I'm an Official Judge! / IWSG

READ THE UPDATE HERE.

2021 IWSG Anthology Contest Details

 

Guidelines and rules:

Word count: 5000-6000 

Genre: Sweet Romance

Theme: First Love

Submissions Accepted: May 7 - September 1, 2020

 

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (double-spaced, no footers or headers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your full contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. You must belong to at least one aspect of the IWSG to enter.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Our Official Judges:

Author Nancy Gideon

https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/

Nancy Gideon is the award-winning bestseller of over 70 romances ranging from historical, Regency, and series contemporary suspense to dark paranormal and horror, with a couple of produced screenplays and non-fiction writing books tossed into the mix. She’s also written under the pseudonyms Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West, and Lauren Giddings.

 

Agent Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates

https://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/

Caitlin Blasdell has been a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates since 2002 with a focus on commercial fiction. Before becoming an agent, she was a senior editor at HarperCollins Publishers.

 

Author Susan Gourley

http://susangourley.blogspot.com/

Susan Gourley is traditionally published in fantasy and science fiction romance using the name Susan Kelley. She is currently serving as the President of the Pennwriters writing group renowned for the annual conference.

 

Agent Melissa Gaines, Victress Literary

https://www.victressliterary.com/

 

Author Jennifer Lane

https://jenniferlanebooks.com/

Jennifer Lane writes sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist. She has published nine novels and two short stories, including Behind the Catcher’s Mask as part of the IWSG Masquerade Anthology.

 

Agent Rachel Beck, Liza Dawson Associates

https://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/

Rachel Beck joined Liza Dawson Associates in January 2020 after working at a boutique literary agency for four years. She has been in the publishing industry since 2009 and worked at Harlequin editing romance novels for nearly six years before transitioning her skills to the agent world in order to be an advocate and champion for authors.

Author Chrys Fey

https://www.writewithfey.com/

Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. Hurricane Crimes, Book One, is an award-winning romantic-suspense novella.

 

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Dancing Lemur Press' imprint Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. (Please see their site for general submission guidelines.) Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

This is our seventh anthology contest! In addition to Dark Matter: Artificial, previous titles include Voyagers: The Third Ghost, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Hero Lost” The Mysteries of Death and Life, and Parallels: Felix Was Here.

 

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERS!

 

I am excited to read and judge the shortlist, and I am honored to be a judge among such amazing authors and agents.

HAPPY IWSG DAY!