ELIGIBILITY
All authors and publishers who have created digital books in the following formats:
- PRC (Kindle Native Format)
- .Mobi
- .ePub
All digital books must be written in English and include a cover. A table of contents and an electronic index (aka the NCX file for Kindle produced books) with search functionality are recommended, but not required, even for fiction entries. In other words, you can’t just upload a Word document to the Kindle Direct Publishing or Smashwords and call it an e-book. The technical creation of your e-book is important as it enhances the reader’s experience, which is the goal of digital publishing. Wise Bear Books believes that navigation is a critical aspect of good digital book development.
There are no publication date requirements for e-book entries. Books over 100,000 words may be subject to additional fees. You will be contacted directly once we review your submission.
Submission for more than one category is acceptable. All uploaded documents become the property of Wise Bear, Inc. and will not be duplicated or returned to you upon completion of the awards competition.
ENTRY FEES
Entry fees are based on a per-title, per-category basis. Early-bird entry fees are available offering discounts to those who register before our posted deadlines:
Early Registration #1 – September 1st – December 31st – $50 per title, per category for the first category – Over 25% Savings! (subsequent categories are $35 each)- Early Registration #2 – EXTENDED — January 1st –
February 28thApril 30th – $60 per title, per category for the first category- Over 15% Savings! (subsequent categories are $45 each) Regular Registration – March 1st – April 30th – $70 per title, per category for the first category (subsequent categories are $55 each)
E-books can be uploaded through our online submission form. Payment is due via credit card during the online submission process as well. We accept all major credit cards through our PayPal-verified merchant account. It’s not necessary to be a PayPal member to use our online payment system.
If you would like to pay by check, please contact us via our online contact form to make payment arrangements. Your submission will not be processed or reviewed until your personal or business check has received and payment has cleared.
EVALUATION AND JUDGING
Judging will be based on the following criteria:
- Story Content
- Originality
- Book Concept
- Title and Cover Design
- Digital Book Layout
- Book Summary
- Technical Production
- Overall Creation Quality
Our judging panel includes experts from the fields of web development, digital publishing, editing, graphic design, reviewing, and online marketing. All books are review by at least two, sometimes three people.
The number of categories we offer is for your convenience so that you’ll be able to enter your book or novel in the best possible fit for evaluation purposes. All books are initially judged independently based on our customized scoring rubric which was designed specifically for our unique all digital book competition.
Our awards are merit based. We do not judge books on a curve for each category. All books must meet a minimum points requirement to be eligible for finalist status. With regards to finalist judging, it’s possible for a category with only a few entries to not have a gold medal winner if their scores only qualify them for silver, bronze, or honorable mention. Conversely, it is also possible for a category to have more than one gold medal winner. Should this scenario occur, our judging panel will then select a best in category winner.
Our evaluations and reviews are always honest and unbiased. We intend to recognizable the best in digital publishing, but that also means submitting digital books that conform to the current standards in terms of technical production on the most popular digital publishing platforms. And while we don’t require contestants to provide multiple file examples (mobi, epub, prc, etc.), all entries should exemplify a great digital reading experience from well written and edited stories to interactive search and navigation functionality. In short, we’re looking for a wonderful e-reading experience.
Finalists will be announced on June 1, 2013.
All award winners and honorable mentions will be announced live during a nationwide webcast tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 29, 2013. Additional details will be forthcoming.
DEADLINE
All entries must be received via our online submission form no later than April 30, 2013. We will confirm your entry via email.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
All submitting authors are eligible to receive gold, silver, bronze, honorable mention, and finalist medals in their respective categories. Our online entry form allows authors and publishers to enter one primary category and four additional alternative categories. There isn’t a limit to how many alternate categories you can enter. You’ll just need to complete an additional online order form. Authors may be qualified to win in multiple categories based on their entry submissions.
An additional overall grand prize winner will be selected from all gold medal winners. For more details and information go to our prizes page.
Make sure to review our extensive list of award categories before submitting your contest entries. Remember to sign up now to take advantage of our early registration specials.
MARKETING MATERIALS
Digital books and collateral marketing material sent for review purposes will become the physical property of Wise Bear, Inc. and will not be returned once your review is completed Authors will always maintain ownership of their own copyrighted books and materials. We do not sell or distribute your digital book in any format or manner. All material remains in our digital content archive which is periodically purged after a substantial period of time.
Additionally, marketing materials you send to us including, but not limited to: book cover images, book summaries, author photos, author bios, etc. will be used with your implied permission. By sending us your marketing material you will allow Wise Bear Books to use your copyrighted content on our websites and emails for marketing and promotional activities.
