Los Angeles Times Readers Write a Novel Official Contest Rules

This Contest starts at 6am PST on Sunday March 30, 2008 and ends at noon PST on Thursday, April 24, 2008 ("Contest Period"). The sponsors of this Contest are the Los Angeles Times, 202 W. First Street, 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012, and ("Sponsors"). The Contest shall be subject to these Official Rules, and by entering, all contestants agree to abide and be bound by the terms and conditions herein and the decisions of the Sponsors. Certain restrictions may apply.

1) How to Enter: During the Contest Period, go to www.latimes.com/novel to complete the entry form. All entries must include your name, age, address, e-mail address, and phone number. You must provide all information requested on the entry form, your contact information must be accurate, and you must have a valid e-mail account in order for your entry to be eligible. Steve Lopez, columnist of the Los Angeles Times, will write chapter one of a book and entrants are to contribute to the next chapter (one chapter). Your entries must:

• Be 600 words or fewer
• Be entirely original
• Be submitted under the entrant's real name

In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of an entrant, the holder of the e-mail account will be deemed the person who submitted the entry. Incomplete entries will be disqualified and Sponsors are not responsible for online entries that are lost, late, deleted, garbled, misdelivered, or misdirected as a result of technical, internet or other online difficulties.

All entries must be received by noon PST on the day the previous chapter appears in the paper (which will be the day after it has been published on the latimes.com website). Sponsors are not responsible for entries that are lost, late, damaged, destroyed, misdelivered, or misdirected as a result of postal delivery problems. Limit one entry per person per day; duplicate entries from the same person will be disqualified. All received entries become the property of Sponsors and will not be returned.

2) Eligibility: This Contest is open to legal California residents who are eighteen (18) years and older as of the first day of the Contest Period. Employees (and their immediate household family members) of the Sponsors and their respective, advertising companies, parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, promotion and delivery contractors and/or public relations companies, are not eligible to participate. A potential winner may be requested to provide the Sponsors with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry and that all eligibility requirements are met. Void where prohibited.

3) Contest and Notification: Steve Lopez will write and publish the first chapter of a novel in his Los Angeles Times newspaper column online on Saturday March 29, 2008, in print on Sunday, March 30, 2008. Each day, beginning on March 30, 2008 and ending on April 25, 2008, the Los Angeles Times will publish subsequent chapters written by contestants in its newspaper and online. For example, Chapter Two will be published online by 7pm PST on Sunday, March 30, 2008, and in the Los Angeles Times newspaper on Monday, March 31, 2008. The final chapter, to be published online on April 25 and in the newspaper on April 26, will be written by Steve Lopez.

Each day during the Contest Period, L.A. Times staff members will judge the entries received for the next chapter. The first 50 entries received each day are guaranteed to be read by the judges. The contest judges will make all final decisions in any and all issues related with this contest. There will be at least three judges each day, who will select winning entries based on creativity, style and plot advancement. All entries will be subject to copy editing. The potential winners will be notified by telephone or by email using the information provided in the entry form by end of business on the day the entry is scheduled to be published online. A winner will be disqualified if he or she does not adhere to the Official Rules.

4) The Prizes: Winners will have their entries published in print and online, receive two (2) tickets to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Prize Ceremony, April 25, 2008 at 8:00 PM, and be invited to read their chapter at the Festival. Total actual retail value of prizes: $36. Only Sponsor, at its sole discretion, may substitute a prize of equal value due to lack of availability for any given reason. Prizes are not transferable or negotiable.

5) Other Conditions: Entrants warrant that their entries are their own original creations, have not been previously published, do not violate the rights of any other person or company (including but not limited to copyrights), do not defame, libel, or slander anyone or any entity, and do not contain offensive, defamatory, vulgar, obscene or profane content, as determined by Sponsor. Entries that do not comply with these Rules shall be disqualified.

All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned or its receipt acknowledged. All winners will be required to sign and return an Eligibility and Publicity Release Declaration which must be submitted within 24 hours of receiving notification of their win. Failure to return such document may result in the winner being disqualified.

In consideration of the prizes awarded in this contest, winners grant to Sponsor the non-exclusive right to publish the winning chapters in any medium and agree not to publish their chapters in any other medium while their winning chapters are being published in the Los Angeles Times or on latimes.com. Winners otherwise will retain all rights to their entries, and the publication of their entries will not limit their use and ability to further market the entries.

By entering, contestants agree to release, waive and hold harmless Sponsor and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations and advertising and promotional agencies, and all of their officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents from any and all injuries, claims, damages, losses, costs, or expenses of any kind (including without limitation attorney's fees) resulting from the contestants' participation in this contest, their acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize or element thereof, and any travel or event-related activity in connection with the Contest. Sponsors are not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any Contest-related materials.

By entering this contest, contestants agree to allow use of their name, voice, photograph, likeness and any information provided on entry form, in any medium of communication, including print, Internet, radio and/or television and for any purpose, including advertising, promotional or other purposes, by Sponsors and their respective affiliates, without additional compensation.

Winners acknowledge that Sponsors have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any of the prize items, including but not limited to, the quality, merchantability, habitability, mechanical condition, or fitness of the prize items.

6) Internet/Fraud/Tampering: If for any reason this Contest is not capable of running as planned, or if this Contest or any web site associated therewith (or any portion thereof) becomes corrupted or does not allow the proper playing of the Contest and processing of entries in accordance with these rules, or if infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, actions by entrants, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes, in the Sponsor's sole opinion, corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual implicated in such action and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend this Contest or any portion thereof. In the event this Contest is cancelled, the Sponsor will conduct a random drawing to award the tickets portion of the prize from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to the time of the action or event warranting such cancellation. If such cancellation, termination, modification, or suspension occurs, notification will be posted at the Entry Site. ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE (INCLUDING THE ENTRY SITE) OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND/OR CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Any entry information collected from the Contest shall be used only in a manner consistent with the consent given by entrants at the time of the entry, with these Official Rules and with the Los Angeles Times Online Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.latimes.com/services/site/la-privacy,0,3125046.story

(7) Winners List or Official Rules: For an Official Winners List (available after 4/27/08), or a copy of these Official Rules, send a request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to "Los Angeles Times Festival of Books --Birds of Paradise " Contest, Winners List/Official Rules, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. First Street, 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012.