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Brighid's Fire Books Newsletters
Brighid's Fire Bookstore News Fiction Contest Announcements |
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We thought long and hard about making this adjustment to the rules but, in the end, it's all about what this contest is supposed to accomplish. The purpose of our annual Fiction Manuscript Contest is to bring fresh, new voices in fiction to the reading public. If you, as an author, have already made it past the publishing industry gatekeepers in one fashion or another to bring your fiction to the public, then you don't need our help with that, do you?
Brighid's Fire Books publishes debut fiction — new stories by new writers who have never been published before.
What are the opening and closing dates for your contest?
We start accepting entries on March 1st and we will keep accepting any that are postmarked on or before April 30th.
Does the book have to be completely finished in order to enter it into the contest?
Well, it doesn't have to be finished in order to send in your partial and entry fee. But it's in your best interests to have a completed manuscript, just in case it's good enough to make the finals and we ask to see the whole thing. If you don't have a finished manuscript to send as a finalist, you forfeit your entry fee and your chance at winning.
My chapters are a lot longer/shorter than is the norm for most novels. How much material should I send?
Even if your chapters are very short, just send those first two. You may think your chapters are exceptionally short but they're probably not. If your chapters are exceptionally long, then just send the first chapter. If your novel isn't divided into chapters, then just send the first 25 pages. Do not, under any circumstances, send more than 25 pages of your manuscript.
Can I enter my book of poetry/short stories in your contest?
No. This contest is confined to novel-length fiction that is at least 50,000 words in length. Short stories compilations and poetry collections are not eligible.
What do you consider to be "standard" manuscript format?
Well, we're not likely to take a ruler and measure your margins before we start reading. Our primary concern is that the manuscript should be easy to read. As long as your margins are at least 1.0" all the way around, and as long as your text is double-spaced and printed on only one side of each page, your manuscript format is acceptable to us.
May I have permission to submit my entry electronically via email?
We do not accept electronic submissions for the initial entry phase of the contest. You will need to print out and send those first two chapters of your manuscript, along with the entry form and your check for the entry fee (unless you opted to pay by credit card or PayPal), to us at the postal address posted on the contest page at the Brighid's Fire Books web site in order for your entry submission package to be accepted for judging.
Is your contest going to close early?
No. We have dispensed with the 1,000 entry cut off. We'll accept as many entries as we get, whether we get 200 or 2,000.
Can I resubmit a novel I submitted last year?
Sure can.
Do you accept [name your favorite genre]?
We'll accept all fiction except erotica/porn, and (at the other end of the spectrum) children's/young adult.
I've already submitted my novel to a publisher but I haven't heard from them yet. Is it still eligible for the contest?
Yes, but if your novel is accepted by that publisher, then it is immediately disqualified from further consideration in the contest and you forfeit your entry fee.
Would you accept a self-published novel for your contest?
Sorry, but when we say we want previously unpublished material, we mean exactly that. Whether you were published by Random House or whether you are a do-it-yourself published author, if the work has already been made available to the public, it is ineligible for this contest. The only exception we make is that, if an excerpt was previously published (as a short story, for example), the novel remains eligible for this contest as long as the total amount of previously published material does not constitute more than one-third of the completed manuscript.
Your contest rules say you can close the contest if you get too few entries. Do entrants get a refund if that happens?
Yes, if we get too few entries and must close the contest, we refund everybody's entry fees.
I wanted to enter this contest so badly, but found out about it too late. Is there a chance the cut-off date will be extended? Even just another month?
I'm afraid we really can't extend the deadline, but all is not lost. If you have a manuscript that is close to submission-ready and if you can punch up the first two chapters to the point that you're pretty much happy with them, you can submit them and spend the time between now and September 30th polishing the rest of the manuscript.
Alternatively, you can always enter the contest next year.
What type of distribution process do you maintain for the books you publish?
Brighid's Fire Books releases are published using print-on-demand technology, using Lightning Source. Our titles are automatically then available for distribution through both Ingram, one of the world's largest book distributors. In addition, Brighid's Fire Books titles are available online at such major sellers as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, and we sell direct to both booksellers and consumers.
Should my novel be a winner, do you maintain the copyright, etc? If so, for how long?
No, you retain all copyright in your work. In fact, a standard provision of the Brighid's Fire Books publishing agreement is that we file your copyright on your behalf (and pay for it) with the Library of Congress within 30 days of the release date of the book. The publishing agreement grants Brighid's Fire Books a limited license to publish the book in certain markets around the world. The license usually lasts for 20 years or when the book sells less than $100 in gross retail sales for an entire calendar quarter or when the publisher stops printing it, whichever comes first. The author also has the option of terminating the license sooner, and he or she always retains the copyright in their work.
What is the legal responsibility, should a person win the contest and by the time they are notified, be already under contract with another publisher?
In that event, they would forfeit their entry (and their entry fee) and the first place prize would go to the second place winner, second place would be awarded to the third place winner and we'd choose another third place winner. By rights, the contestant in question ought to notify us of a contract offer when it happens (rather than waiting until they are notified) and withdraw their entry -- although, under those circumstances, they would still forfeit the $25 entry fee.
I would like to know if it is possible to send my entry by email and send the entry fee by mail, because I live in [name your place] and my entry would not arrive in time for the deadline if I do not email it.
We don't accept entries by email for the initial stage of the contest but that needn't worry you. As long as the entry is postmarked by April 30th, we'll still accept it -- even if we don't actually receive it until mid-May.
According to the contest guidelines, you are not accepting entire manuscirpts, however, my manuacript falls into the 50,000 to 120,000 word count. Would it still be acceptable?
Your novel would be an acceptable entry into the contest. Just don't send the entire manuscript with your initial entry package, as that will automatically disqualify you and cause you to forfeit your entry fee.
On the entry form, are you requesting the word count of the entry submission, or the word count for the entire manuscript?
We need the word count for the entire manuscript. If you stop and think about it, the word count for just the submission partial would be a fairly useless piece of information.
I have already sent in my entry but I've been revising and I want to replace it with an updated copy. Can I do that?
No, we're sorry but all entries are final.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I enter my latest manuscript just because I've had a novel published before?
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