Remember the nasty Christian lady on Paula Zahn?

[charlie]

This one. Karen Hunter. The "atheists need to shut up" lady.

When she's not trying to out-Shlussel Debbie Shlussel on TV, she's an ebook publisher. And if you're an aspiring writer, she's running a contest just for you.

You can win a publishing contract with her company and a small suite of prizes. Just submit your manuscript and the $149(!) entry fee.

Pay no mind to the fine print. Surely, you can trust a blood-washed Jeezo-naut.

1. Rights to all submissions belong to Karen. In perpetuity. No permission will be sought, no notice given, no compensation offered if she publishes or sells your stuff.

2. If the submissions don't meet undefined "minimum standards", no prizes will be awarded.

3. You will not hold Karen liable for harm, damages, stealing your shit, etc.

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/01/15/todays-writing-contest-to-run-like-hell-from

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2011/01/dont-enter-this-contest.html

Ms Hunter has been dropping passive-aggressive snarkbombs in online communities marvelling over her griftworks. You can see one at the second link above that ends with this:

PS: I sleep extremely well every night because I operate in truth.

[onager]

1. Thanks. The "contest" page is already dead...

Thanks a lot for the entertainment. Hilarious!

Could I, a 20-year veteran in publishing as a writer and publisher, afford to put out a contest that rips people off?

Insert 10 MegaROFLs.

And right before the "P.S.," we get this:

Blessings,

Karen Hunter

But...WOW! I can win a real PUBLISHING CONTRACT!?!?! Just like Stephen King or Danielle Steele?

:rofl:

What Karen is trying to run there...obvious to anyone with the intelligence of a medium-sized gnat, as shown by the comments in the Janet Reid link...is just a weird new twist on the old vanity publishing scam.

Though at least those joints would actually publish stuff as long as they were paid, and the writer retained the rights. Karen wants $150 up front for ALL rights. Forever.

With no guarantee of even e-publishing the "book?" For $150, surely she could be bothered to send the suckers a handsome, personalized PDF file, using the "Famous Author" template.

If the contest comes off, I'm tempted to use a Nigerian credit card and submit a *.doc copy of Ulysses. Just to see if Karen and her highly professional publishing staff will notice.

...yes yes I will oh yes...

(Note to any cranky copyright lawyers/FBI agents reading - Actually oh yes I won't, of course.)