The Rules

What

Are you going to apply for the job you have always wanted? Are you going to start a family? Are you going to be kinder to yourself? The Unsealed wants you to write a letter or poem about what you are most excited for in the new year.

First Place – selected by The Unsealed – $200

Bonus Prize – Selected by Votes – $50

Member votes count 5x. Non-Member Votes Count 1x

Who

You must be over 18 and a member of The Unsealed Community. You can sign up for The Unsealed Here

*no relatives or employees of The Unsealed are permitted to enter

When

All Entries must be in by 11:59PM on January 16, 2024 Eastern Time

Our finalists will be chosen by our judges and be announced March 15th

Our winner will be announced April 17th

Requirements

• Entries must be in English
• They must be entered on theunsealed.com
• They must be true
• The letter/poem can’t mention anyone’s name except yourself (Example: you can call someone a friend, a neighbor, a teammate or a family member but you can’t call them by their name, John Smith)
• The letter/poem must be original writing from the person submitting the letter
• The letter must not have been published anywhere else
• The letter can’t can’t be defamatory toward another person
• The letter must be less than 800
• Only one entry per person
• Include a headline for your letter and a photo that goes with your story
• We do check for AI-written pieces. If a piece is written by AI, it will be automatically disqualified

Rights

You will own the rights to your entry but by entering the contest you will give us permission/limited license to publish the letter and any pictures you provide on The Unsealed. You will also allow us to promote your entry on social media using your letter and the provided picture.

How it will be judged

The Unsealed and Members of the media will choose our first-place winner. Voting will determine our bonus prize winner.

What the letters/poems will be judged on

• Organization that is logical and effective, is the letter easy to read and understand?
• Creativity/originality, is there anything that makes this letter unique?
• Message/insight – does the letter offer a thoughtful message?
• Impact/Inspirational – is the story powerful and inspirational?
• Accurately addresses the topic – does this letter share a message of resilience?

Good Luck!