If you find this page my accident we're sorry that we missed a link that should have been removed. This page is hidden because the contest is over we are not sure if we will have another one this year or not. Thanks and sorry you found a page that should have been hidden. When you have blog posts etc it's hard to close all links and we hate for people to find closed pages. Thanks
CIAN Book Contest Eligibility
Contest opens November 1, 2014. Contest submissions should have been published between October 31, 2013 and October 31, 2014. The contest is open to any Christian author who has a self-published book and is not on the conference committee or related to a committee member in any way.
Books published by a small press, independent press, or independent publishing company are eligible, as are books personally published by the author via print-on-demand platforms and online ebook vendors. Books do not necessarily have to be written for the Christian market, but should be written by a professing Christian and conform to a general PG-13 content guideline.
We allow for some language, violence, and sexual references, but these should not be pervasive, gratuitous, or explicit. The overall philosophy must include a positive attitude toward godly principles, character, and actions, and treat evil as evil. Fantasy books can include certain powers that might be called magic, but good and evil have to be clearly and correctly distinguished.
Categories
For most categories, the story can be serious or humorous, or have elements of both. If a work fits in more than one category, try to choose the dominant one, and be sure to designate an alternate category in case there are not enough entries in your first choice.
If you are entering more than one book/story, please fill out a separate form for each submission and send as separate emails to avoid confusion. The $30.00 fee must be submitted for each entry.
Contemporary: Stories set in or near the present time. Literary fiction, women's fiction, and current-events-based fiction are examples.
Romance: Story's main theme is one or more romantic relationships.
Historical: Majority of the story is set before 1980. Can deal with any location or issue.
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Horror: Present or near-present time, set in any location, in which the suspense or mystery is the primary plot. Suspense can be a whodunit where the villain is not known, a study in how the protagonist stops or apprehends the antagonist, or simply the tension resulting from the protagonist's discovery and/or handling of what the reader already knows. Mystery is a puzzle involving following clues or putting together pieces of evidence. Thriller is intense psychological or physical stress or danger. Horror involves extreme physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges, frequently including supernatural or paranormal elements.
Speculative: Science Fiction, various types of fantasy, other worlds, paranormal, magic realism, allegory, parallel dimensions, and/or visionary alternate history. Stories targeted primarily at young adult readers should be entered in the Young Adult category.
Short fiction: Any genre, fewer than 40,000 words.
Young Adult/ Middle Grade: For readers ages 8 through 18. Stories targeted to middle grade readers are included in this category.
Children's books: Chapter books for 3rd-8th grade.
Children’s picture book: Children's books that are picture- or illustration-based.
Nonfiction: Devotionals/prayer books, academic/theological books, inspirational/Christian living books, world events/politics books, books for authors/writing craft, and memoirs.
If fewer than 5 entries are received in any category, the category will be closed. Each entry will be moved to the author's alternate choice category (to be listed on the entry form.) The author is responsible for choosing the appropriate categories for the entry.
The semi-finalists in each category will be announced by March 31, 2015. The finalists in each category will be announced by June 30, 2015. Each category will have one first place winner. The winners will be announced at the 2015 CIAN Annual Conference in July.