Alphamagician Book Competition (ABC) Award

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Mission

Story Square, an evidence-based education social enterprise, is where alphabet magic spells fun
family learning. Our mission is to place families center stage in how we shape the future and create
keenly designed spaces that galvanize families’ catalytic power to convert literacy to freedom.

Competition Objective

To honor one special author whose writing brings the magic of families to life

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for books from Texas picture book authors or with characters from Texas. These are not just any books. Story Square is celebrating authors whose writing brings to life the magic of families and reminds us why families are truly and fittingly the beating heart of our civilization’s progress. Story Square adores books that spotlight and bring families together.

Think you have a book in your repertoire that brings to life the magic of families in 1500 words or fewer? Enter your book for the Alphamagician Book Competition (ABC) Award for your chance to win $100 in cash, get a written Story Square book review and interview published in Story Square’s digital publication, Spellbound!, and a whole lot more.

Prizes

+ Alphamagician Award trophy for bragging rights to take home

+ Story Square formal, famlit genre book review for the author to include in their book and author branding and publicity for the publisher – Story Square will publish the review in Story Square’s digital publication, Spellbound

+ Yearlong publicity as Story Square’s featured Famlit author

+ Story Square Spotlight in post-festival press release with media partners

+ Book and author profiled with Texas Family Literacy Festival sponsor/partner

+ Free Festival T-shirt

+ Speaking Opportunities

+ Opportunity to increase readership and brand awareness with new fans by reading on the festival’s big stage

Guidelines and Rules

+ Must be a Texas-based author – an author whose residence is in Texas or Although this may change in the festival’s future. For now, this competition will honor a Texas-based author.

+ Must be a picture book with not more than 1500 words.

+ The book for submission can be self or traditionally published.

+ The book may be submitted by the publisher or author, as long as the author is a “Texas based” author or the characters are from explicitly from Texas (meaning the author expressly shares with the reader that the character(s) are from Texas).

+ All authors who submit their books for competition entry are agreeing to have their image and name recorded and reproduced in Story Square media kits and through Story Square mediums.

+ Authors who submit their books for competition entry also understand they may be called upon to do publicity events for Story Square’s Lit with Families Texas Family Literacy Festival.

+ Every qualified entry will be read by the judges.

+ Judges’ decisions are final. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries.

+ Digital entries must be submitted online (11:59 pm EST) by Thursday, October 31, 2024 Dropbox)

+ Hard copies must be postmarked by Monday, October 28, 2024. (If you would like to send a hard copy and digital copy, please feel free to do.)

+ Winner must fill out and submit the appropriate tax forms in order to formally receive their cash award. If the forms are not submitted within 60 days of the request date, cash award may be forfeited.

+ The following are not permitted to enter the contest, neither under their legal names nor pen names: employees of Story Square and judges’ immediate family members Ineligible entries will be disqualified.

+ Authors may apply consecutive years, however an author may only win two consecutive years if for two different years, and the third year that winning author may not enter a book for which he/she/they is/are author.

+ Authors may submit more than one entry (or book). Each additional entry can be submitted with an additional and discounted submission fee ($15).

+ Top Two Finalists will be notified on or before November 6, 2024. The winner will be announced at Story Square’s Lit with Families 2024 Texas Family Literacy Festival.

+ Story Square reserves the right to poll the festivalgoers about their opinion on the top three finalists.

+ All finalists will be listed on the website, ourstorysquare.com after Story Square distributes the festival press release to media partners.

Entering is easy!

1. Receive Alphamagician-specific Application: If you receive this packet and the link to formally apply that includes a unique link if you would like to submit your writing digitally, it means that you have indicated that you want to submit your book(s) for the Alphamagician Book Competition (ABC) Award.
2. Exercise your creativity: Please pay close attention to the question: How does yourbook bring to life the magic of families? We expect a creative and reflective answer that demonstrates alignment with Story Square’s mission. (See above under heading MISSION.) The answer to this question can be the deciding factor between two great famlit books. (TIME: approximately 15 minutes, maybe more depending on how you answer each question.) You can click here to complete the ABC Award application.
3. Submit Application and Book: Click submit on the application form, and upload your digitally formatted book (PDF preferred or flipbook, eg. issuu.com) to the unique link you received with this competition information and/or mail the hard copy of your book to Story Square, Alphamagicians, 2368A Rice Blvd, STE 462, Houston, TX 77005.
4. Look for and receive a confirmation email.
5. Questions? Email alphamagicians@ourstorysquare.com.

Submitting your Alphamagician Book Competition (ABC) Award-worthy literary work.

Submitting your book for the ABC Award and becoming Story Square’s Lit with Families 2024 Texas Family Literacy Festival’s specially honored Alphamagician is the culmination of your hard work and a huge step towards more visibility and brand awareness with your target audience – families!

• Mailing your book or memory stick: Please label clearly with book title and author name to:
  • Story Square, Inc.
    Alphamagician Book Competition
    2368A Rice Blvd., STE 462
    Houston, TX 77005
  • Must be postmarked by 10/28/2024 to be considered.
• Dropbox: Each Entrant will have his/her/their own unique link they will receive upon completing the form and submitting the fee for ABC Award entry.

OPTIONAL/ADDITIONAL: We would also love hearing you read your book. If you have time to
submit a video recording of you reading your book, judges look forward to hear authors reading their books. The Alphamagician Book Competition Award Committee of the Texas Family Literacy Festival looks forward to receiving