When I first started writing THE HUSTLER around Christmas of 2015, I never could have fathomed that my story about a tech-savvy private investigator falling in love with the subject of her investigation—a dashing con artist with a heart of gold—would win such accolades. Thank you, Romance Writers of America, for this tremendous honor.

To watch the Awards ceremony, click play below. My speech starts at 44:30, if you want to take a gander!

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Finaling in the Golden Heart has always been a pie-in-the-sky writing dream of mine, and I still can’t believe I got the call. I wish I could say I was oh-so-chill about it, but…no. Much blubbering ensued. There were tears.

This was the third year I entered THE HUSTLER, and I couldn’t be more pleased and honored to be a finalist. The past three years have been a rollercoaster with this novel, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times I was tempted to quit. But I decided to pull out this manuscript, dust it off, and give it one final round of edits before entering it into the Golden Heart for the very last time, and I’m so glad I did.

Moral of the story: don’t give up on your dreams! You never know when the sun is about ready to peek out from behind the clouds.

Huge congrats to all the other Golden Heart finalists! I’m looking forward to celebrating with everyone at RWA Nationals on July 24–27th in New York City.

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Whether it’s traveling to a new place, trying my hand at a new hobby, or hopping in the car and seeing where the road takes me, I figure life’s too short to stay in your comfort zone. So earlier this year, when my agent suggested I try making the switch from writing romantic suspense to women’s fiction, I thought…eh, why not? I like a challenge. Then reality set in, along with the usual writerly nerves.

What if I can’t do it? What if I’m wasting my time? What if I suuuuuck? 

To combat my inner critic, I decided to draw inspiration from my experience working in the cruise industry. What’s more comforting than setting your story in an industry you’re familiar with and the places you’ve traveled?

Thus, The Un-Cruise was born. And man, has it been fun bringing this brain baby into the world. Not only because I love my characters (a workaholic marketing manager, a smokin’ hot nemesis, and a wild sister with a secret), but because I get to write about one of my favorite places on earth: the Galápagos Islands.

As a happy bonus, the The Un-Cruise has been selected as a finalist in four RWA chapter contests so far in 2018: Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Awards, NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest, Rose City Romance Writers’ Golden Rose Contest, and Tampa Area Romance Writers’ TARA Contest. Cue the confetti…take that, inner critic!

Thanks to the positive feedback I’ve received from early readers, I’m looking forward more than ever to ultimately sharing The Un-Cruise with the world.

Here’s to new adventures!

*****

Want to learn when you can read The Un-Cruise? Sign up for Angie’s newsletter to be the first to receive an update!

The post New Year, New Outlook, New Genre (…plus contest finals, huzzah!) appeared first on Angie Hockman.

[cue happy dance!]

I couldn’t be more thrilled about this honor. Thanks are owed to my inexhaustible agent, Patricia Nelson of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, and my fabulously critical beta readers, without whom THE HUSTLER wouldn’t be in the shape it is today.

Congratulations to my fellow Daphne finalists! I look forward to celebrating with you at RWA Nationals this year!

About The Daphne: The Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense is named for Daphne du Maurier, the author of REBECCA, a suspense novel with romantic and gothic overtones and a precursor to today’s romantic suspense. The Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense is a writing contest for published and unpublished authors of romantic suspense, mystery, suspense and thrillers with romantic subplots and mainstream mystery, suspense and thrillers.

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I have an agent!

And not just any agent, but the utterly fabulous Patricia Nelson of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

If you read my blog, you’ll know this is me right now…

Three weeks ago I was deep in the query trenches. Today, I signed with an agent, one I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with. It’s amazing how quickly things can change. I firmly believe that determination + hard work = success, so if you’re still querying, don’t give up! The Call may be coming sooner than you think.

For those who are curious about how it all happened, here’s my story.

How I Got My Agent

For years, I’ve dreamed of pursuing publication as a writer. So when a new idea for a story involving a tech-savvy private investigator and a smokin’ hot thief took root in my brain just before Christmas of 2015, I made a critical decision: I was going to stop dreaming and start doing. I’d been dabbling in writing on and off for several years, but dabbling wasn’t enough.

I had to stop thinking of myself as someone who liked to write. Instead, I had to become a writer.

And so I wrote. In every spare moment—evenings, during my son’s naps, weekends—at least one to two hours a day, every day. Often more.

Slowly, the first draft of my romantic suspense novel, The Hustler, took shape.

In January, I joined Romance Writers of America and my local Northeast Ohio chapter. I also started researching the industry. I subscribed to Publishers Marketplace and read every scrap of information I could find online about the query and publication process, including perusing my favorite authors’ websites to learn how they achieved success.

Bestselling & RITA award-winning romance author Kresley Cole’s story in particular struck a chord. When she was first starting out, she instituted a plan of action called the “Rule of 25.” At any given time, she’d have 25 active ventures toward publication in play, like conference registrations, contest entries, or query letters. Twenty-five.

Totally bananas. And utterly brilliant.

While I opted not to pursue 25 ventures at once (that’s a lot of balls in the air), I did adopt her mentality: treat writing seriously, like you’re starting a business. There’s no wishy-washy, maybe-it’ll-happen, maybe-it-won’t, dip your toe in to test the water.

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

Bolstered by Kresley “Yoda” Cole’s approach, I entered The Hustler, still in its infancy, in a handful of RWA chapter contests. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get some feedback early on so I could apply what I learned to improve my manuscript moving forward. Plus I love contests. And games. And anything competitive because weeeee!

To my utter astonishment, I finaled in several of these contests. So of course I entered more, incorporating judges’ feedback from one contest before I entered the next. I even won a few.

In May, I attended my first writers conference, Chicago-North RWA’s Spring Fling, where I networked with other writers, pitched an agent, and learned more about craft and the industry. My writing improved, and I finished the first draft of The Hustler.

By October, after some hefty rounds of revisions and positive responses from several beta readers, I decided The Hustler was as good as I could make it at that point in time. So I began querying agents.

I already had manuscript requests via a contest final, an online pitch event, and an in-person pitch, so I submitted those first. Then I referred to the agent list I’d been building over the past few months and fired off queries to my first batch of eight agents.

As rejections came in, I’d send more queries. Sometimes agents even requested my manuscript—oh, that tiny flicker of hope!

There was one agent I was itching to query, but couldn’t. She was in the process of judging my entry in SFA RWA’s Heart-to-Heart contest, so to avoid any impropriety, I’d have to wait until results were announced in early November before I reached out to her.

No big deal. Querying can take months—years, even! I had time.

Except I didn’t.

Just as I’d settled in for a long slog in the query trenches, I received my first offer of representation—less than three weeks after I sent my first query.

It was 6:45am on a Tuesday, and I was laying in bed checking email on my phone (everyone starts the day that way, right?). So naturally, when I read The Email asking to schedule The Call, I shook my husband awake—his alarm was about to go off anyway—shoved my bright-as-day phone in his face, and whisper-screamed, “Oh my god, READ THIS!”

He was not happy. Or capable of reading tiny print on a blazing screen after being jostled out of a peaceful slumber. So I told him that an agent might be making an offer. Then he was happy. Squinty and grouchy, but happy.

I officially received the offer that afternoon during a 45-minute phone call with the agent. After I hung up, suddenly everything kicked into high gear. Five other agents had fulls of my manuscript, so I nudged them with my offer of rep and asked if they could get back to me by the following week. I also contacted all of the agents I’d queried up to that point, but hadn’t heard back from. Three more asked to read my manuscript.

I then emailed the coordinator of the Heart-to-Heart contest and asked when I could contact the agent who was still judging my entry. I learned she was handing over her scores in a few days, so I could query her then. Plus, at that point, I’d find out if she requested to see any more of my manuscript.

It was around this time that I stopped sleeping. Or eating. Or doing much of anything besides obsessively checking my email. When I got my hair cut that week my stylist asked me if I’d lost weight and what had I been doing? Yeah, it’s called the Stress Diet. The one where your nerves are so frazzled that your stomach constantly churns and you lose your appetite.

I don’t recommend it.

That week, I received an offer of rep from another agent—and I couldn’t have felt luckier. I now had not one, but two, offers to consider!

Meanwhile, I’d received an email from the Heart-to-Heart contest coordinator. The agent I’d been eyeing had submitted her scores and I was free to contact her.

Thing was, she hadn’t requested to see my manuscript.

Disappointment knocked me for a loop and I almost didn’t reach out to her. She’d read my entry and didn’t ask for more pages, so why torture myself with another rejection?

Because, stubbornly, I was convinced we’d be a good fit (more in a Say Anything-boombox serenade kind of way than a Glenn Close-Fatal Attraction way, I swear). The contest entry she read had started at chapter three—it was a hero/heroine “first meet scene” contest—and plunking a reader down partway through a book is jarring for anyone. And I was confident in my story’s hook. Maybe she’d be interested if she knew more about the book’s core conflict courtesy of a query pitch?

I knew I’d kick myself forever if I didn’t at least try. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? All she could say was no.*

[*Side note: it’s generally frowned upon to query agents after you’ve received an offer of representation unless there’s some sort of extenuating circumstance, which I felt was the case here since the agent I queried had already read part of my manuscript. So yeah, tread carefully with that.]

Within the hour, I’d sent my query to the agent from the contest, Patricia Nelson of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, which included an honest explanation as to why I was only contacting her now with an offer of rep already in hand and what I hoped was a dynamite pitch.

The next day she asked for a full (cue freakout!). I sent it immediately, and about thirty hours later I noticed I had a new follower on Twitter: Patricia Nelson. Still staring at the notification, mind racing—does this mean what I think it means?—my phone buzzed.

It was an email from Patricia. She’d finished The Hustler, loved it, and wanted to talk on the phone tomorrow.

Of course I promptly sprinted to the basement where my husband was lifting weights, squealed, and danced around like a maniac.

Yes, there is video footage. No, I won’t show it to you because yikes.

The next day, I was a bundle of nerves as I waited for The Call, but it turns out I was worked up for no reason. After some brief and awkward (on my part; Patricia was totally cool) chit chat, we had a terrific discussion about The Hustler—what she liked about it, revisions she thinks it needs, and what I have planned for the series. Then she offered representation.

For the remainder of our talk, I somehow kept it together despite hopping up and down on the inside. By the time we hung up, my gut was practically screaming that Patricia was the right fit.

I’d decided in advance not to accept any offers on the spot, so I told her I’d let her know my answer in a few days. A couple of agents still had my manuscript, and since they were taking time out of their busy schedules to read my book, I wanted to hear them out if they happened to make an offer. 

Choosing an agent is a business decision after all, and a critical one at that. Marry in haste…

I received one more offer of rep during those few days, which felt like the longest of my life. With a total of four offers on the table, I carefully considered my options, which, I’m pleased and humbled to say, were fantastic. In the end though, I went with my gut.

I signed with Patricia Nelson. 

Right now I’m absolutely overwhelmed and grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented, passionate agent, and thrilled at the prospect of what the future holds!

And that’s my story. At least this chapter…

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The post Signing with an Agent: My Story appeared first on Angie Hockman.

For those who might be scratching your heads because you’re new to the romance scene, we’ll start from the top.

What are RWA chapter contests and how do they work?

Romance Writers of America is a “nonprofit trade association whose mission is to advance the professional and common business interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy and by increasing public awareness of the romance genre.” In other words, it’s the national professional organization for people who write romance, aka, works with a central love story and a happy ending.

Each year, RWA holds the national Golden Heart contest—essentially the Oscars for unpublished romance writers. But what if you’re not quite ready for the Golden Heart? Or what if it’s February and you missed the Golden Heart’s January deadline?

There are many RWA special interest and local chapters. Examples of local chapters include Northeast Ohio RWA, Chicago-North RWA, or Portland RWA. Special interest chapters are online groups that share an interest in the same sub-topic or sub-genre such as Kiss of Death (romantic suspense), Rainbow Romance Writers (LBGTQ), or Hearts Through History Romance Writers (historical romance).

Most local and special interest chapters hold their own contests, either for published or unpublished writers. Here’s the way these contests usually work: you submit an entry form, a fee, and an excerpt of your manuscript. Excerpts can range in length from 5 to 55 pages or from 3,000 to 10,000 words; each contest is different. Entries are typically split into categories based on sub-genre (Contemporary, Young Adult, Fantasy/Paranormal, etc). Each entry is judged by 2-3 trained or experienced judges (usually members of that chapter), PAN and/or PRO members.

First round judges typically use a scoresheet with categories and numerical values, and all contests encourage judges to leave substantive feedback either on the scoresheet or within the manuscript itself. From there, entries in each category are ranked based on scores from first round judges, and the top few (usually 3-5) are sent to a final round judge(s) to be ranked. Final round judges are typically acquiring editors or literary agents.

Why should I enter a RWA chapter contest?

There are many reasons to enter your work in a contest:

• Receive objective feedback on a work-in-progress
• See how your work “ranks” compared to other aspiring authors
• Get your work in front of an acquiring editor or agent who may (or may not) request your manuscript
• Use a chapter contest as a “test run” for the Golden Heart
• Gain notoriety from contest wins
• Win fabulous prizes
• Enjoy that rush of pulling the handle and seeing if you win the jackpot…weeeee!

What’s the downside?

Contests aren’t necessarily all sunshine and rainbows. Here are some reasons why people DON’T enter writing contests:

• You can get feedback from critique partners for free.
• There’s no guarantee you’ll receive constructive feedback. All contests encourage their judges to offer specific feedback, but it doesn’t mean they will.
• Some judges are better than others. Some judges are awful. And some are plain rude.
• You can receive conflicting feedback from judges, which isn’t merely unhelpful, it can be confusing.
• The people who read your submission aren’t necessarily the people who would buy your book.
• There’s no guarantee that agents or editors will want to read your full manuscript even if you final.
• Winning a contest doesn’t carry weight with readers; it can be a feather in your cap in a query to an agent or editor but ultimately your writing is what sells, not contest wins.

It’s important before you enter contests to appreciate them for what they will and won’t do and make your decision accordingly.

I’m going for it. Which contest(s) should I enter?

It all depends on what you want to get out of it. In my experience, people tend to fall in one of two categories for why they enter contests: 1) those who need/want the critical feedback in order to improve their manuscript and 2) those whose manuscript is more or less polished and are looking for contest finals to boost their chances at publication.

If you’re looking for feedback but aren’t confident you’ll final, you may benefit more from a contest that offers 3 first round judges instead of 2, and judges that are published authors or PAN members.

If you think your manuscript is good enough to final, then it becomes all about the final round judges. Reputable contests will list the final judges in advance; see if there are any agents or editors judging who you think would be interested in your work. Note: some contests have final round judges that are editors for lines that don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, i.e., the only way you’ll get your work in front of this editor is through an agent or a contest (Berkley and Grand Central Publishing are two examples). These are golden opportunities! If you think you stand a decent chance at finaling, you should enter!

Other things to consider when choosing a contest: page counts, fees, and scoresheets. Maybe you really want feedback on that scene starting on page 30…so it wouldn’t do you any good to enter a contest that caps entries at 15 pages. Take a look at fees too; some contests may suit your budget better than others. I also recommend checking to see whether a contest you’re interested in posts a sample scoresheet online. That way you can see precisely how your entry will be judged. Otherwise, it’s a shot in the dark.

Still not sure which contest to enter? Compare and contrast RWA chapter contests with my handy dandy chart!

Click on the link below to download my RWA Chapter Contest Chart. All contests listed are for unpublished authors. The chart includes chapter and contest name, entry fee, deadline month, submission criteria, number of first round judges, whether feedback includes a scoresheet, type of final round judges, whether the contest drops entrants’ lowest score to calculate finalists, whether finalists have an opportunity to revise their entry before it’s sent to final round judges, and other miscellaneous tidbits.

RWA Chapter Contests Chart

Disclaimer: this chart is not a complete representation of all RWA chapter contests in existence, only a selection. To the best of my knowledge, all information is accurate as of 8/21/16, but don’t take my word for it! This chart is FYI only. Before entering any contest, you should check the contest’s website for the most current, accurate information and carefully read all rules before entering.

If your chapter’s contest is not included, but you’d like it to be, please drop me a line using the Contact page and I’ll add it at my earliest convenience.

Some notes about the chart:

• Entry fees listed are for writers who are RWA members, but not members of that particular chapter. Some contests offer “early bird” discounts or reduced fees for chapter members.
• For “Final Round Judges” I only counted contests that have agents and/or editors rank finalists and choose winners. Some contests only send the 1st place manuscripts, which have been ranked in the preliminary round, to agents/editors to judge against each other for a grand prize. Some send the top 3 in each category to editors and agents to read but not judge.
• I have not addressed contest prestige. Some contests have better reputations than others. I recommend asking around your local chapters to ascertain which contests are respected in the industry, are well run, and offer constructive feedback.
• The chart does not include special interest chapter contests such as Kiss of Death’s Daphne Contest.
• Many contests strive to include as many published authors as judges as possible. Their rules may state that each entry is judged by trained judges or at least one published author, but in many cases they try their best to have entries judged by multiple published authors.

*General Contest Caveat* Many non-RWA writing contests out there are scams! Run away screaming if a contest ever requires you to sign the rights to your work away in order to enter. Also beware of contests that charge steep fees. RWA chapter contest fees can be as high as $35, but keep in mind that these contests are a legitimate and crucial fundraising vehicle for local chapters. Outside of romance that may not be the case, so watch out.

Have you entered a RWA chapter contest? Post your favorite contest in the comments and tell us why!

The post Want to Enter a RWA Chapter Contest? Here’s Everything You Need to Know. appeared first on Angie Hockman.