The following rules must be followed in order for your essay to be considered a valid entry in the contest:

• Anyone can enter. There is no purchase necessary, nor do you have to subscribe to Mad Mariner or register for a trial in order to participate.
• Submit your essay using the essay form provided online by Mad Mariner. The essay form is the only way to enter the contest.
• Entries must be at least 100 words and no longer than 500 words in length, as determined by Mad Mariner.
• All fields on the essay form must be filled out, and all information must be truthful. If your submission contains information deemed untruthful by Mad Mariner, it will be considered an invalid entry and will not be judged.
• Revisions to essays that have been submitted on the essay form are not allowed. Make sure your essay is in the form you would like it in before submitting it to the contest.
• You must read these rules and indicate that you have read them on the essay form.
• You must indicate on the essay form that you are willing to have your essay and your name published.
• You must indicate on the essay form that all facts provided in your essay are true to the best of your knowledge.
• The contest begins at midnight on January 5, 2009. Any submission made prior to that will be considered invalid and will not be judged.
• The contest will end at midnight on Friday, January 15. Any submission made after that will be considered invalid and will not be judged.
• Only one essay per entrant will be accepted.
• Only one winner will be selected in each of the first-, second- and third-place categories. The winners in each category will be selected by Mad Mariner and notified via e- mail. The winners will also be announced publicly on MadMariner.com and and affiliated websites and their name and essay will be published.
• Mad Mariner employees are not eligible to enter the contest, nor is anyone who has been paid by Mad Mariner to write a story that has been published.
• Winners must claim their prize by responding to Mad Mariner via e-mail within one week after notification has been sent indicating that they won the contest. The prize will then be sent via mail. If a winner fails to respond to Mad Mariner within one week, he or she will forfeit the prize. Mad Mariner may or may not elect to name a new winner.
• Only one prize will be awarded to each of the first-, second- and third-place winners.
• Entries will be judged and winners will be selected exclusively by Mad Mariner editors according to criteria set by Mad Mariner editors. This may include, but is not limited to, the strength of the story and the writing used to convey it, as interpreted by Mad Mariner editors. Spelling and grammar will not be judged on a per se basis, but entries that fail to meet basic standards of readability as interpreted by Mad Mariner editors will be judged accordingly.
• All entries must be written in English.
• Mad Mariner is not obligated to select a winner. If no eligible winners are identified under the contest rules, then there will be no contest winner.
• By accepting the prize, the winner agrees that the sponsor, Mad Mariner LLC, and its affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, and its officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents will have no liability whatsoever for, and will be held harmless by winner for any liability for any injury, loss or damages of any kind to persons, including death, and property, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the prize or participation in this contest.
• Entrants are prohibited from making technical modifications to Mad Mariner Web sites, the essay form or any other hardware or software owned or operated by Mad Mariner that facilitates this contest. Any evidence that an entrant engaged in such activity will result in disqualification from the contest and a ban from Mad Mariner Web sites.
• Mad Mariner is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, or the failure of any e-mail to be sent or received by Mad Mariner on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site.
• Mad Mariner is not responsible for any injury or damage to a contestant's computer, or anyone else's computer, related to or resulting from participation in the contest.