Operation First Novel FAQs

 

Q: Your website states the deadline for Operation First Novel is October 1, 2008. Does this mean postmarked by October 1 or received by October 1?

A: Entries for the contest must be received at the Christian Writers Guild office by October 1.

Q: My computer uses Vista . Is that a program that will be accepted?

 

A. The contest rules don't specify a word-processing program, but they require that files be either in the .doc or .rtf format. Microsoft Word 2007, the version compatible with the Vista operating system, automatically saves files in the .docx format, which is unreadable by older computers. Use the “save-as” feature of Word to format all the contest files in the required .doc or .rtf format.

 

Q: Is it acceptable to send a backup disk in case the first is unreadable?

 

A. It's fine to send a backup CD. In past years, a few disks that weren't properly packed have arrived broken. Also, before mailing the CD, test the disk in a different computer to assure it contains readable files. Some contestants have failed to complete the process of burning the disk and therefore sent ones that were blank.

 

Q: In regard to consecutive page numbering, should the first page of each new chapter begin with the number following the last page of the previous chapter?

 

A. It's best if the numbering continues from chapter to chapter. If chapter one ends with page 17, begin the numbering of chapter two with page 18. (To insert page numbers on non-Vista versions of Word, click “Insert,” then “Page Numbers.” Click “Format” to specify the beginning page number for the document.)

 

Q : I have revised my entry for last year. May I resubmit it this year?

 

A. Absolutely. The 2007 fiction winner placed as a semifinalist the year before with an earlier version of her manuscript.

 

Q : The rules say to have 1.5 or double spacing, but the rule directly following that says to have no extra spaces after paragraphs…

 

A. Set your word processor on 1.5 or double spacing, but hit “enter” only once after each paragraph, unless there's a break between scenes. That's standard practice for any material submitted for publication.

 

Q: When will a list of finalists be published?

 

A. Look for a list of contest finalists in the December Word from the Springs newsletter. The Guild office also notifies all contestant in November whether they made the list of semifinalists, then finalists.

 

Q: May someone living outside the United States join the Guild and enter a contest.

 

A. Yes. But allow enough time for the package with your disk to arrive at our office by the contest deadline.

 

Q: Will I need to obtain permission from a publisher for quoting directly from the Bible? 

 

A: It depends on the translation and how many verses you use. For example, the copyright page of my NIV, along with information on how to give credit in published works, states:

“The NIV text may be quoted in any form … up to and inclusive of five hundred … verses without express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for 25 percent or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted.”

Whichever version you use (unless it's one in pubic domain) check the copyright page.

 

Q: In my novel I use quotations from the NIV, KJV, and NLT. They do not exceed the amounts the publishers allow, however I am not sure where to insert the notice of copyright.

 

A : It isn't necessary to include such information in the contest files. Should your story win, Tyndale has its own copyright terminology for the page that follows the title page.

 

Q: Before learning of your contest, I submitted information about my book to a service that screens material, then posts it for possible review by publishers. Does that disqualify me from entering?

 

A: Having your proposal available for publishers to consider through such a service does not disqualify you. But if your full proposal and/or manuscript is requested for scrutiny by a company's publication board after you have entered, you should notify the Guild.

 

Q: For purposes of your contest, does listing a story for sale in Amazon's Kindle bookstore count as publishing?

 

A: Not if that is the only format in which it's available. The contest considers someone published only if he or she has had physical copies of a book produced by a royalty publishing house. Similarly, self-publishing, co-publishing, and print-on-demand (P.O.D.) do not count as publishing.

 

Q: I know the manuscript must be between 75,000 and 100,000 words. Would you like to know the actual number of words in the document or an approximate count based on an average of 250 words per page?

 

A: Include the actual word count rather than an estimate. To obtain that number (if you're using a non-Vista version of Word), click “Tools” then “Word Count.”

 

Q: I'm interested in your contest, but my short novel (52,000 words) is complete as is. Could you reconsider the minimum word count?

 

Q: I've cut my novel as much as I can, and it's still 107,000 words. Can you waive the maximum word count?

 

A: Tyndale House Publishers, which co-sponsors the contest, requires a length in the 75,000- to 100,000-word range so the book will fit its fiction line.

 

Q : My word count is close to 110k. Must I get the count below 100k? I've been racking my brain to figure how I could trim the word count without lessening the story's impact.

 

A: To trim ten percent from your manuscript, first make sure each chapter and scene is necessary. After making those cuts, be willing to delete redundant or unnecessary paragraphs, sentences, phrases, and words. The result will be a more forceful novel.

 

For example, this is the original, 58-word version of that question:

My word count is over 100k (closer to 110k).  Must I get the word count down below the 100k mark?  How strict is this rule.  I've been racking my brain to figure out how I could trim the word count down, i.e. what material could be removed, but it lessens the impact of the story, in my opinion.

Editing reduced the question to 33 words.

 

Q: Do I need to copyright my novel before submitting it to the contest?

 

A: No. Under U.S. law, as soon as you write something, all rights to it belong to you. (If you want to make sure others know that, you can include a line that says copyright 2008 by Writer Name . Nothing else is needed.) If you want to take further action, you can pay $35 or $45 to have your copyright registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. For answers to common questions about copyright, as well as abundant details on how to register a work, visit the Copyright Office website: Copyright.gov

 

Q: Is young adult fiction allowed?

 

A: Technically, yes. But Tyndale is looking for a 75,000- to 100,000-word novel that fits its general fiction line. So the novel would need to appeal to both an adult and young adult audience.

 

Q: The website says to include a printout with certain information, including the title. Should I also put the title on the CD files, perhaps in the header, or not at all?

 

A: There's no need to include the book title in the names of the chapter files. But it's good practice to include it in the headers. Be sure also to use a marker to label the disk with the book title. That reduces the risk of it getting mixed with someone else's entry.

 

Q: It is mandatory to attend the conference to qualify? I live on the East Coast and, as much as I would love to, I am not certain I will be able to attend.

 

A: While we'd love to have you attend Writing for the Soul, it's not a condition for entering or winning the contest. But if you get an email from our office in December notifying you that you're one of four or five finalists, you may want to reconsider.

 

Q: Is there a concession prize for the nonwinning finalists?

 

A: The finalists are acknowledged in the Guild's newsletter, on the website, and at the conference. Their status as a finalist certainly won't hurt in pitching their novel to editors and agents.

Rules for Operation First Novel 2008
Membership Deadline: September 17, 2008; Entry Deadline: October 1, 2008

Learn how to become an annual member: annual member

• While there is no fee for entering the contest, each entrant must be a current member or student in good standing of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.
• Entrant may not have had a book (fiction or nonfiction) published or accepted for publication by a royalty publisher prior to the entry deadline. Having had a book produced by a self-publishing or print-on-demand company does not disqualify one from entering.
• Submitted books may not be under consideration or submitted to other contests or publishers while under consideration for Operation First Novel.
• If the submitted book is a collaboration, each entrant must be a member or student of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.
• Submitted books must not have been previously published.
• Poetry, song lyrics, scripts, and screenplays are not eligible.

• Submitted books must be the original work of the entrant(s).
• Submitted books must be written in English.
• Submitted books must be a complete novel of at least 75,000 words and no more than 100,000 words.
• Entries are limited to one per person.
• All rights to submitted books remain the property of the entrants. Copyright will be entered in the name of the winning entrant.
• Family members, mentors, officers, employees, contractors, advisors, and representatives of, and other persons affiliated with the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild, Tyndale House Publishers, and their affiliates are not eligible.
• Contest judges reserve the right not to award a prize if no entries of suitable merit are received.
• Submitted books will be reviewed and judged utilizing a high standard of excellence. The Christian Writers Guild will select the judges to review the submitted books. The judges will not know the identity of any entrant prior to deciding the winning submitted books. Entrants shall not have the right to request reconsideration of a submitted book. The judges' decisions will be final and binding on the entrants and not subject to challenge or appeal.
• Judges or staff of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild or Tyndale House Publishers will not offer a critique of non-winning manuscripts or enter into correspondence with entrants.
• All CWG members are eligible to request and receive assistance of the CWG Critique Service before, during, and after the contest. However, paying for a critique will have no impact whatsoever on the judging of entries for the contest.

• Tyndale House Publishers reserves the right to publish the Grand Prize winning entries as per the Tyndale House Publishers standard contractual agreement, with a $20,000 advance against royalties.
• The grand prize winners are responsible for all resulting taxes. All awards shall be paid in full with no deductions for applicable taxes or withholding. Award-winning entrants shall be solely responsible for and shall timely pay all applicable state and federal income and other taxes due as a result of their winning awards, and are strongly encouraged to consult with their individual tax advisors in this regard.

Submission and Format

• Contest entries must be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .rtf format.
• Entries must be submitted on CD-ROM or 3.5" disk to:
  Operation First Novel      
  Christian Writers Guild                    
  5525 N. Union Blvd., Suite 200                              
  Colorado Springs, CO 80918                 
• Submissions must include:

1. a printout cover sheet with the entrant's name, Christian Writers Guild membership number, entrant's mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address, as well as the book title, number of pages, and approximate word count.
2. a CD-ROM or 3.5” disc with the complete text of the book in Microsoft Word .doc or .rtf format.  Each chapter should be a separate file within the folder.
3. a narrative synopsis of no more than three pages (750 words), summarizing the entire novel, including setting, major characters, scenes, and plot points, as well as the conclusion (in a separate file on the same CD-ROM or 3.5” disk).
• Submissions must be received by the Christian Writers Guild on or before the deadline.
• Entries must be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .rtf format, with text in 10-point or larger standard font (such as Times Roman or Arial), using 1.5 or double space, with pages numbered consecutively. (Do not send printouts of the book or synopsis.)
• Text should contain no extra space between paragraphs, except for scene breaks. The first line of each paragraph should be indented.
• Each chapter should be formatted as a separate, numbered file. (E.g. Ch01.doc, Ch02.doc, etc ...)
• The entrant’s name, Christian Writers Guild membership number, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address should appear only on the printout cover sheet. Do not put this information on the CD-ROM or disk.
• The entrant's name must not appear on any of the pages of the book or synopsis.  There must be no language, symbol, or other information in the book or synopsis that indicates the entrant's identity.
• CDs or 3.5" disks should be labeled with only the book title.
• Submissions must not contain any content or material which (i) infringes upon or otherwise violates the copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any person or entity, (ii) is defamatory or constitutes an invasion of privacy, (iii) is unlawful, (iv) would reasonably cause harm or injury of any kind to any person or entity, or (v) discriminates against any person or entity in any manner whatsoever.
• Each winning entrant is responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for use of excerpts and quotations from third party works. Excerpts and quotations must be properly credited.

• For acknowledgment of receipt of contest materials, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard (no other acknowledgment will be offered).
• Submissions not meeting all contest requirements will be disqualified.
• Judges shall not be responsible for lost, unreadable, or defective disks.
• Non-winning entries will be destroyed and not returned.
• The entrant, for himself or herself and any person or entity claiming through or on behalf of the entrant, hereby indemnifies, defends, and holds harmless the released parties from and against any and all damages, claims, causes of action, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys' fees and costs) incurred by the released parties arising from the entrant's (i) violation of these terms and conditions, (ii) submission of a manuscript for which the entrant does not possess the requisite legal or other proprietary rights (in whole or in part) or necessary permissions from third parties, and (iii) participation, or exclusion or disqualification from participation, in Operation First Novel.
• Operation First Novel is governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, USA. The entrant hereby agrees that all transactions involving Operation First Novel, the Christian Writers Guild, and this website (including performance or nonperformance of these terms and conditions) shall be deemed to have occurred solely in Colorado. The entrant hereby agrees that the appropriate state or federal court in Colorado shall be the exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any kind of dispute or litigation between the entrant and the released parties. The entrant specifically consents to personal jurisdiction in Colorado and waives any right the entrant may have to remove or transfer any case or proceeding to any other jurisdiction, state, or country.
• Operation First Novel is void where prohibited by applicable law.