It’s that time again—submitting entries, monitoring email, planning the perfect outfit, imagining the feel of that engraved trophy, practicing your handshake for Chris Coward. Just me? The excitement surrounding the Royal Palm Literary Awards is palpable at each stage of the process from sending in your work to getting notifications of advancement to that glorious banquet day. In order to save you time and possible frustration with the process, we’ve gathered a list of do’s and don’ts to help you sail through the process of entering so you can focus on the enjoyment.
Top 5 Do’s of RPLA
- DO read the guidelines carefully, and read them again. For RPLA to meet the many needs of FWA members, the requirements are nuanced and need to be fulfilled precisely. Guidelines are updated each year and all changes are noted in a section title “Summary of Changes.” Scroll to the bottom of this post to see visuals of some of the changes this year.
- DO take special care reading the genre-category descriptions. Definitions vary across the industry, so make sure your entry fulfills RPLA’s specific criteria for your genre. Remember you are permitted to submit your entry in two separate genres as appropriate, but will need to pay two entry fees as the judging is doubled.
- DO check your entry carefully to be sure it meets specs and is error-free. If you can, get it proofed/edited by someone competent to do so—an editor friend or perhaps a professional editor. FWA’s Editors Helping Writers is a good, economical option. More information on that service here.
- DO check your entry form carefully to make sure the necessary fields are filled in, and filled in correctly. When you receive your email with submission instructions, make sure you follow the instructions precisely. This will save time for you and the contest coordinators.
- DO enjoy the process. There is no such thing as failure; the worst thing that can happen is you don’t win, but you do get thorough, professional feedback that can help you in the future. Whatever the outcome, the process is fun, exciting, and a great way to grow and interact with the writing community.
Top 5 Don’ts of RPLA
- DON’T assume the guidelines are the same as they were in 2018. Every year RPLA makes changes—many of which are substantial—to meet the evolving needs of its entrants. For example, the word count requirement for children’s picture book entries has changed this year. Make sure you are up to speed on all current guidelines.
- DON’T assume the genre-categories are the same every year. RPLA adds and removes categories to stay abreast of the industry and accommodate needs of entrants. There may be a new category that is perfect for your work! (Blog or article, perhaps?)
- DON’T assume that you can submit your entry any old way, and then expect RPLA to coach you if any changes are required. Agents and publishers are not in the business of providing do-overs, and neither is RPLA. However, RPLA may advise you of any issues ONE time, as a courtesy. After that, the entry will need to be either downgraded or disqualified. Sorry folks, there are a lot of entries and we simply don’t have the time to make fixes.
- DON’T try to game the system by submitting your entry to an inappropriate genre-category, in the hopes that there will be less competition in that category. If the category you select is a stretch or downright wrong, the entry will be downgraded or disqualified. Your work deserves better!
- DON’T forget that the RPLA staff are all volunteers who work hard to give you the best opportunities and feedback possible. These volunteers each work 10 to 50 hours a week, in good faith, for your benefit. We are proud of them.
Hopefully these tips will help you on your RPLA journey this year. Best of luck to all entrants!
Read the guidelines and submit your entries here.
