Terms & Conditions
RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award

GENERAL

1.1 “Award” means this open-submission writing prize by Pin Drop Media Limited (“Pin Drop”) in association with the Royal Academy of Arts (“RA”) to find a winning short story, chosen for its excellence as a story to be read aloud as well as its success on the page, which shall be known as the RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award 2018.

1.2 “Entrant(s)” means all authors, publishers and/or agents submitting an entry either personally, in the case of an author, or on behalf of and with the full authority and consent of the author, including without limitation consent to all these Terms and Conditions.

1.3 “Entry” means any eligible short story meeting the submission criteria entered for the Award and Entries shall be construed accordingly.

THE AWARD

2.1 From the Entries submitted, the judges will draw up a longlist of approximately twenty (20) short stories. The judges will then reduce this to a shortlist of approximately six (6) Entries – chosen for their excellence as stories to be read aloud as well as their success on the page – from which they will select the winning Entry and approximately five (5) shortlisted Entries. Pin Drop reserves the right to increase or reduce the number of Entries selected for the longlist and shortlist at their sole discretion.

2.2 The winning Entry will be announced by Pin Drop in advance of, or at, a public event hosted at the RA and shall be narrated by a special guest (tbc) as part of the RA’s public event programme. The narration of the winning story may be recorded and enter the audio archive of narrations by acclaimed authors and actors held by the RA and Pin Drop. The winning Entry will be known as the “Winner of the RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award 2018” and the winning Entrant will be permitted to use such or similar accreditation as approved by the RA and Pin Drop subject to clause 4.

2.3 The longlisted and shortlisted Entries will be announced by Pin Drop and each will be known as “Longlisted for the RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award 2018” and “Shortlisted for the RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award 2018” accordingly, and a longlisted or shortlisted Entrant will be permitted to use such or similar accreditation as approved by the RA and Pin Drop subject to clause 4.

2.4 The winning Entry will receive £500 and each shortlisted Entry will receive a smaller monetary prize, awarded by Pin Drop to the winning Entrant and each shortlisted Entrant (the “Prizes”).

2.5 Prizes will be awarded by Pin Drop and there will be no alternatives unless otherwise stated.

ELIGIBILITY

3.1 The Award is open to authors writing in the English language and Entries must be
submitted by an author aged 18 years or over at the time of submission.

3.2 The Entry must not contain more than four thousand (4,000) words. The word count should be noted on the cover page of the short story and must be precise.

3.3 Entries may be submitted by the author or by his/her publisher or agent with the author’s consent.

3.4 No more than one story per author may be submitted. It is the responsibility of the author to make sure that that there is not more than one of his/her stories submitted in total.
3.5 The story entered must be unpublished (worldwide) and not scheduled for publication.

3.6 Entries are limited to stories written in English.

3.7 An Entry that was published or is submitted posthumously will not be eligible for the Award if the author died prior to 3 January 2018.

3.8 Entries must be submitted in the author’s own name.

3.9 Following submission to the Award, Entries should not be published anywhere in UK or worldwide. Any Entry subsequently published in UK or worldwide from opening of submissions will not be eligible for the Award.

3.10 Entries which have won or been shortlisted for other awards, are not eligible. Entries entered in any other awards where the shortlist and/or winner(s) have not yet been announced, are not eligible.

3.11 Entries should be for an adult audience; writing for children will be deemed ineligible

3.12 Entries previously submitted to the Award are not eligible

COPYRIGHT & TERMS OF USE

4.1 By submitting a story for the Award Entrants acknowledge and agree:

4.1.1 that the longlisted Entrants grant to Pin Drop, its affiliates, licensees, successors and assigns a worldwide sub-licensable, perpetual, transferable, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use and exploit the Entry and any part of the Entry in any way whatsoever including but not limited to, public performance, public display, publishing, reproduction, adaptation, audio and visual recording, communication to the public, amendment, abridgement, or modification, transmission and distribution (either as an individual Entry and/or with other Entries and/or other third party content) on and through the website www.pindropstudio.com or any website, app or other digital product associated with Pin Drop (whether or not only available to subscribers) and/or on and through any online store and/or app/e-book store (including but not limited to Amazon and/or iTunes and/or Google Play), and/or any publication in its different present and future forms for example newsprint, Braille, talking book, podcast, audio or visual download, electronic databases, e-paper, mobile device application, electronic media or website including mobile form or any other facsimile or derivative versions in any medium; and

4.1.2 that the winning and shortlisted Entrants grant to Pin Drop, its affiliates, licensees, successors and assigns a worldwide sub-licensable, perpetual, transferable, exclusive, royalty-free licence to use and exploit the Entry and any part of the Entry in any way whatsoever including but not limited to, public performance, public display, publishing, reproduction, adaptation, audio and visual recording, communication to the public, amendment, abridgement, or modification, transmission and distribution (either as an individual Entry and/or with other Entries and/or other third party content) on and through the website www.pindropstudio.com or any website, app or other digital product associated with Pin Drop (whether or not only available to subscribers) and/or on and through any online store and/or app/e-book store (including but not limited to Amazon and/or iTunes and/or Google Play), and/or any publication in its different present and future forms for example newsprint, Braille, talking book, podcast, audio or visual download, electronic databases, e-paper, mobile device application, electronic media or website including mobile form or any other facsimile or derivative versions in any medium; and

4.1.3 all the winning, shortlisted and longlisted Entrants grant the RA and any third party sponsors of the Award a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence to publish the Entry and an audio recording of the Entry on their respective web sites and media channels, exercisable subject to Pin Drop’s express consent; and

4.1.4 that the winning, shortlisted and longlisted Entrants waive in perpetuity all moral rights or author’s rights howsoever arising and the benefit of any provision of law known as “droit moral” save that each Entrant shall be credited as the author of the Entry.

4.2 Without limiting the provisions of clause 4.1 above, the winning and shortlisted Entrants grant Pin Drop, its affiliates, licensees, successors and assigns, the exclusive right, to publish, co‑publish, produce and reproduce and further license the Entry as part of an anthology or any other publications with or without a third party publisher (the “Publication”) and in any and all derivative works thereon published or distributed including (but not limited to) audio, electronic, serial, reprint, all languages, all editions and the right to use the Entry in any and all formats, and all media, and in any and all marketing and publicity in the context of the Publication in all languages for the legal term of copyright throughout the world, and the Entrant and their agents will clear the necessary rights for such publication and distribution. In the event Pin Drop decides to include any Entries other than the winning Entry and shortlisted Entries in the Publication, Pin Drop will contact such selected Entrants and agree the terms of their inclusion in the Publication. Pin Drop reserves the right to include stories by third party authors in any Publication.

4.3 Pin Drop may also (but is not obliged to) enter into arrangements with third parties to publish and distribute the winning Entry, shortlisted and longlisted Entries in accordance with clauses 4.1 and 4.2 above, and in such event, the Entrant shall enter into any required agreements with Pin Drop and the third party in connection with the same.

4.4 By submitting an Entry, Entrants agree to make themselves available for press and public communitaion activities wherever possible, including participating in events in the run up to the Award at the RA and elsewhere. In the event of being shortlisted for the Award, Entrants agree to attend the award ceremony (if one takes place), and in the event of winning the Award undertake a reasonable programme of activities to promote the Award. Any publisher or agent who submits an Entry on behalf of its author shall be responsible for ensuring their author’s attendance at the Award ceremony and any further activity agreed. Entrants are responsible for all reasonable costs associated with participating in such activities, and attending events associated with the Award.

4.5 By submitting an Entry, Entrants agree to give interviews and participate in question and answer sessions, which may be recorded, published and/or made publicly available to by Pin Drop,the RA and other third parties. In the event that an interview or article is made about an Entrant, this does not indicate that the Entrant is entitled to an award, prize or remuneration.

4.6 By submitting an Entry, Entrants of all winning or shortlisted Entries agree to ensure that in the event that any winning or shortlisted Entry is published (subject to the terms set out above), including, but not limited to, any newspapers, magazines, websites, publications, anthologies or collections, it will be published with the express consent of Pin Drop and and if required, carry any approved credits and provided all materials bearing such approved credits, logos or trademarks are pre-approved by Pin Drop and/or the RA.

4.7 By submitting an entry, Entrants warrant that the Entry is original, entirely the author’s own work, does not infringe any existing copright, more or any other rights of any third party, contains nothing obscene, libellous, unlawful or defamatory and is suitable for publication by Pin Drop and/or the RA in any media deemed appropriate.

JUDGING

5.1 The RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award judges will select a longlist from which they will select a shortlist of up to six Entries submitted for the Award. The stories selected will be chosen for their excellence as a story to be read aloud as well as their success on the page. Pin Drop reserves the right to increase or reduce the number of entries selected for the longlist and the shortlist at their sole discretion.

5.2 All shortlisted Entries will be contacted personally by email. winning Entry will be announced by Pin Drop in advance of, or at, a public event hosted at the RA (subject to change).

5.3 The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5.4 The judging will be fair and will be drawn from representatives of Pin Drop and the RA.

5.5 Pin Drop shall permit the judges to call in short stories they feel are worthy of entry but have not been submitted.

 

ADMINISTRATION & COMMUNICATION

6.1 One (1) copy of the Entry must be received via the online submission form found at www.pindropstudio.com, in accordance with the Entry Instructions, by 6pm (GMT) on Sunday 30th April 2018 (extended from 15th April 2018).

6.2 Entrants must provide their name, email address, telephone number and postal address. The Award will be administered by Pin Drop. Pin Drop will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering this Award, and will not publish them or provide them without permission to anyone not involved in the administration of this Award. The Entrants’ names may be published.

6.3 Pin Drop and the RA will not acknowledge receipt of Entries and does not accept any responsibility for late, lost or damaged Entries. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.

6.4 Entrants must supply full details as required above, and comply with all rules and terms and conditions to be eligible for the Award. Ineligible, obscene or fraudulent Entries will be automatically disqualified.

6.5 Please note that no Entries can be returned.

6.6 Pin Drop reserves the right to refuse any Entry to the Award for any reason at their absolute discretion.

6.7 Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when Entering.

6.8 A publisher or agent who submits an Entry on behalf of an author warrants that by submitting that the Entry for the RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award they have obtained the author’s informed consent and approval of these Terms and Conditions and to have taken on the responsibility of guaranteeing and procuring the author’s compliance with these Terms and Conditions. If such publisher or agent has failed to do so, Pin Drop may at its sole discretion disqualify the Entry and/or reclaim any Award and/or associated prize money and revise the shortlist and (if applicable) winning Entry. Any author who submits an Entry warrants that he/she has obtained all necessary publisher and/or agent consents required to submit an Entry in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

6.9 All Entrants will indemnify Pin Drop and the RA against loss, injury or damages (including any legal costs or expenses and any compensation costs and disbursements paid by Pin Drop and the RA on the advice of legal counsel to compromise or settle any claim) occasioned in consequence of any breach of the warranties contained in these Terms and Conditions or arising out of any claim whatsoever including any allegations that the submitted Entry constitutes an infringement of copyright or contains libellous, obscene or defamatory matter, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Pin Drop and the RA accepts no liability whatsoever.

6.10 There is no alternative to the Prize stated and the Prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.

6.11 Pin Drop at the RA will not be liable for any failure of receipt of Entries. Pin Drop and the RA have no responsibility for any Entries which are lost, delayed, illegible, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid. Other than death or personal injury arising from the acts or omissions of Pin Drop or the RA, or their employees, Pin Drop and the RA will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of the winner’s enjoyment of the Prize.

6.12 Pin Drop reserves the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the Award (including altering prizes) if, in their sole discretion, the Award is not capable of being conducted as specified. Pin Drop, in its sole discretion, reserve the right to substitute the Prize.

6.13 These terms and conditions are exclusively governed by the laws of England and Wales and Entrants submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Nothing contained in this clause shall limit the rights of Pin Drop and/or the RA, their affiliates or subsidiaries, successors or assigns, to bring a claim against any party in any other jurisdiction.

6.14 Pin Drop reserves the right to accept a sponsor for this Award at any time and such shall not affect these Terms and Conditions in any way.

6.15 By entering, all eligible Entrants agree to abide by each and all these Terms and Conditions. Pin Drop reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time. Any amendments will be published on Pin Drop’s website. All longlisted, shortlisted and winning Entrants agree to sign a hard copy of these Terms and Conditions, if required. Pin Drop reserves the right, with or without cause, to exclude Entrants and withhold Prizes for violating any of these Terms and Conditions.