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Now available for preorder:
The San Francisco Panorama.
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Today McSweeney's has decided, based on certain rosy economic forecasts, that it will be proceeding rather soon with its plans to publish small-run books, pamphlets, tracts, and the like. One of the first books will be by Mr. Brent Hoff, our science correspondent. It will be about a subject he would rather disclose later. The author and content of the second book are a secret. The third book will be about electrical engineering on boats. This book will be a great book, but it does not yet have an author. That is what this note, and this contest, is about. This contest is open to everyone, and the winner of the contest will receive a nice amount of money (though bear in mind that the print run will be about 1,000), and the winner will then write this book, which must, at least on its surface, be about electrical engineering on boats. What you must do: Submit to us, at this special address [eeonboats@hotmail.com] no more than 800 words about the goals and shape of your plan for this book. If you have some special qualifications -- for example, you are an engineer specializing in electricity on boats -- then please say so. In your proposal, indicate: - how you see the book structured; and
Please do not: - tell us about your degrees (unless they are in electrical
engineering),
The deadline for proposals is March 1. Only emailed submissions can be considered, and any entries sent to the wrong email address will not be valid. The correct address is eeonboats@hotmail.com -- not the main McSweeney's address. In March, we will pick from among the entries a winner, and that winner will be given approximately two months to write a book about electrical engineering on boats. The book can (and should) be rather short. It needn't be over 5,000 words, but it can be, if need be. It will be profusely illustrated. Do not attempt the illustrations yourself. The book will be published in the summer. The author will win large awards, and the adulation of most everyone, in the fall. This contest is very real. If you have questions, we cannot answer them. Use the information provided above, and do your best. Thank you for your help in this matter.
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