Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America (RWA) is a writers ' association founded in Houston , Texas , in 1980 , with 37 members initially. The non-profit association currently (2006) has around 9,500 members worldwide (mainly from the USA and Canada ). The aim is to support authors of modern "romance novels" (this is a type of cheaply produced romance novel that is particularly widespread in North America ) and to exchange information between them.
Once a year in the summer a conference takes place in various cities in the USA . The more than 100 workshops deal with topics such as writing style, pseudonymisation , contract law or cover sheet design . Publishers and editors take the opportunity to look for new talent.
The association awards two prizes every year: The RITA Award for the most outstanding published love story , named after the first association president, Rita Clay Estrada . And the Golden Heart Award for the best unpublished manuscript .
The association publishes the Romance Writers Report monthly .