Judges’ Scoresheet Order Number Entry ID# * Enter the ID# for the entry being scored Entry Title * Enter the title of the entry being scored Subgenre(s) CR-Contemporary Romance ER-Erotic Romance HR-Historical Romance PN-Paranormal Romance RS-Romantic Suspense SE-Spiritual Elements YA-Young/New Adult Select the subgenres the writer identified Judge Experience PAN member PRO member Pre-published Contest finalist Traditionally published Self/Indie published Published in Romance Published in other genre Please indicate any and all that pertain to judge Judge ID# * Enter your judge identification number Scoring Guide 10 Excellent, ready to submit to an industry professional 9 Almost there, needs a few tweaks/polishing 8 Above average, needs minor work (more than just a few tweaks) before submitting to an industry professional 7 Above average, needs quite a bit more work to be ready to submit to an industry professional 6 Average, very promising, but needs considerable work to be ready to submit to an industry professional 5 Average, shows promise, but should be heavily reworked or revised 4 Aspects are good but others need substantial strengthening 3 Readable, but basic craft skills are lacking, needs extensive work 2 Readable, but there are major problems, author needs better understanding of foundational concepts in this area 1 Unreadable Instructions to judge Read entry and, using this form, score all categories. The scores will total automatically at the bottom of this form. All categories are scored. To have the contest be a valuable experience for all entrants, LERA encourages feedback/comments on each score. If less than half the possible points in that category is awarded, an explanation in the comments MUST be given to explain the score. If the total score is below 65, please review your scores with a gentle touch. Scores below 65 will not be accepted. **Because scoring is based on readiness to be seen by an industry professional, all critique from judges should be viewed in that light and not used in lieu of professional editing.** Category Definition Does the entry meet the author’s selected subgenre(s) definition(s)? Max score 5 Ex: If it is labeled as PN-Paranormal, does it have aspects of a paranormal element? Score Comments Opening Hook Scene Opens in the right place. Pace is appropriate for genre. Does the submission grab the reader from the first page and make the reader want to read further? Does it pull the reader in immediately? Max score 10 Score Comments Backstory The writer has written backstory well, no large chunks of backstory dumped that slow down the story. The reader does not pause/stop to digest the backstory. Writer was seamless in weaving in information. Max point 5 Score Comments Characters Well-rounded, interesting, and compelling main character(s) with believable actions and reactions and distinct character traits. If the love interest(s) in the relationship is introduced, is the attraction and chemistry to the love interest(s) suited to this story? If the other love interest(s) is not present, is there a hint of the attraction and chemistry to come? Max points 15 Score Comments Goal and motivation Are the character's goals and motivation clear? Does the reader know what the character wants and why s/he wants it? Max points 10 Score Comments Conflict Why can't the character have what s/he wants? What's standing in her/his way?Strong, well-motivated main internal and external conflict is hinted at by the author, and author has planted the seed to drive the story forward.Max points 10 Score Comments Voice Author voice is clear and distinct. The voice works well for the subject matter and plotting within the story. Max points 5 Score Comments Plotting Plot is innovative or original as a whole or due to a creative conflict. Opening sets foundation for the emotional relationship between the love interests, even if they do not meet. Max points 10 Score Comments Writing Author shows rather than tells; setting has description using the senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste); there is a clear sense of time and place; is it vivid and evocative with varied sentence length and structure? Max points 5 Score Comments POV POV is clear throughout story, transitions are smooth and easy to follow. Max points 5 Score Comments Dialogue Dialogue flows naturally and moves story forward. Each character has their own voice reflecting their own personality. There is an adequate mixture of dialogue, dialogue tags, and action. Is the dialogue appropriate for the time and place of the story? Is the dialogue natural, not stilted or overly narrative? Max points 10 Score Comments Mechanics Manuscript is free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Correct sentence structure is used. Manuscript is formatted to industry standards with a neat, professional appearance and is easy to read. Max points 5 Score Comments Overall Appeal Did the entry grab your interest and make you want to read more? Max points 5 Score Comments Author did well Please describe at least one area this author handles well Area(s) to work on Please describe at least one area this author needs to work on Total Score This is the final score automatically added up. If total is not correct, go back and review each individual score given. Total Score Total: Submit Scoresheet Please review the total score to ensure it matches your score. If it does not, go back and review each score. Review the individual category scores. When finished, take a screenshot of this form - or export it to pdf. Then submit your scoresheet by clicking the submit button below. Upon clicking the submit button, your form is sent to the contest coordinator. No changes are allowed.
