The Mystery Author Contest Rules

The 2010 Exquisite Corpse Adventure Mystery Author Contest

Official Contest Rules and Legalese

1. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

2. TO ENTER AND PLAY: All submissions should be e-mailed to: mysteryauthor@thencbla.org. Subject line MUST include your guess and the e-mail must include contact information or the entry will not be accepted.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Mystery Author Contest (the "Contest") will begin March 31, 2010. All entries must be received no later than 11:00 PM PDT on Friday, April 23, 2010. The winner will be announced Monday, May 3, 2010. One (1) entry per class.

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance ("NCBLA") will not be responsible for incomplete, illegible, or lost entries or for failure to receive entries due to technical failures of any kind, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. The NCBLA reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest.

The entry must be one guess submitted by a teacher or librarian on behalf of a group of students.

3. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest will accept entries only from adults who work with young people. These adults must be submitting an entry on behalf of a group of young people who are between 5 and 19 years of age at time of entry. The adults submitting the entry and the young people for whom they are submitting the entry must be residents of the United States. The Contest is not open to employees, volunteers, or interns of the NCBLA and each such organization's respective affiliates and subsidiaries, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, such employees, volunteers, or interns.

4. PRIZES: The contest will award the prize to ONE winner only. The prize includes a collection of books valued at $500 or more to be selected by the NCBLA and a phone conversation with the Mystery Author. The winner must donate the book collection to his or her classroom or library. The phone conversation must take place on a date on which the Mystery Author is available. The Winner agrees to be responsible for providing a speaker phone.

5. ODDS: Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. If more than one correct entry is received, one winner will be drawn from the correct entries at random. If no correct entry is received, then one winner will be drawn from all entries received.

6. WINNER NOTIFICATION AND ACCEPTANCE: The winner will be notified within forty-eight hours of the decision. The prizes will be mailed to the postal addresses provided by the winner.

Inability to reach a prizewinner by email after reasonable efforts (as determined solely by the NCBLA) may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. The winner may waive their right to receive a prize. Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed. The winner is solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on the prizes. The Winner may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, and a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law), which the NCBLA will email to the winner and which winner must print, complete and mail to the NCBLA. Any required affidavit and/or release must be postmarked within five (5) days of it being sent by the NCBLA. Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release within 5 days, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may, at the sole discretion of the NCBLA, result in winner's disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to an alternate winner. Except where prohibited, participation in a Contest constitutes entrant's consent to the publication of his or her name and image in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation or further compensation. For a notification of the Contest winner (available after selection) send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NCBLA, PO Box 634, Franklin, MA 02038.

7. PARTICIPATION: Participation in the Contest constitutes an agreement by each entrant to comply with these Official Contest Rules. By entering, participants further agree to be bound by the terms relating to the use of the NCBLA’s websites, including its Privacy Policy. In the event the Contest is compromised by causes beyond the reasonable control of the NCBLA which corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, the NCBLA reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, the NCBLA reserves the right to award the prize based on the entries received before the termination date.

8. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By entering the Contest, entrant agrees that (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (2) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Contest, but in no event attorney's fees; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.

9. CONSTRUCTION: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Contest Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant and the NCBLA, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of Massachusetts, or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Massachusetts. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the invalidity or unenforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

10. GENERAL RELEASE: By entering the Contest, entrants release the NCBLA and affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners and agents from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or with the acceptance, possession or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light).

11. SPONSOR: The Contest is sponsored by the NCBLA, whose decisions regarding the selection of the winner and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. The NCBLA will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Contest Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest. If you have any questions regarding the Contest, please contact NCBLA, PO Box 634, Franklin, MA 02038.