• April 5, 2007

Social Media network Gather.com and the Touchstone imprint of Simon & Schuster Publishing have announced the 20 semifinalists in the First Chapters Writing Competition, dubbed "American Idol for Books." Gather.com has seen its membership double since the competition was announced, with a 30% increase in members in March alone. It received 2,676 manuscripts from novelists across the country for the competition.

Beginning yesterday, the second chapters of each semifinalist are being narrowed down until a Grand Prize winner is announced on May 31. The manuscripts, which must be completed works of commercial fiction in order to qualify, are being evaluated by the Gather.com community of readers, writers and aspiring authors.

The Grand Prize winner will be awarded a guaranteed publishing contract with Touchstone and a $5,000 cash prize from Gather.com, as well as considerable promotion by Borders, Gather.com's retail partner which has been promoting the contest via e-mail to its Borders Rewards members.

- Emily Burg