•
May I submit a work that has been previously published?
Yes, provided you obtain all necessary permissions to submit
the work.
•
May I submit a work for which I do not own the copyright?
Yes, if you are the author or co-author, although you must
certify on the Entry Form that you have obtained permission
from the copyright owner or other rights-holder prior to
submitting an Essay.
•
How can I tell whether I own the copyright?
In general in the United States, the author of an original
work automatically owns the copyright from the moment the
work is created. It is not necessary to register the work
with the United States Copyright Office for it to have copyright
protection. However, some individuals who write for employers
such as newspapers or magazines, or for publishers under
contract, may not own the copyright to their works or the
right to publish them; this is often addressed in the agreement
or other document governing the terms and conditions of
a person's employment or contractual arrangements with a
publisher. Authors outside the United States should check
into their local laws. All Entrants are fully and solely
responsible for verifying copyright and any Essay submitted
without appropriate permission will be disqualified.
•
How do you intend to use my essay if I am an award-winner?
As a condition to entering the competition, you are required
to grant a non-exclusive license for five years to Power
of Purpose, LLC and its successors, assigns, and licensees,
to publish your Essay in ways that are appropriate to the
goal of spreading the message of purpose to the widest possible
audience. These non-exclusive rights may include, but are
not limited to, publication of your Essay in whole or in
part in magazines, newspapers, periodicals, books, publicity
materials, websites, and reading on television and radio.
Such usage is a normal and expected part of winning an Award
in this type of competition. The grant of rights during
this five year period is non-exclusive, which means you
or the rights-holder will have the right to publish the
work elsewhere during the five-year period as well.
•
What is the word count limit? Maximum word
count for the essay is 3,500, not including any footnotes
or bibliography. There is no minimum word count, but Entrants
are advised to research the genre and conform to conventions
regarding minimum length.
•
Do I need to be a professional or published author?
No, although for most people, writing well is a skill learned
over many years. Inexperienced authors must be prepared
to submit high-quality Essays displaying substance, talent,
maturity, timely and captivating content, and a confident
style. All submissions will be judged utilizing a high standard
of excellence.
•
What is the definition of an essay? Definitions
vary: a short literary composition on a single subject,
usually presenting the personal view of the author; or an
analytic or interpretive literary composition, in prose,
possibly containing hypothetical or fictional material.
For authors not familiar with essays, libraries and bookstores
offer many collections of essays as well as books telling
how to write them. For the Competition, you may also submit
an essay-length work such as a sermon, speech, article,
presentation, or profile of someone with a distinctly purposeful
life.
•
May I submit a short story? Yes, as long
as it meets all other requirements. Short stories must reflect
the spirit of the Competition and illustrate or illuminate
the Power of Purpose. Poetry, scripts, song lyrics, and
screenplays are not allowed.
•
What about excerpts and quotations? Each
Entrant is responsible for complying with all applicable
copyright and related laws, including if necessary obtaining
third party permissions, in connection with the Entrant's
use of excerpts and quotations from third party works. If
an Entrant is uncertain about whether the use of an excerpt
or quotation in an essay requires a third party permission,
for relevant information on U.S. copyright and fair use
laws such Entrant should visit the United States Copyright
Office website at http://www.copyright.gov.
Excerpts and quotations must be properly credited with footnotes,
endnotes, and/or a bibliography.
•
Can I quote internet materials? Entrants
citing third party material from the internet should be
aware that they may encounter "republished" or
"third generation" information on the internet
that is inaccurate or improperly attributed. Citations to
internet sources must include the following information:
author(s), title of work, internet address, and date information
was accessed.
•
If I win an award, what must I do? In line
with the goal of bringing worldwide attention to the Power
of Purpose, Award-winners will be expected to participate
in appropriate promotional activities such as personal appearances,
interviews, etc.
•
Can I check on the status of my essay? No.
Once you have been notified that your Essay has been received,
the status of all Essays is the same: in the judging process.
•
Why would my essay be disqualified?
• Essay
contains any information that identifies the entrant
• Entry
Form not complete
• Essay not electronically submitted before the deadline
• Essay plagiarizes third party content
• Essay exceeds the maximum word count
• Essay is not submitted as Microsoft Word document
or Adobe Acrobat PDF file
• Entrant not eligible under Terms and Conditions
Part II
If you have a question not answered
above, contact us via e-mail at support@powerofpurpose.org.
Please refer to the official Terms
and Conditions of Participation for the Power
of Purpose Awards, A Worldwide Essay Competition
("Competition"). The Frequently Asked Questions
("FAQs") are for information purposes only and
are subject in their entirety to the Terms and Conditions
of Participation. The Company may revise the FAQs from time
to time during the Competition.
