SEATTLE & NEW YORK & PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct 01, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Penguin Group (USA) (NYSE:PSO) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) today announced the launch of the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Open to entrants in more than 20 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Japan, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award seeks to find the next great novel.
Beginning today through Nov. 5, authors with an unpublished English-language novel manuscript can learn about the contest and submit their work for consideration via CreateSpace at www.amazon.com/abna. CreateSpace, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, provides authors, filmmakers and musicians with on-demand self-publishing services and distribution on Amazon.com as well as other channels.
"The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an opportunity for our customers to have an exciting, significant voice in the process of discovering a new novelist," said Russell Grandinetti, vice president of books for Amazon.com. "This contest is also an opportunity for us to give back to the author community by enabling all aspiring novelists who enter the contest to self-publish on CreateSpace at no cost."
The contest will be conducted over a six-month period, during which Amazon customers will have the opportunity to read, write about and rate their favorites. Building on Amazon's strong tradition of customer reviews, submissions will be reviewed first by Amazon.com Top Reviewers -- individuals recognized for the high quality and frequency of their comments on Amazon.com. At subsequent stages, reviewers from Publishers Weekly, editors from Penguin Group (USA) and a panel of seasoned publishing professionals -- a critic, agent, publisher and author -- will help narrow and review the field of entries. In the final month, 10 finalists will be selected, and Amazon.com customers will then vote to choose the grand prize winner. The winner will be announced on April 7, 2008, and will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $25,000 advance.
"Books connect people, change lives, inspire, inform and entertain," said Susan Petersen Kennedy, president, Penguin Group (USA). "We're delighted to be a part of a competition that brings writers and readers together. We're also very pleased to work with Amazon.com as well as Hewlett-Packard, both of whom share our commitment to bring this competition to everyone, everywhere."
"The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award reflects the Print 2.0 momentum seen in the book world, where production platforms like the HP Indigo press help creative people say what they have to say through on-demand publishing," said Rich Raimondi, vice president and general manager, U.S. Graphic Arts Organization, Hewlett-Packard. "We are pleased to be working with Amazon.com and Penguin Group to provide an opportunity to a deserving author who otherwise might not have access to the broader publishing community."
In addition to a publishing contract with Penguin Group (USA), the winning author will receive an entertainment technology package from Hewlett-Packard that will include an HP 50-inch Plasma TV, Digital Entertainment Center, HP Pavilion Notebook, HP LaserJet All-in-One and HP PhotoSmart Digital camera.
Additionally, CreateSpace will offer to contest entrants free proof copies of their books via its self-publishing platform so authors can make their books available on-demand to a worldwide audience of tens of millions of customers on Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com and their own websites. CreateSpace offers online self-publishing without inventory or set-up fees. BookSurge, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, will also provide discounted publishing services to entrants, such as custom cover creation, formatting and editorial services.
For complete terms and conditions on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award as well as more information about the contest, please visit www.amazon.com/abna. For more information on the CreateSpace Print on Demand self-publishing service, please visit www.createspace.com. For more information on BookSurge publishing services, please visit www.booksurge.com.
About Penguin Group (USA)
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam's Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.
About Hewlett-Packard
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers -- from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $100.5 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2007. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc., (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique, new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
About CreateSpace
CreateSpace is a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). A leader in manufacture-on-demand services for independent creative content owners, CreateSpace was originally founded as CustomFlix Labs, Inc. in 2002 and acquired by Amazon.com Inc. in 2005. The company's mission is to profitably connect its members to a worldwide audience through multiple channels, including Amazon.com. CreateSpace provides inventory-free, physical distribution of books, CDs and DVDs on demand, and video downloads via Amazon Unbox.
About BookSurge
BookSurge, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., is a pioneer in print-on-demand services. BookSurge offers state-of-the-art Print on Demand services to the book publishing industry.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and all subsequent filings.
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon Media Hotline, 206-266-7180orPenguin Group (USA)Marilyn Ducksworth, 212-366-2564marilyn.ducksworth@us.penguingroup.comStephanie Sorensen, 212-366-2576stephanie.sorensen@us.penguingroup.comorHewlett-PackardKristine Snyder, 949-548-4995kristine.snyder@hp.comorCreateSpace/BookSurgeStacey Hurwitz, 831-430-4026Stacey@createspace.com