Entry Guidelines
Following the success of the first 5DI, Romance Writers
of Australia (RWA) is running another 5 Day Intensive (5DI) Manuscript
Development Workshop in 2011. The aim is to help members to polish
their manuscripts and hone their writing craft.
The 5DI 2011 is an INTENSIVE, 5 day, live-in workshop where you,
an aspiring author, will work closely with a mentor, who also lives-in.
Your mentor will be an experienced writer, who has been published
in your genre. The mentor will read your manuscript prior to the
workshop and provide a constructive report on your manuscript at
the workshop's commencement. Over the course of the 5 days you will
do rewrites based on your mentor's continuing feedback, which is
provided during daily one-on-one sessions. You will be one of a
small group, consisting of (approximately) 7 aspiring writers in
the same (or similar) genre, and your mentor.
This program has been created by RWA to help members develop their
manuscripts. Please note that you shouldnot expect to leave 5DI
with a submission-ready manuscript. Selection and attendance at
this program does not guarantee publication.
Eligibility
Manuscripts submitted to this workshop must be the entrant's original
work. The manuscripts can be in any romantic sub genre, including
mainstream books with romantic elements.
This workshop is open to all members of RWA who are unpublished
and over 18 years of age. For the purposes of the 5DI, ‘unpublished'
is deemed to be a writer who has not been published in novel length
fiction (over 40,000 words), in the last 5 years.
The completed manuscript submitted in the entry process will be
the manuscript worked on by the entrant and the mentor.
Successful entrants must be committed to attending the one week
5DI Workshop in July, 2011 in Brisbane. They must live-in at the
selected accommodation and a lap top computer is a necessity to
work on during the week.
How to Enter
Entrants must email a copy of their complete manuscript with NO
identifying name, only the title and genre and page number in the
document header. (Their name will be on the entry form along with
the book's title). Send as an RTF.
The manuscript must be accompanied by an official entry form, an
Evidence of Experience form and an administration fee of $33 (GST
inc).
Entrants can enter more than one manuscript, but if they are selected
they must work on only the successful manuscript.
If they enter more than one manuscript, they must fill out an entry
form and pay an entry fee for each manuscript. Only one Evidence
of Experience form is required per person.
Application Process 5DI 2011
At time of application applicants are to provide:
1. Complete manuscript of appropriate word length (40k-75k word
count for category, 60k-120k word count for single title)
2. The Evidence of Experience form (appropriate evidence to support
this experience will be required if accepted into 5DI).
Manuscript: The first 20 pages of the manuscript will be
assessed by the readers and scored. In addition, one random page
from the rest of the manuscript will also be judged to ensure the
quality of the opening pages is consistent throughout the manuscript.
Evidence of Experience: Applicants are required to score
a minimum of 3 points from the Critique Experience section for entry
into 5DI. In addition, their approved score from their Evidence
of Experience will be added to the manuscript assessment score.
Assessment Process
All entries will be assessed by readers who are industry professionals.
The panel will select a short list and from which the successful
entries will be chosen. These entrants will be placed in a group
of approximately 7 aspiring authors, under the mentorship of an
experienced author who is published in their genre.
RWA reserves the right to decide how many genre groups to create,
and the final numbers for groups, depending on the number of successful
entries and available mentors.
The selected entrants must confirm acceptance of their place by
the 14th of May, 2011, when they pay their deposit of $450 and return
the signed Terms and Condition form. If one or more entrants cannot
attend, the next entrant on the short list will be contacted and
offered a place.
If an entrant's book is accepted for publication prior to the workshop,
they can choose to withdraw, but they must inform RWA as soon as
possible and no later than the May 14th deadline. (This gives us
time to contact the long-list applicants)
There will be no feedback supplied to unsuccessful entrants. No
correspondence will be entered into over the selection process and
choice of entrants.
NB. Once accepted, please do not continue to work on the winning
manuscript. Put it aside and work on something different. Your feedback
and mentoring will be based on the manuscript entered as it was
entered.
Costs
The entry fee is $33(GST incl).
The selected entrants will be expected to pay $1,450(GST inc); this
covers their accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and
one on one mentoring. The selected entrants will be expected to
pay their own travel expenses.
Important Dates
Entries open: 1st January 2011.
Entries close: Midnight, 31st January, 2011.
Selected entrants notified: mid-March, 2011.
Deadline for Confirmation of place: May 14th 2011. Payment
of the deposit of $450 and return of signed Terms and Condition
and Evidence of Experience forms due.
Complete payment of workshop fee: 31st May 2001.
5DI Workshop 2011 Arrive Saturday 9th - leave Friday 15th
July, 2011.
How to Enter
Complete the Evidence of Experience and entry form. Attach both
forms and your completed manuscript (no name, only title, genre
and page numbers). Send to 5DI@romanceaustralia.com
Manuscripts should be laid out in standard ms layout, Courier 12
pt, 2.5cm margins, double spaced, numbered pages. Do not include
your name or any identifying details on the manuscript. Send as
an RTF for ease of reading.
Entry materials (ie entry form and manuscript pages) will not be
returned. Information such as genres and post codes will be recorded
for statistical information.
More Questions?
See FAQs. If you have further questions contact the Coordinator
on 5DIcoord@romanceaustralia.com
This workshop is an initiative of Romance Writers of Australia.