Reintroducing the Golden Heart Awards Contest
The Golden Heart contest showcases the next great generation of romance writers by recognizing outstanding manuscripts from never-before-published Romance Writers of America members.
The Golden Heart Awards recognize authors who have mastered the craft of romance writing and showcase their talent and creativity in producing romances that are equitable and inclusive and are exemplary models of the romance genre. We celebrate the power of the romance genre with its central message of hope and love, because romance is for everyone.
Envisioning a celebration of romance in its myriad forms, we aspire to recognize, honor, and elevate the craft of romance writing in all its diversity, inclusivity, and equity. Through the Golden Heart Awards, we aim to recognize and honor those storytellers who beautifully weave narratives of love and hope, breaking barriers and embracing all shades of the human experience. We champion authors whose writing redefines the contours of the romance genre, contributing to a literary world where “happily ever afters” or “happy for nows” are for everyone. Our vision is to illuminate the power of romantic narratives that transcend differences, foster connections, and inspire hope, while ensuring the rich tapestry of our collective experiences is reflected and respected in every romantic tale we celebrate.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - Judge sign-up begins
Friday, May 10, 2024 - Judge sign-ups close at 4:59pm Central Time
Friday, May 17, 2024 - Last day for judges to complete training and testing
Monday, June 3, 2024 - Category entry caps announced
Wednesday, June 5, 2024 - The contest opens at 11 a.m. Central Time rwacontest.org. RWA members may submit one entry at this time. Entries will be placed on a waitlist if entry caps are met.
Monday, June 17, 2024 - The contest opens to second entries. RWA members may enter a second manuscript if the final entry caps have not been met. All entrants may enter up to two manuscripts in total.
Friday, June 21, 2024 - The contest closes to entries at 4:59 p.m. Central Time.
Monday, July 1, 2024 - Deadline for works to be submitted to RWA’s contest site by 4:59 p.m. Central Time. Failure to meet this deadline will result in disqualification and forfeiture of the entry fee.
Friday, July 19, 2024 - The first round of judging will open, and works will be sent to the judges.
Monday, August 26, 2024 - Round one scores due to the RWA Office.
Friday, September 13, 2024 - The second round of judging will open, and works will be sent to the judges.
Monday, October 21, 2024 - Round two scores due to the RWA Office.
Friday, November 1, 2024 - Phone calls to notify finalists will commence. Release of official finalist list on RWA’s website by 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
Friday, November 8, 2024 - The Third round of judging will open, and works will be sent to the judges for evaluation.
Monday December 16, 2024 - Round three scores due to the RWA Office.
Awards Ceremony - January 2025 TBD
The Contest Committee and RWA Executive Director will make every effort to adhere to the schedule as listed. However, we reserve the right to adjust the schedule in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
The entry fee for the Golden Heart contest is $55 per entry. Email questions to [email protected].
RWA Contest Committee and Executive Director reserves the right to administratively disqualify an entry at any point in the contest. In that case, the file will be deleted, and the entry fee may be refunded.
Works in which strong, often explicit, sexual interaction is an inherent part of the love story, character growth and relationship development and could not be removed without damaging the storyline. These works may contain elements of other romance subgenres such as paranormal, historical, etc.).
Works in which themes or elements other than the romance are integral to the story even though a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic resolution to the romance are still present.
Works in which spiritual beliefs are an inherent part of the love story, character growth, or relationship development, and could not be removed without damaging the storyline. These novels may be set in the context of any religious or spiritual belief system of any culture.
Works in which young adult life is an integral part of the plot.
Entrants will be able to enter one title from June 5, 2024, to June 16, 2024 at rwacontest.org. Entrants will be able to enter a second title starting June 17, 2024, until the maximum number of entries is reached or the contests close on June 21, 2024, whichever comes first. Each entrant may submit up to two entries.
The purpose of RWA’s Golden Heart contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding manuscripts written by RWA members who have not published a Novel or Novella. For the purpose of determining eligibility to enter the Golden Heart contest, “Novel” means a work of fiction of more than 40,000 words (as defined by computer word count) that has been commercially available. “Novella” means a work of fiction of 20,000-40,000 words (as defined by computer word count) that has been commercially available.
Judges must have a deep love for and knowledge of romance fiction and believe that everyone deserves a happily ever after. The ideal judge will be able to provide a fair assessment of all assigned manuscripts and will abide by RWA’s core values and our anti-discrimination policy.
In case of a tie, scores from round 1 and round 2 will be combined as the tiebreaker.
In case of a tie, scores from round 1, round 2, and round 3 will be combined as the tiebreaker.
Past Winners
View past winners of the Golden Heart Award