Six Contests Over Twelve Months Will Target Most Popular Themes in
Science Fiction and Fantasy
February 1, 2016 (San Francisco, CA)—Inkshares, a start-up crowdfunded book publisher, announced today that they will be expanding their partnership with Nerdist to include its sister site, Geek & Sundry, for six fan-driven publishing contests throughout 2016. Both Nerdist and Geek & Sundry are deeply passionate about finding and championing new voices in the genre space, and hope this collaboration will expose these authors to a larger audience. The two media companies will launch a contest every two months starting February 1st, 2016, lasting six weeks each.
These contests will seek submissions in genres that speak to both the Nerdist and Geek & Sundry audiences. The first theme will be “Space Opera” for the Nerdist Collection, in light of their readers’ affinity for stories like Star Wars, Dune, and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The three finalists with the most unique reader pre-orders will have their novels published by Inkshares with perks including editorial and design services, printing, marketing, and distribution into bookstores nationwide. Nerdist or Geek & Sundry will then select at least one of the winners to be in their Inkshares Collection. Authors in these collections may also have the opportunity to develop their work into other media such as movies, television, and digital productions.
“The Nerdist community is committed to giving fans a voice. Partnering with Inkshares not only make that voice louder, but allows us to discover talent we can help expose to like-minded individuals across the world, “ said Adam Rymer, President of Nerdist Industries. Geek & Sundry founder Felicia Day added, “I’m a huge reader myself, and I love being able to give our fans the opportunity to have their written creative work seen and celebrated by the community.”
“Our first contest with Nerdist grew our community more than anything else we’ve ever done,” said Jeremy Thomas, CEO of Inkshares. “Their commitment to six additional contests is a great thing for science fiction and fantasy authors, a great thing for the Inkshares community, and, most meaningfully for us, a sign of faith in our model as a way to find and publish incredible books.”
More information on the contest can be found on the Inkshares contest page. Stay tuned for additional theme announcements from Geek & Sundry and Nerdist, and follow along with the contest’s progress on Twitter @GeekandSundry, @Nerdist, and @Inkshares.
About Nerdist
Nerdist Industries is a multi-platform creator of genre and popular culture content. Founded by CEO Chris Hardwick, its online presence includes Nerdist.com featuring Nerdist News hosted by Jessica Chobot as well as weekly shows Because Science, The Dan Cave, and Nerdist Play; a Podcast Network including the flagship Nerdist Podcast; The Nerdist School comedy training program; and the Nerdist Alliance, a community of curated partnerships with some of YouTube’s most talented creators. Nerdist also produces content for television including @midnight for Comedy Central. Nerdist Industries is owned by Legendary Entertainment and is part of the Legendary Digital Network which also includes Geek & Sundry and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.
About Geek & Sundry
Geek & Sundry is a digital entertainment company recognized for providing the best in award-winning Internet television content featuring leading voices in geek culture and lifestyle. Founded in 2012 by Felicia Day, the company offers a diverse content lineup of video games and tabletop gaming, such as Wil Wheaton’s TableTop, and explores the verticals of comics, music, literature, comedy and beyond. The network has also recently launched GnSLive on Twitch that provides of 30 hours of live content every week. Geek & Sundry is owned by Legendary Entertainment and is part of the Legendary Digital Network which also includes Nerdist Industries and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.
About Inkshares
Inkshares is a reader-driven publisher. They have readers select the books they publish. Inkshares then edits, designs, prints, distributes, and markets any book that meets a pre-order threshold. Since launching in February 2014, 73 books have reached their pre-order goal on Inkshares and they’ve received coverage in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Publishers Weekly.