If you love to write, or rhyme, or tell a tale, come in have fun and play where friends and unlikely friendships prevail, where every animal’s strengths and beauty is in their difference, imagination has no boundaries, positivity is everywhere, and there is no ‘normal’.  We’re looking for storytellers, dreamers, and wordsmiths, from any land, of any age, with any skill, to submit for a chance to co-write the first book in the new WISHFITS children’s book series with Simon & Eric Cowell.

Welcome to a magical world where the unlikeliest of animals have fuzed together, combining scales, skin, fur and feathers. There are Snogs (snail + dog) and Cogs (cat + dog), Peeps (pig + sheep), and even Chimpanpoos (chimpanzee + poodle) - all hybrid animals that have evolved as combinations of ordinary species from all over the globe, living together in one place. This is the world of WISHFITS, and part of a new children’s entertainment franchise created by Simon & Eric Cowell. These wacky creatures are the best of friends, and the unlikeliest of pals, all having a silly time together with a bark, a bleat, and a growl, and though they started as a dream, they turned into a wish, for 6 year old Eric, and Simon Cowell.

Now, that wish is starting to come true. Simon and Eric first brought their idea to the world of Tongal back in 2019, and now Hachette Children’s Group has signed a publishing deal for Wishfits picture books. Simon and Eric are passionate to continue their Wishfits journey with Tongal, and in Simon’s trademark talent show-style, they want to give you the opportunity to be involved in bringing the Wishfits to life. Simon & Eric are inviting storytellers and writers with a clever mind, a big heart, and a limitless imagination.

Wishfits is a rollicking fun and silly-hearted world that will capture the imaginations of children and adults alike, and the stories will speak to positivity, diversity, friendship, and inclusivity, so in the spirit of inclusivity, we are opening the search to anyone and everyone. Not just writers and poets, but creatives and dreamers, from anywhere in the world, of any age, from any background. If you have a way with words, then you can audition for the opportunity to co-write the book, and in turn, help shape a franchise as it expands into film, television, toys, and more. 

We're looking for someone who can create vivid and magical stories for the Wishfits characters. You should focus on themes about unlikely friendships, finding strengths in differences, diversity and inclusion, and kindness towards others, and you should consider how the story can evolve from the personalities of the characters and the world of Wishfits. And importantly, remember to bring the FUN! You can find some characters and information about the world in Background/Additional Details.

THE PROCESS

1. The Audition Phase - Any and all are invited to submit an audition! Your audition should include a 500 character synopsis where you introduce yourself and your Wishfits story idea, along with a 2 minute video that addresses the questions below. You should also include a short original writing sample of some kind, no more than 5 pages long, and it doesn't matter what form it takes - a poem or a few written verses, or a piece of prose text. Be creative and embrace the unexpected and imaginative and fun feeling of the series in your video, and let us know:
   • Who are you, and what inspired you to submit?
   • What is your Wishfits story idea?
   • Which characters are the focus, who are they, and what is their story?
   • How would this opportunity make your wish(fits) come true?
2. The Pitch Video Phase - The 10 most compelling submissions will be selected to move on, and they will each receive $500 to prepare a full 4-minute Pitch Video, along with an outline of the story, characters and world (maximum 3 pages), and an original sample passage from their Wishfits story, up to 250 words in length. If you are selected for the Pitch Phase, you should explain your approach to the story, the characters, the world, and the writing style.
3. The Live Pitch Session With Simon - The top 5 submissions will be selected and provided with creative feedback on their Pitch Video, and then a remote Pitch Session with Simon himself will be arranged for each submitter to present their vision for the Wishfits directly, and read aloud an original passage from their story. A Tongal producer will reach out to you if you're selected for the Live Pitch Session, and more details will be provided at that time.
4. The Grand Prize Winner - If you're selected to collaborate with Simon & Eric on Wishfits, congratulations! You’ll receive a separate standard deal for your compensation on the project, which will be appropriate and in line with current UK publishing industry, along with being credited appropriately in the book.

The Wishfits have evolved in weird and wonderful ways, combining two different species with very distinct characteristics and personalities, all living in fantastical habitats. The books will be bold, bright, zany and funny, as colorful as the cast of animals within, and they will explore the Wishfits' world, telling us about how their unique friendships are formed, and celebrating individuality and positivity. They’ll embrace inclusivity, and show how the strengths of these animals are in their differences. Each book will be approximately 500-700 words in length.

The storylines should be built around the physical characteristics and personality traits of the Wishfit characters, but you should think about the environment that these characters might live in too. Each story should focus on 1 or 2 main characters, with some secondary characters where appropriate to the story. All characters MUST come from the list of provided characters. The content should be based on emotional themes, but the humor should derive from the dialogue and specific comic scenes. The text should be short and simple for the 3-5 year old age group, while allowing for lots of positive messaging and humorous interplay.

MEET SOME OF THE WISHFITS - The Wishfits live in a fantasy world where animals from all over have come together and evolved into unusual hybrids, creating an endless range of amazing and funny creatures. They're all derived from real animals, and at this stage there are no fantasy creatures such as unicorns, dragons, mermaids etc. Here are a few illustrations for inspiration.

• FROGEPHANT - elephant face, frog body
• CHIMPANPOO - chimp face, very fluffy poodle body.
• BUTTERPOTAMUS - hippo and butterfly
• HIPPOPILLAR - hippo and caterpillar
• PANDAROO - panda and kangaroo
• ANTILLA - gorilla face, ant body
• LAMSTER - hamster and lion
• PUGUIN - pug and penguin
• BUTTERBEE - butterfly and bee
• SQUINKEY - monkey and squirrel
• SHIGER - tiger face, sheep body
• SNOG - snail shell with a dog’s face and ears
• COG - cat face, dog body
• DAT - dog face, cat body
• CHUG - cheetah and slug
• PEEP - pig face, sheep body
• HIPPOROO - hippo and kangaroo
• POLARBAT - polar bear with bat wings and legs
• HIPPOPOTAMOUSE - Hippo face, mouse body
• SWARK - Swan and shark

THE WORLD OF WISHFITS – This is an unusual and fantastical place, but there's a bit of natural realism to it (although not that much). There will be a map of the world at the front of each book which can expand as the series develops, and the topography should be varied, with any or all of the following potential locations below. There are NO hybrid foods, but you may feel free to create other hybrid elements.

• Jungle / rainforest
• Grassland
• Mountains 
• Caves
• Beach / coves 
• Coral reef 
• Lagoon
• Central watering hole meeting point 
• Streams and ponds

WISHFITS BRAND VALUES & THEMES:

• Diversity and inclusion
• Imagination
• Having fun
• It’s good to be different
• What makes you different is what’s great about you
• Celebrate who YOU are 
• Everyone has their place in the world
• Working together as a team
• Unlikely friendships
• Kindness and compassion 
• Life is always better with friends
• Celebrating differences 
• Strength in differences 
• Celebrating imagination, creativity and positivity
• Overcoming prejudice and preconceptions
• Making friends
• Being silly
• Being yourself 
• Kindness and caring for others
• Encouraging dreams 
• Exploring and discovery 
• Compassion and Empathy 
• Positivity 
• Confidence building 
• Anything is possible
• FUNNY! 

TARGET AUDIENCE - We are aiming for entertaining stories with mass appeal that can attract readers of all ages, but the primary audience is children ages 3-5, and the secondary audience is family members. Think of parents, grandparents, and caretakers interested in gentle positive moral messages of friendship, inclusivity, acceptance, sharing, learning to work as a team, positivity and fun.

TONE - The stories should be full of hilarity and silliness, but they carry a message of positivity, inclusivity, friendship, and empower kids to embrace the idea that it’s good to be a little different and unique, to be who you are. In terms of the humor, think funny, silly, crazy, wacky, mischievous, and zany.  They do not have to be written in rhyme.

RIGHTS & SUBMISSIONS NOT INITIALLY PURCHASED BY SPONSOR – Sponsor retains the rights to all named Wishfits characters that you include in the Project. In the event that you are not selected and your submission is still used by the Sponsor, you will receive compensation consistent with the other prizing in this project.

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your Submissions:

FOR THE AUDITION PHASE:

• TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 characters or fewer where you can introduce yourself, and your general concept.
  
  
• AUDITION VIDEO (REQUIRED): Submit a video no longer than 2 minutes in length where you tell us who you are, why you were inspired to submit, what your story ideas for Wishfits is, what your writing style is like, and explain why you should be chosen to move into the Pitch Phase.
  
  
• WRITING SAMPLE (REQUIRED): Submit your writing sample as a PDF, no more than 5 pages in length. You may use any material, either relevant past scribbles/work, whether published or not, or a new original piece of writing. You do not need to be an established writer to enter. We are looking for people with great imaginations and undiscovered writing talent.

After the Audition Phase, the 10 most compelling submissions will be selected to receive $500, and move into the Pitch Video Phase to prepare a full Pitch. 

FOR THE PITCH VIDEO PHASE:

• PITCH VIDEO (REQUIRED): Submit a video no longer than 4 minutes in length, explaining in greater detail your vision for Wishfits, including the story, the characters, and the world, as well as how your writing style is suited to telling this story.
  
  
• STORY OUTLINE (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of your Wishfits story, characters, and world, along with an example of your proposed writing style, no longer than 3 pages in length. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a template, which you can find here.
  
  
• ORIGINAL WISHFITS WRITING SAMPLE (REQUIRED): Using up to 250 words, submit a PDF with an original passage from your Wishfits story that reflects your proposed writing style.

FOR THE LIVE PITCH SESSION:

After the Pitch Video Phase, the 5 most compelling submissions will be selected and provided with creative feedback to help you in revising your story outline, and then a LIVE Pitch Session will be arranged for you to personally present your vision for Wishfits to Simon Cowell, and read aloud a passage from your story. A Tongal producer will coordinate with you if you're selected for the Live Pitch Session, and more details about scheduling, format, and logistics will be provided to you at that time.

• REVISED STORY OUTLINE (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of your Wishfits story, characters, and world, along with an example of your proposed writing style, no longer than 3 pages in length. This version should incorporate feedback from the Pitch Video Phase.
  
  
• REVISED WISHFITS WRITING SAMPLE (REQUIRED): Using up to 250 words, submit a PDF with the revised original passage from your Wishfits story.

The 10 most compelling audition submissions will be selected in the Audition Phase, and upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment, the responsible submitters will receive $500 for the Pitch Video Phase to prepare their Wishfits Pitch.

1. All work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.
   
   
2. SINCE THE CHARACTERS  AND CHARACTERISTICS OF WISHFITS ARE THE SOLE CREATION AND PROPERTY OF THE SPONSOR, YOUR AUDITION SUBMISSION BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL UPON ENTRY.  IN THE EVENT THAT YOUR SUBMISSION IS NOT INTIALLY SELECTED, BUT IS LATER USED BY THE SPONSOR, YOU WILL RECEIVE COMPENSATION CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER PRIZING IN THIS PROJECT. YOU MAY NOT AT ANY TIME PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR CONTENT HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, OR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT OR LEGAL ACTION. TONGAL AND THE SPONSOR ARE COMMITTED TO THE CREATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR AUDITION SUBMISSION.
   
   
3. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
   
   
4. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.
   
   
5. Submissions must be in the English language or subtitled.
   
   
6. Limit 3 submissions per member, per Phase.
   
   
7. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
   
   
8. Selected entrants must submit the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment.
   
   
9. The Winner shall be offered a separate standard deal for compensation on the project, which will be appropriate and in line with current UK publishing industry standard, along with an appropriate credit in the book. As part of this agreement, the Winner will consent to use of their work worldwide, in all languages, in the first Wishfits book, in further editions of the Wishfits book series, and/or derivative works thereof, and will agree to coordinate and work with Hachette and Sponsor throughout its editorial process.
   
   
10. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.