The Dante Rossetti Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Young Adult, T’weens, New Adult, & Children’s fiction. The First Place Category Winners will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala held in late September 2015.
The DANTE ROSSETTI FIRST PLACE 2014 Award Winners are:
- Steampunk: Padgett Lively for Odette Speex: Time Traitors, Book 1
- Contemporary: Gretchen Wing for The Flying Burgowski
- CyberPunk: Jesikah Sundin for Legacy: The Biodome Chronicles, Book 1
- Romance: Roni Teson for Twist
- High Fantasy: S.A. Hunter for Elanraigh: The Vow
- Blended Genre: Nely Cab for Fruit of Misfortune: Creatura Book 2
- Science Fiction: Chris Pawlukiewicz for Dreams of a Red Horizon
- Dystopian: Scott Smith for An Outcast State
- Mythological: Stephanie Keyes for The Star Catcher
- Lighthearted/Humorous: Elizabeth Barlo: Ruth 66
- New Adult: Tiana Warner for Ice Massacre
- Teen Fantasy: Elisabeth Hamill for Song Magick
- Tweens : Mark Murphy for The Curse of the Thrax
- Children’s: Kirsten Pulioff for The Escape of Princess Madeline
- Manuscript: Ben Hutchins for The Lackawanna Prophecies: Black Shadow
- Honorable Mentions: P. J. Martin for Riding with Crazy Horse (manuscript)
See my book? I highlighted The Flying Burgowski in red just to make her stand out.
This is great news. I’m totally bragging on myself announcing this to everyone I know.
The email goes on to wish all the winners luck in competing for the Grand Prize, and to invite us to the conference and Awards Gala:
Good Luck to the Dante Rossetti First Place Category Winners as they compete for the Dante Rossetti Awards 2014 GRAND PRIZE position!
The 2014 Dante Rossetti FIRST PLACE category winners will be recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala that will take place in September 2015. The Dante Rossetti 2014 Grand Prize winner will be announced at the Awards Gala.
But there’s a teensy catch: $$$$. I won’t go into details about how much this conference costs, even with the discount given to winners. I can’t fit a weekend conference into my current work schedule, so I’m thinking of just attending the final day, with the cocktail party and awards gala…and even that price tag makes me choke a little. I know, I know, these events are expensive to put on. And I really can’t pass up this opportunity for mainstream exposure for my book. And I’m super excited and grateful for being chosen.
It’s just…yikes. That’s a lot of money for one day. And I can’t help but notice that the organizers have misspelled Dante Rosetti’s last name on their invitation. Makes me a little uneasy.
My question for Wing’s World, then, is: should I attend? Anyone have any experience at these events? Worthwhile? Bad idea to miss? Missable? I would love some input here.
Wing's World 
Congrats! As for attending, is it a travel issue or a conference fee issue? When Fox Talk was a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Awards, the ceremony was in New York and I couldn’t afford the ticket, but the illustrator for Fuzzy Forensics lived in Brooklyn and attended on my behalf. Sadly, we did not win, but she had a great time!
It’s pretty nearby, so really it’s just the cost. But you’re right–once I get there, I’m sure I’ll have fun. Fuzzy Forensics sounds even better than my book, though. 🙂
Not better, just different. 🙂
I bet the conference would be tons of fun if you could swing it. But the fact that you earned this credential is more important than that you attend. An award won’t influence sales in a big way, but no one can just blow you off as just another indie anymore. Seals look great on a book cover. Congratulations on your achievement, Gretchen!
Good to hear the voice of experience. I think I will go, and yes, I need to get going on a reprint of my book cover with that great seal on it! Thanks, Michelle.