The Road to Romance was founded in 1999 as a list of books coming out in future months.  Since then it grown and evolved into what visitors are looking for when they need information on authors and books. 

Below are the guidelines and policies needed to keep RTR on track.  We have a vision for the site, and in order not to stray from that we decided that some of our guidelines needed to be public.  Please click on the link below to find the information you're looking for.  If you don't find it, please contact me at webmaster@roadtoromance.ca

Contests
Privacy
Reviews
The Reviewers Award
Staff Position openings

By entering, you are giving permission for your name to be announced on the site and in the RTR newsletter if you win.

The winners will be notified shortly after the contest finishes, and will have 2 weeks after we notify you to reply with mailing information.  If no reply has been received after 2 weeks, a new winner will be drawn, forfeiting the original winner.  RTR is not responsible for prizes awarded directly by authors. All entries will be added to the RTR newsletter, a monthly publication.  You will always have the option to remove yourself by following instruction in the email.

Authors -- Please see Authors Information page for changes to the policies regarding running contests.

The Road to Romance does not give out, share or sell any email addresses or other information unless that person specifically requests to be added to an authors or the RTR newsletter, or if they win a contest that states they will be added.  There are no other circumstances that your information will leave RTR.  When you sign up for a newsletter from The Road to Romance, you will automatically be added to the YahooGroups list for The Road to Romance only.  When you receive the welcome email, you have the option of declining membership.  

When you sign up to be added to an authors newsletter list, your email address only is forwarded to the author, at which point the author takes full responsibility for the privacy of that information.  How they add you to the list is dependent on their policy and for more information on that, please contact the author directly. 

RTR Reviewers review under their own names only, for accountability. There are times that reviewers alter their names or use initials due to safety issues.  That is a decision that is made between the reviewer and myself.  If there is a problem that involves the reviewer they are aware that their full name will be used in correspondence with other parties.

RTR is a romance site, and as such reserves the right to decide which books are appropriate for presentation and review.  We reserve the right to make the decision on an individual basis, and RTR reviewers are empowered to make the decision themselves, even after receiving a book. 

RTR will review genres outside romance that are complimentary to the genre.  You'll find suspense, women's fiction, related non-fiction and YA tucked in among the romances because we feel that romance readers are usually multi-genre and these are books that we enjoyed and feel you might too. 

Starting January 1, 2003 The Road to Romance reviewers will be able to present an award to authors that they feel offered an exceptional book.  The guidelines are as follows...

Each reviewer will have the option to award this whenever they feel the book they are reviewing for RTR is exceptional. 

The book does not have to be a current release, but does have to have been reviewed for The Road to Romance since January 1, 2003.  It also has to have been sent by the author, publicist or publisher directly to Road to Romance.  Any books read for pleasure, reviewed and submitted will not be eligible.

The awards can be made at anytime through the year.   There is no voting or nominations -- the award is simply given when the reviewer feels it is deserved and after discussing the book with the editor.  The authors will be encouraged to place the award somewhere on their site linked to RTR. 

At present I have the following positions open...

Interviewers -- RTR needs someone who is willing to conduct interviews via email or chat room with authors.   These interviews will be arranged by the editor and/or the interviewer.  This person should be well versed in the romance genre, be prepared to do research prior to interviews and should have strong communication and people skills.  Interviews are conducted at the convenience of the author and interviewer.  There is no limit to the number accepted, and there can be more than one interviewer working on the site at one time.  Interviews arranged through RTR are to be posted on RTR only.  All interviews submitted will be edited and approved by the editor.  This position is not financially compensated.

If you are interested in joining the staff of RTR in any of these positions, or would like more information on them, please contact me at webmaster@roadtoromance.ca.

If you've read this far, thanks!  I hope to hear from you soon, either with suggestions, comments or a request to work on the site.  I don't pay much -- ok, I don't pay at all -- but there are benefits.  Getting your work online, working with a site that encourages creativity and individualism while adhering to ethical guidelines, the opportunity to gain a different perspective of the romance/women's fiction industry and of course, free books to read.  The first time you go to a conference and an author you've reviewed and admired comes up to you and gives you a hug like you're old friends, you'll know it was worth it.

~sue

Sue Waldeck, Editor/Owner