And the winner is...

I know judges always say it was a close call, it was a hard decision, blah, blah, blah. But this time, it's true. It really was a close call. I thought the three days I left for judging just wouldn't be enough time. But, finally, we have reached our decision.

I don't need to remind you who our amazing guest judges were, right?Published authors Margo Candela and Robyn Harding, and Chick Lit Shorties gals Julia and Jess! They cast their votes (and so did I, of course) and we have a winner!!!! First, though, let's start with our runner-up.

AND SECOND PLACE GOES TO...

This name suggestion was very well received by our judges and it very much deserves the acknowledgement. The contestant went down the traditional route and really made a case for her name. We loved her pitch!

So, congratulations, Latoya Lewis (aka @latoyaalloway)! Mainstream Fiction is our wonderful runner-up!

This was Latoya's entry:

Mainstream Fiction by @latoyaalloway

"Mainstream Fiction equals books about women and the things that are important to them, i.e. men, work, kids, shoes, girlfriends—oh and did I mention men. I chose the name because it represents ChickLit but adds sophistication. It also provides the benefit of appealing to a broader range of readers and writers. Not to mention all the people who will check out the “Mainstream Fiction” bookshelf just to see what qualifies as Mainstream Fiction. But don’t worry, if the novel contains a female main character that even has the slightest idea what Louboutins are, the novel qualifies."


Isn't it awesome? Well done, Latoya!

These are the great prizes Latoya will be getting:

- Margo Candela’s latest novel Goodbye to All That
- A $10 Amazon gift card
- A guest post on this blog

Congratulations, Latoya! Thanks for the great entry!

AND NOW TO THE WINNER!

So, the first place, the new name we think represents everything this genre stands for, the one that will be the renewed, repackaged, restylished Chick Lit is...

RAW (Real/Relatable Aspiring Women) Fiction, by Tallie K. (aka @tallister)!!!!

Here is the explanation our winner gave to her brilliant name suggestion:

"To me, the chick lit genre is full of raw emotional stories about real relatable aspiring women written by real relatable aspiring women for real relatable aspiring women. I think one of the genre’s best features is its voice – often it’s like listening to your best friend tell you her adventures. Hopefully, emphasizing the characters’ relatability and earnest endeavors can help the genre earn more respect and understanding that it’s not just girlie fluff and fantasies because each story has themes that hit close to home."

We thought that wonderful name and even more wonderful explanation fits the genre perfectly, don't you? Especially the relatability part - isn't that something we're all looking for in this genre? As our guest judge Julia so perfectly puts it, the name "hints at the emotional journey that a Chick Lit book is, from the voice, to the examined relationships, to the obstacles that are present."

Way to go, Tallie! Here are the prizes you'll be receiving:

- A 10-page critique by Chick Lit Shorties' editor Jess McGill
- Margo Candela’s latest novel Goodbye to All That
- Robyn Harding’s latest novel Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis
- A $20 Amazon gift card
- An interview about the genre you re-named to be published on this blog

Isn't that just great?

So, here we have it, our wonderful winners:

1st - RAW (Real/Relatable Aspiring Women) Fiction, by Tallie K.
2nd - Mainstream Fiction, by Latoya Lewis

Congratulations, Tallie and Latoya! I'll be emailing you about your prizes! And a big thank you to everyone who participated. You rock! Stay tuned for our next contest (and, of course, for Tallie's interview and Latoya's guest post)!