FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

Take a look to the most frequently asked question, you might find what you’re looking for.

Is it possible to enter a book project created by two or more authors? Yes, it’s possible to take part with a group project with two or more authors. The prize will be divided among the authors and the publication agreement drawn up in the name of all the authors. 

Is it possible to enter more than one project? Yes, it is possible to enter a maximum of three projects per author. The enrolment process should be repeated for each project entered (included the registration fee) and it is not possible to send more than one project at the same time. 

Should I send a story-board of my book design? No. 

When and where the finalists will be announced? Finalist will be announced few weeks before the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Their name will be publicly communicated on the website and on our social channels. 

When and where is the winner announced? The winner is usually announced in May. The winner’s name will be communicated publicly on the website and on our social channels.

Do I have to send original versions or prints of the final illustrations? No, original versions or printed versions of the final illustration do not need to be sent.

Why do I have to use a pen-name? The author has to register his or her project with a pen-name because the projects presented to the International Jury during the selection process for the finalists are anonymous. The PDF file should have only the author’s pen-name followed by the title of the book, for example: Penname-TitleoftheBook.pdf.

Is it possible to preview the contract that winning author/authors will sign? Yes, you can take a look here.

Should the illustrations have a border or can they be trimmed (with no margins)? Illustration layout and margins are up to the Author; they can be framed, trimmed (with no margins) cropped, etc. and as many as the Author deems opportune, necessary and essential for telling the story.  Do not add bleed areas, margins or crop marks for print, because are not needed.

Can the book project be also vertical? No. The book project should be presented on double pages with a open format of 57cms in width by 28.5cms in height.

Do I have to design the cover as single or double page? Authors have two options for the cover: 1) Single pages. Front: 28,5 x 28,5; Back: 28,5 x 28,5 ; 2) Front and back in a single double page, with the front on the right side and the back on the left of the page. Total dimension of the double page: 57×28,5

Do the illustrations have to be final versions or can I include pencil sketches in the layout? No, all the illustrations from the book project included in the layout have to be final versions, both those on the cover and those inside.

Is it possible to include characters/numbers/written elements in the illustrations? Any written characters or numbers are allowed inside the illustrations provided they have only a decorative and not fictional function. Keep in mind that what may seem insignificant for one language, may not be so for another, especially for languages that use or do not use ideograms, Cyrillic characters etc.

Is it possible to include photographs or sections taken from photographs? Photographs or any part of them taken from or reproduced from magazines or other publications may not be used if subject to author’s copyright and currently being used by third parties.

Do I have to put the title and pen-name on the cover? It is obligatory to put the title on the cover, while inclusion of the author’s pen-name is optional and at the author’s discretion.

Should the cover be illustrated? Yes, the cover should be illustrated on both front and back pages.

How many illustrations can I put on each double page? There is no limit to the number of illustrations per double page and/or the cover. You can choose a double page for a single illustration, or two or more illustrations for each double page.

Can I use words in the dedication page and frontispiece? Yes, you have to write there.

To create a PDF file with a maximum size of 10 Mb, you should use the following procedure:

You should use InDesign or another page layout software.

1. Before putting it into the layout file, save the illustrations file in JPG format with the RGB Generic colour profile and not in CMYK (you should only use the .jpg maximum quality format with a resolution of 100 or 150 dpi max)

2. Save the layout file as “high quality PDF” (available in the default options in Adobe PDF from InDesign and /or Photoshop)

3. Select the ‘Spreads’ option

4. Do not create PDFs with tags

5. Only export visible layers

6. Do not include bookmarks, links, anything that cannot be printed, such as guidelines and grids

7. Use JPEG compression with “high” image quality

8. Do not include indicators for press or printing marks 

9. Do not use colour converters and do not include color and print profiles

If I’ve sent an incomplete/incorrect/damaged PDF file, can I replace it Yes, it is possible to replace the PDF file. Enter in your personal area with the personal code and password that you have received at your e-mail address, click on “Remove and replace” and follow the instructions. It is possible to replace a PDF file only once.

What name should I give the PDF file before sending it? The layout PDF file should only be named with the author’s pen-name followed by the title of the book, for example: Penname-TitleoftheBook.pdf – Be careful when naming the PDF file, do not leave spaces between the words and only use hyphens or underscores to separate the author’s name from the title. Do not use numbers, symbols and special characters and do not cancel the .pdf tag.

Can I send a file version of the layout in a format other than PDF? No, the layout should only be sent as a single PDF file. Also please don’t send layouts in separate (more than one) PDF files.

I have tried to send the file but it was rejected. Why? Please make sure that your file is in PDF format and that it is not bigger that 10 Mb.

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