We know there are a LOT of rules here, and if you choose not to read them, you might wish you did. Please read the rules. Your entry into the competition is signification that you accept and agree to all these rules.
The Adventure Writers Competition [now referred to as “AWC”] may be sponsored by various entities [now referred to as “the sponsors”] and is held yearly to recognize and celebrate adventure writing. The following rules will apply to the entry and judging of all submitted manuscripts. If you have any questions, please re-read the rules, then, if necessary, contact the AWC Director for clarification.
1. General
a. Right to change: The Adventure Writer’s Competition (AWC) and the sponsors reserve the right to modify, change, add, or delete competition rules, prizes, and dates as necessary without notice to entrants or non-entrants.
b. Participation: Participation in the competition constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these official rules and the decisions of the AWC director, judges, and those affiliated with the AWC and the sponsors in regard to all aspects of the competition, which rules and decisions are final and binding as to participants. Winning a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules and any changes made to them, and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.
c. NO PURCHASE OF ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATED WITH THE AWC OR THE SPONSORS IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN, AND A PURCHASE OF ANY SORT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
d. Sponsorship: Various entities that may sponsor the competition do not include the contest’s namesake, Clive Cussler. Any participation in the AWC by Mr. Dirk Cussler, members of the Cussler family, or entities, organizations, agents, or affiliates of such individuals is strictly voluntary. No individual bearing the Cussler name, and no entity or organization affiliated with these individuals, bear any legal or other obligations to participants, and by entering the AWC, participants expressly acknowledge same.
e. Certification: By submitting a manuscript and/or other requested material to the competition, the participant author certifies as follows:
i. The author is eligible as set forth below under these Official Rules.
ii. All rights and use of submitted work remain the property of the author and/or legal owner; however, by entering your work in the Adventure Writers Competition you agree that you are the author(s) and have legal right to the work(s) and any associated marketing material and that, should you become a semi-finalist or finalist, you agree to allow use of and provide for each entry, (or have the AWC create) book cover artwork, a marketing synopsis of the storyline and the use of your name(s) and book title for the purpose of announcing your entry on the AWC Website, in AWC sponsored press release(s), during the presentation at the AWC award ceremony, on the AWC Facebook page and/or other possible marketing vehicles sponsored by or paid for by the AWC in perpetuity. Additionally, you further agree that this marketing material and a video of you and any associates may be used in an interview created to promote the contest and your entry(s) in the AWC on the AWC website, Facebook page and other marketing materials. The AWC will make every attempt to gain your approval on all marketing material, but can not guarantee agreement or approval of the material used or created by either agents of the entrant or agents of the AWC, namely book cover artwork, a marketing synopsis of the story line and the use of your name(s) and book title. The AWC will never print or display publicly or use or publish any content of your entry outside of use of the submitted electronic file for the sole purpose of judging your entry, with the exception of the marketing material stated above. Failure to agree or provide the needed marketing material, or failure to agree on marketing material created by the AWC as described above in time for production of said marketing action as defined by the AWC Director may result in disqualification of your entry and no refund of the entry fee will be given, nor any prize(s) awarded. No remuneration or payment of any kind is agreed upon nor will be made to the author or any associated parties for use of any submitted material including but not limited to the marketing material as outlined above.
iii. No payment to the author will be made for submitting their entries, excluding any prize money that may be awarded. No guarantee of prizes is given.
iv. The author represents or warrants their submitted material to be original, and that they have not used material owned, licensed, or copyrighted by another individual or entity. The author further certifies that their submitted work does not infringe upon or violate the legal rights of another, and the author agrees to fully indemnify the AWC and the sponsors, the AWC director, and any judges, and/or those affiliated with any of these organizations for any damages that may arise from the author’s infringement or violation of others’ rights. The AWC and the sponsors reserve the right to immediately disqualify, without reimbursement of fees, any work determined to be in violation of law.
v. Notwithstanding paragraph ii above, the author has the right to request that the Society discontinue use of any submitted content by requesting same in writing to the AWC director, who has sole discretion to grant or deny such request. The author agrees to allow six months from receipt of his or her request for determination and any associated action. If removal of submitted content is requested by the entrant, the AWC will attempt, but does not guarantee, the removal of all electronic copies or destruction of paper copies of author’s submitted work.
vi. In addition to the above sections, the author represents or warrants their submitted material to be wholly original, and that they have not used material in the narrative, creation of plot, dialogue or any supporting text that was created by any artificial intelligence (AI) resource- be it of their own making or by that made available to them by another entity. AI use is acceptable in cases of research, spelling, word usage and grammar checking only, but never allowed in use of plot creation, dialogue, narrative, description of characters or scenes, or action, or story telling. The determination of AI usage and any decisions to disqualify or not to disqualify an entry or entries are solely at the discretion of the AWC Director and appointed agents thereof, and no refund will be given to entrants on entry fees or other expenses.
2. Entry and Eligibility:
a. The AWC is open to anyone submitting a “new” novel between January 1 and April 30, of the current contest year that meets all of the eligibility rules listed below.
b. “New” defined: As used above and herein, the term “new” means any published or unpublished novel, regardless of date of authorship; alternatively, the term means any novel published by any source, but only so long as the total number of copies sold or given away, in eBook, audio, paperback, subscription, loan, pages or the equivalent of a ‘book”, or hard copy formats, does not exceed 10,000. Moreover, the AWC director must be able to verify this numerical cap on the distribution of published works, and AWC reserves the right to request competent proof of distribution at any time. The AWC further reserves the right to reject published works for which distribution quantities cannot be reasonably established and verified. Should a published novel submitted to the AWC exceed 10,000 distributed copies during the pendency of the competition, the AWC director possesses sole discretion to determine whether the submission shall remain eligible to win or place in the AWC. Hence, submissions under contract for publication are eligible; however, such submissions are subject to the 10,000 copy rule as described herein, as well as all other competition criteria.
c. Location: The competition is open to submissions from aspiring or established writers anywhere in the world, except where void by law and/or from residents of nations that restrict or prohibit such participation. Entrants may not be members of any guild, union, or organization that has the right to prohibit or substantially restrict their participation.
d. Age: The competition is open to all writers over the age of 18 as of the close of that year’s submission deadline. Age verification may be required and is the responsibility of the entrant to provide if requested by the AWC Director.
e. Restricted participants: Past authors that have won the AWC Grandmaster Award are not eligible to enter the competition with any work. Immediate families or employees of the AWC’s current judges, AWC and sponsors’ officers and/or their hired advertising and/or promotion agencies, or other sponsors are not eligible to enter the competition.
f. Restricted Entries/Multiple entries: Any works that have been entered into any previous AWC are eligible, unless the entry or the/an author, author(s) won the competition solely or as a co-author(s), and so long as that author(s) meets the stipulations above. Multiple entries from a single author will be allowed, and each entry is subject to the entirety of the rules stated herein, however, only one entry by an author can be selected to move to the semi-final and final rounds.
g. Law: The competition is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.
h. State: Incomplete novels or works-in-progress are not eligible.
i. Multiple authors: Novels by multiple authors/contributors are eligible. As described below, the AWC will award prizes based upon the novel’s content, but winning submissions will receive only a single prize regardless of how many persons contributed to the work. The AWC director may, at his sole discretion, require a single person or a specific number of persons to represent winning submissions for receipt of prizes or other purposes.
j. Length: For the purposes of this competition, an adventure novel is defined as an original, invented (fictional) prose narrative between 50,000 and 200,000 words dealing with a series of human experiences through a connected sequence of events that are action-adventure in nature. Books of short stories or novels that contain a series of unrelated or loosely related parts are not eligible. Word length will be verified using MS Word 2010 or similar.
k. Format: Manuscript submission formatting requirements are listed on the entry page of the AWC website. The AWC Director and/or any judge, at their own discretion, may disqualify an entry if any of these requirements are not met.
l. Serial Books: Books that are part of a series are eligible; however, each book in the series must be treated as a separate entry and meet all requirements set forth.
m. Language: All entries (synopsis if required and full-length novel) must be in English.
n. Genres: Accepted – The AWC accepts novels exhibiting (in whole) the general action-adventure-themed genre and style. This includes but is not limited to:
i. action-adventure
ii. military, war
iii. spy (espionage)
iv. historically-based adventure
v. police and crime and legal
vi. classical adventure
vii. mystery- containing action/adventure
viii. thriller (but not horror or paranormal)
ix. wilderness/outdoor adventure
x. westerns
xi. young adult adventure (targeting age 11 and above and falling into an accepted genre as listed)
xii. any combination of the above
xiii. any of the above as drama and/or comedy
Novels primarily about the themes listed below SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED. If they are submitted NO REFUND WILL BE GIVEN on entry fees and judges will/may disqualify your entry at their own discretion and interpretation of the genre rules.
xiv. novels with little or no action-adventure
xv. science fiction, space dramas and space comedies, time travel, alien invasions, etc.
xvi. horror, occult and/or paranormal
xvii. supernatural (including vampires, super-beings, magic, etc.)
xviii. dystopian adventure
xix. fantasy
xx. romance
xxi. children’s books (defined as targeted for age 10 and below)
xxii. graphic novels
xxiii. comic books or strips
xxiv. technical manual or professional and/or research papers
xxv. political diatribes, opinion or editorials
xxvi. fan fiction
xxvii. autobiographies or biographies
xxviii. memoirs
xxix. travelogues
xxx. erotica/pornography
xxxi. screen or stage plays
xxxii. non-fiction books of any kind
note: Although adult themes may be appropriate, the AWC reserves the right to reject submissions containing what the AWC director and/or judges consider pornographic, promoting of hate, or excessively violent and/or vulgar. In such instances, the AWC director may, in his sole discretion, elect not to refund the participant’s entry fee. It is the entrants’ responsibility to determine if their work will be accepted. Judges may use their own discretion and disqualify any entry of they feel it violates the rules or is inappropriate in any way.
o. Categories: There is only one category: action-adventure. All sub-categories, genres or age targets will be judged together as part of this master genre; unless, in the AWC’s opinion, entries exceed the expected number, in which case the AWC Director reserves the right to create additional categories and change prizes and rules accordingly.
p. Fan fiction, non-fiction: Submittals must be completely original and cannot include fictional characters from other authors’ work, i.e., no fan-fiction. Non-fictional events that drive a story are allowed (a character fighting in an actual historical battle, or a historical or public figure engaging as a character).
q. Acceptance of submissions: All entries must follow the Submittal of Entries instructions as outlined on the AWC webpage at www.adventurewriterscompetition.com/entry
r. Receiving prizes: The Society will present all prizes at the yearly Clive Cussler Collector’s Society’s convention, usually held in early October of each year. Winners need not be present. Date and venue is subject to change as determined by the AWC.
s. Disruption: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the AWC is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the competition is unable to occur as planned for any other reason, as determined by the AWC in its sole discretion, the AWC may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the competition to address the impairment and then resume the competition in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules, or (b) terminate the Competition. The AWC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the competition or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the AWC or AWC website, or to undermine the legitimate operation of the competition, may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the AWC reserves the right to seek damages (including attorney’s fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
t. Waiver: Failure by the AWC to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
u. Release and Limitations of Liability: By participating in the AWC, entrants agree to release any and all causes of action, express or implied, and to hold harmless the Society, the AWC director, participating judges, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, or relations, as well as all entities associated with the competition, including advertising and promotion agencies, and each of these entities’ respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (collectively, Released Parties). This release shall apply in the broadest manner permitted by law, extending to all potential claims or causes of action arising out of participation in the competition, as well as the receipt or use of any awarded prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the competition, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the competition; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d)application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the competition, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the competition, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of the application the processing of entries application downloads or in any competition-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the competition or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). In no event shall the Released Parties bear liability in excess of the fee paid to enter and participate in the competition, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorney’s fees or costs. The Released Parties also are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the competition. The entrant expressly acknowledges that by participating in the AWC, he or she waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, direct, consequential, indirect, punitive, or other damages.
v. Disputes: The entrant hereby agrees that any and all disputes, potential claims, and/or causes of action arising out of or connected with the AWC or any prize awarded shall be resolved amicably between the entrant and AWC, acting through the AWC director. The entrant further agrees that, in the event of a dispute of any kind, he or she SHALL NOT RESORT TO ANY FORM OF LEGAL ACTION, INCLUDING PETITIONING A COURT OR ARBITRATOR FOR REDRESS. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrants’ rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the AWC, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the decisions of the AWC director, who possesses sole discretion over such matters.
w. Governing Law: The AWC and any questions of law concerning these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Arizona, as interpreted exclusively by a court of competent jurisdiction located in Maricopa County.
x. Contact with judges: At the sole discretion of the AWC Director, any entrant, or agent thereof, who attempts to, or successfully does, contact a judge during or before the judging period (stated as the opening of the contest through the award presentation of the winner) for any reason, may risk the disqualification of the entry or entries submitted and no refund given. Any person or persons who attempt to or successfully bribe or influence a judge or AWC member will be disqualified with no refund of entry fees. The author and/or the person attempting to contact a judge may also be banned from entry in future AWC contests, and any appropriate and legal action may be taken.
3. Judging
a. The AWC reserves the right to change the judging procedures, dates, venue, location of award presentation, manner of presentation, procedures, instructions and personnel at its discretion.
b. After close of the competition entry period, all manuscripts will be distributed to the First Round Panel Judges for review. Not every judge may see or evaluate every entry. The ten entries that receive the most First Round votes will be announced as semi-finalists by posting on the competition web page.
c. The Semi-finalists will have their manuscripts sent to the Second Round Panel of judges who will read the whole or part of the manuscript and “score” the work using a ranking of their choices (favorite to least favorite).
d. Novels obtaining one of the top three scores will move to the final round of the competition. The top 3 finalists will be announced on the competition web page. Tie will be broken via AWC Director choice or method.
e. If any of the finalists cannot be contacted by the AWC via email or phone within ten (10) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the AWC may select an alternate potential finalist based on the final panel scoring.
g. The manuscripts of the top three finalists may be sent to Dirk Cussler (tentative), or one of his alternates as agreed upon by the AWC director for selection of the competition winner.
h. The winner will be announced at the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society Dinner in October, or other suitable location/event/time) and by press release to the general media, or in such manner as determined by the AWC Director.