Golden Heart scores

I only got two of my three entries back today, and, not that I give a levitating lech (all things considered), but WTF?!?!?!?!?

These are by far the weirdest set of Golden Heart scores I’ve ever received, and that includes the year that my Maggie-winning Meltdown got a ONE and a NOT A ROMANCE marking. Meltdown is the set I haven’t received yet, and I’m sure they’ll be interesting if these others are anything to go by.

I’ve heard from several of my writing friends now that their Golden Heart scores were shocking. My CP, a GH finalist from 2004, whose scores last year on her NON-finaling manuscript were 9,9,9,9 and 5, received an average of 6 and change on the manuscript, with only one 9, a few 7s, a 5, and a 3. Her previously-finalling manuscript did even worse. The people on the eHarlequin contest thread have been pretty quiet, but poor Cece posted hers with the heding of “I quit,” which I suppose means that she’s quitting contest entering (like I did in January) — because if it’s anything else, I’m flying out to wherever “in the middle” she lives and kicking her ass.

Okay, so without further ado:

Night Visions:   Final score 33.50   (full point BELOW cut off for lower 50%)             
1              2              3              4               5
                                                                                
8.6          7.4            6 (WC)      5              6.5

Okay. This manuscript has finalled in three contests, in the Single Title category. It has WON the Molly Award. It has garnered three full agent requests. It is NOT a lower 50% manuscript in the Golden Heart. And it is a freaking Single Title Romance, Judge 3! (I’m betting she’s pissed it wasn’t in paranormal).

and:

Lost Girls        Final Score    36.9   (highest score in the second quarter, down from last year)          
1             2              3             4               5
                                                                                
6.7         8.3          5.5         7.4             9

This manuscript doesn’t do half so well in contests. People either love it or hate it, which appears to be what happened here, but hey, I was up against all that chick lit, and this book is NOT that.

I’ll post the Meltdown scores when I get them. This was (obviously) my last Golden Heart turn, but once again I’d like to urge RWA to reconsider their scoring techniques. I feel that judges should be held accountable to their scores and not just assign arbitrary numbers. What are we, Olympic Ice Skating? This is the contest equivalent of a form rejection.

And, to all the Cece’s and CPs out there who are mystified, let me point out that my GH scores sucked. But guess what? I sold two books on Thursday. Nyah, nyah, judge three!

Repeat after me: Finalling in a contest means something. NOT finalling means nothing.