Like to win sixty romance novels to celebrate RNA60? Jane Cable on how – and why – you can.

Those who follow Sister Scribes will know the Romantic Novelists’ Association is very close to my heart. After all, I’ve made so many friends through it and it’s a wonderfully supportive organisation. But how to give something back? I’m not a committee person… I invariably end up wanting to run screaming from the room… so what to do?

Over a year ago I had an idea. It stemmed from a conversation on the RNA’s private Facebook group and it dawned on me that the RNA had nowhere on the platform to communicate with readers. Surely lovers of romantic fiction would flock to a page to chat about – and with – their favourite authors, especially with the strength of the organisation’s brand behind it.

Several other like-minded people commented on the thread so we got in touch and wrote a proposal for the RNA committee to consider, the result of which was a pilot of the Romantic Fiction Book Club with invited volunteer authors, bloggers and readers. All went well and it made sense for the launch to be part of the celebrations for the RNA’s diamond anniversary. We were given a date at the heart of Romance Reading Month – 14^th February – but how to make a splash?

We toyed with Facebook live events and launch parties and various other concepts at the limits of our technical ability and then I came up with a crazy idea. What about a competition to win so many books it would make a massive splash? Sixty books, in fact. And sixty more for individual runner up prizes.

At the RNA last year conference I’d met Charlotte Ledger, editorial director of Harper Collins’ digital first arm, 0ne More Chapter. Heart in mouth I emailed her to ask if there was any chance at all they could provide sixty books. She came back within hours with a resounding yes, telling me her marketing manager would be in touch because she had some ideas.

Not just ideas, as it turned out, but expertise and enthusiasm. The competition could be hosted on their platform, they would administer it and provide promotional material as well as the prizes. I was practically dancing around the table with joy. Now all I had to do was find sixty RNA members willing to give a signed book as runner up prizes.

A post in the RNA’s private Facebook group and within twenty-four hours they were all pledged, which just goes to show what a fabulous organisation it is. As I write this the hard work is continuing behind the scenes to co-ordinate this aspect and the whole admin team is getting involved. The group is already open for new members but on launch day we can really start promoting it and the bookish chat should really take off.

“But how do I win sixty books?” I hear you cry. Simple… the link to the competition is here, and there are a number of ways you can enter. Just make sure one of them is to join the Romantic Fiction Book Club. https://gleam.io/EIObQ/one-more-chapter-and-rna-diamond-anniversary-book-giveaway

My heartfelt thanks go to the team at 0ne More Chapter and fellow admins of the Romantic Fiction Book Club, Lizzie Chantree, Julie Morris, Michele Josie and Ellie Henshaw who have worked so hard to make this competition happen.