The rules for our 2015 Writing Contest are much the same as those for the 2014 contest, with a few differences. As The Energy of Flow and WARP Open Category will be an annual category (see 2014 Contest Overview for more on Flow), all 2014 entrants may rework and/or resubmit their previous entries, provided they pay the $25 entry fee.
Eligibility
Submission
Entry Fee
Finalist Compilations
Reader’s Choice Voting
Royalties
Prizes
Ranquilco Prize
Awarding Prizes
Eligibility. To be eligible for prizes and royalties, each entrant must be a registered WARP Place member with a PayPal account.
Submission. Submissions should comprise fewer than 6,000 words (if you’ve written a novel or other lengthy piece, consider entering an excerpt*). Submit as many entries as you like, but all must be received by July 4, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. PST. Review the Submission Form and submit your entry. (We’re not censors but will delete without apology anything we deem to be hate speech or completely offensive and without merit.)
Entry Fee. Submit as many entries as you like, but we require a $25 fee for each one.
Finalist Compilations. This year’s panel of published writers will select 20 finalists in each category based on compelling narrative, absolute delight, unfailing brilliance, or utter astonishment. We will compile the selected entries and publish them for sale at $10.00 in our bookstore on July 4, 2015.
Reader’s Choice Voting. As in 2014, our readers, with one vote per email address, will ultimately decide the winners. To vote, readers must buy the finalist-compilation ebook in a particular category, then vote via the Vote button for their favorite. Vote for yourself and ask your family members, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and even perfect strangers to register at WARP Place, buy a finalist compilation, and vote for you as well.
We strongly believe these compilations will provide an enlightening, entertaining reader experience as well as a chance to vote. The Reader’s Choice voting period will begin July 4, 2015 at 12:01 a.m. PST and continue through 11:59 pm PST on December 15, 2015.
Royalties. We’re excited to announce that each 2015 Writing Contest finalist (including the eventual winner) will share equally in the royalties of 50% of sales of their ebook compilation. Royalties will be dispersed through PayPal. WARP Place pledges to put its 100% toward earth care via Jaguar Ambassadors Gang (JAG) or Foundation WARP.
Prizes. First prize in each category is $2,000 awarded through PayPal, plus a one-week Writer’s Retreat (valued at $5000) at our founder’s Estancia Ranquilco in Northern Patagonia in the Argentine Andes, for a total of $7,000 in awards for each winner, $70,000 in total.
Ranquilco Prize. The second part of the winners’ prize is a one-week Writers’ Retreat at our founder’s Estancia (Ranquilco video) in Northern Patagonia in the Argentine Andes. This prize includes transportation between the city of Zapala and the ranch. Your time at the Estancia (World’s Top 50 Ranches) includes accommodation in our luxury guest cottages, all meals and wine, personal horses for day rides, and participation in various ranch activities. It does not include airfare to and from Argentina or transportation to and from Zapala within Argentina.
Winners may choose to come any year for either the last week of November (spring), or the first week of April (autumn). These weeks will be de facto writer’s retreats with open forums to share tricks of the trade with other writers—other winners. If you have any questions, please email admin@warpplace.com with the subject line: Ranquilco prize.
Awarding Prizes.
The winners of this year’s Reader’s Choice voting will be named and his/her $2,000 cash, plus certificate for the one week in Patagonia, prize awarded on Christmas Day, 2015, by 11:59 p.m. PST. Prize money will be dispersed via PayPal.
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*In 2015, we will set up a Sell Your Book platform, where members and nonmembers alike may be able to sell their longer work as an ebook (mobi/Kindle, epub, PDF) in our bookstore. Look for an announcement early in the year as to the platform’s readiness along with our services and fees.
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N.B. WARP Place reserves the right to extend contest deadlines and to cancel or merge categories as necessitated by the number of submissions. We will make appropriate and timely announcements of any changes and will promptly refund any fee submitted for a subsequently canceled category.
No one affiliated with WARP Place, Jaguar Ambassadors Gang (JAG), Wild Spirit Press (WSP), or Wild Spirit Energies (WSE) is eligible for any contest prizes or for inclusion in any contest-related compilations.
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