New England Publishing Collaborations Award FAQ
June 16, 2014
Who is eligible?
To be eligible
 collaboration must occur between your organization and one or more other organizations.
Intracompany collaborations are NOT eligible, with the exception of publisher / tech incubator
environments.
 one of the collaborators must have a business presence in New England. A business presence
may be a traditional company or plant location, dedicated sales representation for vendors, or
residence for self-publishers and independent contractors.
Because results take time to manifest, there is no requirement that the collaboration be ongoing, or completed
in the past year.
What is required to enter?
There is an entry form to describe the goals, achievements, and challenges of the collaboration. Judges will use
this entry form to select finalists. Finalists are invited to present their project on the stage of the Brattle Theatre
in modified Pecha Kucha (timed PowerPoint) format for the audience and judges.
Does the collaboration have to be tied to a book product?
No. Collaboration in any area of the publishing industry is eligible. Achievements may be related to books
(traditional and self-published), journals, magazines, catalogs, educational learning objects, databases, software,
subscription products, assessments, ancillaries, workflow and supply chain solutions for
production/manufacturing/distribution, and sales and marketing efforts. Games per se are outside the scope,
though collaborations in the area of gamification are encouraged.
Does the collaboration need to involve technology?
No. Many projects will incorporate new technologies, but social outreach, civic purpose, charitable benefit,
service arrangements, etc. are equally valued.
When is the call for entries?
Entries are accepted from April 1 through August 15, 2014. This allows 2 months for finalists to be notified and
prepare their presentations.
What is the cost to enter, and to attend?
The entry fee is $150 per project, and this is reduced to $100 for Bookbuilders of Boston members. Tickets to
the main event in October are $15 (members) and $20 (nonmembers). We encourage membership and
attendance at the event, so the following premium offers apply:
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Nonmembers who enter a project automatically become members for one year at the small business
affiliate level. This means that tickets for all entrants are available at the member rate of $15/each. See
www.bbboston.org for additional membership benefits.
Members who enter a project receive two free tickets to the event.
Tickets include admission to the Brattle Theatre and complimentary popcorn to enjoy during the presentations.
There is also a post-event dinner and networking reception—see www.bbboston.org for details.
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What criteria will be used to rank the entries? How many winners are there?
Judging criteria are as follows. Results and industry significance are valued equally; depth of collaboration and
presentation have a lower weight.
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Results: These may or may not be financial but must be measurable. For example, did the collaboration
reduce time to market? Reach new markets? Increase the value of material to students or researchers?
Achieve a charitable purpose?
Industry significance or impact: Beyond the benefit to the collaborating companies (i.e., results), entries
will be judged on the degree to which they advance the industry and inspire similar achievements. For
example, does the collaboration change accepted paradigms for creation or distribution of content?
Does it respond or adapt to disruptive technologies in a productive way?
Depth of collaboration: The awards are meant to recognize two companies that work closely together—
to a greater degree than is normal in traditional fee-for-service arrangements. Accordingly, judges will
look for a balance in the participation and engagement of both partners.
Presentation (Finalists only): Since there will often be no physical representation of the collaboration to
judge, each entrant’s ability to communicate the essence of their project will factor in the evaluation.
There will be ten finalists and three winners. Based on the entry pool, judges may elect to honor a fourth “small
business achievement” recipient. This discretion acknowledges the impact differential for smaller companies.
Who are the judges? How many are there?
There will be 3 judges and one alternate to operate in case of conflict of interest (see www.nepcoawards.com
for judge names). If possible, a small audience voting component will be included, dependent on our ability to
exclude entrants from this voting pool.
Who will be in the audience?
We anticipate that representatives of companies entered in the competition, Bookbuilders of Boston members
(generally employees of publishers, printers, and service providers), and publishing students will be in the
audience. We will also invite appropriate industry media and venture capital representatives.
What about confidential or proprietary information?
Please consider the competition as you would a press release or presentation to a potential client. There will not
be questions allowed from the audience, and any questions from the judges can be answered at your discretion.
Only a high-level characterization of processes and results is required.
Is a nomination required?
No. Some entrants will be nominated or invited by Bookbuilders of Boston, but this is not necessary and is not a
factor in judging.
When are awards presented?
The award presentation takes place on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.
Must a company be present at the event to win?
Yes. Virtual presence (via Skype) is acceptable if physical presence is cost-prohibitive.
Can my company sponsor the event?
Yes. Sponsorships are accepted for the beginning and end of the Pecha Kucha presentation ($400/ea).
Refreshments for all attendees can be sponsored for $600, and dinner sponsorship for the after-show
networking is available at $800.
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