Fred Bonnie Memorial Award for Best First Novel
http://www.rivercitypublishing.com/main/fred_bonnie_award.html
(go to website to download contest entry form)
The Contest
Fred Bonnie was a great friend to the literary community at large, and particularly to the South, the place he called home for many years. Fred was a
talented short story writer who always knew that he had inside him a great novel waiting to be written. We at River City Publishing were fortunate enough to
publish a short story collection (Food Fights) and his only novel, Thanh Ho Delivers. Sadly, Fred died suddenly of a heart attack at age fifty-four while
returning home from a book-signing event for Thanh Ho.
In FredGÃÃs memory, River City Publishing established this award for best first novel. The winning anuscript is published, and the author receives a certificate of award and a $1,500 advance against royalties.
Submitting to the Contest
Eligibility
The contest is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older as of January 1, 2006, and who has not previously published a novel. Writers who have
published in other genres (e.g., nonfiction, poetry, childrenGÃÃs books, short stories) are eligible. A novel written as a joint effort by two or more eligible
people may be submitted as one entry.
Entry Rules
1. Manuscripts should be fictional work in English and be the original work of the entrant. Works that have been self-published in traditional print, print-on-demand, or e-book formats will not be considered, although an author who has published a novel in one or more of these formats and otherwise meets the entry requirements may submit a manuscript that has not been published anywhere
before.
2. Manuscripts may not be represented by an agent. They must be submitted by the author.
3. Manuscripts should be submitted in font size 12, double-spaced on letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 inches), with pages numbered. Each manuscript should be
accompanied by (1) a cover letter incorporating a brief synopsis of the novel;
(2) a cover page that lists the title of the novel and the authorGÃÃs name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address (this information should not appear
anywhere else in the manuscript); (3) a title page that lists only the title of the novel; (4) and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for prize notification.
No manuscripts will be returned. If entrant wants receipt of the submission acknowledged, the entry should also include a self-addressed, stamped postcard.
4. Entries must be postmarked between January 1 and April 30, 2006.
Submissions postmarked earlier or later than these dates will not be considered.
5. Only hard copy entries will be considered. Entries should be sent by mail or express delivery service. Submissions by fax, e-mail, disk, or any other
electronic means will not be considered.
6. Submissions should be sent to:
Fred Bonnie Award Submission
River City Publishing
1719 Mulberry Street
Montgomery, AL 36106
7. Entries are void if they are in whole or in part illegible, incomplete, or damaged. No responsibility is assumed by River City Publishing for late, lost, damaged, incomplete, illegible, postage due, or misdirected mail or entries.
Failure to comply with manuscript guidelines may disqualify entries.
8. River City will not provide critiques on any manuscripts.
Entry Fee
Each submission must be accompanied by a $40 check or money order payable to River City Publishing. The first two hundred submitting authors will receive a promotional copy of Thanh Ho Delivers and Food Fights.
Judging and Award of Prize
Judging will be performed by book-publishing professionals designated by River City Publishing. The decisions of the judges with respect to the selection
of the finalists and winner and in regard to all matters relating to this contest, including but not limited to the eligibility of entrants, are final and binding.
Manuscripts will be judged on the basis of literary quality, originality, commercial potential, and the strength of any or all of the following:
characterization, narrative voice, setting, and plot.
River City Publishing reserves the right not to award a prize if there is an insufficient number of entries or if the judges determine in their absolute discretion that no entry meets the quality standards established to select a winner.
Contest results will be announced on or about September 1, 2006. Finalists will be notified by mail, and the winner will be notified by telephone and mail.
The winnerGÃÃs name will be posted on River CityGÃÃs Web site (www.rivercitypublishing.com) on or about September 1, 2006.
No communication or correspondence with respect to individual submissions will be answered.
Prizes are not transferable and may not be substituted except by the sponsor.
All taxes and fees assessed in connection with the prize are the responsibility of the winner.
The prize winner must accept the prize at the Southeastern Booksellers Association meeting held in the fall, usually in mid-September. Transportation
funding will be provided.
General Information
1. By entering this contest, entrants (1) agree to abide by these rules; (2) represent that their entry is their original, unpublished work and they are
the sole and exclusive copyright holder of the work; and (3) agree that River City Publishing shall have no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss,
or damage of any kind, arising out of participation in this contest or the acceptance, use, or misuse of the prize.
2. By entering this contest, the winner (1) agrees to execute, himself/herself and without an agent, River City PublishingGÃÃs standard publishing agreement
granting to River City Publishing standard publishing rights (including but not limited to world print publishing, audio, film, and electronic rights) with
respect to the winning entry. The agreement must be signed within thirty days of delivery to the winner. Entry into the contest constitutes the entrantGÃÃs
agreement to sign such a contract if he/she is chosen the winner. A copy of River CityGÃÃs standard publishing agreement is available upon request. River City
reserves the right not to publish the winning entrantGÃÃs book, subject to terms of the publishing agreement. The winner (2) grants to River City the right to
edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use the submission according to the terms and conditions of River CityGÃÃs standard publishing contract. The winner (3) grants to River City the right to use his/her winning entry, name, and likeness for any advertising, promotional, trade, or any other purpose without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. The winner will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release within thirty days of notification.
3. Any dispute arising from this contest will be determined according to the laws of the State of Alabama, without reference to its conflict of law
principals, and the entrant consents to the personal jurisdiction of the State and Federal Courts located in Montgomery County and agrees that such courts have exclusive rights over all such disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I submitted a manuscript for the last contest. Can I resubmit it for the 2007 contest?
A: Yes, resubmitted manuscripts are accepted.
Q: How many manuscripts are received each year?
A: This is the third year we have held the contest. The first year we had about 50 submittals; the second year we received 155.
Q: May I enter more than one manuscript?
A: Yes, multiple entries from the same author are allowed, but each submission must be mailed separately, and each submission requires its own entry fee.
Q: Do the manuscripts have to be Southern?
A: Although River City publishes primarily Southern literary fiction and nonfiction, entries (and winners) for the Fred Bonnie Memorial Award are not
limited to novels about the South or by Southern authors. Last yearGÃÃs submissions came from all over the United States and several other countries; the finalists were from New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, California, Maryland, Alabama,
New Mexico, and Virginia.
Q: I self-published a novel a few years ago. Am I still eligible to enter the contest?
A: Yes. Authors who have self-published one or more novels are eligible to enter the contest. However, the self-published novel is not eligible for consideration.
Q: I have had a novel published overseas. Can I enter the contest?
A: Anyone who has had a novel published by a commercial, royalty-based publisher anywhere is not eligible to enter the contest.
Q: I have a manuscript for a childrenGÃÃs science fiction novel. Can I enter it in the contest?
A: Yes, any kind novel may be submitted. However, the same evaluation
criteria are used on all submissions
(go to website to download contest entry form)
The Contest
Fred Bonnie was a great friend to the literary community at large, and particularly to the South, the place he called home for many years. Fred was a
talented short story writer who always knew that he had inside him a great novel waiting to be written. We at River City Publishing were fortunate enough to
publish a short story collection (Food Fights) and his only novel, Thanh Ho Delivers. Sadly, Fred died suddenly of a heart attack at age fifty-four while
returning home from a book-signing event for Thanh Ho.
In FredGÃÃs memory, River City Publishing established this award for best first novel. The winning anuscript is published, and the author receives a certificate of award and a $1,500 advance against royalties.
Submitting to the Contest
Eligibility
The contest is open to anyone who is 18 years of age or older as of January 1, 2006, and who has not previously published a novel. Writers who have
published in other genres (e.g., nonfiction, poetry, childrenGÃÃs books, short stories) are eligible. A novel written as a joint effort by two or more eligible
people may be submitted as one entry.
Entry Rules
1. Manuscripts should be fictional work in English and be the original work of the entrant. Works that have been self-published in traditional print, print-on-demand, or e-book formats will not be considered, although an author who has published a novel in one or more of these formats and otherwise meets the entry requirements may submit a manuscript that has not been published anywhere
before.
2. Manuscripts may not be represented by an agent. They must be submitted by the author.
3. Manuscripts should be submitted in font size 12, double-spaced on letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 inches), with pages numbered. Each manuscript should be
accompanied by (1) a cover letter incorporating a brief synopsis of the novel;
(2) a cover page that lists the title of the novel and the authorGÃÃs name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address (this information should not appear
anywhere else in the manuscript); (3) a title page that lists only the title of the novel; (4) and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for prize notification.
No manuscripts will be returned. If entrant wants receipt of the submission acknowledged, the entry should also include a self-addressed, stamped postcard.
4. Entries must be postmarked between January 1 and April 30, 2006.
Submissions postmarked earlier or later than these dates will not be considered.
5. Only hard copy entries will be considered. Entries should be sent by mail or express delivery service. Submissions by fax, e-mail, disk, or any other
electronic means will not be considered.
6. Submissions should be sent to:
Fred Bonnie Award Submission
River City Publishing
1719 Mulberry Street
Montgomery, AL 36106
7. Entries are void if they are in whole or in part illegible, incomplete, or damaged. No responsibility is assumed by River City Publishing for late, lost, damaged, incomplete, illegible, postage due, or misdirected mail or entries.
Failure to comply with manuscript guidelines may disqualify entries.
8. River City will not provide critiques on any manuscripts.
Entry Fee
Each submission must be accompanied by a $40 check or money order payable to River City Publishing. The first two hundred submitting authors will receive a promotional copy of Thanh Ho Delivers and Food Fights.
Judging and Award of Prize
Judging will be performed by book-publishing professionals designated by River City Publishing. The decisions of the judges with respect to the selection
of the finalists and winner and in regard to all matters relating to this contest, including but not limited to the eligibility of entrants, are final and binding.
Manuscripts will be judged on the basis of literary quality, originality, commercial potential, and the strength of any or all of the following:
characterization, narrative voice, setting, and plot.
River City Publishing reserves the right not to award a prize if there is an insufficient number of entries or if the judges determine in their absolute discretion that no entry meets the quality standards established to select a winner.
Contest results will be announced on or about September 1, 2006. Finalists will be notified by mail, and the winner will be notified by telephone and mail.
The winnerGÃÃs name will be posted on River CityGÃÃs Web site (www.rivercitypublishing.com) on or about September 1, 2006.
No communication or correspondence with respect to individual submissions will be answered.
Prizes are not transferable and may not be substituted except by the sponsor.
All taxes and fees assessed in connection with the prize are the responsibility of the winner.
The prize winner must accept the prize at the Southeastern Booksellers Association meeting held in the fall, usually in mid-September. Transportation
funding will be provided.
General Information
1. By entering this contest, entrants (1) agree to abide by these rules; (2) represent that their entry is their original, unpublished work and they are
the sole and exclusive copyright holder of the work; and (3) agree that River City Publishing shall have no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss,
or damage of any kind, arising out of participation in this contest or the acceptance, use, or misuse of the prize.
2. By entering this contest, the winner (1) agrees to execute, himself/herself and without an agent, River City PublishingGÃÃs standard publishing agreement
granting to River City Publishing standard publishing rights (including but not limited to world print publishing, audio, film, and electronic rights) with
respect to the winning entry. The agreement must be signed within thirty days of delivery to the winner. Entry into the contest constitutes the entrantGÃÃs
agreement to sign such a contract if he/she is chosen the winner. A copy of River CityGÃÃs standard publishing agreement is available upon request. River City
reserves the right not to publish the winning entrantGÃÃs book, subject to terms of the publishing agreement. The winner (2) grants to River City the right to
edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use the submission according to the terms and conditions of River CityGÃÃs standard publishing contract. The winner (3) grants to River City the right to use his/her winning entry, name, and likeness for any advertising, promotional, trade, or any other purpose without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. The winner will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release within thirty days of notification.
3. Any dispute arising from this contest will be determined according to the laws of the State of Alabama, without reference to its conflict of law
principals, and the entrant consents to the personal jurisdiction of the State and Federal Courts located in Montgomery County and agrees that such courts have exclusive rights over all such disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I submitted a manuscript for the last contest. Can I resubmit it for the 2007 contest?
A: Yes, resubmitted manuscripts are accepted.
Q: How many manuscripts are received each year?
A: This is the third year we have held the contest. The first year we had about 50 submittals; the second year we received 155.
Q: May I enter more than one manuscript?
A: Yes, multiple entries from the same author are allowed, but each submission must be mailed separately, and each submission requires its own entry fee.
Q: Do the manuscripts have to be Southern?
A: Although River City publishes primarily Southern literary fiction and nonfiction, entries (and winners) for the Fred Bonnie Memorial Award are not
limited to novels about the South or by Southern authors. Last yearGÃÃs submissions came from all over the United States and several other countries; the finalists were from New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, California, Maryland, Alabama,
New Mexico, and Virginia.
Q: I self-published a novel a few years ago. Am I still eligible to enter the contest?
A: Yes. Authors who have self-published one or more novels are eligible to enter the contest. However, the self-published novel is not eligible for consideration.
Q: I have had a novel published overseas. Can I enter the contest?
A: Anyone who has had a novel published by a commercial, royalty-based publisher anywhere is not eligible to enter the contest.
Q: I have a manuscript for a childrenGÃÃs science fiction novel. Can I enter it in the contest?
A: Yes, any kind novel may be submitted. However, the same evaluation
criteria are used on all submissions
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
