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WP&M's First Book Award has been renamed in honor of Martin Scott, friend and writer.

The Marty Scott First Book Award is closed for submissions and will reopen in 2006.

Guidelines.
 Thanks for participating. Rules and Guidelines

Entries currently not being accepted

 Water Press and Media (WP&M) sponsors an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works of fiction, poetry or essay—the WP&M Annual First Book Award. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence who have never published a book length manuscript of poetry, essay or fiction. Winners receive a $500 cash honorarium from WP&M and publication by WP&M. WP&M Annual First Book Award provides this honorarium in addition to (rather than an advance against or instead of) the royalties winning authors receive from the sales of their books. Each contest entrant receives a copy of the winning book. Each entrant is also considered for publication by WP&M outside of the contest.

Eligibility
Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The Annual First Book Award defines “book-length” as: poetry—48 pages minimum text; essay and novel - 150–300 manuscript pages.

The WP&M Annual First Book Award is open to all authors writing original works in English who have not published a book length manuscript. No mixed-genre manuscripts can be accepted. Criticism and scholarly monographs are not acceptable for essay.

Poems and stories previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion in submissions, but manuscripts previously published in their entirety, including self-published, are not eligible. As the series is judged anonymously, a list of acknowledgements should accompany your manuscript on a separate page.

You may submit your manuscript to other publishers while it is under consideration by the Annual First Book Award, but you must notify WP&M immediately in writing or email if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

WP&M cannot consider manuscript revisions during the course of the contest, including substitutions and corrections, but the winning authors will have an opportunity to revise their works before publication. Please read carefully the entry requirements and guidelines before submitting your work.

Manuscript Format & Guidelines
Manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced on good quality paper, 81/2 x 11 inches.

Poetry manuscripts may be single-spaced. Photocopies or copies from letter-quality printers are acceptable, but dot matrix is not acceptable. Manuscripts should not be bound or in a folder; they must be binder-clipped or rubber-banded together.

Each manuscript must include (1) a cover page with the author’s name, address, phone, manuscript title and short biography. This page must also contain the following typed statement: “This is an original work of which I am the sole author. I have read the WP&M Annual First Book Award guidelines and agree to the terms of those guidelines.” This statement must be followed by the entrant’s signature; and (2) a title page with the manuscript title only. A page of acknowledgements, if any part of work is previously published, must accompany the manuscript. The cover page and acknowledgement page will be removed so that each submission can be read anonymously. If the author’s name appears anywhere except the cover page, the manuscript will be disqualified.

Entry Requirements & Terms

  • A handling fee of $25. Make your check or money order in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to Water Press and Media. All entry fees are nonrefundable.
  • Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for notification that the entry has reached WP&M. Due to the high volume of manuscripts, we cannot acknowledge receipt by email.
  • Also include a self-addressed, stamped envelope, business size (9 1/2 x 4 inches), if you would like direct notification of contest results. Do not include an envelope for the return of your manuscripts. No manuscripts can be returned.
  • Send two copies of each manuscript entered, prepared according to manuscript format guidelines to
    Water Press and Media
    2004 Whitebridge Road
    Argyle, Texas
    76226
  • You may enter in more than one genre, and you may also enter multiple manuscripts in one genre, provided that each manuscript is accompanied by its own cover sheet, postcard, and handling fee.
  • Winners may be required to submit an affidavit of eligibility and to sign a release agreeing to the use of his/ her name and/or photograph for advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes without compensation (unless prohibited by law).
  • The decisions of the judges in each genre will be final. Should a judge deem no manuscript excellent and worthy of award, no winner will be chosen in that year.

This competition is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

 

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