A N E X P E D I T I O N E R S – T H E M E D
A L L – A G E S P H O T O C O N T E S T
WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THE EXPEDITIONERS BY S.S. TAYLOR!
In The Expeditioners — “nail-bitingly thrilling” (San Francisco Chronicle) adventure novel for young readers, from McSweeney’s McMullens—brilliant explorer Alexander West invents a code that allows him to secretly communicate an important message to his children. In this Expeditioners-inspired photo contest, readers of all ages are invited to create a secret message using nothing but (1) a book cover and (2) some blank scrap paper. Read on for complete contest rules and instructions. Four winners will be announced in March!
HOW TO ENTER:
Use a book cover to create a secret message.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
• blank scrap paper and scissors
• your imagination
• a camera phone or other camera
STEP 1
Go to a place where there are lots of books—a library, a bookstore, or your own bookshelf.
STEP 2
Find a book with a lot of words on the cover. The more words, the better. (Magazines work fine, too.)
STEP 3
Use scrap paper to block out words and letters until you’ve “discovered” a secret message in the cover. Your message might be a sentence, a phrase, or even a single word. (Refer to the attached examples.) What kind of message should you be looking for? Let your imagination run wild! Extra points will be awarded for ingenuity, mysteriousness, and overall fun.
STEP 4
Shoot “before” and “after” photos of your secret message, using our examples as a model. (One of your photos must be a straight-on shot of the book cover as you found it. The other photo must capture your secret message.) Email these photos to [email protected], with your name and age. Winners will be selected in three age categories: 10 & under; 11 to 14; and 15 & up. We will also award a prize to the longest coherent message created by a contestant of any age.
DEADLINE + ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS
All photo entries must be received by March 1, 2013. Winners will be notified via email, and then announced on the McSweeney’s website in mid-March. We’ll share some of our favorite entries — including all winners — in a photo gallery at McSweeneys.net.
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES
• Ask permission before you do this activity in a bookstore, or if you plan to use someone else’s books.
• Don’t cut up any books! There’s no reason to cut or tear anything except scrap paper. Photos involving cut-up books will be disqualified from the contest.
• Have fun and get creative.
• If you haven’t done so yet, check out S. S. Taylor’s The Expeditioners!