2009 QUASAR/ARIANA FAQs    

QUASAR/ARIANA Frequently Asked Questions

Please, make sure to read the entire FAQ before entering the QUASAR/ARIANA!

When, Where, What, How Much?

Q: What is the QUASAR/ARIANA contest?

A: The contest is to honor ebook covers for outstanding artwork. The contest is made up of two parts. The first part is the ARIANAs, where the covers are entered into one of the categories (see below). Voting is done by EPIC members. The cover that receives the most votes in each category receives the ARIANA Best in Category Award. The cover that receives the second highest number of votes receives the Dirk A. Wolf Honorable Mention for Cover Artwork Excellence. The ARIANA winners go on to compete in the second part of the contest, which is the QUASAR. The QUASAR is the best ebook cover for the year and is presented at EPICon.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements and dates for the 2009 QUASAR/ARIANA?

A: Covers for eBooks released between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008 inclusively.

Q: What are the entry fees for this competition?

A: The entry fee is $10.00 per cover entered.

Q: When will the contest open?

A: The contest opens for entries November 1, 2008 and closes for judging November 22, 2008.

Q: Is there a limit to how many covers may be entered in the QUASAR/ARIANA contest? Is there a limit to the number of categories that may be entered?

A: There are no limits to the number of categories you may enter. There are no limit to the number of covers you may enter, however, a cover may only be entered once in the contest. You may not enter a cover more than once in the contest. Any cover that has been previously entered in the contest is not eligible even if that cover was used on a new ebook that was published within the contest period.

Please keep in mind that the QUASAR/ARIAN Award is a voted award. With a contest such as the EPPIEs, the number of entries in any given category does not impede your chances of winning via a vote or judging. In the QUASAR/ARIAN, the more entries you place into the same category substantially lessens the percentage of votes you can accrue for ONE piece of work.

Q. What are the QUASAR/ARIANA Categories?

A. The catagories are:

1. Action-Adventure/Thriller
2. Children's/Teens/Young Adult
3. Contemporary/Suspense/Mystery Romance
4. Contemporary/Suspense/Mystery Erotic Romance
5. Erotica
6. Fantasy
7. Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
8. Fantasy/ Sci-Fi or Futuristic/ Paranormal Erotic Romance
9. GLBT
10. Historical and Westerns (General fiction, Romance, and Erotic Romance)
11. Horror (General fiction, Romance, and Erotic Romance)
12. Mainstream/Single Title
13. Mystery/Suspense (General fiction, Romance, and Erotic Romance)
14. Non-Fiction, Poetry, Inspirational and Inspirational Romance
15. Science Fiction
16. Sci-Fi or Futuristic Romance

Anthology/Novella covers should go in the appropriate "majority" category.

Q: Who may enter covers?

A: Covers must be entered by the cover artist. An author or editor may NOT enter his/her book's cover in the QUASAR/ARIANA awards. This award is for the artist, not the author or editor. The cover may be entered by the publisher ONLY if the artist is unable to enter for him/herself. In the case of a collaborative cover, either artist may enter the cover into the contest.

A. If ANY category fails to reach its minimum requirement of five (5) entries within the category, artists will have the option of

1. withdrawing their entry/ies from that category, or
2. having their entry/ies compete against covers in a neighboring category which reflects the closest scope and style of the cover art entry/ies.

Q: How will I know if everything is received?

A: You will receive an automatic acknowledgement via email. You will be contacted if there are any problems with your entry.

Statues, Awards and Certificates

Statues and Certificates for the QUASAR/ARIANA/DIRK A. WOLF Awards are:

• The QUASAR winner receives a large QUASAR statue.
• Each ARIANA Category winner will receive a miniature QUASAR statue.
• The Dirk A. Wolf Honorable Mention category winners receive framed certificates.
• In the case of a co-designed cover winning the Final Round, both artists will receive a statue.

QUASAR Judging

Q: How is the contest judged?

A: The Quasars/Ariana/Dirk A. Wolf cover entries are judged by the number of votes cast by EPIC members in the Members Only portion of EPIC's website.

• Entered covers, placed in their individual categories, are displayed on the EPIC website staring November 24, 2009
• Judging by the members takes place December 1, 2008 through December 7, 2008, midnight EST.
• Category winners receive an Ariana Award then proceed to the final vote for QUASAR.
• Runners-up in each category receive the Dirk A. Wolf Honorable Mention Award.
• The QUASAR voting begins January 17, 2009 through January 24, 2009. The QUASAR winner is announced at EPICon 2009.