New set of competitions from indie publishers bluechrome. Press release is as follows:
bluechrome are pleased to be able to inform you that we have today launched our search for the writing stars of the future, with a series of writing awards that will see a Novelist, a Short-story writer and a Poet, all being published alongside writers such as DM Thomas, James Kirkup, Robin Bell, Alexis Lykiard and Sarah Salway.
The winners will see their work professionally edited, published and marketed, and launched at an event in their own home town.
Announcing the bluechrome Writing Awards, editor-in-chief Anthony Delgrado said,
"This is a massive undertaking for bluechrome, but a fantastic opportunity for writers of fiction or poetry to put their work in front of professional editors who are actively looking for new talent. The bluechrome Writing Awards let us do this in a structured manner and it will give writers a very real chance of publication." He continues,
"It is important that writers know that we hope to sign other entrants in addition to the winners. It is like the 'X-Factor' in a way, if we see writers with real talent, we are going to do our best to sign them - whether they win an award or not."
The bluechrome Writing Awards are a first for a company that only launched in 2002, but that has already gained a reputation for doing things their own way. As Fiona Jordan, Managing Director of bluechrome says,
"When we started bluechrome, we didn't want to walk the same old paths that everybody else has followed, as they have, after all, led us to a bland and boring McBook culture that has left readers with very little choice in the bookshops. We're not a big company, and we aren't owned by a multi-national conglomerate, but more importantly we aren't scared of the areas that bigger publishers won't address as they maybe aren't as profitable as pumping out more of the same old dross seems to be We're actively encouraging first-time authors; we want poets and short-story writers to enter, and we want to hear from novelists that have a real story to tell.
It is the quality of the writing that should count, not whether the type of book happens to be the flavour-of-the-month. We work hard to make sure that our books are produced beautifully, and that the contents are a little different to the norm."
Delgrado agrees,
"That is what these awards are intended to do, to find original voices and give them a chance to be heard without being dumbed-down or badly produced. This is a rare chance for writers, and we hope that as many of them as possible will take it."
Full details of the bluechrome Writer Awards are available from www.bluechrome.co.uk, or by sending a SAE to bluechrome Awards, PO Box 109, Portishead, Bristol. BS20 7ZJ.
The bluechrome Poetry Collection Award
a) Closing Date: 1st August 2007
b) Entry Fee: £15
c) Theme: Any Subject
d) Submit: Ten Poems of Any Length
e) Prize: The Winner will receive £250, plus an offer of a contract to have a collection of between Forty and Sixty of their Poems published by bluechrome.
Additionally, they will receive fifty copies of their book once published.
The bluechrome Novel/Novella Award
a) Closing Date: 1st October 2007
b) Entry Fee: £15
c) Theme: Any Subject or Genre
d) Submit: Synopsis, plus a Ten Thousand Word Extract
e) Prize: The Winner will receive £250, plus an offer of a contract to have their Novel or Novella published by bluechrome.
Additionally, they will receive fifty copies of their book once published.
The bluechrome Short Story Collection Award
a) Closing Date: 1st December 2007
b) Entry Fee: £15
c) Theme: Any Subject or Genre
d) Submit: Two Short Stories of between 2,000 and 5,000 words
e) Prize: The Winner will receive £250, plus an offer of a contract to have a collection of Ten of their Short Stories published by bluechrome.
Additionally, they will receive fifty copies of their book once published.
Conditions of Entry
1. All Entries must be the original work of the entrant
2. All Entries must be made by post, to the address below. If you are outside of the UK and wish to submit your work by email, please contact us before doing so.
3. Please enclose a SAE for results.
4. Please keep copies of all work entered as it will not be returned
5. Please make cheques payable to ‘bluechrome publishing’ or alternatively pay via our web site.
6. The Judges decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
7. No entry form is required
8. Please include a cover sheet with your name and address and the title of the submission
9. Submissions should have no names or marks on them, as the competitions will be judged anonymously.
10. Please send Submissions to: The bluechrome Awards, PO Box 109, Portishead, Bristol. BS20 7ZJ.
To Enter On-Line, Click Here
