Royal Ascot Contest

2010 Contest Rules
Application Forms
Pay 2010 Royal Ascot Fees
Past Winners

2010 Contest Rules

The Royal Ascot is a contest devoted to the promotion of Regency Romances by encouraging the development of unpublished authors who set stories in the Regency Period. Visit the Royal Ascot blog for more information, discussion and general assistance in entering and preparing your entry. If you have any questions or need help with your entry, please feel free to contact the coordinator Delle Jacobs.

Important Dates

Tuesday April 20, 2010, midnight PDT: Deadline for all parts of entry

Prizes

$75.00 for first place in each category
$50.00 for second place in each category
$25.00 for third place in each category
Drawing for additional critiques among non-finalists

Fees

$25 for Beau Monde Members
$30 for Non Beau Monde Members
Checks should be made payable to The Beau Monde.
Entrants may also use PayPal through our website indicating that payment is for the Royal Ascot.
Entries from outside the United States please use PayPal through our website or pay by International Postal Money Order
Checks and money orders can be sent to the Beau Monde Treasurer at:

Haven Rich
44022 Arbordale Dr
Hammond, LA 70403

Categories & Final Round Judges

Regency Historical (longer Regency or Mainstream Regency-set)
- Final Judge: Leis Pederson, Editor, Berkley
Hot Regency (Very sensual to Erotic Regency, at author's discretion)
- Final Judge: Deb Werksman, Editor, Sourcebooks
Wild Regency (Paranormal, Time Travel, other similar Regency)
- Final Judge: Tessa Woodward, Editor, Avon
Sweet & Mild Regency (Traditional, Inspirational, Young Adult or other without explicit sex)
- Final Judge: Nicole D'Arienzo, Senior Editor, The Wild Rose Press
Short Regency (5,000 to 40,000 words) (Open to all authors, published and un-published)
- Final Judge: Scott Eagan, The Greyhaus Agency

Category Guidelines

All entries must have at least partial Regency (Late Georgian) setting, broadly defined: within the United Kingdom between 1780 and 1840.
First Round Judges: Three judges, at least one published in Regency Romance.
Final Round Judges: Editors and Agents acquiring in the category. If the final round judge does not acquire in the finalist's sub-category, an acquiring editor will be sought for an extra, non-judging read.

Eligibility

Open to all authors who have not been published in romance fiction by RWA PAN standards in the last five years. (Note: Short Regency category is open to both published and unpublished authors.)
Published authors may enter for feedback, but will not be eligible to participate in the final round of judging.

Entry

Beginning of manuscript and synopsis: maximum 8500 words in the text of manuscript and synopsis combined. Please note we are looking for openings that would normally be about 1 to 2 chapters long, with or without prologue. We suggest a short synopsis. No page count this year, but please double space with 12 point Courier or Times New Roman font. Entries must be electronic only. No paper entries this year.

How to Submit

Application: Download and fill out the application form. Save it as .rtf and email with your entry to coordinator at theroyalascot@gmail.com. Please use email only for both entry form and entry.
- Subject Line of the email: RA- plus the title of your entry (may be abbreviated).
- You may put a message to coordinator in the message box.
- Please keep an un-altered copy of your submission in case of problems
- No cover sheet needed. Your email serves this purpose.
Payment: Check, money order, or PayPal. Any checks or money orders must arrive by the contest deadline.
- Checks and money orders can be sent to the Beau Monde Treasurer at:
  
  Haven Rich
  44022 Arbordale Dr
  Hammond, LA 70403