Whose Book Will Be the Next American Title? - An American Idol Style Competition for Aspiring Writers Begins

Romantic Times BOOKclub magazine and Dorchester Publishing team up to create a "Reality Print" competition a la American Idol where the winner will receive a book contract.

(PRWEB) November 14, 2005 -- Eleven aspiring writers will compete over the next few months to show that they have what it takes to be a published historical romance author. Readers will vote online at http://www.romantictimes.com for their favorite entry each month and only the top vote-getters will advance to the next round.

Each reader gets only one online vote per month. Generally, the two contestants with the lowest scores will be eliminated each month, until one lucky winner is announced in the June 2006 issue of Romantic Times BOOKclub.

Areas of competition will include: Best First Line; Best Description of Hero and Heroine; Best Story Summary; Best Dialogue Scene; and Best Romantic Scene. The first round of voting begins Nov. 14, 2005.

This is the second year of the American Title competition. Ten contestants competed in last year's contest, and Romantic Times readers selected Janice Lynn and her novel, JANE MILLIONAIRE, as the big winner. The book is being published by Dorchester and will be in bookstores in December.

All of last year's incisive and insightful judges have returned -- RT's tough-talking Flavia Knightsbridge, former editor Hilary Ross, who tells it like it is, and sweet-as-pie veteran romance editor Leslie Kazanjian. Despite the judges' opinions, the general reading public decides the fate of these contestants by visiting http://www.romantictimes.com each month to vote for their favorite entry.

RT and Dorchester couldn't be more excited about this new batch of contestants. "There's a wide range of settings and time periods, and some incredibly fascinating characters," says Dorchester Senior Editor Leah Hultenschmidt. "I'm really glad that the voting rests on the RT readers because I know we'd have a tough time picking just one."

Romantic Times BOOKclub magazine is the leading book review magazine in the industry covering more than 250 new books monthly along with industry news, gossip and trends. It also puts on an annual Booklovers Convention bringing together fans, authors, cover models, booksellers and publishers.

Dorchester Publishing has been involved in the publishing of mass-market books since 1971, making Dorchester the oldest independent mass-market publisher in America. Although mostly known for Romance, Dorchester also publishes world-class Horror, Westerns, and Thrillers under its Leisure Books imprint.

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