Deadline: May 1, 2012

1. TO ENTER

To enter the Quebec Writing Competition, contestants must write an original work of 1,200 words or less that falls into one of the following categories:

• Short Story 
• Creative Non-fiction

The text must never have been published (online or in print) or performed in public in whole or in part. It must not violate the rights of any third party. All texts submitted will be deemed final and no revised versions will be accepted after the initial submission.

All texts submitted and all related licences granted to CBC in these rules or entered into with CBC at a later date, shall be governed by the applicable collective agreement between CBC and the competent writers' union. Subject to such licences, contestants retain ownership of the copyright in the texts submitted with their entries.

Entries are to be submitted in one of two ways: 

1) Electronically, via the online registration form at http://qwf.submishmash.com/submit  

2) By mail, by sending the completed submission form and 4 copies of the piece to the following address: 

Quebec Writing Competition

c/o Quebec Writers' Federation

1200, Atwater Avenue, Suite 3

Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Submissions sent by fax will not be accepted.

Contestants may submit as many DIFFERENT texts as they wish. For each text submitted, contestants must pay a non-refundable $15 entry administration fee by cheque or money order payable to "Quebec Writers' Federation" (the title of your entry should appear on the cheque or money order).

Contestants submitting by mail must complete the official entry form available online at cbc.ca/qwc. The entry form can also be received by writing to qwc@cbc.ca or by calling the Quebec Writers' Federation at (514) 933-0878.

Contestant must submit the duly completed entry form, either electronically via Submishmash or by mail as indicated above, providing all the requisite information and attestation regarding the text submitted along with their name, full postal address, e-mail address, and telephone numbers, and return it with the $15 entry administration fee in compliance with these rules.

To be valid, entries and payments must be postmarked or sent electronically on or before May 1st, 2012 at midnight (Eastern Standard Time). 

All stories must:

• Be submitted anonymously: the name of the entrant must not appear anywhere on the text to ensure that judging is blind;
• Be double-spaced in letter format (8½ by 11). Mailed-in entries must be printed on single-sided white paper.

Please note:

• No handwritten manuscripts or fax entries will be accepted;
• Entries will not be returned and editorial comments will not be given on the entries;
• Entries should be stapled or bound.  No paper clips;
• All submissions are final: entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Only online submissions will receive confirmation of receipt. If you want to receive acknowledgment by regular mail, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your entry.

Entry forms become the property of CBC and will not be returned to contestants. Copies of the texts submitted will not be returned either. Non-compliant submissions will be disqualified.

No purchase required.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Contest is open to Quebec residents only who are eighteen (18) years of age and older at the time of entering the contest. Residency requirements stipulate that you must have lived in QC for the past 6 months. Winners of the 2011 edition of the Quebec Writing Competition, employees of CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Simon S. Dardick, d.b.a. Véhicule Press and Maisonneuve Magazine Association and their affiliates, as well as their immediate family members (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) or persons living under the same roof are not eligible to enter this contest.

3. PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING PRIZES

The winning texts will be chosen following a blind judging process by a qualified jury consisting in a panel of 3 judges, based on the following criteria:

1. Originality 
2. Style 
3. Quality of writing
4. Overall artistic/literary merit

An electronic copy of all texts that are shortlisted will be required in order to verify word count. Word counts are strictly enforced and texts above the specified word count are automatically excluded. Only the original content of the submission is counted; title, quotations dedications are not counted. Our word limits are strict. We use Microsoft Word to verify word counts. Since Word only relies on spaces to delimit words, any term containing a hyphen ("twenty-five") or an apostrophe ("can't", "don't") counts as a single word. Word also counts every article ("the", "a", etc.) as a separate word. Microsoft Word also automatically counts groups of characters (e.g. "xxx") as well as symbols (e.g. "***" or "~~~") as a word."

The two winners and the eight runners-up will be contacted by telephone or by email during the two months following the jury's decision. Winners should claim their prize and sign all necessary documents at the QWF Literary Awards Gala held in November. Ten works will be shortlisted, and the complete texts and names of the authors may be posted on the web sites of the CBC and the Quebec Writers' Federation. The final selection of the first- and second-prize winners and the "readers' choice" prize, will be announced at the QWF Literary Awards Gala in November, 2012.

4. DESCRIPTION OF PRIZE(S)

Two prizes will be awarded to the two best texts as selected by the jury. They consist of:

1) First prize: a cash prize of one thousand five-hundred dollars ($1,500), one broadcast of the text on CBC Radio, and publication in Maisonneuve magazine, in an anthology published by Véhicule Press, and on the Canada Writes website.

2) Second prize: a cash prize of one thousand dollars ($1,000), one broadcast of the text on CBC Radio, and publication on the Maisonneuve magazine website, in an anthology published by Véhicule Press, and on the Canada Writes website.

A third prize of $300 will also be awarded to the shortlisted story that receives the most votes from the public. 

The cash prizes include all rights to record and broadcast a reading of the winning entries, in whole or in part, on CBC's network and all rights to publish and reproduce the winning entries in Maisonneuve magazine and on the CBC's website. The prizes also cover all rights to translation by a person commissioned by CBC, as well as the recording, broadcast and publication of the translation on CBC's French or English network.

The texts of the two winners and eight finalists will also be published in an anthology published by Véhicule Press. By entering, contestants agree that the rights of first publication of the texts of all finalists and winners will be granted to Véhicule Press, Maisonneuve magazine and CBC Radio for publication in a Véhicule Press anthology, or in Maisonneuve magazine or their website, and on CBC's website. Those publications will be governed by Véhicule Press and Maisonneuve  magazine standard terms and conditions which can be obtained by contacting vp@vehiculepress.com or office@maisonneuve.org.

5. GENERAL RULES

5.1 Winners and finalists shall agree, if necessary, to have their name and/or picture, including their photograph, and/or their voices used for advertising purposes related to this contest, free of charge.

5.2 Winners and finalists shall sign a document attesting to their eligibility as stipulated in paragraph 2 of these rules and releasing CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Maisonneuve magazine, and Véhicule Press and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, from all liability for any damage or loss arising from participation in this contest or from the awarding, acceptance or use of the prize.

5.3 The prize shall be accepted as is and may not be sold nor transferred. No substitutions will be allowed.

5.4 If the prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Maisonneuve magazine, and Véhicule Press and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, reserve the right to substitute a prize or prize component with another of comparable value.

5.5 Refusal to accept the prize releases CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Maisonneuve magazine, and Véhicule Press and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, of any obligation toward the winner.

5.6 Should a participant make any false statement, they shall be automatically disqualified from the contest. Any reference whatsoever to a pre-existing literary work must be explicitly acknowledged by the author in the submission.

5.7 CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Maisonneuve magazine, and Véhicule Press and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, shall assume no liability resulting from losses, delays, mistaken addresses on mail or e-mail received, typographical errors, technical, computer or telephone malfunctions, loss or theft of computer or telephone data, damage to software or computer equipment, fraudulent calls or any other mistake.

5.8 CBC, the Quebec Writers' Federation, Maisonneuve magazine, and Véhicule Press and their affiliates, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees, shall assume no liability whatsoever for any situation in which their inability to act results from an event or situation beyond their control, including a strike, lockout or any other labour dispute at their location or the locations of the organizations and businesses whose services are used to hold this contest.

5.9 All personal information, such as a contestant's name, address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address is collected solely for the purposes of administering this contest and shall not be used for any other purpose without explicit consent. By providing this information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes.

5.10 By entering, contestants agree to abide by the contest rules which shall be applied by the CBC. All its decisions are final.