2006-7 - The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason (forthcoming, Spring 2008)
We will not be holding the contest in 2008. We ask that you please support the five terrific writers who have won this prize by buying and reading their books. We are proud of our record and our success in awarding the Starcherone Fiction Prize five years running to some of the most talented new writers around today. And we thank the many hundreds of authors who have submitted to our contests. Thank you for your interest in and involvement with Starcherone Books and the Starcherone Fiction Prize!
We
endorse and agree to comply with the following statement
on Contest Ethics released by the Council of Literary Magazines
and Presses in 2005. Starcherone Books helped develop this
statement during virtual roundtable discussions facilitated
by CLMP
in the summer of 2005:
CLMP's
community of independent literary publishers believes that
ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers
and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe
that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and
transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical
contest. To that end, we agree to
1)
conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address
any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges,
or editors;
2)
to provide clear and specific contest guidelines -- defining
conflict of interest for all parties involved; and
3)
to make the mechanics of our selection process available
to the public.
This
Code recognizes that different contest models produce different
results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have
adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication
as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests
contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
Our
statements defining conflict of interest situations:
1)
The winner of the Starcherone Fiction Prize cannot be someone
whose work that year's Final Judge recognizes during the
blind final-judging process.
2)
In order that the best manuscript in the contest not be
penalized simply because a Final Judge recognizes some aspect
of the writing or deduces the author's identity based upon
some circumstantial fact, Starcherone agrees to offer to
publish the best manuscript received in our contest each
year, even if this book is disqualified from winning our
Prize. In such a circumstance, the Final Judge agrees to
choose a second book as the winner of the Prize, in accordance
with #1, above.
3) If anyone
knows of any conflict of interest influencing a result
in our contest, please make us aware of it and we will
investigate and report our findings. Contest fees will
be refunded upon request.
4) We ask
that contestants realize we are a volunteer-run non-profit,
and need the receipts of our contest in order to pursue
our mission to seek the best innovative fiction and publish
it for the purpose of public education in the art and
appreciation of serious fiction. Our contest fees cover
costs related to administering our contest and printing
and publicizing the winning book only. As a 501(c)(3)
non-profit, financial statements which verify these statements
are subject to federal review.
