Authors submitting their entries for e-Author version 5.0 must comply with these Official Rules.

Eligibility Rules:

1) Participation in e-Author version 5.0 is open to:

• Debuting Indian with no full-length book of English prose fiction published before
  
  
• Authors with fewer than two previously published books
  

2) e-Author version 5.0 is open to all Indians who are 18 years and above as on March 24, 2008.

3) The participant must fulfill the submission criteria for e-Author version 5.0.

• An author must submit one entry only - either for a novel or a collection of short stories. Entries for both novel and collection of short stories will not be accepted from one author.
  
  
• Each chapter of the novel must be limited to 5000 words or less.
  
  
• Each short story must be limited to 5000 words or less.
  
  
• The synopsis must be limited to 1000 words or less.
  
  
• The author of each entry must be an individual author. Any entry that is written by two or more authors will not be eligible.
  
  
• Entries (the proposed novel or short story collection) must be fictional and the original creation of the author.
  
  
• Entries (the proposed novel or short story collection) must be in English. Entries in any regional language or translations from vernacular works will not be accepted.
  
  
• Entries must be in Times New Roman with font size as 12, typed in black and white text and submitted as a Word Document.
  
  
• Entries must not defame any individual/ organization/ religion. No offensive material will be accepted.
  
  
• Entries (the proposed novel or short story collection) must not have been previously published in whole or in part with the same text and sold or circulated through any retail or paid distribution channel.
  
  
• Entries (the proposed novel or short story collection) must be the sole property of the author. The author must attest that the manuscript does not infringe upon any right to privacy or copyright and that he/she has not entered into any other agreement that would conflict with this one.
  

4) All submissions must be made either on the site or via email. NO hard copies, postal entries or entries faxed to the Oxfordbookstore.com office will be accepted.

5) The participant’s name, address, phone number, e-mail and author profile must be included when entries are submitted online.

6) All entries for the first round must be sent in by March 24, 2008. Entries sent in after March 24, 2008 will be deemed invalid and rejected.

7) All entries for the second round must be sent in by August 15, 2008.

8) The full-length novel by the shortlisted author must be limited to 125000 words or less.

9) The full-length anthology of short stories by shortlisted author must be limited to 100000 words or less.

Judging Rules:

10) The entries for novels will be judged on the basis of theme, narrative technique, characterization, style and language, story, overall appeal and literary merit.

11) The entries for short stories will be judged on the basis of theme and characterization, narrative technique, form, style and language, story, the impact of the ending on the reader, overall appeal and literary merit.

12) The Appraisal Committee for e-Author version 5.0 will have literary professionals evaluating and shortlisting ten entries. The ten shortlisted entries will be sent to the eminent jury panel for assessment.

13) The selected entries will be open to online voting by the readers.

14) In the case of any dispute, the decision of the jury panel will be final and binding.

15) All entries will be checked for spelling and grammatical errors and necessary editorial changes may be made to the submission before publishing online.

16) Oxford Bookstore reserves the right not to publish any of the e-books on the advice of the judges.

Copyright Rules:

17) The six finalists of e-Author version 5.0 will be required to sign a legally binding document, giving the first option rights of their books written for e-Author program to Oxford Bookstore for a period of five years.

18) The two winning books and the four finalists’ books will become the property of Oxford Bookstore for a period of five years from the date of signing the legally binding document.

19) Oxford Bookstore will retain the rights to publish all the winning books as per the editorial discretion for those five years.

Others:

20) Oxford Bookstore will not be returning any rejected entries.

21) Oxford Bookstore reserves the right to amend the rules of this contest at its sole discretion.

For any other query, write to eauthor@apeejaygroup.com.