April is in full swing and it’s time for several annual contests.

 

I’ve participated in a few contests and I’ve always had fun doing them. When you approach contests with a positive mindset, you have everything to gain. You learn a bit about your audience. You have the potential to get your manuscript in front of an agent and/or an editor. And in some cases you may get a few good ideas for improving your story and writing style.

 

Here are the contests that are on tap for April and early May.

(Note that the deadlines for some of them are early April.)

 

*Writer’s Digest International Self Published Book Awards -Deadline

April 20th – http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/selfpublished

 

*Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition – Deadline May 1st –

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

 

*Coffee and Cream Publishing Spring Romance Short Story Contest –

Deadline April 30th-

http://www.coffeeandcreampublishing.com/guidelines

*Royal Ascot – Deadline April 6 –

http://main.thebeaumonde.com/resources/the-royal-ascot-contest

 

*The Sheila Contest – Deadline April 7th –

http://www.vfrw.com/contest/

*Orange Rose Contest – Deadline April 14th –

http://www.occrwa.org/orangerosecontest

 

*Duel on the Delta – April 15th –

http://www.rivercityromancewriters.org/duel.html

*Passionate Plume Contest -Deadline April 15th –

http://www.passionateink.org/contests/

 

*Stroke of Midnight Contest – Deadline April 15th –

http://www.passionateink.org/contests/

*Wishing You Holiday Love Short Story Contest – Deadline April 21st

Introducing the Wishing You Holiday Love Short Story Contest

 

(Breakup Contest – Deadline May 1st –

http://www.alaskawriters.com/membersites/akrwa/about.html

*International Digital Awards – Deadline May 1st –

http://www.okrwa.com/ida/ida.htm

 

*TARA – Deadline May 1st – http://www.tararwa.com/contest.php

 

*Women on Writing Spring Flash Fiction Contest – Deadline May 31st

http://wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

 

 

 

Conferences & Workshops

 

 

Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention – Chicago –

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/convention-home April 11th – 15th ,

2012.

 

The Writer’s Toolkit Indiana RWA – April 21st

 

Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference New England RWA – April

27-28

 

Spring Fling Writer’s Conference Chicago North RWA – April 27-28

 

Desert Dreams Writer’s Conference Desert Rose RWA Chapter April

27-29

 

Retreat from Harsh Reality Mid-Michigan Romance – April 27-29

 

 

March Featured Blog Posts

 

Fear is a hindrance and can keep you from achieving your romance

writing goals. Romance Writing Habit #31addresses fear and

releasing your inner judge and critic.

 

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to

succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison