• December 10, 2012

It's not on TV, but users can vote on the Web site for "America's Next Author," loosely based on the "American Idol" or  "Voice" format. The competition features a "jury" of four industry professionals -- including one former Random House and Penguin VP -- and the winner will receive $5,000, and publishing assistance exposure. The contest has progressed to the "battle round," where 14 nominees (out of 434 submissions) compete for the title. The nominees are paired randomly, and readers must choose the author they believe has written the better story. If a reader completes all seven voting rounds, he or she can enter to win an Apple iPad. The three candidates with the highest score from this round will make it into the final jury selection. In the "jury round," members of the jury will read and review works submitted by three finalists and decide the winner.