Contests

The Second Annual Writer’s Atelier Contest! 

Writer’s Atelier will host its second annual writing contest! We are looking for submissions of fiction or creative nonfiction that fit the theme, “Interruptions.”

• Entries should be 3,000-5,000 words and submitted via Submittable.
• Entries cannot be previously published and must be the original work of the entrant.
• Entries must be submitted via Submittable by the deadline: March 8, 2019 (Extended).
• Entries must be formatted accordingly: Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, one-inch margins.
• Include name, phone number and email address in the top left-hand corner of the first page.
• Entry fee: $8
• The Prize: $100 USD and publication as a “WA Shorts” E-book.

*Note: We reserve the right to extend the deadline of the contest.

SUBMIT HERE!

Last year’s winner: A Proper Punk by Casey Bryant Crawford. Find the eBook on Amazon! Casey’s eBook debuted as a #1 Amazon New Release!

Click here for the 2017 Contest Winner and Finalists.

WRITER’S ATELIER 2018 ANNUAL WRITING CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW OR REGULATION. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 13 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.

1. CONTEST OVERVIEW: The Writer’s Atelier 2018 Annual Writing Contest (the “Contest”) begins on Tuesday, August 2, 2018, at 12:01 9.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on Friday, March 8, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Contest Period”). Entry in this Contest does not constitute entry into any other promotion, contest, or sweepstakes of the below-described Sponsor. By participating in the Contest, each Contest entrant (an “Entrant”) unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Writer’s Atelier, 336 Grove Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789 (the “Sponsor”), whose decisions shall be final and legally binding in all respects. Prize and odds of winning are described in Paragraph 7 hereof. 

2. ELIGIBILITY: This Contest is open to individual natural persons who are legal residents of the United States of America and who are thirteen (13) years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees, owners, officers, and directors of Sponsor and any of its affiliated companies (collectively, the “Contest Entities”), and each of their immediate family members and/or people living in the same household are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Eligibility is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Proof of eligibility may be required.

3. CONTEST DESCRIPTION: Each Entrant will compete in the Contest by submitting an original, unpublished fiction or nonfiction piece related to the theme “Interruptions,” without regard to any particular genre. Each submission must be (i) written in English, (ii) between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length, and (iii) submitted in Microsoft Word format (whether a .doc or .docx file), twelve (12) point, one-inch margins, Times New Roman font, and double-spaced. Each submission must also include in the top, left-hand corner of the first page the Entrant’s name, telephone number, and email address.

4. HOW TO ENTER: During the Contest Period, visit the Sponsor’s website at www.writersatelier.com and click on the link to the Contest webpage. On the Contest webpage, click on the Submittable link and follow the instructions to electronically pay the entry fee(s) and submit. For this Contest, the entry fee is $8.00 per entry, and each contestant may submit multiple entries, so long as the entry fee is paid for each such entry. 

5. ENTRANT’S REPRESENTATIONS AND COVENANTS: By participating in the Contest, the Entrant certifies that his or her entry is original, has not been previously published or won any award, and does not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyrights, trademarks, or rights or privacy or publicity. The Entrant further represents that he or she has all rights to use the submission and to allow the Contest Entities to reuse the Entry, without any liability, for editorial, advertising, and promotional purposes.

6. ENTRY LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS: Tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest is prohibited and any entries deemed by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, to have been submitted in such a manner will be void and not accepted. The timestamp on the Sponsor’s email account upon receipt of an emailed entry will control with respect to timeliness of entries. Entries generated by a script, macro, or other automated means will be disqualified.  Any entries that are incomplete, corrupted, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion, are void and will not be accepted.    

Sponsor is not responsible for: (1) late, lost, stolen, damaged, delayed, or misdirected entries; (2) technical, hardware or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network or Internet connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, or delayed electronic communications, whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest; (3) the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, whether caused by tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or used in the Contest; (4) errors of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, network, or otherwise arising out of or relating to the Contest; (5) electronic communications which are undeliverable as a result of any form of active or passive filtering of any kind; and (6) any other factors beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor.  Each Entrant assumes all risk of damaged, lost, late, incomplete, invalid, incorrect, or misdirected entries.  

7. PRIZES/ODDS: Only the prize listed below will be awarded in this Contest.  Odds of winning depend on the total number of valid entries received.

One (1) Grand Prize: The Grand Prize consists of: (i) $100 (which will be transmitted to the prizewinner electronically via PayPal) and (ii) the Sponsor will publish the prizewinner’s winning submission as an e-Book, which will be made available on www.amazon.com.

• Prizewinner must accept the Grand Prize on or before May 7, 2019.
• The prizewinner will need to comply with any editorial changes requested by Sponsor, as well as sign a contract provided by Sponsor with respect to the e-Book.
• Grand Prize is non-transferable and may not be redeemed for additional cash or substituted in any manner by the prizewinner; provided, however, that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the Grand Prize (or portion thereof) of equal or greater value if the advertised Grand Prize (or portion thereof) becomes unavailable. 
• The prizewinner is responsible for any and all applicable federal, state, and local taxes and fees, if any, associated in any way with the Grand Prize. The prizewinner must complete an IRS Form W-9 and supply Sponsor with his/her social security number for tax purposes. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name of the prizewinner for the retail value of the Grand Prize received. 
• The Grand Prize will be awarded only if the potential prizewinner fully complies with these Official Rules.
• Only the type and quantity of the Grand Prize described in these Official Rules will be awarded.  

Sponsor makes no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning the Grand Prize furnished in connection with the Contest. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, SUCH GRAND PRIZE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPONSOR HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

8. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: All Entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by Sponsor, whose decisions are final based on the following criteria: adherence to the theme (25%), originality of the story (25%), and writing quality/style (50%). In the event of a tie, the person among the tied entrants with the highest score in writing quality/style will be the winner.  Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any entry that it believes contains obscene, offensive, or inappropriate content, that does not comply with these Official Rules, or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the Contest.  In the event the Sponsor does not receive any eligible entries, the Sponsor has the right to cancel the Contest.  

The prizewinner will be notified by Sponsor by April 30, 2019, or as soon thereafter as is practicable, by Sponsor. The prizewinner will be notified in person, by phone, or by email, whichever is deemed appropriate by Sponsor, using the contact information provided by Entrant at the time of entry. Sponsor shall have no liability for any potential prize winning notification that is lost, intercepted, or not received by any potential prizewinner for any reason. If, despite reasonable efforts, any potential prizewinner does not respond within seven (7) calendar days of the first notification attempt, or if the notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable, such prizewinner will automatically forfeit his or her claim to the Grand Prize and an alternate winner will be selected. If any potential prizewinner, or his or her entry, is found to be ineligible, or if he or she has not complied with these Official Rules or declines the Grand Prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prizewinner will be automatically disqualified and an alternate winner will be selected.

Prizewinners may be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and, where permitted, a Publicity Release.

9. PRIZEWINNER’S GRANT OF RIGHTS: By submitting an entry and accepting the Grand Prize, the prizewinner agrees that:

• (a) Writer’s Atelier shall have the unlimited right to publish the entry in an electronic format, including promotional rights as described in paragraph b. The entry shall be credited to the Entrant upon publication.

• (b) Writer’s Atelier shall have the unlimited right to make promotional use of the entry in the electronic medium, including promotion of Writer’s Atelier or its websites either directly on the Sponsor’s websites or through third-party websites or electronic services, provided that the Work shall appear in context to the original cover or page layout.

• (c) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs a and b, Entrant agrees that Writer’s Atelier shall have the exclusive right to use the entry for a period of six months from the date that the entry is published. After the six-month period, rights to the entry revert back to Entrant, though Sponsor retains the right to publish and promote the entry in perpetuity.

• (d) Entrant agrees that the entry may be modified without advance notice to accommodate formatting needs.

• (e) Writer’s Atelier shall maintain exclusive rights to any cover art or promotional graphics used for the e-book in which the entry appears.

10. GENERAL CONTEST CONDITIONS: This Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By entering, each Entrant acknowledges and agrees, as to the Entrant and his or her heirs, devisees, executors, and administrators: (1) to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Contest Entities, prize suppliers, and their respective affiliates, parents, owners, franchisees, officers, directors, and employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from such Entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or his or her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any Grand Prize or any portion thereof; (2) that the Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to the Grand Prize, including, without limitation, to such Grand Prize’s quality or fitness for a particular purpose; and (3) to be bound by these Official Rules and to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error therein or in the Contest itself, and to be bound by all decisions of the Sponsor, which decisions are binding and final.  Failure to comply with these conditions may result in disqualification from the Contest at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.  

11. DISQUALIFICATION, TERMINATION, & FORCE MAJEURE: Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to: (1) disqualify from the Contest any individual who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules; or to be acting in an unsportsman-like or disruptive manner or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person connected with the Contest, and (2) seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Sponsor reserves the right to modify, extend, suspend, or terminate the Contest if Sponsor determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that the Contest is technically impaired or corrupted or that fraud or technical problems, failures or malfunctions, or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control have destroyed or severely undermined or to any degree impaired the integrity, administration, security, proper play, and/or feasibility of the Contest as contemplated herein. In the event an insufficient number of eligible Entries are received and/or Sponsor is prevented from awarding the Grand Prize or continuing with the Contest as contemplated herein by any event beyond its control, including but not limited to, fire, flood, natural or man-made epidemic of health of other means, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, satellite or equipment failure, riot or civil disturbance, terrorist threat or activity, war (declared or undeclared), or any federal state or local government law, order, or regulation, public health crisis (e.g., SARS), order of any court or jurisdiction, or other cause not reasonably within the control of the Sponsor (each a “Force Majeure” event or occurrence), then Sponsor shall have the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Contest.  If the Contest is terminated before the designated end date, Sponsor will (if possible) select the potential prizewinner, in the manner set forth in Paragraph 8 hereof, from all eligible, non-suspect Entries received as of the date of the event giving rise to the termination.  Inclusion in such process shall be each Entrant’s sole and exclusive remedy under such circumstances.

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY & RELEASE: The Released Parties are not responsible for, and Entrant hereby releases the Released Parties from, any claims arising from: (1) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware, or software; (2) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (4) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; (5) any injury or damage to persons or property, including, but not limited to, Entrant’s phone, computer, hardware or software, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrant’s participation in the Contest; and (6) use of the Grand Prize.

13. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, Entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any Grand Prize awarded in connection with the Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by a court of competent jurisdiction located in the State of Florida; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event shall attorneys’ fees and costs be awarded; and (3) unless otherwise prohibited, under no circumstances will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Entrant or Sponsor in connection with the Contest shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Florida, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of State of Florida or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Florida. Venue for any claim arising out of or related in any way to the Contest shall be a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction sitting in Orange County, Florida. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

14. WINNERS LIST: The winner and finalists will be posted on the Writer’s Atelier website/blog during the month of April.

15. SPONSOR: Writer’s Atelier, 336 Grove Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789.