Neat, if you've got a finished or nearly finished product that you don't mind tossing into the ring this looks like an interesting outside chance of publishing it.As we celebrate last year's inaugural success (congratulations, Bill!), Amazon.com, Penguin Group (USA), and CreateSpace are partnering once again to present the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2009.
The Breakthrough Novel Award brings together talented writers, reviewers and publishing experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. If you're an author with an unpublished novel waiting to be discovered, visit CreateSpace to learn more about the next Breakthrough Novel Award and sign up for regular updates on the contest. Open submissions for manuscripts begin in February 2009.
In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to this page for more updates from the contest team and join in discussions with new and returning writers in our author forum.
Linkie
Also snips of the rules from this page
Also you can't be affiliated or related to an affiliate of the sponsors. (read the rest) I just snipped that part since I think the odds are that residency and age will matter more to board denizens than affiliation with the sponsors.ELIGIBILITY. Open to legal residents of the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada (excluding the Province of Québec), China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States (the 50 states and D.C.), and the United Kingdom, who are 13 years or older at time of entry. ANY ENTRANT WHO IS A MINOR IN HIS/HER JURISDICTION OF RESIDENCE MUST HAVE PERMISSION OF PARENT (OR BOTH PARENTS WHERE REQUIRED BY LAW) OR LEGAL GUARDIAN TO ENTER....
Pay attention to section 5. That may mean that if you are actively seeking publishing you are ineligible, or will need to put that on hold until the contest is resolved.
and what you're competing for
So all you budding authors with your finished works might consider this.8 PRIZES. The following prizes will be available to be awarded:
A. One (1) Grand Prize, consisting of a full publishing contract with Penguin to market and distribute Grand Prize winner's winning Manuscript as a published book, including promotion for such published book on Amazon.com. Upon the full execution of the publishing contract, Penguin will pay the Grand Prize winner US $25,000. (The approximate retail value ("ARV") of the publishing contract is US $25,000 for the advance.) This US $25,000 payment is an advance against the royalties to be earned by the Grand Prize winner under the publishing contract. Penguin will determine the royalty rates to be paid under the publishing contract, which will depend on the format in which the book is published. Publishing contract with Penguin is not negotiable, and Grand Prize winner must sign "as is" upon receipt of the executable contract (as described in Section 9 below) if he/she wishes to enter into the publishing contract being awarded. For a summary of the terms and conditions of the publishing contract, see http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/ ... =200183280.
Publishing contract will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
B. First Prize (3) (three (3) First Prizes). Each First Prize will consist of a trip to the Venue departing between May 21, 2009 and May 25, 2009 (exact dates to be determined by Sponsors). First Prize includes (1) round trip coach class air transportation for two departing from the major airport nearest to each Finalist's home; (2) three (3) to five (5) nights' standard hotel accommodations (one (1) room, double occupancy); (3) transfers to/from airport in the Venue; and (4) One Hundred Dollars (US $100) in spending money per day for Finalist only. Total ARV of each First Prize is US $3,000. The actual value will depend on each Finalist's city of departure. Sponsor may substitute surface transportation for air travel if any Finalist lives near the Venue, as they determine in their sole discretion. If the actual value is less than the stated ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. All costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not specifically mentioned herein as being awarded, including but not limited to any taxes, additional transportation/transfers, food and beverages, and gratuities, are the sole responsibility of each Finalist. Finalists must travel on dates specified by Sponsors, or may forfeit the First Prize and the opportunity to win the Grand Prize, unless a waiver to travel as described above is obtained from Sponsors. Any Finalist who is not a U.S. resident will be responsible for obtaining all required travel documents for travel to the U.S., including a passport and any visa that may be required. Finalists and their guests must travel together on the same itinerary. Any guest must be of legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence (and at least 18) unless child or legal ward of Finalist. If any Finalist is not of legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence (and not at least 18), he/she must be accompanied on the trip by his/her parent or legal guardian as his/her guest. Entrants (and, if eligible minors, their parents or legal guardians) warrant that they are unaware of any reason that they would be unable to travel during this period. Selected airline and hotel are at the sole discretion of Sponsors. Certain restrictions and blackout dates apply, and exact travel dates and arrangements are subject to availability. If Sponsors choose to replace the Grand Prize event with another form of winner announcement not requiring travel, a cash prize of US $3,000 will be awarded instead.
C. A Second Prize will be available to be awarded to each Quarter-Finalist (maximum of 500 Second Prizes total). Each Second Prize will consist of the Publishers Weekly manuscript review of each Quarter-Finalist's respective Manuscript. The Publishers Weekly manuscript review may be used by a Second Prize winner in marketing and promoting the Manuscript provided the Manuscript as published does not materially change from the Manuscript reviewed. This prize has no cash value.
D. Total ARV of all prizes is US $34,000.00. Winners are responsible for paying all costs and expenses related to the prizes that are not specifically mentioned herein as being awarded, including, but not limited to, federal, state and local taxes (including any income and withholding taxes). Prizes cannot be substituted, transferred or redeemed for cash, except by Sponsors who reserve the right to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) of comparable or greater value. All prizes will be awarded "AS IS" and WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). All prize details are at Sponsors' sole discretion.
And the page describing how you enter yourself into the contestHere
[size=biggie&Important]DA SUBMISSION RULES[/size]
I thought it was neat, and might just have the drive to finish some ongoing stories, especially with the hard and fast deadline. Anyone here have any creative works, buried in the depths of their hard-drives, that they intend to publish?Contest submission period begins February 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and ends February 8th, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), or when the first 10,000 Entries have been received, whichever is earlier.
To enter on February 2nd 2009, go to http://www.amazon.com/abna or http://www.createspace.com/abna, register and submit your entry following the instructions on the entry form. In the mean time, go to http://www.createspace.com/abna to sign up for contest updates and valuable online content that will help you get your submission ready. To register and enter you will need to submit:
* The full/complete version of your manuscript (the "Manuscript"), which must be between 50,000 and 150,000 words;
* Up to the first 5,000 words, but no less than 3,000 words, of text of that manuscript, excluding any table of contents, foreword, and acknowledgments (the "Excerpt");
* A pitch statement (cover letter/summary) of up to 300 word (the "Pitch")
* Other registration information as asked for on the entry page (such as name, contact information, book title), and
* An author photo (if desired), which must be in .jpg format (at least 72 dpi and 500x468 pixels)
(The foregoing five entry requirements are collectively referred to as the "Entry" or "Entries".) Sponsors will NOT accept or review paper-copy Entries.
The author of each manuscript must be an individual author. Any manuscript submitted as an entry that was written by two or more authors will not be eligible. Poems and short stories or collections of poems and short stories submitted as entries will also not be eligible.
Manuscripts Must:
* be the original creation of entrant;
* be fictional;
* be in the English language;
* be in Times New Roman and 12-point font;
* be double spaced and paginated with a 1-inch margin on all sides (in a manner enabling reformat to single-space display easily, i.e. no "hard" returns to achieve double spacing);
* be of interior black and white text with no images in the document;
* be a digital file of Microsoft Word .doc, .docx, or .rtf format;
* not have been previously published in whole or in part under the same title and with substantially the same text, and sold or distributed through any retail or paid distribution channel;
* not currently or previously have been the subject of a publishing agreement with any publishing house;
* not include the author's name in the body of the Manuscript or in the Excerpt or pitch statement; and
* meet the content guidelines found at http://www.amazon.com/contentguidelines
All Entries determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion to meet the foregoing requirements will be deemed "Valid Entries." Entries submitted by authors who are represented by an agent are acceptable, provided author agrees to comply with these Official Rules.
Sponsors' servers and clock shall be deemed the official clock for the Contest and entrant's proof of submission does not constitute proof of receipt by Sponsors.
