Attention Writers, Amazon, HP & Penguin Offering $25,000+ Prize

Written on October 1, 2007 by Amanda M. Gladden

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award launched October 1, 2007. Though this is not directly related to opening a typical business, it will ultimately catapult one lucky author’s writing business and career. Here are the details.

Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award is open to writers from more than 20 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan. Authors can enter their unpublished English-language novel manuscript for consideration through Amazon’s CreateSpace website starting October 1 through November 5, 2007 or whenever the first 5,000 entries have been received, whichever is earlier. (CreateSpace is a self-publishing platform that enables authors, filmmakers and musicians to create and sell books, DVDs and CDs on demand).

A maximum of five thousand entrants will be accepted. So you might want to move as quickly as possible to at least register to participate. Once registered, you will have 7 days to upload your submision.

Here are a few interesting things about the contest:

I. Customers of Amazon.com get to participate in the judging process.

How is the contest being judged?
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award consists of a qualifying period in which Amazon editors and Top Reviewers evaluate the submissions, a semi-final period in which excerpts are posted online for customer feedback (through ratings and reviews) with Penguin selecting the finalists, and a finalist period in which Amazon customers determine the winner.

II. All entrants will receive free proof copies of their books.

CreateSpace will offer to contest entrants free proof copies of their books via its self-publishing platform so authors can make their books available on-demand to a worldwide audience of tens of millions of customers on Amazon.com

Take a Look at the Prizes!

One (1) Grand Prize will be awarded, 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. This US $25,000 payment is an advance against the royalties to be earned by the Grand Prize winner under the publishing contract.

Grand Prize winner will also receive prizes provided by Hewlett-Packard Company:

HP 50-inch plasma television (ARV US $2,000);
One (1) HP Digital Entertainment Center (ARV US $3,000);
One (1) HP Notebook (ARV US $1,000);
One (1) HP LaserJet printer (ARV US $400); and
One (1) HP PhotoSmart Digital Camera (ARV US $270).

Total estimated retail value of the Grand Prize is US $31,670

A First Prize will be awarded to each Top Three Finalist (three First Prizes total).

First Prize includes:

Round trip coach class air transportation for two leaving from the major airport nearest to each Top Three Finalist’s home;
Three (3) to five (5) nights’ standard hotel accommodations (double occupancy);
Transfers to/from airport in the Venue;
Final awards dinner; and
One Hundred Dollars (US $100) in spending money per day

A Second Prize will be awarded to each Finalist, excluding the Finalist who is selected as the Grand Prize winner (nine Second Prizes total).
Each Second Prize shall consist of the following prizes from Hewlett-Packard:

HP 50-inch plasma television (ARV US $2,000);
one (1) HP Notebook (ARV US $1,000); and
one (1) HP LaserJet printer (ARV US $400).

A Third Prize will be awarded to each Semi-Finalist , excluding those selected as Finalists (maximum of 990 Third Prizes total).

Each Third Prize will consist of a Publishers Weekly manuscript review of each Semi-Finalist’s Manuscript; a CreateSpace self-publishing package and a 15% discount on publishing services offered by Booksurge.

A Fourth Prize will be awarded to each entrant (maximum of 5,000 Fourth Prizes total).

Each Fourth Prize will consist of a free proof copy of the entrant’s Manuscript from CreateSpace

To enter, go to www.amazon.com/abna to register.

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Posted in BusinessPlan Competition, Grants

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