The Genesis, formerly known as the Noble Theme, is the ACFW contest for unpublished Christian writers. The contest has a multitude of categories/genres to enter, the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers' work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for the Category Finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing house editors and literary agents. ACFW has been pleased to see previous Noble Theme and Genesis Category Winners and Finalists move further on in their writing careers to become published authors.
– The 2009 ACFW Genesis contest is open to ACFW members unpublished in adult or young adult fiction in the last seven years (no published fiction print works of 20,000 words or more by publishers paying advances, paying royalties, and not offering subsidy contracts). Authors of non-fiction or library bound fiction dissertations are eligible. If you have been published by a small press or electronic book publisher, see the FAQ page for more information about your eligibility.
Any author contracted for publication before April 1st, 2009 is not eligible. If an entrant receives a publishing house contract after April 1st, 2009, they must withdraw their entry if it was the manuscript that was contracted. If they are contracted on a manuscript not entered in the contest, they may remain in the contest with their other entry(s). See FAQ page for a more detailed explanation.
Self-published authors are eligible, however they may not enter a manuscript that is in print or that was/is available for purchase at any time between September 1st, 2002 and September 1st, 2009. Previously entered manuscripts may be entered again, but manuscripts that have won First Place in their category in previous Noble Theme or Genesis contests (or have been one of the FaithWords finalists in 2006) may not be entered again. Manuscripts that have been finalists in previous Noble Theme or Genesis contests but have not won first place may be entered again. See FAQ page for a more detailed explanation.
– Each category will have a first place Category Winner and a runner up. The first place entry in each category, the Category Winner, will receive a winner's plaque and first choice for editor/agent appointments at the 2010 ACFW National Conference. The runner up in each category will receive a certificate. The Category Winners and runner ups will be announced at the 2009 ACFW Conference.
ACFW and the Genesis Contest do NOT guarantee that anyone will receive a publishing contract.
– $35 per entry for current ACFW members. Multiple entries will require multiple entry fees. If an entry has co-authors, both must be current ACFW members. Joining members: add membership fee and membership application to entry and entry fee. Make checks or money orders payable to American Christian Fiction Writers. Do not use pseudonyms on the entry form.
Any break in membership during the course of the contest will result in a withdrawal of the entry and forfeiture of the entry fee. If an entrant must withdraw from the contest for any reason after April 1st, 2009, they must forfeit their entry fee.
– Please enter using the Genesis Online Entry Form.
This is an all e-mail contest. Do not send hard copies of manuscripts. They will not be returned. Only entries from novel manuscripts (completed manuscript word count at 45,000 words or longer) will be accepted, not short stories or novellas.
Up to 100 entries per category will be accepted. Previous Noble Theme and Genesis entries (except for category winning entries and FaithWords Finalist entries) are eligible. All contest entries and contest fees must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 31st, 2009. If any entry and/or fees are received after March 31st, 2009, entrant will be notified of disqualification and fees will be returned.
All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail by April 3rd, 2009, the entrant should e-mail the category coordinator, Camy Tang, at genesis@acfw.com.
Each entrant must upload their entry as an .rtf (rich text) or .doc (Microsoft Word document) when filling out the Genesis Online Entry Form. The entries will be judged using Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature. If the entrant does not have Microsoft Word, the judged entry can be returned as a .pdf file instead. See the FAQ page for more information.
Under no circumstances should comments given by a judge be used for publicity purposes without the express consent of the judge.
The entrant must submit the first 15 pages of their manuscript, double-spaced, and an optional one-page single-spaced synopsis.
The manuscript and the synopsis must be in the same file, not in two different files.
The entrant may enter 15 manuscript pages (not including synopsis) even if this is more than the first chapter. Prologues are acceptable. An entry (manuscript portion, not including synopsis) may be shorter than 15 pages. If an entry (manuscript portion, not including synopsis) is longer than 15 pages, the excess pages will be discarded before judging. An entry should be 15 manuscript pages or less, plus one page optional synopsis for a total of 16 pages. Entrants must fill out one entry form for each manuscript they enter.
Manuscript must be in 12 point font, double-spaced, with margins 1-inch or larger. The contest suggests Courier, Courier New, or Times New Roman font. Please do not use an unusual font that a judge might not have on their computer. For more information, see the Manuscript Formatting article.
The manuscript and the synopsis must be in the same file, not in two different files.
All entrants are required to check the “accept” box on the entry form for the Contest Release, indicating acceptance of terms. If the “accept” box is not checked for the Contest Release, entry will be disqualified and returned.
The Genesis coordinators highly recommend that entrants e-mail their entries by MARCH 15TH, 2009, so that if the entry is lost in cyberspace or if any aspect of the entry is unacceptable, the entrant can mail a replacement entry before the deadline.
• Contemporary Romance (includes romantic comedy)
• Historical Romance
• Romantic Suspense
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory
• Historical Fiction (not romance)
• Young Adult
• Contemporary Fiction
• Women’s Fiction
• Suspense/Thriller/Mystery
For definitions of the categories, see the FAQ page.
If a category receives fewer than 10 entries, it will not be judged as its own category. On the entry form, entrants may designate a second category for their entry in the event the entrant's first-choice category does not receive 10 or more entries. If the second-choice category also has fewer than 10 entries, the entrant will be contacted about what category they want the entry to be moved to, or if they want to withdraw from the contest and have their entry fee returned.
Entrants may enter multiple manuscripts in multiple categories. They may also enter multiple manuscripts in the same category. Entrants may enter as many categories as they wish. However, entrants may not enter the same manuscript in more than one category. Also, entrants entering multiple manuscripts in the same category may final with more than one manuscript, but they may only place (1st or runner up) with one manuscript. See the FAQ page for a more detailed example.
– During the First Round, three judges (published authors or experienced writers trained in judging the Genesis) will score each entry, up to a maximum of 100 points per entry. All three scores will be averaged. Discrepancy judges will NOT be used due to the logistics of the contest. See the FAQ page for a more information.
A copy of the scoresheet is available as a .pdf download here: 2009GenesisScoresheet.pdf
(You can download Adobe Reader free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.)
The top five entries in each category, Category Finalists, will continue to the Final Round. In the event of a tie for fifth place, all tied fifth place entries will advance to the Final Round. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Finalists will be notified between May 1st and May 15th, 2009. Finalists will be allowed TWO DAYS ONLY to polish and resubmit their entries before the entries are sent to the Final Round judges. For non-finaling entrants, scoresheets and manuscripts will be e-mailed back to each entrant.
For the Final round, the Final round judges (editors and agents) will not be using the scoresheet used in the First round of judging. Instead, Final round judges will simply give a numerical score of up to 100 points and optional comments for each Final round entry. All three scores will be averaged. Final round judges will not be required to use the Genesis scoresheet.
If any Finalist is disqualified or withdraws for any reason after April 1st, 2009, the next highest scoring non-finaling entry will NOT be moved up to fill the vacant spot as a Finalist.
Final Round judges:
• Contemporary Fiction: Sandra Bishop (agent, MacGregor Literary), Rachelle Gardner (agent, Wordserve Literary), and Steve Laube (agent, Steve Laube Agency)
• Contemporary Romance: Melissa Endlich (editor, Steeple Hill), Tamela Hancock Murray (agent, Hartline Literary Agency), and JoAnne Simmons (editor, Barbour Publishing)
• Historical Fiction: Sue Brower (editor, Zondervan), Charlene Patterson (editor, Bethany House Publishers), and Wendy Lawton (agent, Books and Such Literary Agency)
• Historical Romance: Susan Downs (editor, Summerside Press), Ami McConnell (editor, Thomas Nelson), and Emily Rodmell (editor, Steeple Hill)
• Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Stephanie Broene (editor, Tyndale), Beth Jusino (agent, Alive Communications), and Barbara Scott (editor, Abingdon Press)
• Romantic Suspense: Tina Colombo (editor, Steeple Hill), Joyce Hart (agent, Hartline Literary Agency), and Natasha Kern (agent, Natasha Kern Literary Agency)
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory: Jeff Gerke (publisher, Marcher Lord Press), Andy Meisenheimer (editor, Zondervan), and Annie Tipton (editor, Barbour Publishing)
• Women's Fiction: Beth Adams (editor, Guideposts), Janet Grant (agent, Books and Such Literary Agency), and Natalie Hanemann (editor, Thomas Nelson)
• Young Adult: Jacque Alberta (editor, Zonderkidz), Terry Burns (agent, Hartline Literary Agency), and Rachel Zurakowski (agent, Books and Such Literary Agency)
During the Final round, three judges (see above) will score each entry, and the three scores averaged. Discrepancy judges will NOT be used. In each category, the entry receiving the top Final Round score becomes the Category Winner. The Final Round scores alone determine the Category Winners. If any Category Winner is disqualified or withdraws for any reason, the next highest-scoring finalist will be moved up to become Category Winner.
Under no circumstances should comments given by a judge be used for publicity purposes without the express consent of the judge.
The Category Winners will be announced at the 2009 ACFW National Conference. See “Prizes” for the awards designated.
All Finalists (top 5 entries in each category) will be asked to e-mail a digital headshot photo for the awards ceremony at the 2009 ACFW Conference. Contestants are encouraged to complete contest manuscripts in case they are requested by the publisher.
For more information, see the Genesis FAQ page on the ACFW website.
See the Sample Manuscript page (.pdf) and the Manuscript Formatting article (.pdf) both available as downloads from the ACFW website.
(You can download Adobe Reader free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.)
1. Use 12 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. The contest recommends the use of Courier, Courier New, or Times New Roman. Please do not use an unusual font that a judge might not have on their computer.
2. Include a header on each manuscript with the title, category/genre, entire manuscript word count, and page numbers. NO entrant's name or pseudonym should be in the header.
3. Send the first 15 pages of your manuscript, even if this is more than your first chapter. Prologues are acceptable. Start the first page of each chapter halfway down the page. DO NOT send more than 15 pages of your manuscript and an optional one page synopsis (15 or 16 pages total).
4. You may also send an optional one-page single-spaced synopsis, included in the file with your manuscript. Do NOT send a separate file for your synopsis. See FAQ page for more information.
5. Category coordinators are listed below.
6. Fill out entry form, upload entry file, and pay contest fee using the Genesis Online Entry form. Do not use your pseudonym on the entry form. If joining ACFW, include application and membership fee as well.
7. Do NOT place your name or pseudonym anywhere on the manuscript.
Entries not fulfilling the above specifications will be disqualified.
For more information, see the Genesis FAQ page on the ACFW website.
If you have any questions, please e-mail the contest coordinator, Camy Tang at genesis@acfw.com.
Category coordinators:
When e-mailing coordinators, please put “Genesis” in the subject line.
For Contemporary Romance and Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
Camy Tang
genesis@acfw.com
For Historical Romance and Historical Fiction:
Mindy Obenhaus
mindyo5@sbcglobal.net
For Contemporary Fiction and Young Adult:
Cynthia Hawkins
Hawkinsc@libcoop.net
For Romantic Suspense:
Sara Mills
saramills5@gmail.com
For Science Fiction/Fantasy/Allegory:
Jim Rubart
jlrudini@comcast.net
For Women’s Fiction:
Erica Vetsch
ericavetsch@charter.net
