My Grandma (bless her!) sent me a clipping about the Lichfield Prize today. Briefly, its a competiton for first novels with a five thousand pound prize. The website can be found at www.lichfieldgarrick.com, it anyones interested.

The only sticking point I can see, is that if you hit dreamworld and your book wins, you are expected to take the publishing deal offered to you by Time Warner Books. Do any experienced writers know if this is normal and reasonable?

Hope this prize will interest some other writers. I think I'm probably going to enter.

Ben

Thanks for that Ben...

Don't know answer to your question about the contract, but if anyone wants a direct link to web page, this link should go there -

http://www.lichfieldgarrick.com/htm/projects/lichfieldPrize.shtml


<Added>

ahh perhaps you corrected the link? it didnt show up before..as clickable thanks

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It says that it should not be previously published and has a closing date of 30th April 2004, but what if the novel was published on 1 May 2004 - would one then be disqualified ?

I see in the rules that it says


' Entrants must be willing to have their script published, subject to reasonable financial arrangements with Time Warner Books. Scripts from the short list that do not win the Prize may also be considered for publication. Entrants must therefore be free of publishing commitments elsewhere'

I suspect this would effectively prohibit anyone from entering into any publishing commitment with anyone until after the date the winner is announced.

A long time to wait, until July 2004 if it were to act as a deterrent to sending work off elsewhere?

"subject to reasonable financial arrangements with Time Warner Books"

To me, that says you get the chance to discuss what the financial package will be in the publishing deal that Warner offer you, which is fair.