Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

For those of you who are into contests, here's one that has a big payout.

ABNA

Amazon.com and Penguin Group (USA) announced the 2nd annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA), an international competition seeking fresh new writing voices. One Grand Prize winner will receive a full publishing contract with Penguin including a $25,000 advance.

Contest Defined

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an opportunity for emerging fiction writers to join a community of authors on Amazon.com, showcase their work and compete for a chance to get published. Sponsored in partnership with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award first launched in October 2007 and received more than 5,000 initial entries. In the inaugural contest, Amazon customers voted and named Bill Loehfelm the winner with his novel, “Fresh Kills.” Several of the other Top 10 finalists also received publishing deals with Penguin.

Grand Prize

A full publishing contract with Penguin to market and distribute the Grand Prize winner's winning manuscript as a published book, including promotion for the book on Amazon.com and a $25,000 advance.

How To Enter

Contest submission period begins February 2nd, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) and ends February 8th, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), or when the first 10,000 entries have been received, whichever is earlier.

More Info

Visit the Amazon webpage to sign up to receive contest updates, get tips on how to enter, participate on the ABNA message boards as well as find full contest rules.

Takeaway Truth

Contests are always a shot in the dark, but, sometimes, when you shoot in the dark, you may actually hit something.