I thought this was cool.
How to Enter
We must receive your Contest entry between January 23, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and February 5, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). The young adult fiction category and the general fiction category are each limited to 5,000 Entries, and we will stop accepting Entries for a category after we have received 5,000 Entries in that category.
Entries may be edited until the above stated entry deadline or until a category has reached the maximum number of allowed entries, whichever first occurs. You must register at
http://www.CreateSpace.com/abna to enter the Contest. Once you have registered, follow the instructions on the entry form and upload:
(1) the complete version of your manuscript ("Manuscript");
(2) up to the first 5,000 words, but not less than 3,000 words, of your Manuscript, excluding any table of contents, foreword, and acknowledgments ("Excerpt");
(3) a pitch of your Manuscript consisting of up to 300 words ("Pitch"); and
(4) the personal information required on the entry form.
(1-4 collectively, an "Entry"). We will not accept or review any Entry that does not comply with these Official Rules.
You must be the only author of your Manuscript, and your Manuscript must be a novel between 50,000 and 150,000 words. Any Manuscript submitted as an Entry written by two or more authors will not be eligible. Additionally, poems, short stories, and collections of works are not eligible.
Your Manuscript, Excerpt, and Pitch must:
(a) be your original creation;
(b) be fictional;
(c) be in the English language;
(d) be of interior black and white text without images;
(e) not currently or previously have been the subject of a publishing agreement with any publishing house (but you may submit your self-published novel if you retain all worldwide distribution rights in and to the novel);
(f) not include your real or pen name anywhere in the Manuscript, Excerpt, or the Pitch;
(g) not include any information that identifies the author in any way including, but not limited to, a resume, previous awards received for the work, or the identity of additional works by the author, but excluding any file document properties that may identify the author; and
(h) meet the content guidelines found at
http://www.amazon.com/contentguidelines (which are incorporated in to the Official Rules by this reference).
Additionally, you must submit your Manuscript digitally in Microsoft Word .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt format.
Any entry that we determine, in our sole discretion, to meet these requirements will be considered a "Valid Entry." You may be represented by an agent on the condition that you - not your agent - agree to comply with these Official Rules. Our servers and clock will be the official clock for all phases of the Contest, and your proof of submission is not proof that we received your Entry.
You may only submit one Entry for only one category. If you submit more than one Entry, the first Entry that we receive will be the judged Entry, and any subsequent Entries you submit will be void and disregarded.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to disqualify your Entry from the Contest if the Entry
(x) contains obscene, offensive, pornographic or sexually explicit material,
(y) is libelous, disparaging, includes inappropriate content, or
(z) does not comply with the Official Rules.
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest
OFFICIAL RULES
Please read these Official Rules before entering the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest ("Contest"). By submitting an entry, entrants (and their parents or legal guardians if the entrant is under 18 or a minor in the jurisdiction in which that entrant resides) ("you" or "your") acknowledge that you are eligible to enter the Contest and have read and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and our and the judges decisions related to the Contest. This year we will select two "Grand Prize" winners for the Contest: a Grand Prize will be awarded to the Winner in the young adult fiction category (general or genre-based fiction primarily intended for an audience of readers age 12 to 16) and to the Winner in the general fiction category (general or genre-based literature primarily intended for an audience of readers who are age 17 and older). Details of the Grand Prize and other Contest prizes are described more fully below. The "Sponsors" of the Contest are Amazon Services LLC ("Amazon"), Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ("Penguin"), and On-Demand Publishing LLC dba CreateSpace ("CreateSpace") (collectively, "we", "our", or "us").
1. ELIGIBILITY. You are eligible to enter the Contest if you are at least 13 years old at time of entry and a legal resident of one 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.), or the United Kingdom. If you are considered a minor in your jurisdiction, you must have the permission of a parent (or both parents where required by law) or legal guardian to enter the Contest. If you are not of the legal majority in the jurisdiction in which you reside, your parent or legal guardian will be responsible for fulfilling all of the requirements set forth in these Official Rules. You are not eligible to enter the Contest if you are (a) our or Publishers Weekly’s employee or independent contractor or an employee or independent contractor of any of our or Publishers Weekly’s affiliates; (b) a family member (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of our or Publishers Weekly’s employee or independent contractor; (c) a family member (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of an employee or independent contractor of any of our or Publishers Weekly’s affiliates; (d) an individual living in the same household as our or Publishers Weekly’s employee or independent contractor; (e) an individual living in the same household as an employee or independent contractor of any of our or Publishers Weekly’s affiliates; or (f) a judge involved in the Contest, including any reviewer who participates in selecting the Quarter-Finalists. To be eligible to become a Grand Prize winner (“Winner”), you must be available to travel to the location of the Grand Prize event (“Venue”) for a three to five-night trip, which trip will take place between June 14, 2012 and June 19, 2012 (we will determine and announce the exact dates of the trip). We may waive the requirement for you to travel to the Venue if, in our sole discretion, extraordinary circumstances outside your control would prevent you from traveling.
2. HOW TO ENTER. We must receive your Contest entry between January 23, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and February 5, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). The young adult fiction category and the general fiction category are each limited to 5,000 Entries, and we will stop accepting Entries for a category after we have received 5,000 Entries in that category. Entries may be edited until the above stated entry deadline or until a category has reached the maximum number of allowed entries, whichever first occurs. You must register at
http://www.CreateSpace.com/abna to enter the Contest. Once you have registered, follow the instructions on the entry form and upload: (1) the complete version of your manuscript (“Manuscript”); (2) up to the first 5,000 words, but not less than 3,000 words, of your Manuscript, excluding any table of contents, foreword, and acknowledgments (“Excerpt”); (3) a pitch of your Manuscript consisting of up to 300 words (“Pitch”); and (4) the personal information required on the entry form. (1-4 collectively, an “Entry”). We will not accept or review any Entry that does not comply with these Official Rules.
3. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. You must be the only author of your Manuscript, and your Manuscript must be a novel between 50,000 and 150,000 words. Any Manuscript submitted as an Entry written by two or more authors will not be eligible. Additionally, poems, short stories, and collections of works are not eligible. Your Manuscript, Excerpt, and Pitch must: (a) be your original creation; (b) be fictional; (c) be in the English language; (d) be of interior black and white text without images; (e) not currently or previously have been the subject of a publishing agreement with any publisher (but you may submit your self-published novel if you retain all worldwide distribution rights in and to the novel); (f) not include your real or pen name anywhere in the Manuscript, Excerpt, or the Pitch; (g) not include any information that identifies the author in any way including, but not limited to, a resume, previous awards received for the work, or the identity of additional works by the author, but excluding any file document properties that may identify the author; and (h) meet the content guidelines found at
http://www.amazon.com/contentguidelines (which are incorporated in to these Official Rules by this reference). Additionally, you must submit your Manuscript digitally in Microsoft Word .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt format. Any entry that we determine, in our sole discretion, to meet these requirements will be considered a “Valid Entry.” You may be represented by an agent on the condition that you - not your agent - agree to comply with these Official Rules. Our servers and clock will be the official clock for all phases of the Contest, and your proof of submission is not proof that we received your Entry. You may only submit one Entry for only one category. If you submit more than one Entry, the first Entry that we receive will be the judged Entry, and any subsequent Entries you submit will be void and disregarded. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to disqualify your Entry from the Contest if the Entry (x) contains obscene, offensive, pornographic or sexually explicit material, (y) is libelous, disparaging, includes inappropriate content, or (z) does not comply with these Official Rules.
4. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY. By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that your Entry: (a) is your original creation; (b) has not been copied in whole or in part from any other work; (c) has not previously been published as described in Section 3(e) above; (d) does not violate or infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy or publicity right, or other proprietary or intellectual property right of any person or entity; (e) is not defamatory, libelous, obscene, or otherwise illegal; and (f) is your sole and exclusive property. You further represent and warrant that you have complete, worldwide distribution rights in and to your Manuscript, Excerpt, and Pitch.
5. GRANT OF RIGHTS. By submitting an Entry and if you are selected as a Quarter-Finalist or Semi-Finalist, you grant Penguin the exclusive first publication rights to your Entry. If you are selected as a Quarter Finalist, Penguin’s exclusive first publication rights to your Entry terminate when you are eliminated from the Contest (unless you are selected as a Semi-Finalist); and if you are selected as a Semi-Finalist, Penguin’s exclusive first publishing Rights to your Entry terminate after June 30, 2012. If you are not a Winner and Penguin notifies you that it wishes to publish your Entry, you agree to negotiate the terms and conditions of a publishing agreement exclusively with Penguin for a period of 30 days after you receive notification from Penguin. If you and Penguin have not reached agreement after 30 days, you may offer the work to other publishers on the condition that before you enter into an agreement with another publisher, you will afford Penguin the last right to publish your Entry on the same terms and conditions offered by any other publisher, plus an advance against royalties 10% greater than the other offer. Penguin must communicate its decision to you within 5 business days after you have provided written notice of the other publisher’s terms and conditions. If Penguin declines or fails to act within that period, you will not have any further obligation to Penguin, and you may publish the Entry with another publisher. By submitting an Entry, you grant us and our respective affiliates and agents permission to use, without charge, portions of your Manuscript, Pitch, or Excerpt, along with your name and stated reason for writing the submitted Entry (if provided) for any purpose in connection with this Contest until June 30, 2012. You also grant us the right to edit the formatting and display of your Entry, and to create literary or any other types of effects in respect to your Entry without compensation or approval. In addition, to the extent that any moral rights (for example, the right to attribution and the right to integrity) apply, you waive (and to the extent that these rights may not be waived, agree irrevocably not to assert) your moral rights in your Entry for purposes of this Contest, including, without limitation, our use of excerpts from your Entry in connection with this Contest. You represent that you have received the consent of any person (or parent or legal guardian if such person is a minor) whose real and actual name or likeness is used or featured in any Entry that you submit. If you fail to obtain the consent, your Entry will be disqualified. We have the right at any time during the Contest to request proof of consent, and to disqualify your Entry if you cannot provide the requested proof. Excerpts, along with the your name, city, and state of residence, and portions of your Entry which relate to the submitted Manuscript, may be posted on any website owned or operated by us or any of their affiliates (“Our Site”), any other website or other online point of presence on any platform through which any products or services available on or through Our Site are described, syndicated, offered, merchandised, or advertised. Our decision to post an Excerpt or any portion of an Entry on any one of Our Sites does not mean that the selected Entry has been selected as a winning Entry.
6. MANUSCRIPT SHOPPING. Manuscripts submitted as entries to the Contest cannot be actively shopped by agents during the contest period, which runs from January 23, 2012 to June 16, 2012.
7. COLLECTION/USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION. We are collecting personal information primarily to process Entries, to contact you if necessary, or for marketing and other purposes. By participating in this Contest, non-U.S. resident entrants are authorizing the transfer of personal data to the United States for these purposes. If you do not wish to be contacted for marketing purposes, you will be provided with a method to opt-out from future communications. If you would like to access or modify your information related to this Contest in our database, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]. By entering the Contest, you agree that we may share your information, in our sole discretion, with third parties that have a need to know the information, such as the judging panel or third parties that we retain to assist in administering the Contest; however, those third parties may only use the information for purposes related to this Contest. The data controller is Amazon Services LLC. Please do not submit an entry if you do not agree to these terms or to CreateSpace’s privacy policy available at
http://www.createspace.com/Help/Rights/Privacy.jsp. , Amazon’s privacy policy available at
http://www.amazon.com/privacy. , or Penguin’s privacy policy available at
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages ... olicy.html.
8. CONTEST JUDGING PROCESS.
A. Submission Period (January 23, 2012 – February 5, 2012).
The submission period begins January 23, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and ends February 5, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). The young adult fiction category and the adult fiction category are each limited to 5,000 Entries, and we will stop accepting Entries after we have received 5,000 Entries in a category.
B. First Round (February 6, 2012 – February 21, 2012).
Between February 6, 2012 and February 21, 2012, our editors will read the Pitch for each Valid Entry. Our editors will select the top 1,000 Entries from each category to advance to the second round by rating each Pitch on the following three criteria: originality of idea, overall strength of the Pitch, and the quality of writing. We reserve the right to advance fewer than 1,000 Entries from each category to the Second Round if, in our sole discretion, we do not receive a sufficient number of eligible or qualified Entries.
If a tiebreaker is needed to determine the entries moving to the Second Round in each category, the following tiebreaking methods will be used:
a) 1st tiebreaker: Highest average Quality of Writing score
b) 2nd tiebreaker: Highest average Overall Strength score
c) 3rd tiebreaker: Highest average Originality of Idea score
C. Second Round (February 23, 2012 – March 11, 2012).
(1) Between February 23, 2012 and March 11, 2012, our expert reviewers, including Amazon editors and at least one Amazon Top Reviewer, will review and judge the Excerpts of each second round Entry. The expert reviewers will rate each Excerpt on a scale of 1 to 5 on each of the following criteria:
a) Overall Strength of Excerpt
b) Prose/Style
c) Plot/Hook
d) Originality of Idea
(2) Each second round Excerpt will receive two reviews, and the top 250 Entries from each category based on the average Overall Strength of Excerpt score will advance to the Quarter-Finals (each, a “Quarter Finalist”). We reserve the right to advance fewer than 250 Entries from each category to the Quarter Finals if, in our sole discretion, we do not receive a sufficient number of eligible or qualified Entries. If a tiebreaker is needed to determine the 250th Quarter-Finalist in each category, the following tiebreaking methods will be used:
a) 1st tiebreaker: Highest average Prose/Style score
b) 2nd tiebreaker: Highest average Plot/Hook score
c) 3rd tiebreaker: Highest average Originality of Idea score
d) 4th tiebreaker: Amazon editorial decision based upon Overall Strength of Excerpt.
(3) These reviews will be posted within each Entrant’s
http://www.CreateSpace.com account on or about March 18, 2012.
D. Quarter Finals (March 20, 2012 – April 23, 2012).
(1) On or about March 20, 2012, we will post each of the Quarter-Finalists’ Excerpts and their associated written reviews online at
http://www.amazon.com/abna.
(2) Amazon customers may download and read any Excerpt, and then write a review and rate the Excerpt using Amazon.com’s process for submitting online reviews (as described at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-revie ... lines.html).
(3) For each Quarter Finalist’s Manuscript, Publishers Weekly will read, prepare a review, and rate each Manuscript on a scale of 1 to 5 on the following criteria:
a) Character development
b) Originality of idea
c) Plot
d) Prose/style
e) Overall strength of submission (a through e in this subsection D (3), “Judging Criteria”).
These reviews will be posted within each Entrant’s
http://www.CreateSpace.com account on or about April 24, 2012.
(4) The top 50 Entries from each category will advance to the Semi-Finals (each, a “Semi-Finalist”). The Semi-Finalists will be determined by ranking each Quarter Finalist Entry based on the average Judging Criteria score given to each Quarter Finalist Entry by Publishers Weekly. We reserve the right to advance fewer than 50 Entries from each category to the Semi-Finals if, in our sole discretion, we do not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries. If a tiebreaker is needed to determine the 50th Semi-Finalist in each category, the following methods will be used:
1st tiebreaker: Highest Overall Strength of Submission score
2nd tiebreaker: Highest Prose/Style score
3rd tiebreaker: Highest Plot score
4th tiebreaker: Highest Character Development score
5th tiebreaker: Highest Originality of Idea score
6th tiebreaker: Amazon editorial decision
E. Semi-Finals (April 24, 2012 – May 21, 2012).
(1) We will post the names of the Semi-Finalists on Amazon.com, along with their respective Publishers Weekly review on or about April 24, 2012.
(2) The Penguin judging panel, consisting of qualified representatives selected by Penguin, will review the Manuscript and the accompanying reviews of each Semi-Finalist Entry to select 3 finalists in each category (each, a “Finalist”) using the Judging Criteria.
(4) On or about May 14, 2012, we will begin notifying potential Finalists by phone or e-mail. The Finalists will be announced on
http://www.amazon.com/abna on or about May 22, 2012.
F. Finalist Period (May 22, 2012 – May 30, 2012).
(1) Customer Voting. After the Finalists are announced, the voting phase to determine the Winner of each category will begin and will continue through May 30, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Amazon customers will be able to download and read each Finalist Excerpt, and we may, in our sole discretion, expand each Excerpt by up to 5,000 additional words. Amazon customers will select the Winner by voting for one finalist in each category using the voting mechanism located at
http://www.amazon.com/abna. The Winner in each category will be selected from among the Finalists based on the total number of valid votes we receive from customers. The Finalist receiving the most valid votes in a category will be the potential Winner of that category. Customers must have an account on Amazon.com in order to cast a vote, and customers may only vote once per category. We reserve the right to exclude the votes of any customer who votes more than one time per category during the Finalist Period. We will not accept votes intended to subvert the voting process or those generated by script, macro, or other automated means. Finalists are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including without limitation offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public. In the event of a tie in either category, we will select the Winner from the tied Finalists based on the Judging Criteria.
(2) Celebrity Reviewing Panel. Each Finalist Manuscript will be read and reviewed by a celebrity reviewing panel. The celebrity reviewing panel for each category will consist of at least one well-known author, one agent, and one editor. In addition, all reviews of the Finalists’ Entries posted online up to the start of the Finalist Period will remain online and available for viewing.
(3) Grand Prize Event. Prior to the announcement of the Winners on or about June 16, 2012, the Finalists will be flown to the Venue in Seattle, WA (or a different city that we select) for publicity and promotional interviews and an awards ceremony. If you are not available for the trip, and we have not waived the travel requirement, an alternate Finalist will be invited to attend the ceremony in your place. We may choose, in our sole discretion, an alternate means of announcing the Winner.
9. PRIZES. The following prizes will be available to be awarded:
A. Grand Prize. If you are selected as the Winner in a category, you will receive one of two Grand Prizes each consisting of a full publishing contract with Penguin to market and distribute your Manuscript as a published book. One Grand Prize will be awarded in the young adult fiction category, and one Grand Prize will be awarded in the general fiction category. Upon the full execution of the publishing contract, Penguin will pay each Winner $15,000.00 USD. The $15,000.00 payment is an advance against the royalties to be earned by the Winner under the publishing contract. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of the publishing contract is $15,000.00 USD for the advance. 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 and the projected print run. You may not negotiate the publishing contract with Penguin, and you must sign it “as is” upon receipt of the executable contract (as described in Section 9 below) if you wish to enter into the publishing contract being awarded. The publishing contract will be governed by the laws of the State of New York. For a summary of the terms and conditions of the publishing contract, please contact
[email protected].
B. First Prize. If you are selected as one of the 3 Finalists in a category, you will receive a “First Prize.” Each First Prize will consist of a trip to the Venue, sometime between June 14, 2012 and June 19, 2012 (we will determine the exact dates). A First Prize includes: (a) round trip coach class air transportation for 2 people departing from the major airport nearest to your home; (b) 3 to 5 nights’ standard hotel accommodations (1 room, double occupancy); (c) transportation to and from airport to the Venue; and (d) $100.00 USD spending money per day for the Finalist only. The total ARV of each First Prize is $3,000.00 USD. The actual value will depend on each Finalist’s city of departure. We may, in our sole discretion, substitute surface transportation for air travel if you live near the Venue. If the actual value is less than the stated ARV, we will not compensate you for the difference. You are responsible for all of the costs and expenses associated with the First Prize not specifically mentioned in these Official Rules, including but not limited to any taxes, additional transportation and transfers, food and beverages, and gratuities. You must travel on the dates we specify or you may forfeit the First Prize and the opportunity to win the Grand Prize (unless we waive your travel as described above). If you are not a U.S. resident, you 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. You and your guests must travel together on the same itinerary. Your guest must be of legal age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence (and at least 18) unless you are the parent or legal guardian of the guest. If you are not of legal age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence (and not at least 18), you must be accompanied on the trip by your parent or legal guardian as your guest. By accepting to be bound by these Official Rules, you warrant that you are unaware of any reason that you would be unable to travel during this period. We will select the airline and hotel for travel and accommodations. Certain restrictions and blackout dates apply, and exact travel dates and arrangements are subject to availability. You may not use the provided travel or accommodations for any frequent flyer or rewards programs. If we choose to replace the Grand Prize Event with another form of winner announcement not requiring travel, we will award a cash prize of $3,000.00 USD to each Finalist instead.
C. Second Prize. If you are selected as a Quarter-Finalist, you will receive a “Second Prize” (maximum of 500 Second Prizes total). Each Second Prize will consist of the Publishers Weekly manuscript review of each Quarter-Finalist’s respective Manuscript. A Second Prize winner may use the Publishers Weekly review solely for marketing and promoting the Manuscript as long as you do not materially change the Manuscript from the one that Publishers Weekly reviewed. Any such use must clearly state that Publishers Weekly is an independent organization and the review was written based on a manuscript version of the book and not a published version. The Second Prize has no cash value.
D. Third Prize. If you are selected as a Second Round Finalist, you will receive a “Third Prize” (maximum of 2000 Third Prizes total). Each Third Prize will consist of the Amazon Editors excerpt review of each Second Round Finalist’s respective Excerpt. The Third Prize has no cash value.
E. CreateSpace.com Promotional Code. All entrants will receive an electronic promotional code good for 20% off the base retail price of the Kindle-Ready File Conversion service from
http://www.createspace.com ($69.00). The ARV of each coupon is $13.80 USD. The coupon is valid towards the purchase of the Kindle-Ready File Conversion service exclusively and cannot be used towards the purchase of any other goods or services from
http://www.createspace.com.
F. General. The total ARV of all prizes is $108,000.00 USD. ALL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PRIZE ACCEPTANCE AND USE ARE YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. IF TAXES ARE APPLICABLE TO THE PRIZE(S), IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES. PAYMENTS TO YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE EXPRESS REQUIREMENT THAT YOU SUBMIT TO US ALL DOCUMENTATION REQUESTED BY US TO PERMIT COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL AND FOREIGN (INCLUDING PROVINCIAL) TAX REPORTING AND WITHHOLDING REQUIREMENTS. You are responsible for ensuring that the tax documentation submitted to us complies with all applicable tax laws and requirements. If you fail to provide the documentation or submit incomplete documentation, the prize may be forfeited and we may, in our sole discretion, select an alternate. You may not substitute, transfer or redeem your prize for cash. We reserve the right to substitute a prize (or portion of a prize) with anything of comparable or greater value. We award all prizes “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.
10. DISQUALIFICATIONS. If your Entry is disqualified for any reason, you will not receive a notice or explanation describing the reason for the disqualification.
11. FINALIST NOTIFICATION AND REQUIREMENTS. If you are selected as a potential Finalist, we will notify you by phone or e-mail starting on or about May 14, 2012. You will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release & Nondisclosure Agreement (“Affidavit and Release”) by May 21, 2012. Your guest (or if the guest is a minor, the parent or legal guardian of the guest) will be required to sign and return a Liability/Publicity Release & Nondisclosure Agreement prior to departure to the Venue. If you do not return the required documents to us by the specified dates, you will be disqualified from the Contest.
You will also be required to sign and return a contingent publishing contract with Penguin, which Penguin will countersign only if you are selected as the Winner. We must receive the signed publishing contract by May 21, 2012. Penguin will only be bound by the publishing contract with you if you are selected as the Winner. If any documentation is not returned by the specified dates, we may invite an alternate Finalist, chosen by the Penguin judging panel from among the Semi-Finalists in the same manner as described above to replace the original Finalist. If notification to the alternate Finalist is returned as undeliverable, we may invite the next eligible alternate Finalist from among the Semi-Finalists, and so on. If you are under 18 or a minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside at the time a prize is awarded, the prize will be awarded to you only after the your parent or legal guardian signs the Affidavit and Release and any other documentation that may be required for you to claim a prize. We will notify prize recipients of all other prizes by e-mail or phone no later than June 30, 2011. Prior to awarding a prize, we may require you to sign additional documents we believe are necessary to confirm your eligibility, to obtain a liability and publicity release, and to award any prize.
12. ADDITIONAL TERMS. The Contest and all accompanying materials are copyright 2011 by Amazon Services LLC. All rights reserved. The Contest is void outside the eligible entry jurisdictions and where prohibited by law. You agree that our decisions related to the Contest are final and binding in all matters. We reserve the right, to the maximum extent permitted by law, in our sole discretion, to change these rules or cancel the Contest at any time. We may also modify, terminate or suspend the Contest if any viruses, worms, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond our control corrupt or impair the administration, security, or fairness of the Contest or submission of Entries. If you use the name or likeness of an individual in your Entry, you agree to be solely responsible for that use. You agree that we, Publishers Weekly and our and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, along with any officers, directors, agents, employees and representatives of any of them (collectively, “Released Parties”), will not be responsible for any action brought by a person whose consent you did not obtain. The Released Parties are not responsible for: (a) any human or other error that may occur in the processing of the Entries; (b) any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to or alteration of Entries; (c) or for technical, network, telephone, computer, hardware or software, malfunctions of any kind, which may occur in connection with this Contest, including, without limitation, any errors or problems related to the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the tabulation of votes, the announcement of the prizes, or the Contest-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for: (y) inaccurate transmission of, or failure to receive, any entry information on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site; and (z) injury or damage to you or any other computer resulting from downloading any materials in connection with the Contest. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to disqualify any individual found to be tampering with the entry or voting process, the outcome of the Contest, or the operation of the Contest or Web site; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules; or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person (including actions by you on our message boards) and void all associated Entries. ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND IF SUCH AN ATTEMPT IS MADE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER RELIEF (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM THE PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
13. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. THE RELEASED PARTIES ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF ANY ENTRY (OR ANY PORTION OF ANY ENTRY) BY ANY THIRD PARTY. YOU AGREE (FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR HEIRS) THAT THE RELEASED PARTIES, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LIABILITY, LOSS, INJURY, OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR TO PERSON. YOU ALSO AGREE THAT WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COURT COSTS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST, OR BY REASON OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZES (INCLUDING ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY RELATED TO A PRIZE). NOTHING IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES WILL LIMIT ANY RELEASED PARTY’S LIABILITY FOR DEATH OR PERSONAL INJURY CAUSED BY THAT PARTY'S NEGLIGENCE, A BREACH OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES, OR FRAUDULENT MISREPRESENTATION.
14. GOVERNING LAW/DISPUTES. This Contest is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Washington. As a condition of participating in this Contest, you agree, to the extent permitted by law, that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this Contest, will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in King County, Washington. FURTHER, IN ANY DISPUTE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL YOU BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN AWARDS FOR, AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ATTORNEYS' FEES, OTHER THAN ENTRANT’S ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES (E.G. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ENTERING). YOU FURTHER WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR INCREASED.
15. RIGHTS OF PUBLICITY. By participating in the Contest, you consent to the worldwide use of your name, biographical information, photographs, videos or likenesses in any manner and in any medium now in existence or later invented for any purpose in connection with the Contest without additional compensation, notification or permission, except where prohibited by law.
16. WINNERS LIST. You may request a list of the Finalists and the Winner by sending an e-mail request to
[email protected]. We must receive your request by July 31, 2012.
17. SPONSORS’ ADDRESSES. Amazon Services LLC, P.O. Box 400818, Las Vegas, NV 89140; Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014; and On-Demand Publishing LLC dba CreateSpace, 7290B Investment Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418.
