Mumsnet /Walker books bedtime stories competition - winners announced. Now read the blog from Walker book editorial team about creating the book.

[RachelMumsnet]

Do you secretly have a book inside you? Would you like to see it published?

Enter the Walker Books/Mumsnet writing competition and your story could be included in an illustrated gift book of Bedtime Stories for the under-sevens. For your chance to be considered, submit your original manuscript of up to 1,500 words by 30 November 2012.

Over the next month we're going running some Q&A sessions and webchats with children's book authors and will keep you posted about this on this thread

Unless! Unless the stories are made available for voting and are anonymous....this is a common thing in writing comps....no name is visible to judges. That would make it fair.

I think it's a good question too. I have been in writing comps before where you look at the final shortlist and the winner and think...hmmm, yes, someone got a lot of cousins then?! BigWitch - your suggestion is good but then it still enables people with lots of MN chums to say "pssst, I hear tell the one about the lion with no mane is vairy good..."

oh yes, you're right artifarti

Mumsnet....why have you made it a voting thing? Is it because it's a good thing to get parental input on stories...?

If so, I honestly think that the risk of forumnial nepotism is too great.

Ooooh, loving the word forumnial - I think you should win on that basis alone

Forumnial nepotism is a good point. Look how many people come on asking MNers to vote for them in something or other.

I'm assuming the voting would be anonymous though, at least?

Thank you arti well that's that done and dusted then!

[awaits prize]

Dissappointed about the voting element as it is very easy to skew the results - internet voting comps are renowned for their problems as pretty-much every security system put in place can be overcome and allow people multiple votes. And of course forumnial nepotism is likely to kick-in, too, so the 10 stories in the end might not be the best ones! Please reconsider, MNHQ!
To help you with your ponderings, take a look at www.superlucky.co.uk/2012/08/ten-reasons-why-voting-competitions-are.html

Entered anyway vote for me

I must admit I thought this too. Even as a person interested in children's literature I am unlikely to read all 20 shortlisted entries and take an objective view - too much else to do! Votes then, will surely only come from shortlisted entrants plugging it to their mates.

The real prize here would be to make it to the shortlist.

Hi all,

As an aspiring children's writer I have been following this thread with interest. I saw it as a good opportunity to see my words in print and as a possible way into a publisher that otherwise would be difficult to access. Not to mention being very excited by the prospect that Michael Rosen (a childhood favourite) will actually read my work!

However, as a number of you have already pointed out I am concerned about the T+ C's. Am I right in thinking that once the book is published we waive any rights to our story? Does this mean that we will not be able to try and publish the story elsewhere after this? Obviously it's all hyperthetical as I would have to win first ( it's my first attempt at Children's writing so I am not too hopeful of this but you need to start somewhere!) but is it a chance worth taking?

Thanks for any advice on this

I am in the same position as you thoughtsand all. I've never been published (never submitted anything) and saw this as a good place for a first try. However, I have written a series of stories based on the same characters so am loathe to submit one if I then don't have rights to the story and its characters.

Hi Dabbler ,

I am wondering if you waver these rights just by entering the competition- then it is even more if a concern. I have written something specifically for the competition just to be on the safe side. It may be worth thinking about too and then if you do well in it you could talk to Walker books about your character book series.

I might give that a try thoughtsandall.

Marking place for this. I do have an idea for a story. I just hope that I get time to write it down between now and the end of November. I'll have to give myself a kick up the fundament.

I have to say that losing my rights to the story doesn't worry me in the slightest; it's only if you are shortlisted, and then after that, if you actually win (as far as I can see); I do wonder if we are coming across as slightly ungrateful mob!

I see your point, notactuallyme, but I think it is just a case of being certain of what you are agreeing to so that you can make an informed decision. The legal side of any contract can be a minefield- especially for the inexperienced (aka me!). However, it is certainly a good opportunity to gain experience and exposure (particularly, if you are fortunate enough to be one of the chose few).

So, if you read the t and c, you are kissing goodbye to rights , if you win. That's all. I think, personally, it's definitely worth doing. For others, maybe not.

Hello

I have had a chat with my OH who has a very good working knowledge of copyright law and he said that by assigning the copyright to another party, then that party has the exclusive right to: copy the work; issue copies to the public; rent or lend the work to the public; perform, show or play the work in public; and to make an adaptation of the work. As the author you would not have any right to do any of these things without permission from the new copyright owner, so after you had submitted your work to the competition you wouldn't have any rights to do anything else with the work in the future.

In waiving your moral rights to the work you lose the right to be identified as the author and the right to object to derogatory treatment of your work. I know that Mumsnet have already said that they will definitely acknowledge the authors of the stories but it is worth knowing that by you waiving your moral rights, they are then under no obligation to do this.

This is all in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

It's just worth knowing exactly what assigning your copyright and waiving your moral rights means.

As a result of now knowing this, I will not be entering the competition.

Hope this helps.

Please also note that these terms and conditions apply simply by entering the competition, not only if you win as notactuallyme previously stated.

bearface if u do not win the competition then the copyright reverts back to you (in February I think).

Okay - thanks Ponya.

bearface - I think you are not correct about the last bit of your post.

Fair enough, but if you lok at the T and C sections 8 and 9 both begin with 'By entering this competition' . . . I take that to mean that by entering you agree to the T and C because that's what it says, but if someone else knows differently, then please feel free to explain.

I'm just trying to make sure people have read the T and C properly and know what they are getting into. Good luck if you are going to enter.

''Unless you are on the announced shortlist, rights in your submission granted to Mumsnet (including Gransnet) under point 8 of these terms and conditions shall revert to you automatically on 28th February 2013.
If you are on the shortlist but not one of the final winning entries, rights in your submission granted to Mumsnet (including Gransnet) under point 8 of these terms and conditions shall revert to you at Mumsnet?s and Gransnet?s discretion following written notice from Mumsnet or Gransnet.''

Read the whole thing.

Fair enough, but no need to be rude notactually me.

Leaving this thread.