What type of books can I enter?

Enter as many self-published photography books as you like. Self-published photography books can be made using a print-on-demand platform or any other reproduction and binding method.

How do I enter?

If you have already made your photography book through Blurb, simply follow the Blurb-specific directions on our Entry page. This can be done completely online, no need to send us a physical copy of your book.

If you have self-published your photography book outside of Blurb, you’ll need to send us one physical copy of each book you enter for judging purposes. Here is the PDF entry form.

If you need to make a photography book in order to enter, we recommend starting at Blurb.

The competition closes on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 GMT).

Who can enter?

Anyone who abides by the Photography Book Now Rules can enter their own self-published photography books.

How much does it cost to enter?

To avoid fluctuations in the exchange rate, we have set the following submission fees depending on your currency preference. The submission fee is $35 in US dollars, €27.50 in Euros, £20 in Great Britain Pounds (GBP), $35 in Canadian dollars, and $35 in Australian dollars.

How do I pay for my entry?

You can pay for your entry (or entries) using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. We can’t accept cash, checks, money orders, or PayPal payments at this time.

Where do I send the books I want to enter?

If you have already made your photography book through Blurb, simply follow the Blurb-specific directions on our Entry page. This can be done completely online, no need to send us physical copies of your books.

If you’ve already self-published a photography book outside of Blurb, simply download the PDF available on the Entry page and follow the instructions on where to send your entry form, fee, and books.

Do I have to purchase my book and pay the Submission Fee to be entered in the competition?

Yes. If you are creating a book on Blurb.com for entry into the contest, you must first order and pay for your book, then pay the submission fee to enter the competition.

If you are entering a book that you’ve already published and ordered through Blurb, you do not need to order it again. Just pay the submission fee with your entry.

Can I delete the book once I’ve entered the competition?

If you delete the book you’ve entered into PBN, it will automatically be removed from the competition. To re-enter the competition with a new version of your book, you’ll need to upload the new book, purchase it, and pay the submission fee.

I haven’t self-published a photography book yet. How do I do it?

If you need to make a photography book in order to enter, we recommend starting at Blurb. Blurb provides everything to create, share, market, and sell professional-quality books.

If I collaborate with a designer on my book, can we both win the prize?

Sorry, no. One person is eligible to win the prize only. The first name on the entry form will be entered into the competition.

What are the categories?

The categories for the 2011 Photography Book Now competition are: Fine Art, Documentary, Travel and Student. See our Categories page for full details.

What are the judging criteria? How will you select the winners?

A panel of judges will evaluate the best of the best. Books will be judged in their entirety, meaning that judges will look for excellence in the following categories when evaluating the book’s impact as a whole:

• Strength of the photography
• Subject matter of the book
• Editing and sequencing
• Cover design
• Page layouts
• Emotional impact of the overall book
• Relevance to the category

To get more insight on each of these criteria, check out this video from our lead judge, Darius Himes.

Judging will begin after the July 14, 2011 submissions deadline. Winners will be announced early September 2011.

Who are the judges?

Our lead judge is Darius Himes. The complete list of judges is available on our website on the Judges page.

What are the prizes?

The Grand Prize is $25,000 with which you may finish – or start – any project you want. There will be four Category Winners, to each be awarded $5,000. We will also award four 1st Runners Up and four 2nd Runners Up in each category. Four People’s Choice Winners will each receive $1,500, and ten books per category will receive Honorable Mention awards. The complete list of prizes is available on our website on the Awards Page.

Can I submit books featuring my art or writing?

Sorry, but no. Photography Book Now is a photography book competition. Your photographs may be accompanied by text, but the book content must principally be photography.

Will the books that I enter be returned to me?

Due to the reach and complexity of the Photography Book Now competition, we will not be able to return any book entries.

Can I just email you digital files of my book?

Sorry, but no. We can only accept printed books.

That said, if you published your book(s) using Blurb, you can enter the competition completely online without having to print and ship us anything. Should your book(s) make it into the final stages of the competition, we’ll print your books for the judges to review in hand.

I submitted my book. Why isn’t it showing up in the PBN Bookstore?

Don’t worry – if you submitted a book to Photography Book Now electronically, it’s been tagged and when we activate the 2011 PBN Bookstore, your book will show up among the rest of the competition entries.

Can you explain the categories a bit more?

The categories for the 2011 Photography Book Now competition are: Fine Art, Documentary, Travel and Student.

Fine Art:

Entries in this category should be books driven by the personal, artistic interests and concerns of the photographer. Successful submissions will add up to more than just the sum of their parts, whether the work is conceptual or stylistic, the aesthetic is deadpan or modernist, or the artistic practice is in the world of expressive arts or the world of performance.

Documentary:

Entries in this category are books rooted in the documentary tradition or based on a long-term narrative project. It may be a broader project that evolves out of an assignment, or a personal project arising from your own interests. Successful submissions will be artfully made and tell a compelling story, whether personal or journalistic in nature.

Travel:

Entries in this category are books about journeys that observe the world at large. Books about exploring far-flung places – or truly seeing what’s in your own backyard with the fresh eyes of a traveler. Successful submissions will convey a sense of curiosity about recognizing, investigating, and honoring places where life in all its complexity happens.

Student:

This category is open to full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate college students. The work submitted may fit into any of the three professional categories: Fine Art, Documentary, or Travel. Student submissions are not restricted to a particular subject matter. Successful books in this category must have a clear thesis, be well-edited, and exhibit strong photographic talent and skills.

See our Categories page for more details.

Who is qualified to enter the Student category?

Students are full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate college students, 18 years of age or older, attending a two or four year accredited college or university, who are actively enrolled in that college or university through at least Spring semester 2011. Students who are currently enrolled, but are not taking courses for credit are not eligible to enter into the Student category.

Can I enter multiple books and categories?

You can enter as many books as you’d like in any of our four competition categories, but you must pay a separate submission fee for each entry. The fee is USD $35, EUR €27.50, GBP £20, CAD $35 or AUD $35 per entry depending on your currency preference.

Where will my book(s) be shown? How will my book(s) be used?

We want to show off your best work. Submissions will be featured in the Blurb Bookstore and winning books will go on exhibit at the PBN Party in New York, as well as at meet-ups throughout the world. For more information, go to the Rules.

Why should I enter this competition?

Publishing a photography book used to be attainable only by the famous and the few. That was then. This is Photography Book Now.

Everything has changed. Now we all have the power to publish. The Internet and print-on-demand technology give you complete creative control to make the book you want to make.

The Photography Book Now International Juried Competition celebrates the modern book movement and inspires photographers of all stripes to get their work out there in books. Be a part of the movement. Get involved. Enter the competition. You could win $25,000 and a chance to be discovered on a global level.

Where will the winning books be showcased?

The Photography Book Now International Juried Competition includes a traveling showcase featuring the winners of the book competition. Think of it as an exhibit featuring photography books. Exhibited books will be on view at the New York and San Francisco awards celebrations, and at each of the international meet-ups throughout the world. See the full calendar on our Events page.

What is the awards ceremony? Where will it be?

Grand Prize and top Category winners will be honored this fall at an evening celebration in New York. Everyone who entered the competition is welcome to attend.

Will there be any parties?

Absolutely. And you’re invited. Our awards celebration in New York this fall will kick things off, and there will also be meet-ups throughout the world. These events are opportunities to mix it up with your peers, mentors, gallery owners, publishers, educators, press, and industry insiders. There will be complimentary food and drinks for all. See the full calendar on our Events page.

How do I contact the people responsible for the Photography Book Now International Juried Competition?

Blurb’s customer support people can help. Send them an email using this support form and they’ll get back to you pronto.

How much does it cost to attend the social events?

Nothing. Thanks to the support of our very generous sponsors, all Photography Book Now social events, including the awards celebration and meet-ups, are free. But space is limited so be sure to reserve your place ahead of time. See our Events page for details.

Are there student discounts?

There are no fees to attend any of the Photography Book Now events. Additionally, we have made every attempt to keep the submission fees low – so low that they don’t even come close to covering our costs – so, regrettably, there are no discounts available on the submission fees.

Are there different categories for professionals and amateurs?

For the first year, we are separating out Professionals and Students in our judging categories. Photography Book Now features four professional categories – Fine Art, Documentary, and Travel – and each is open to anyone who meets the submission criteria. Although amateurs may possess as much talent as their professional counterparts, Blurb believes it is important to give professionals their own venue. Anyone who meets the criteria for our new Student category should enter accordingly.

What rights does Blurb have to my books?

Although Blurb reserves the right to use the winning books for promotional marketing purposes, the content is still yours and you own the rights of your book. Blurb has no rights to “sell” your work nor in any way do we have any copyright or any other rights to your books. Please go to the rules for more information. Winning books will travel with the salon and be exhibited at the PBN Party in New York and at meet-ups throughout the world. Your book(s) will also appear in the Photography Book Now section of the Blurb Bookstore if you made them through Blurb and entered them in this competition. If you have submitted physical books via another POD approach, your books unfortunately will not appear in the online Blurb Bookstore and therefore are not eligible for People’s Choice Awards.

Why is Photography Book Now open to English-speaking entrants only?

Although you must speak English to enter the contest, the content of your book can be in any language. If you have questions about Photography Book Now or Blurb services our support team can reply in English, French, Spanish, German, or Italian.

I am using Adobe® InDesign® to layout my book. How do I send it to you?

If you’re using Blurb to publish your book and you’re an InDesign user, you can download our plug-in to create and upload your book using our PDF to Book workflow. If you prefer to use Blurb BookSmart®, our free book making software, this blog post explains how to import your custom files into BookSmart. If you use either of these options, you can upload and order your book, and enter it into the competition.

Do you publish a color profile that I can use to calibrate?

If you’re using Blurb to publish your book, you can find color profile information in Blurb’s Color Management Resource Center.

What is your contact information?

Please contact Blurb’s customer support people using this support form. They’ll be happy to help you with any contest- or Blurb-related questions. If you want to physically mail us your photography book entry, just follow the directions on our Entry page.

Can I call you on the telephone?

Unfortunately, no. We encourage you to review the FAQs listed here. If you still have a question, please contact Blurb’s customer support people by filling out our support form. They’ll be able to help in a flash.

Can I drop off my entry at your office?

Sorry, but we won’t accept any entries dropped off in person. In order to enter the competition, you must follow the directions specified on our Entry page.

I need help making my book. How do I contact you?

If you are using Blurb to make your book and have a technical question, please review Blurb’s Help site first. If your question is still not answered please email Blurb’s awesome customer support people.

Of course we can’t make your book for you, that part is completely up to you. (You can imagine why we can’t help entrants with their books, right?)