SEATTLE & NEW YORK & PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct 01, 2007 -- Amazon.com, Inc., Penguin Group and Hewlett-Packard today announced the launch of the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Open to entrants in more than 20 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award seeks to find the next great novel.
Beginning today through Nov. 5, authors with an unpublished English-language novel manuscript can learn about the contest and submit their work for consideration via CreateSpace at www.amazon.com/abna. CreateSpace, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, provides authors, filmmakers and musicians with on-demand self-publishing services and distribution on Amazon.com as well as other channels.
"The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an opportunity for our customers to have an exciting, significant voice in the process of discovering a new novelist," said Russell Grandinetti, vice president of books for Amazon.com. "This contest is also an opportunity for us to give back to the author community by enabling all aspiring novelists who enter the contest to self-publish on CreateSpace at no cost."
The contest will be conducted over a six-month period, during which Amazon customers will have the opportunity to read, write about and rate their favorites. Building on Amazon's strong tradition of customer reviews, submissions will be reviewed first by Amazon.com Top Reviewers -- individuals recognized for the high quality and frequency of their comments on Amazon.com. At subsequent stages, reviewers from Publishers Weekly, editors from Penguin Group (USA) and a panel of seasoned publishing professionals -- a critic, agent, publisher and author -- will help narrow and review the field of entries. In the final month, 10 finalists will be selected, and Amazon.com customers will then vote to choose the grand prize winner. The winner will be announced on April 7, 2008, and will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $25,000 advance.
"Books connect people, change lives, inspire, inform and entertain," said Susan Petersen Kennedy, president, Penguin Group (USA). "We're delighted to be a part of a competition that brings writers and readers together. We're also very pleased to work with Amazon.com as well as Hewlett-Packard, both of whom share our commitment to bring this competition to everyone, everywhere."
"The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award reflects the Print 2.0 momentum seen in the book world, where production platforms like the HP Indigo press help creative people say what they have to say through on-demand publishing," said Rich Raimondi, vice president and general manager, U.S. Graphic Arts Organization, Hewlett-Packard. "We are pleased to be working with Amazon.com and Penguin Group to provide an opportunity to a deserving author who otherwise might not have access to the broader publishing community."
In addition to a publishing contract with Penguin Group (USA), the winning author will receive an entertainment technology package from Hewlett-Packard that will include an HP 50-inch Plasma TV, Digital Entertainment Center, HP Pavilion Notebook, HP LaserJet All-in-One and HP PhotoSmart Digital camera.
Additionally, CreateSpace will offer to contest entrants free proof copies of their books via its self-publishing platform so authors can make their books available on-demand to a worldwide audience of tens of millions of customers on Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com and their own websites. CreateSpace offers online self-publishing without inventory or set-up fees. BookSurge, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, will also provide discounted publishing services to entrants, such as custom cover creation, formatting and editorial services.
For complete terms and conditions on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award as well as more information about the contest, please visit www.amazon.com/abna. For more information on the CreateSpace Print on Demand self-publishing service, please visit www.createspace.com. For more information on BookSurge publishing services, please visit www.booksurge.com.