March 13, 2014

Attention untapped talent: your hilarious tumblr could get you a book deal

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shutterstock_168853547 (1)Admit it: you’ve always thought that your tumblr would make a great book. Strangers think so too because they’re always reblogging you like totally all the time. So now, here at last, is your chance to be discovered: Chronicle Books is holding the sequel to The Great Tumblr Book Search (info about the original is here).

Unlike your debatable internet fame, the prizes for this contest are quite tangible: $300 in books from Chronicle,  a “feedback session” from a Chronical Books editor, and the promise that your book will be definitely considered for publication. There are even some runner-up prizes.

Now, the word “considered” might be a sticking point for some, who believe that the lack of definite publication shows a lack of commitment from Chronicle. However, it’s important to note that they chose to post the contest info on their own beautiful tumblr page. If that’s not evidence that they believe in the communicative medium of tumblr, and that they’re not completely terrified of the submissions they’ll receive, then I don’t know what is.

Moreover, last year’s winner actually did get that coveted publishing deal. Paul Laudiero’s Sh*t Rough Drafts (based on his tumblr of the same name) will be published on April 15th, and is available for pre-order on Amazon—clear evidence that he has #madeit and is #livinglarge. Is your tumblr funnier than Paul’s?

It’s not like publication is the only prize. It would be so fun to get a “feedback session” from a real Chronicle Books editor, who will call you with their real voice to tell you that your winning idea wasn’t winning enough. Also, the $300 in books will almost certainly include of copy of Sh*t Rough Drafts, which you can choose to admire or even to sh*t on.

If you’re intrigued, and think your tumblr has what it takes, Chronicle has all of the contest instructions here. Of note is the fact that you don’t even need to be a seasoned blogger to enter, and can just create a tumblr now. I certainly will. The current incarnation of my tumblr exists only to see who should be hooking up on Teen Wolf, so I’ll need every minute before the March 31st deadline to get my internet presence sorted.

Since being funny is a clear prerequistite for anyone making a tumblr, this competition will undoubtedly be fierce. But, there is hope. You’ve almost certainly seen someone’s writing or GIFs on the internet and thought, “What a n00b. I could do better.” As for being the best, Chronicle’s tumblr puts it eloquently: “YOU could be next.”

 

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