Tweener Time Writing Competition 2008 Rules   Eligibility: This competition is open to students enrolled in high school, grades nine through twelve or international or homeschool equivalent.   Manuscript Requirements: 1.         All entries must be in English, original to the author, unpublished, and not submitted for publication        elsewhere until  winners are announced. 2.         It must have a minimum of 15,000 words and a maximum of 25,000. 3.         The subject and language must be appropriate for tweeners (8- to 12- year olds). 4.         Manuscript must affirm good citizenship and character building values. It should not contain profanity, violence, gore, romance, or vulgarity. 5.         Religious themes are acceptable but must not be preachy. 6.         All facts should be well researched and verifiable before the book will be published.   Format Requirements: The author’s name must NOT appear on any page of the manuscript.  Judges will know the manuscript only by a number assigned by the Manuscript Coordinator’s office. The judges will not know the age, race, gender, or location of the manuscript’s author. All entries must be double-spaced, on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 or A4 white paper. Pages must be numbered. If possible place the title of the manuscript in the page header. Along with the hard copy include a CD in Word format. Manuscripts and discs cannot be returned. Other Requirements: The entry fee is $40.00 USD for each manuscript payable to Tweener Ministries, Inc. A student may enter more than one manuscript but will be eligible for only one scholarship. One check in U.S. funds for multiple entries from the same school is permissible USA entries must be submitted via regular mail. International entries may be submitted by either regular mail or international parcel service (Federal Express, UPS, DHL, et al). Enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard with your entry if you want to be notified that your manuscript has been received. We cannot notify you personally of the status of your manuscript before the winners are announced. Judging:  Several rounds of judging will be done by teachers, librarians, administrators, college and university professors, published authors, and editors at Christian publishing houses. The selection of the six winners by the judges is final. Baker Trittin Press will publish the first place winner and reserve the right to offer contracts to other finalists. Winners: Winners will be announced on August 25, 2008. If you have not been contacted by that date, you may assume that your entry is not one of the six finalists, and you may market your manuscript elsewhere.   Limitations: The following are not permitted to enter the Tweener Time Writing Competition: first place winners of previous years, employees of Baker Trittin Press, Bethel College, iDesign, Joshua Expeditions, and Tweener Ministries Inc. and their immediate families.   Entries may be submitted any time after February 1, 2008, but all entries MUST be postmarked by midnight, Tuesday, May 20, 2008.   Manuscripts, fees, and entrance form  should be sent to: Dorothy Borger, Manuscript Coordinator Tweener Time Chapter Book Competition P.O. Box 484 Nappanee, IN  46550 USA   ENTRY FORMS are available by contacting: Info@tweenerministries.org    How is the entrance fee used? You have raised a valid question. Three copies of the winning book are given away: one to each participant, one to their school, and one to each of the 100 judges in the US, Canada, and South America. Each participant receives a t-shirt with "I wrote a book for Tweener Time International Chapter Book Competition 2008." Each time a manuscript is mailed out and returned it costs $9.20. Last year 50% were mailed twice and 20% were mailed three times. The fee last year was $25.00 and we didn't come close to covering expenses. This does not even consider the cost of the brochure/posters publicizing the competition and mailing them to ACSI high schools, other selected Christian schools, and public high schools.