Brilliant Careers Essay Contest

HOW TO ENTER:

It’s easy to enter and you can even submit more than one “Brilliant Career” profile! Scan the Brilliant Career Archives to make sure your choice of subject is unique, and then write an original essay of 1,000 words or less. You must be 18 years or older and a U.S. resident to enter the contest. The deadline for submission is September 7, 2000.

E-mail your submission to brilliantcareers@salon.com. Be sure to put “Brilliant Careers Essay 2000″ in the subject line. Essays MUST BE included in the body of the e-mail, along with the author’s name, mailing address, phone and e-mail address. No attachments will be accepted. No phone inquiries please. ALL ENTRIES, WHETHER POSTAL OR ELECTRONIC, MUST BE RECEIVED BY September 7, 2000.

EXTRA DETAILS:

Last year we were pleased to announce the grand prize winner of the 1999 Brilliant Careers Essay contest: Ernest McLeod of Middlebury. Check out Ernest’s profile of singer Emmylou Harris as an original “Brilliant Career” article by clicking here. You can also visit our Brilliant Careers Sound & Vision multimedia page to listen to audio downloads of last year’s stellar event and view the photo gallery. Click here to see a complete list of the published profiles and to double check that your candidate hasn’t already been written about.

Good luck! We look forward to reading (and possibly publishing!) your Brilliant Career!

View the Official Rules.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. CONTEST IS OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL UNITED STATES RESIDENTS.

The Contest is brought to you by Salon Internet Inc. (“Salon.com”) and Lexus.

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Eligibility:

Contest is offered only within the 50 United States. Contest is open to all persons who are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees, officers, and directors of Sponsors, their parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, their immediate family members and persons living in their same household are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Void where prohibited. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. No purchase necessary to enter.

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How to Enter:

Essays must be 1,000 words or fewer. All essays, whether postal or electronic, must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT on September 7, 2000. E-mail all submissions to brilliantcareers@salon.com, making sure to put “Brilliant Careers” in the subject header. Essays MUST BE included in the body of the e-mail, along with the author’s name, mailing address, phone, and e-mail address. No attachments will be accepted.

Though e-mail entries are preferred, submissions may also be mailed to “Brilliant Careers Contest,” 22 Fourth Street, 16th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103. Submissions by mail must be typed, double-spaced and on white paper, with the author’s name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address (if available).

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Prize Details:

The Grand Prize winner will be published as an original Salon.com “Brilliant Career.” Also, the winner will receive a trip for two to San Francisco including round-trip Economy Class air transportation, and two (2) nights’ standard, double occupancy hotel accommodations. The trip for two must be completed by September 2001. Extensions will not be granted. Travellers are responsible for all ground transportation, passport/visa requirements and airport taxes and fees, and all meals and entertainment. Reservations must be made through Salon.com. Travellers must book air travel at least 14 days before they plan to travel. Air tickets are subject to availability and other travel restrictions. Blackout dates apply. Travel arrangements include direct service from the major airport nearest the Grand Prize winner’s U.S. residence to San Francisco. No stopovers are allowed. Accommodations are for two (2) nights. Grand Prize winner’s name and essay will be posted on Salon.com, after the winner has signed an affidavit of eligibility for the prize.

The total value of the Grand Prize depends on the prize winner’s location and trip dates but will be approximately $1,600.00 for the airfare, plus approximately $420.00 for two (2) nights’ hotel accommodations for a total value of approximately $2,020.00. ALL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OF ANY PRIZES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. All prizes will be awarded. All prizes are non-transferable, non-replaceable and cannot be redeemed for cash, bartered or sold. Winners will be required to sign and return a release of liability, affidavit of eligibility and, where lawful, a publicity consent agreement, all within 14 days of notification. Travel partner (of Grand Prize winner) will be required to sign an affidavit as well.

By accepting and/or participating in the contect and/or using the prize(s), participants and winner agree(s) to the use of their names, voices and/or likenesses for the purpose of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. If a selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize(s) or fails to timely return the complete and executed affidavit and releases as required, the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected.

As a condition of receiving the prize(s), the winner(s), within 7 days of notification, will be required to sign an agreement granting to Salon.com all publication rights to the essay(s), together with all ancillary and subsidiary rights, throughout the world and in any and all formats and media and including the right to grant sublicensees and to use the author’s name in connection with the business of Salon.com, and acknowledging that the prize(s) shall be the author’s sole compensation for such rights. The agreement will also contain the author’s representation that the work submitted is original to the author and does not infringe on the rights of any third party.

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Selection of Winner:

Winners will be selected from all eligible entries by Sept. 16, 2000. The winners will be notified by phone, e-mail or mail. Essays will be judged on the basis of creativity, technical skill and distinct voice. The winners will have 7 days from notification to accept their prizes. Sponsors are not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, lost, misdirected or unsuccessful efforts to notify winner. By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges, which shall be final. Sponsors, agents and representatives of Sponsors, their parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, are not responsible for and shall not be liable for:

(i) late, lost, delayed, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible or postage-due entries;
(ii) any condition caused by events beyond the control of the Sponsors that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted;
(iii) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind a rising inconnection with or as a result of the prize, or acceptance, possession, or use of the prize, or from participation in the Contest; or
(iv) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. Salon.com reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel this Contest at any time. By participating in the Contest, participants agree to release and hold Sponsors and the employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives of Sponsors, their parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with the Contest or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage, and claims based on content of the story, including but not limited to publicity rights, copyright infringement, defamation or invasion of privacy.

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