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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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 Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:35 pm Post subject: the sobol award for unpublished manuscripts |
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| Quote: | | The Sobol Award offers $100,000 for the best unreleased, agentless novel, with prizes of $25,000 and $10,000 for the runners-up and $1,000 each to seven others. The award was created by Sobol Literary Enterprises, a for-profit venture started by technology entrepreneur Gur Shomron, as "a venue to discover talented, unknown fiction writers and help them get the recognition they deserve." |
| Quote: | | The Sobol Award Web site will accept up to 50,000 manuscripts, online only, with applicants required to pay an $85 entry fee. Winners will be announced next summer. |
http://www.sobolaward.com/
from the site:
| Quote: | | The contest is open to all unpublished writers who do not have a literary agent. Submissions must be novels in English of at least 50,000 but no more than 300,000 words. |
| Quote: | We at Sobol want to receive and read novels of every kind under the sun, from literary mosaics to breathless Gothics, from wild Westerns to introspective fictional journeys.
The popularity of the genres really doesn't matter to us. We are on a treasure hunt for the undiscovered, the original. |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 7562
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| do you surrender rights? |
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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Major Tom wrote: | | do you surrender rights? |
um...
| Quote: | Dear Sobol Writer:
Below you'll find the representation agreement with the Sobol Literary Agency. The ten finalists of the Sobol Award will be represented by the Sobol Literary Agency (The Agency). The Agency may offer representation (on the same terms) to additional authors who reach the semi-final round of the contest. The Agency will represent only the manuscript entered to the contest, and will present it to publishers and other media entities (as detailed in the agreement below.) As a condition to qualify to be one of the ten winners, you'll have to sign the representation agreement below at the conclusion of Round 2 of the contest, expected to be July 2007. Not signing the agreement will disqualify your work from being selected as one of the top 10 manuscripts in Round 3 of the contest. |
| Quote: | Dear ________________:
By signing below, you appoint Sobol Literary Agency, a division of Sobol Literary Enterprises, Inc., to act as your sole and exclusive literary agents for the disposition of any and all rights in:
(i) your novel, which you have entered as a candidate for the Sobol Award; and
(ii) any other of your literary works which we may sell with your approval to the same publisher in the same contract (your signature on the contract will indicate your approval thereof)
(collectively, the Works)
in all media throughout the world, including without limitation book, audio, ebook, motion picture, television, stage and radio rights, merchandising rights, and computer rights.
We shall represent your interests to the best of our ability and will conduct all negotiations on your behalf in consultation with you. We will not sign any agreements on your behalf. We will present offers to you for your approval and contracts to you for your signature... |
so, yeah kinda, but it doesn't look like they're taking complete advantage of you. |
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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| actually, the only rights you surrender are those of "disposition." they basically hand you over to a proper publisher. |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 7562
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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that makes me cringe and wince and squint...kind of a scrwingcet i guess.
but then i despise contracts that don't give me an obvious amount of control as well as an 'out clause'...and ones that make me think "...until the end of all time" |
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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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| I know what you mean. I also am wary of the entry fee (that 50,000 entries times 85 bucks far exceeds the award totals), and the fact that sobol literary agency is a for profit enterprise. |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 7562
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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yep
reminds me HUGELY of poetry.com in that sense |
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mouse
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 15449
Location: under the bed
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| Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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do they let you know the names of any previous winners? so you could see if they actually got published?
_________________
aka: neverscared! |
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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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| Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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| there are no previous winners. this is the first year for the award. |
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BoySetsFire
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 374
Location: Rex Kwan Doe enthusiast
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| rm wrote: | | there are no previous winners. this is the first year for the award. |
enter next year then? |
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Amilam
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 921
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:53 am Post subject: |
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I don't want to slam this right out of the gate as publishing is really in desperate need of new ways of publishing and finding talent, but yeah accepting up to 50,000 manuscripts and the iffy contract doesn't raise my hopes. I'd second the notion to wait and see how it plays out, possibly enter it next year.
_________________
"And then the sea was closed again, above us." |
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rm
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 4073
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah. I was excited at first, since it appears to be a one of a kind concept and a nice way to introduce unknowns to publishing possibilities... but that's a lot of manuscripts and a lot of dough to shell out for probably nothing. and who are these people to think that they can convince publishing houses to take on a manuscript? "look, we gave it an award. it must be good." |
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mouse
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 15449
Location: under the bed
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:12 am Post subject: |
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it does seem to be a good idea - it is really hard for a new author to get attention. but without a track record, it is a little nervous-making.
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aka: neverscared! |
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Major Tom
Joined: 09 Jul 2006
Posts: 7562
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| "I READ 50,000 MANUSCRIPTS AND ALL I PRINTED WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT" |
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Darqcyde
Joined: 11 Jul 2006
Posts: 9086
Location: A false vacuum abiding in ignorance.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| mouse wrote: | | it does seem to be a good idea - it is really hard for a new author to get attention. but without a track record, it is a little nervous-making. |
Realistically, your better off dealing with someone legit like The American Screenwriter's Association or equivalent organization, and yeah I gotta agree with MT about this echoing Poetry.com.
Edit*
Like this ASA event where they actually tell you who the "industry people" specifically are. I mean yeah you're payin $199 dollars and have to be able to make it to san diego on between the 09/28 and 09/30, but you're chances of finding success are insanely better than any kind of bullshit "award" like rm posted above.
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...if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there.
http://12ozlb.blogspot.com |
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