Listen to what past Gotcha entrants who are now published have to say about the contest!
- Hope Tarr
- Kathrynn Dennis
- Elle James
- Barbara Plum
- Jane Myers Perrine
- Tawny Weber
- Garthia Anderson
- Terry McLaughlin
- Pamela Britton
And also to what recent Gotcha entrants who are seeking publication said!
Hope Tarr says: I entered GOTCHA back in the late 1990’s, ‘98 I believe. A Rogue’s Pleasure, a single-title Regency-set historical, was my second manuscript. My first manuscript, also an historical, was gathering dust in a drawer. (It still is). While completing that first book felt like an accomplishment, it also taught me that I really needed some outside feedback on my work. Without it, I would continue spinning my wheels, so to speak.
I honestly don’t recall what my final Gotcha “scores” were. What I do remember vividly and with genuine gratitude was all the great feedback I got on those score sheets from the judges who so generously volunteered their time to thoroughly assess my work. Whether their comments focused on pacing, syntax, characterization, or all of the above, having objective viewpoints on my work was quite simply invaluable.
I sold the manuscript to Berkley Jove in 1999. I had been writing for six years. A Rogue’s Pleasure came out the following year as one of the launch books in Jove’s new “Seduction” romance line. Once published, it garnered stellar reviews. Even though the book has been out of print for several years, I still get fan mail from readers who love the characters and story.
I’m just finishing writing UNTAMED, the finale to my historical “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy. My tenth book, “Strokes of Midnight,” is due out December 2007. Thank you, Gotcha, for helping to steer me toward the publication path.
http://hopetarr.com/
ENSLAVED (Medallion Press) - October 2007
Kathrynn Dennis, Zebra Debut Author, says: 
I made my first sale through the GOTCHA contest! My entry won the historical category in 2005 and the editor who judged that manuscript bought it—and another one! The GOTCHA contest rocks!
www.kdennis.com
DARK RIDER-Kensington, Sept 2007
SHADOW RIDER-Kengsington, Oct 2008
Elle James says: On the road to publication, I became a complete contest maniac. I entered contests for a few good reasons. At first to get feedback on my work so that I could learn and hone my writing skills. As I got better at writing, I entered contests to final and hopefully win so that I’d get my work in front of an editor. I’d target contests where the editor was from a publishing house I wanted to sell my book to. When I entered the Gotcha Contest, I loved my first five pages of what was then titled Shadows of the Moon. Writers have sensitive egos that need positive strokes on occasion. I’m no different!
Winning the Gotcha was a huge positive stroke that helped me keep faith in my book. The contest coordinators were great and the feedback even better. This book went on to sell to Harlequin Intrigue, not through this contest, but the contest gave me the confidence to keep trying. I did sell my first published book through a contest, and I highly encourage pre-published authors to try the contest route. I wrote for four years before my first sale, but I entered dozens of contests and finaled or won a lot of them.
Bio: Award-winning author, Elle James, has written over eighteen novels, published five and has five more scheduled for release in 2007 & 2008. Her debut novel TO KISS A FROG won the 2004 Golden Heart for Best Paranormal Romance. Along with the Golden Heart, Elle has won numerous writing contests and garnered many wonderful reviews.
http://ellejames.com/
BLOWN AWAY (Harlequin Intrigue) - September 2007
Barbara Plum says: Feedback. Feedback. Feedback. Insightful judges provided outstanding feedback and lots of encouragement as well. The GOTCHA! contest is one of the best around, IMO.
http://barbaraplum.com/
QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE (Zebra Books) - September, 2005
PRINCE OF FROGS (Zebra Books) - October, 2004
Jane Myers Perrine: thanks all who put time and effort into running and judging contests. Without feedback from great contests like the GOTCHA, she’s not sure when–or if–she would be published.
Jane Myers Perrine has always loved writing. Her third-grade teacher told her she’d be a writer someday. Her books finaled in many contests–including twice in the GOTCHA contest. She sold THE MAD HERRINGTONS, a Golden Heart finalist in 1999, to Avalon Books. After selling two more books to Avalon, she signed with Steeple Hill Love Inspired. THE PATH TO LOVE was published in 2005 and LOVE’S HEALING TOUCH is a September, 2007, release. Also coming from Steeple Hill are DEEP IN THE HEART (9/08) and a historical Western in early 2009.
She lives in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas with her husband and two spoiled felines, Maggie and Scooter the Wonder Cat.
http://janemyersperrine.com/
LOVE’S HEALING TOUCH (Love Inspired) - September 2007
Tawny Weber says: My 2004 Gotcha contest final was a great experience. The feedback was helpful, not only in preparing my manuscript for editor submissions, but for sending on to the Golden Heart, where it finaled! Contests as well run and focused as this one were key to my honing my writing and voice, which was key to my first sale to Harlequin Blaze.
http://blog.tawnyweber.com/main
DOUBLE DARE (Harlequin Blaze) - May 2007
DOES SHE DARE (Harlequin Blaze) - January 2008
Garthia Anderson says: THE SUBURBAN VAMPIRE placed second in the Gotcha. I didn’t sell that one but I did go on to sell SPELLBOUND IN SEATTLE. And another contest was directly responsible for that sale.
I was a Golden Heart finalist with SPELLBOUND IN SEATTLE–the third and final year I intended to enter. The editor judging my category ended up buying that manuscript. So, I’m a firm believer in the benefit of entering contests. It might not happen right away, but it can get your manuscript in front of the right editor at the right time and you’ll get that magical phone call.
For more about Spellbound in Seattle and me, see www.garthiaanderson.net.
SPELLBOUND IN SEATTLE (Love Spell) - March 2003
Terry McLaughlin says: Silicon Valley’s GOTCHA contest was one of the first I ever entered, way back in 1999, when I was as green as a writer can be. The encouragement and feedback I received from that contest final–with my very first manuscript!–helped keep me writing all the way to The End.
And because of that early experience with the GOTCHA, I continue to volunteer my time to help judge the first round, year after year. Contests like this can be wonderful sources of inspiration and guidance for entrants, as well as pathways to publication. I sold my first book to a 2005 Golden Heart contest judge, so I happen to think contests are fabulous–enter one today!
And what about my long-ago GOTCHA finalist, my Little Manuscript That Could? After many years, many revisions, many titles, and many more finals (including a Golden Heart final in 2004), I sold that very first manuscript to my editor at Harlequin Superromance. Don’t you love stories with happy endings? Look for A PERFECT STRANGER in January 2008.
Terry McLaughlin
http://www.terrymclaughlin.com
MAYBE, BABY (Harlequin Superromance) - August 2007
A PERFECT STRANGER (GOTCHA contest finalist, published by Harlequin Superromance) - January 2008
Multi-published author, Pamela Britton, who finaled in the GOTCHA with Fallen Angel, says:
Looking back at my publishing scrapbook, I realize I was a contest queen. Contests were such an integral part of my road to getting published. I have copies of e-mails, all from judges encouraging me to keep knocking on New York’s door. Wow. I still remember how amazed I felt that someone other than my critique group liked my writing. I remember, too, that it was through contests that I learned my opening hook needed work. There were a few places where the prose was rather vague and unclear and I would never have known that if not for my judges.
Ooo, look… there’s my Golden Heart finalist letter from New York. What a special, special time. It was through the Golden Heart that I sold my manuscript. An editor who’d read my work in the past called me when she heard I was a finalist. (Imagine my shock that an editor would call ME.) She was wondering if the manuscript in the Golden Heart was the same manuscript she’d read in the past (A Dell Diamond Debut finalist). When I told her it wasn’t, and that it was the sequel, she asked me to send her the full manuscript. The rest, as they say, is history. I didn’t win the Golden Heart, but I received a publishing contract less than a year later. Wow. What a ride.
Obviously, I’m a firm believer in contests! It’s probably one of the best ways for RWA members to get some feedback on their writing, and to connect with editors. I would add one caveat: If a judge points out a problem with your writing, don’t stress over it unless multiple judges do the same. Reading is so very subjective. Contestants need to remember that.
Visit Pamela at http://www.pamelabritton.com/books.html.
Recent entrants said:
Thank you also to the judges who took the time to mark the MS with so much care attention to say what was good and why and giving positive ways of looking at my work. This type of feedback is really useful in the rewriting process. Thank you again for all concerned in bringing this contest to aspiring writers.
-Noela Cowell
What excites me is that your contest judges all gave me valuable feedback. These weren’t pie-in-the-eye statements, they backed them up with examples of various parts of my story. I plan to make many changes based on their collective advice, then submit the manuscript.
-Bonnie Engstrom
Note regarding the judges: their comments were so helpful AND on the mark. I think they judged very fairly and accurately, at least as far as my manuscript. I’ve entered a few other contests, but this one had the most helpful and relatively consistent feedback and comments. Thanks!
-Terri