Proud to be a women’s fiction contest judge (again) this year!

I’m a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). This is a volunteer organization aimed at supporting women’s fiction writers with craft classes, conferences, resources, writing dates and specialized groups.

WFWA also sponsors two contests each year: the Rising Star award (for début and unpublished authors) and the Star Award (for published authors) . Since first round judging is fueled by member volunteers, I like to help out by volunteering for these contests.

This is my fourth year returning as a first round judge for the WFWA Rising Star Award. There, I read the pitch, synopsis and first 3000 words of six women’s fiction novels and judged those submissions, providing feedback. (Usually it is 3, but I offered to take on more this year).

This year, for the first time, I also took on judging for the WFWA Star Award. Once again, I was a first-round judge. For this contest, I read two full novels, scored them, and provided feedback.

As an author and avid reader, I enjoy being able to give back to my writing community – and it’s such a great opportunity to read such an impressive array of women’s fiction releases and works in progress. It means a lot to me to be able to give back to a community that has provided me with so much. I’ll definitely come back to judge both contests again!

If you’re a WFWA member, think about volunteering as a first-round judge for the Rising Star and Star Awards!