About the Grand Prize

The Winner’s entire manuscript (in whole or in part), whether e-mail or printed copy, must be received by Contest Coordinator within one month after the announcement of the Winner.  Failure to do so will forfeit awarding of grand prize critique but not the other parts of the Grand Prize. Grand Prize critique is not transferable to any other person or to any other manuscript. Winner’s full manuscript may not exceed 450 single-sided pages, double-spaced (25 lines per page), in Courier font with 1-inch margins.

The Contest Coordinator will try to match the Winner’s manuscript with a Published Author experienced in the genre of the winning manuscript, subject to our volunteer authors’ other commitments. Published Author chosen to perform the Grand Prize critique will have up to four months from receipt of the entire manuscript from Contest Coordinator to read Winner’s manuscript and return a critique. Published Author may choose to critique entire manuscript by e-mail, by standard manuscript edit, by electronic redline, or by phone.

If Published Author chooses an electronic critique, Winner must e-mail a copy of entire winning manuscript in either .doc or .rft format to Contest Coordinator (or to e-mail address preferred by Published Author).

If Published Author chooses standard manuscript, Winner must send a printed copy of entire manuscript (in standard manuscript format detailed above) along with a return SASE (Tyvek envelope with sufficient postage) to Contest Coordinator via US Mail. Published Author will have approximately four months to read manuscript and write or type comments, compliments, criticism, or suggestions in or on the manuscript (“Critique”).

If Published Author chooses phone critique, Published Author will set up a mutually agreeable time for the phone critique. Phone critique will be conducted by Published Author calling Winner on a one-hour calling card supplied by MORWA. If Published Author chooses phone critique, Published Author will not be expected to give any written critique (unless Published Author so chooses). Instead, Winner will be expected to take notes during the phone conversation. Winner may not record the phone conversation without Published Author’s prior express written consent.

The comments from the Published Author are for the entrant’s personal use in revising her/his manuscript and are not to be reprinted, published, or used in a public forum without the Published Author’s express written consent. Manuscript comments are the express opinion of the Published Author and do not represent any indication of endorsement for the work. The Winner is prohibited from using Published Author’s name without Published Author’s express written consent in any communications, whether electronic, oral, or written, including but not limited to cover letters and queries to agents and editors.