Last year Imperial-Literature.net held the hugely successful 'Calling all the Heroes' contest. We threw open the doors on that one, putting only one stipulation on the stories (it had to include a known Games Workshop character). This year, I'm going to do something very similar. The name of this summer's contest is: -
“Where I Went On My Summer Vacation”
Here's the way it works. Your story can be set in any of the Games Workshop worlds. Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40K, Battlefleet Gothic, Blood Bowl, any of them are fair game. You can include, or not include; any known characters in the G-W universe. There isn't a word limit.
Oh, there is one stipulation.
Your story must take place in a Games Workshop genre “known location”, for example, Cadia, Fenris, Terra, Kislev etc etc. The setting for your story must exist in the Games Workshop world and if you choose a location that is more obscure than the “norm” then you will be asked to prove the existence of the location. I want the location that you concentrate on within your story to shine through. So, if you write a story set in Kislev, I want to hear about the snow and the pseudo-Russian royalty. If you venture to Mordhiem, I want to feel like I'm there. If you are defending Cadia, I want to be right in the gaze of the Eye.
And it doesn't have to be summer; I just used that as a catchy contest name!
The Contest Format
We will have two categories for this contest, with first, second, and third prizes in each category. The categories will be 'Master Scribe' - for those that have more experience and that can produce a story already worthy of recognition, and 'Champion Acolyte' - for those writers that are new, or still honing their skills. When you submit your story, indicate which category you want to compete in. In some cases, the contest organizers may shift stories between the categories (don't be angry if we do). You will be notified if your story is going to be moved from one category to the other. If we advance you, take it as the supreme compliment that it is. If we demote you, understand that we really are trying to give you the best chance of success. Probably the single hardest part of running a contest like this is making those choices.
The Challenge
1. The Moderating Team of Imperial-Literature.net reserves the right to do absolutely anything, so nobody can sue anybody!
2. If necessary, each story must be supplied with a reference to G-W material to confirm your story location really exists.
3. Each story must contain more than 750 words to be accepted for the contest.
4. Your story should be more than in a “fluff” based format – story being the key word!
5. Please feel free to PM skennedy or any of the Mod team at Imperial-Literature.net to raise any questions/issues with the contest.
6. Please feel free to PM Brannick at either Warvault.net or Imperial-Literature.net to raise any questions/issues with the contest.
7. The deadline is 23:59:59 (GMT), 31st July 2006. Submissions should be sent to 'skennedy(at)imperial-literature.net.
8. It would be much appreciated if your story could be submitted within a Word document (where possible) using Arial (size 10) text.
9. The contest officially begins on the 7th May 2006 and story submissions are welcome from this date up until the closure date as indicated.
10. There is no word limit for this contest.
11. You can enter as many stories as you like, however, all stories will be submitted to the category worthy of the best story submission that you produce. All your entries will either be Master Scribe or Champion Acolyte.
12. If you do enter more than one story to the contest and you manage to get multiple stories within the prize places, then only your highest placed story will be deemed prize worthy. The prizes will then drop down to the next positioned stories within the voting line.
13. No story will be accepted as a submission to the contest if it has previously been displayed in any way at Imperial-Literature.net or another website. I don't have the resources to police this, so I'll rely on your honor in this matter.
14. Entries should be accompanied by the category you feel you should compete in. The contest organizers may shuffle entries between categories as they see fit.
15. Winners will be decided by anonymous voting. PM your vote to skennedy with the topic ‘Contest Votes’. Please send a vote for your favorite in each category in the same message, so, 2 votes in the same PM, 1 vote for the Master Scribe entry of your choice and 1 vote for the Champion Acolyte entry of your choice.
16. The stories will be posted up at Imperial-Literature.net soon after the contest deadline has past. The voting polls will remain open for exactly 14 days.
17. Again, the decision of the Imperial-Literature.net Moderating Team is final in every respect, and shall be accepted without complaint or recourse by all.
18. Acceptance of these conditions is a precursor of submission.
19. Votes and voting patterns will be closely monitored to prevent against rigging (i.e. by lots of "newly registered" users). Not only will affected stories be disqualified but we will have a massive name-and-shame, if necessary, to punish cheating contestants.
Sponsorship
This contest is officially sponsored by the very kind folks at DWHS and Warvault. I would personally like to thank both DWHS and Warvault for their support and generosity in this regard.
(Please Note: I appreciate that some of you may not wish to display a banner for DWHS or Warvault within your contest thread. I leave each of you to decide whether you are happy to display these respective banners within this contest announcement. However, I would be grateful if you could give consideration as to what DWHS and Warvault have invested in to this contest before you decide whether to display their banners. Without their support there would be no prizes on offer to all the winners). Please delete this block of text from your forum post.
The Prizes
As previously mentioned, there will be 2 categories for the stories, the “Master Scribe” and the “Champion Acolyte”. There will be prizes offered to the stories finishing in first, second and third place in each of the categories, so there is a lot to write for folks.
The most excellent people at DWHS have provided the following prizes for you all to try and win through your story efforts: -
A formal DWHS certificate with a hologram of excellence will be presented to the individuals who achieve a story placed first, second or third in either of the story categories.
DWHS have also offered a £20.00 DWHS voucher with free postage for the first placed story entrants in each category. There is a £10.00 DWHS voucher with free postage for the second placed story entrants in each category. For the entrants who have a story placed third in each category, you will be afforded your choice of Black Library Novel to the maximum value of £7.00 courtesy of DWHS.
That’s not all for the prizes folks: -
Brannick and Angron, the two chief guys at Warvault, have offered the fantastic sum of £100.00 to be split between all story winners with entries placed, first, second and third in each category. The money offered will be split in to £30.00 for each first placed entrant in each category, £15.00 for each second placed entrant in each category and £5.00 for each third placed entrant in each category. Alas, your prize will not be “cash” as you will be asked to choose an item(s) from the Games Workshop or DWHS range to the cost as detailed above, whether it be a book, paints, miniature etc.
Currency
Just to assist in your currency conversions, as at 7th May 2006: -
£20.00 (British Pounds) = $37.18 (US Dollars)
= $41.10 (Canadian Dollars)
= $48.17 (Australian Dollars)
= 29.22 (Euros)
I am very humbled by the generosity of DWHS, Warvault, and all the sites that have agreed to be part of this contest. This is going to be the biggest event Imperial Literature has ever put on, and I dare say the biggest I've seen on the Internet! Ok, maybe not, but it's the biggest I've seen, by far. I would like to thank everyone for joining in, and encourage you to check out some of the other sites that are helping out. There are some excellent forums out there, and if you haven't been to them, you should take a minute to visit them. Here are all the sites that have agreed to participate in the contest, in no particular order: -
Imperial-Literature, DWHS, Warvault, Asur.org, Hammer and Anvil, Astronomican, Hive World Terra, Da Red Tavern, Seraphim, The Herdstone, Craftworld, The Blood Keep, The Daemonic Legion, Bugmans Brewery, Force of Disorder, The Boot Camp, The High Elf Forum, Warhammer Empire, Scorched Earth, The Round Table of Bretonnia, Damage Inc, Tau Online and Dice Troll. I am sure a few other websites will join in along the way too.
Many thanks indeed
Steve Kennedy (Admin at Imperial-Literature)
