Wednesday, August 1, 2018

The Great Hidden Pieces Graphics Contest!

[9/2/18: WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED. If you didn't win, it's not because your graphic wasn't awesome. Picking winners for these contests is really hard for me because it's very subjective, and that's one reason I send every entrant signed swag. I wish I could give all of you free books, but I unfortunately can't afford it. I do appreciate the time you took to help me promote my latest release and will be featuring your graphic on my Facebook page (with credit to you, ofc) in the future :)]

It's time for another great graphics contest! Do you want to win a copy of any of my YA novels, including a gorgeous finished copy of HIDDEN PIECES? I'm looking for cool fan art or quote/image pairings to share on social media. You don't have to have read the book to enter.

These images should include the title of the book somewhere and can include quotes from the novel, suggested taglines, your own taglines, etc. You can use your own photography, draw something, make word art, create an image in Canva, modify the official cover art, etc. (Click the Books or Media tab for access to the official book cover.)

What you can't do is use someone else's copyrighted material as the base for your work. If you don't know for sure it's open source (from a personal friend, a Canva free image bank or via Wikipedia where the image info says open source, etc.) assume that it isn't. I know a lot of bloggers pull images from Pinterest and Tumblr for their blogs, but technically that might be infringing on someone's copyright.

Here are some different types of entries from previous contests :)
Drawing by Kim
Cover modification by Agustina Z.


Mixed media by Alyssa C


Modified graphic by Rebeca G, made with Canva


Probably the most amazing thing anyone
has ever made for a contest of mine, by Aila.

You can also make a bookish aesthetics post, as long as the cover or title of the book is included somewhere. (But again, ALL of your images have to be found somewhere where you *know* you're not violating anyone's copyright. I highly recommend Canva if you're not sure.) Here's one I did for THE KEY TO EVERYTHING:




I will select at least one winner and possibly two or three, depending on how many and what kind of entries I get. Sometimes there are a lot of different styles that are hard to compare, but I can see that people put effort into them. I will be judging on design, content, promotional appeal, and personal preference. It's not always just about who has mad graphics skills :)

Each winner of this contest will get a signed finished copy of Hidden Pieces if you have a U.S. address or a Book Depository or Wordery pre-order of the novel + a signed bookplate if you live outside the U.S. If you want one of my other books instead, just ask. I have no problem subbing in a different title as long as it's available. Everyone who enters, regardless of location, will receive signed HIDDEN PIECES bookmarks. All submitted designs remain copyright of their creator, but will be fawned over by me, and may be shared via my social media over the next few months.



Possible text for your graphic:
Your graphic does not need to have text (aside from the book's title and my name) if you're not using the cover image, but it can. If you've read the ARC, you can use anything that stood out to you. If you haven't read the ARC, you can check out this three-chapter sample. You can also use part of one of the quotes that are listed on Goodreads. You can make up your own tagline or phrase or use one of the ones below.
  • A small town. A big secret. A deadly game
  • No one is safe.
  • Every choice has a cost.
  • Can we ever really see the whole picture?
  • Nothing stays secret forever.
  • Sometimes there is no right choice.

Rules: 
  • You must share your graphic on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, at least once by August 26. Caption/tag the image similar to: Embry's latest mistake has put everyone she loves in horrible danger. Can she fix things before someone pays the ultimate price? #HiddenPieces by @pstokesbooks releases August 28 from @HarperTeen
  • Again, you can't use copyrighted material in your entries. Aside from the book cover, which can be freely used/adapted for purposes of this contest, any photography or imagery must be open source or belong to you.  When in doubt, don't use it.
  • Designs can be any shape or size and do not need to be high resolution.
  • You can enter up to three graphics, but each one must be shared on social media and emailed to me by August 26, 2018.

Final designs need to be emailed to me as a .JPG or .PNG for easy sharing at pstokesbooks [at] gmail [dot] com by August 26, 2018, subject: Hidden Pieces graphics contest. 

In your email, also include your mailing address if you want bookmarks and a link or enough information so I can find your shared image on social media in case I miss your tag. INT'L peeps, don't forget your postal code if you've got one--I know some countries have them but don't use them domestically.


General questions? Put them in the comments.