadline.
December 1: Final-round placements will be announced.

Enter the Golden Pen

Read the Rules



We are the finalists and winners of Romance Writers of America's ® prestigious Golden Heart ® Competition. We strive to encourage and promote awareness of and excellence in romantic fiction. About TGN About Us Our Board Our Authors TGN Hall of Gold Join or Renew Membership Membership Benefits Join or Renew The Golden Pen 2011 Finalists About The Golden Pen Rules & Guidelines Contest FAQs Contact the Coordinators Past Winners 2010 Winners 2009 Winners 2008 Winners 2007 Winners 2006 Winners 2005 Winners Reception/Retreat About the Retreat Register for the Retreat Log In Username Password Remember Me Lost Password	About The Golden Pen Contest OVERVIEW OF THE GOLDEN PEN CONTEST The Golden Pen is an annual contest for unpublished romance fiction sponsored by The Golden Network, an online chapter of the Romance Writers of America that is comprised of current and former Golden Heart finalists. While with our contest we strive to prepare writers for the Golden Heart by emulating many of that contest’s rules and requirements, we also pride ourselves on our differences, particularly the strict qualification requirements that we place on our first-round judging panel. Unlike the Golden Heart, we do not require the submission of a full manuscript in addition to the partial and synopsis. We also are an all-electronic contest. We hope to make the entry and judging process easy for you. Please read all of the information on this website and direct any questions about the Golden Pen contest to the Overall Coordinator. 2011 FINAL-ROUND JUDGES Historical – Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks Inc. Inspirational – Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill Novel with Strong Romantic Elements – Valerie Gray, MIRA Books and SPICE Books Paranormal – Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group Romantic Suspense – Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press Series Contemporary – Susan Litman, Harlequin Enterprises Single Title – Katherine Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group Young Adult – Regina Griffin, Egmont USA AWARDS First place in each category: “Golden Pen Winner” pen, a certificate, and a check for $30. Second place in each category: Certificate and a check for $20. Third place in each category: Certificate. Final placements will be announced in the Romance Writers Report. ENTRY FEE $35 per entry received on or before midnight EDT July 16. $40 per entry received on or before midnight EDT August 15. $5 judging discount for any entrant who is also a first-round judge in a different category. KEY DEADLINES June 1: Contest opens to submissions. July 16: Early-bird entry submission deadline at midnight EDT. August 15: Entry submission and PayPal payment deadline at midnight EDT. August 22: Payments by check must be received on or before this date. October 1: All finalists notified of status. October 10: Finalists have the opportunity to revise their entries before final-round judging begins. Finalists will be instructed to submit their final-round entries to the Overall Coordinator before midnight EDT on October 10. October 10: All non-finaling entries will be returned on or before this date to allow entrants time for revision before the Golden Heart deadline. December 1: Final-round placements will be announced. Enter the Golden Pen Read the Rules

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