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 saved this page for our information in case we ever have another contest.
Rules and Regulations
The contest will open November 1, 2014. All contest entries and contest fees must be received by Midnight CENTRAL time on December 31, 2014. No exceptions.
All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours of submission, the entrant should e-mail the head coordinator at ciaconference.info@gmail.com.
One grand prize winner will receive a $250 cash award and a e-book and print book suitable "C.I.A.N 2015 Book of the Year jpg. sticker. Grand Prize winner will also be interviewed by google hangout for the Christian Indie Authors. website and receive a landing page add of their winning book on The CIA website.
The contests are open to any Christian author who has a self-published book or unpublished manuscript and is not on the Conference Committee or related to a Committee member in any way.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 Christian 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, again, good and evil have to be clearly and correctly distinguished.
Submission Guidelines:
Prepare a PDF copy of your book with NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. Book title,
author’s name, about the author, etc. should be removed from the document. Include in the same file a ONE-PAGE summary with all major plot elements and critical themes to make clear the treatment of spiritual life/growth issues and a clear content advisory of possible objectionable elements.
Please follow generally accepted manuscript or finished book formatting guidelines. Chapter and scene breaks should be clear and font and formatting choices should be easily readable.
Send the entry file and a signed and completed digital copy of this entry form as an email attachment to email removed. Pay the correct registration fee for published or unpublished submissions via PayPal. Submissions must be received by Midnight, December 31, 2014, Central US time. In your subject, please write CIA CONTEST and the genre of your submission(s).
Fees
The 2015 CIAN Unpublished Work contest is open to CIAN members and non-members whose work has not been published in ANY print or online form. A single manuscript may not be entered into multiple categories. Each entry must be its own file.
Pseudonym may be noted on the entry form, but you MUST enter using your real name. Do NOT place your name or pseudonym anywhere on the manuscript/synopsis. Do not post the name or other identifiers of entered manuscript(s) to your online profiles since judging is to be anonymous.
Co-authored entries are welcome as long as both authors fill out, sign, submit the entry form, and in all ways comply with rules. If only one author submits/signs the form, but two authors are associated with the book, the entry is disqualified.
Manuscript must be a completed work to be entered.
Manuscripts submitted to traditional publishers are only eligible to enter the contest if the work is currently between submissions (not under consideration during the contest period).
In succeeding years, previously entered non-winning manuscripts may be entered again. Even manuscripts that have been finalists, not category winners, may be entered again.
Categories (Note that 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 theme, 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. Please inform us on your entry form(s) if you pay more than one contest registration fee to Paypal so that we can properly credit you. Please place a 1 next to your first choice category and a 2 next to your second choice.
In any category, if fewer than 5 entries are received, 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.
Announcements and Prizes
The semi-finalists in each category will be announced by April30, 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.
Judging:
Round one: A panel of judges will choose up to four books in each category to move on to the finalist round. Books with significant (10% or more) spelling, editing, or formatting errors will not pass on to the second round. Finalists will be announced on March 1, 2015.
Round two: The finalist titles will be submitted to the Christian Indie Readers group for voting. The first prize winner in each category will be the book with the most votes. The finalists in each category will be announced by June 30, 2015.
Round three: The grand prize winners will be selected from the pool of finalists.
First place winners and the grand prize winners will be announced at the Christian Indie authors and readers Conference, July 30 - Aug 2nd, 2015, Radisson Hotel and Event Center, Davenport, IA.
Extra Bonus
Everyone who submits to the contests will be entered to win one of the following prizes in a random drawing contest:
A free pre-made book cover from Samantha Fury
A free five-page critique from author Mary C. Findley
A free five-page critique from author Carole A. Cudnik
Five free book-themed graphics for Facebook posts, etc. from Mary C. Findley
Free book trailer from George McVey
Blog spotlight on Spirit-Filled Kindle
Author interview from Madeline Duffy
Author interview from R.M. Strong
Timeline
The contest will open October 21, 2014, at 8 AM CENTRAL time. All contest entries and contest fees must be received by Midnight CENTRAL time on December 31, 2014. No exceptions.
All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours of submission, the entrant should e-mail the head coordinator at email removed.
No Purchase Necessary except payment of the Contest Entry Fee.
Contest is open to entrants 18 years and older {or younger with parent or legal guardian signature.}
Officers, directors, representatives, and employees of committee members or sponsors, their affiliates and subsidiaries, and each of their respective advertising, promotion, publicity, production, and judging agencies, and those with whom they are domiciled, are not eligible to enter.
Entries which appear to be incomplete, illegible, irregular in any way, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules are also void.
Committee members, sponsors, and their affiliated companies, are not responsible for any failure of any electronic equipment, computer transmissions and/or network connections. Sponsors and their affiliated companies are not responsible for any inaccuracies in information which may be used in the Contest, or for any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of entries, including data entered by contestants.
Winners will be notified by email and will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release, within thirty (30) days of notification. The Affidavit of Eligibility and (unless prohibited) Publicity/Liability Release must be executed and returned by each potential winner within 21 days after such documents are sent to the address provided by such a potential winner.
Failure of a potential winner to complete, sign and return any requested documents within such period or the return of any prize notification or prize as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner in Sponsors' discretion. You are not a winner unless your submissions are verified. The information in winner's Affidavit of Eligibility must be correct and must mirror the information provided in winner's entry or winner is disqualified.
If winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, or fails to return the completed and executed Affidavit/Release as required, or if the Prize Notification is returned as undeliverable, prize will be forfeited. If prize is unclaimed, an alternate winner will be selected. By participating, a winner, except where prohibited by law, grants Sponsors and their affiliated companies the right to use the winner's name, likeness, picture, portrait, hometown, voice, biographical information and written submissions and written or oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation unless required by law.
By entering, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges and these Official Rules and to comply with all federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations. All federal, state, provincial and local taxes are each winner's sole responsibility. All prizes will be awarded. No prize substitutions, transfers, or cash alternatives permitted except Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value at Sponsors' discretion.
The information that you provide in connection with the Contest may be used for Sponsors' internal purposes and to send you Sponsors' newsletters and other information about Sponsors, but will not be provided to third parties, except as necessary for the administration of the Contest or as required by law or legal process. If you would like your name removed from Sponsors' mailing list or if you do not wish to receive Sponsors' newsletter, write to the appropriate Sponsor at the addresses they provide.
Sponsors and those working for Sponsors or on the behalf of Sponsors, will not be responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged email and for Internet, computer hardware and software, and other technical errors, malfunctions and delays.
In the event of a dispute concerning who submitted an email entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized holder of the email account from which the entry is made. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person to whom an email address is assigned by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to modify or cancel all or any portions of the Contest because of technical errors or malfunctions, viruses, hackers, or for other reasons that corrupt the Contest in any manner. Sponsors also reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who fails to comply with these Official Rules, who attempts to enter the Contest in any manner or through any means other than as described in these Official Rules, or who attempts to disrupt the Contest or to circumvent any of these Official Rules.
Entrants agree to release and hold harmless Sponsors, their affiliates and subsidiaries, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, successors, and assigns, from any damage, injury, death, loss, or other liability that may arise from entrant's participation in the Contest or the awarding, acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. All entrants agree that United States law shall apply exclusively to the Contest.
To obtain a list of prize winners, email removed All winners' list requests must be received by September 30, 2015. Winners' names must be posted on the Web site for thirty (30) days.
Contest void where prohibited.
By entering, each winner accepts all of the conditions, restrictions, requirements, and/or regulations required by Sponsors and also agrees to accept delivery of prize. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, acceptance of the prize constitutes permission to use winner's name, picture, likeness, address (city and state), and biographical information for advertising and publicity purposes for Sponsors and for this and/or similar promotions, without compensation.
All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours of submission, the entrant should e-mail the head coordinator at ciaconference.info@gmail.com.
One grand prize winner will receive a $250 cash award and a e-book and print book suitable "C.I.A.N 2015 Book of the Year jpg. sticker. Grand Prize winner will also be interviewed by google hangout for the Christian Indie Authors. website and receive a landing page add of their winning book on The CIA website.
The contests are open to any Christian author who has a self-published book or unpublished manuscript 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 Christian 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, again, good and evil have to be clearly and correctly distinguished.
Submission Guidelines:
Prepare a PDF copy of your book with NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. Book title,
author’s name, about the author, etc. should be removed from the document. Include in the same file a ONE-PAGE summary with all major plot elements and critical themes to make clear the treatment of spiritual life/growth issues and a clear content advisory of possible objectionable elements.
Please follow generally accepted manuscript or finished book formatting guidelines. Chapter and scene breaks should be clear and font and formatting choices should be easily readable.
Send the entry file and a signed and completed digital copy of this entry form as an email attachment to email removed. Pay the correct registration fee for published or unpublished submissions via PayPal. Submissions must be received by Midnight, December 31, 2014, Central US time. In your subject, please write CIA CONTEST and the genre of your submission(s).
Fees
The 2015 CIAN Unpublished Work contest is open to CIAN members and non-members whose work has not been published in ANY print or online form. A single manuscript may not be entered into multiple categories. Each entry must be its own file.
Pseudonym may be noted on the entry form, but you MUST enter using your real name. Do NOT place your name or pseudonym anywhere on the manuscript/synopsis. Do not post the name or other identifiers of entered manuscript(s) to your online profiles since judging is to be anonymous.
Co-authored entries are welcome as long as both authors fill out, sign, submit the entry form, and in all ways comply with rules. If only one author submits/signs the form, but two authors are associated with the book, the entry is disqualified.
Manuscript must be a completed work to be entered.
Manuscripts submitted to traditional publishers are only eligible to enter the contest if the work is currently between submissions (not under consideration during the contest period).
In succeeding years, previously entered non-winning manuscripts may be entered again. Even manuscripts that have been finalists, not category winners, may be entered again.
Categories (Note that 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 theme, 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. Please inform us on your entry form(s) if you pay more than one contest registration fee to Paypal so that we can properly credit you. Please place a 1 next to your first choice category and a 2 next to your second choice.
In any category, if fewer than 5 entries are received, 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.
Announcements and Prizes
The semi-finalists in each category will be announced by April30, 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.
Judging:
Round one: A panel of judges will choose up to four books in each category to move on to the finalist round. Books with significant (10% or more) spelling, editing, or formatting errors will not pass on to the second round. Finalists will be announced on March 1, 2015.
Round two: The finalist titles will be submitted to the Christian Indie Readers group for voting. The first prize winner in each category will be the book with the most votes. The finalists in each category will be announced by June 30, 2015.
Round three: The grand prize winners will be selected from the pool of finalists.
First place winners and the grand prize winners will be announced at the Christian Indie authors and readers Conference, July 30 - Aug 2nd, 2015, Radisson Hotel and Event Center, Davenport, IA.
Extra Bonus
Everyone who submits to the contests will be entered to win one of the following prizes in a random drawing contest:
A free pre-made book cover from Samantha Fury
A free five-page critique from author Mary C. Findley
A free five-page critique from author Carole A. Cudnik
Five free book-themed graphics for Facebook posts, etc. from Mary C. Findley
Free book trailer from George McVey
Blog spotlight on Spirit-Filled Kindle
Author interview from Madeline Duffy
Author interview from R.M. Strong
Timeline
The contest will open October 21, 2014, at 8 AM CENTRAL time. All contest entries and contest fees must be received by Midnight CENTRAL time on December 31, 2014. No exceptions.
All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours of submission, the entrant should e-mail the head coordinator at email removed.
No Purchase Necessary except payment of the Contest Entry Fee.
Contest is open to entrants 18 years and older {or younger with parent or legal guardian signature.}
Officers, directors, representatives, and employees of committee members or sponsors, their affiliates and subsidiaries, and each of their respective advertising, promotion, publicity, production, and judging agencies, and those with whom they are domiciled, are not eligible to enter.
Entries which appear to be incomplete, illegible, irregular in any way, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules are also void.
Committee members, sponsors, and their affiliated companies, are not responsible for any failure of any electronic equipment, computer transmissions and/or network connections. Sponsors and their affiliated companies are not responsible for any inaccuracies in information which may be used in the Contest, or for any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of entries, including data entered by contestants.
Winners will be notified by email and will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release, within thirty (30) days of notification. The Affidavit of Eligibility and (unless prohibited) Publicity/Liability Release must be executed and returned by each potential winner within 21 days after such documents are sent to the address provided by such a potential winner.
Failure of a potential winner to complete, sign and return any requested documents within such period or the return of any prize notification or prize as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner in Sponsors' discretion. You are not a winner unless your submissions are verified. The information in winner's Affidavit of Eligibility must be correct and must mirror the information provided in winner's entry or winner is disqualified.
If winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, or fails to return the completed and executed Affidavit/Release as required, or if the Prize Notification is returned as undeliverable, prize will be forfeited. If prize is unclaimed, an alternate winner will be selected. By participating, a winner, except where prohibited by law, grants Sponsors and their affiliated companies the right to use the winner's name, likeness, picture, portrait, hometown, voice, biographical information and written submissions and written or oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation unless required by law.
By entering, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges and these Official Rules and to comply with all federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations. All federal, state, provincial and local taxes are each winner's sole responsibility. All prizes will be awarded. No prize substitutions, transfers, or cash alternatives permitted except Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value at Sponsors' discretion.
The information that you provide in connection with the Contest may be used for Sponsors' internal purposes and to send you Sponsors' newsletters and other information about Sponsors, but will not be provided to third parties, except as necessary for the administration of the Contest or as required by law or legal process. If you would like your name removed from Sponsors' mailing list or if you do not wish to receive Sponsors' newsletter, write to the appropriate Sponsor at the addresses they provide.
Sponsors and those working for Sponsors or on the behalf of Sponsors, will not be responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged email and for Internet, computer hardware and software, and other technical errors, malfunctions and delays.
In the event of a dispute concerning who submitted an email entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized holder of the email account from which the entry is made. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person to whom an email address is assigned by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to modify or cancel all or any portions of the Contest because of technical errors or malfunctions, viruses, hackers, or for other reasons that corrupt the Contest in any manner. Sponsors also reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who fails to comply with these Official Rules, who attempts to enter the Contest in any manner or through any means other than as described in these Official Rules, or who attempts to disrupt the Contest or to circumvent any of these Official Rules.
Entrants agree to release and hold harmless Sponsors, their affiliates and subsidiaries, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, successors, and assigns, from any damage, injury, death, loss, or other liability that may arise from entrant's participation in the Contest or the awarding, acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. All entrants agree that United States law shall apply exclusively to the Contest.
To obtain a list of prize winners, email removed All winners' list requests must be received by September 30, 2015. Winners' names must be posted on the Web site for thirty (30) days.
Contest void where prohibited.
By entering, each winner accepts all of the conditions, restrictions, requirements, and/or regulations required by Sponsors and also agrees to accept delivery of prize. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, acceptance of the prize constitutes permission to use winner's name, picture, likeness, address (city and state), and biographical information for advertising and publicity purposes for Sponsors and for this and/or similar promotions, without compensation.