The ROMA is Romance Writers of Australia’s (RWA’s) annual award for excellence in Australian media coverage of romance genre or themes. Each year, RWA members nominate pieces that represent the strongest and freshest reportage of a romance-related subject. They are read and assessed by a member-panel that includes a journalist and experienced marketers/communicators. Entries are assessed against criteria including quality, innovation, bias/objectivity and reach. This year, two very different approaches have made the finals: A pair of pieces based on an interview with 2016 RWA Conference keynotes, Jim and Nikoo McGoldrick, syndicated to The Mercury (TAS) and The Advertiser (SA) but which featured market-specific authors and …
Going to Conference on a budget
If you haven’t already organised your Love Gone Wild experience, don’t despair! Time is still on your side, and with some careful planning and these nifty ideas, you can come and kick it at Conference in Brisbane this August. Registering The first thing you will need to do if you’re intending to come along to Conference is buy a ticket. A core program ticket will cost $550 (members) and $580 (non-members). Included is the ticket to the ‘Bring Out the Animal in You’ Harlequin costume cocktail party on Friday night, the core conference program, and access to our exclusive pitching …
RWA Member New Releases | July 2017
It’s the beginning of the month again – which means a slew of new romance titles to pick and choose from. No matter what your preference – sweet or sexy, contemporary or historical, fantasy or paranormal – you’ll find a romance to enjoy.
August OWL | Treat Backstory Like a Pungent Spice with Sandy Vaile
Sprinkle and blend the flavours of your character to achieve an irresistible aroma. Do you feel that your stories are lacklustre? Have you been accused of too much telling? Does your character have a fascinating history, but you’re not sure how best to convey it? Back story delivery could be your problem. Learn how much to use and when to reveal it for the best effect. This course best suits modern fiction writers with a developed character and story idea, so Sandy can tailor feedback. During this workshop: · learn how to determine which parts of your backstory is important, …
Now Available for Pre-Order – Tattoo – Spicy Bites Anthology 2017
We’re please to announce the new Spicy Bites Anthology is available for pre-order. The paperback copy will be available for pick-up at the conference, or for postage after the launch date. Have you ever had a secret life? Ever done something you wouldn’t normally dare to do? Ever received something you hadn’t bargained for? Join us for Romance Writers of Australia’s newest anthology offering, Spicy Bites. Only the steamiest of stories have made it through to the 2017 edition where passion and pleasure walk hand-in-hand during the daylight hours but fetish and fantasy linger long into the night. You’ll meet …
Ten Simple Ways to Improve Author Emails by Lana Pecherczyk
For some reason, a lot of authors are a little bit afraid of email marketing. But I see email as just another format of writing stories for your readers … only with a sales focus in mind. Emails provide a direct link to your readers, and when you have a new release coming out, this is invaluable. No one else controls this list. Not your publisher, not some social media platform, but you! And these days, you can achieve great email marketing at virtually zero cost, making the return on investment the highest out of any e-marketing channel. So what are you waiting for? Here’s …
6 Ways to Network Like a Pro at Conference
Aside from experiencing the exciting program and fabulous opportunities on offer at Love Gone Wild, many of us will have another common goal: networking with our peers! While social media allows us the chance to ‘meet’ and engage with other writers, Conference about coming together as a collective and passionate community as well as enjoying the stellar professional development opportunities crafted by our dedicated Conference team. Networking is an essential part of a developing writing career. Meeting people who write in your sub-genre, or who are at the same level of their career as you are, or who just understand …
Focus on the First Five — A tale of seduction by Samantha Bond
If you’re like me, before committing to a book, you’ll open it and read the first page in a store, or download the free excerpt of an ebook, before buying it. That’s also what an agent or publisher does with your manuscript. Needless to say, there’s massive pressure on your first few pages because their job is to hook your reader (be that agent, publisher or eventual everyday reader) and convince them to commit to reading the rest of your story. A reader will not “wait for it to get good. You must wow them now, immediately and right away. …
Little Gems Anthology Now Available for Pre-Order
We’re pleased to reveal the cover for the Little Gems Onyx anthology! Have you ever defied a pharaoh to run off with a prince? Ever fallen for a customer who buys beautiful flowers every week but appears unattached? Ever lusted after a colleague knowing the world would condemn you for it? In this year’s collection of short stories where lost dogs can unite strangers, the death of a loved one really can be a blessing in disguise and a fallen woman does what she must to protect a family member, Romance Writers of Australia’s best of the best for 2017 …
First Kiss 2017 placegetters
Congratulations to our 2017 First Kiss placegetters! As judged by Haylee Nash of The Nash Agency: 1st: Tamar Sloan 2nd: Sheridan Kent 3rd: Miranda Morgan 4th: Nicola Bernard 5th: Kym Wojtasik 6th: Emily Michel Thanks to Haylee Nash for providing such generous feedback for our finalists. Big thanks to Cat Whelan for her time and effort in running an efficient and timely contest, and to all our judges who volunteer their time and effort to help other writers. And well done to all who entered!