Alphamagician Book Competition (ABC) Award
Fran-Victoria Stephens, Esq., President and Founder + 8.15.23 + Updated on 9.15.2023
Deadline: October 2, 2023
Entry Fee: $23.00
Mission
Competition: To honor one special author whose writing brings the magic of families to life
We’re looking for books from Texas picture book authors! 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 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
+ Opportunity to increase readership and brand awareness with new fans by reading on the festival’s big stage
Guidelines and Rules
+ 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.
+ 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 Monday, October 2, 2023 (email or Dropbox)
+ Hard copies must be postmarked by September 29, 2023. (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, 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 Three Finalists will be notified on or before October 13, 2023. The winner will be announced at Story Square’s Lit with Families 2023 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!
- 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.
- Exercise your creativity: Please pay close attention to the question that asks: How does your book 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.)
- 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 609, Houston, TX 77005.
- Look for and receive a confirmation email.
- Questions? Email alphamagicians@ourstorysquare.com.
Submitting your Alphamagician Book Competition Award- worthy literary work.
Submitting your book for the ABC Award and becoming Story Square’s Lit with Families 2023 Texas Family Literacy Festival’s first 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!
- Email: Please advise Story Square of the specific files you plan to send so that we can confirm receipt.
- Dropbox: Each Entrant will have his/her/their own unique link they will receive upon completing the form and invoice for
- 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 609 Houston, TX 77005
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 to hear authors reading their books. Feel free to record on
We are excited to get to know you.
Please leave your name, email address, and a message. Let us know how we can help your school, organization, church, or family invest in fun family learning that advances language and literacy-building skills.
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