Not Too Late to Participate in Lord of the Rings Sweepstakes

Much as it was for the beings of Middle Earth before Frodo and Sam finally made it to Mt. Doom … time is running out for those booksellers who wish to participate in The Lord of the Rings The Final Journey Sweepstakes and who haven't received materials yet. And while the fate of The Shire is not dependent on your participating, one thing is certain: The anticipation is mounting as the December 17 release of the movie version of The Return of the King, the third book in J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, nears. Already 600 Book Sense stores, looking to take part in that excitement, have been sent sweepstakes materials in the October White Box. One lucky customer of a participating Book Sense store will win the Grand Prize package.

The Lord of the Rings The Final Journey Sweepstakes began on Monday, November 3, and will end on Monday, December 15. The unique customer promotion, which brings together Book Sense, Houghton Mifflin, and New Line Cinema, features a point-of-sale display with a "take-one" map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The map contains clues to the answers to trivia questions found on the sweepstakes entry page on the BookSense.com Web site. The map is an ideal centerpiece for displays featuring Houghton Mifflin's numerous new editions and packaging combinations of Tolkien's works. The Grand Prize package consists of luggage and travel supplies, books, DVDs, video games, and movie memorabilia. First and Second prizes are J.R.R. Tolkien books and Lord of the Rings movie merchandise.

Over 80 editions of the Lord of the Rings books are currently in print and all continue to sell well. Houghton has released new versions of each book in the trilogy to tie in with the Lord of the Rings movies. Furthermore, in early October, Houghton released The Maps of Tolkien's Middle Earth by bestselling Tolkien expert Brian Sibley. This book presents a slipcased collection of four full-color, large-format maps of Tolkien's imaginary realm illustrated by John Howe, a conceptual designer for the films directed by Peter Jackson. The set includes a hardcover book describing in detail the importance and evolution of geography within Tolkien's epic fiction and four-color maps presented with minimal folds, including two (Beleriand and Numenor) never before published in this country.

For more information on the sweepstakes, the movie tie-in versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or The Maps of Tolkien's Middle Earth, click here.

Book Sense stores that wish to receive materials for the Final Journey Sweepstakes should send an e-mail to Meg Smith at [email protected], with the subject line "LOTR Three Materials." Store name, address, ABA ID, and other contact information should be included in the body of the communication.