Every contest worth it's salt has rules, and these are ours:

Format

• 4 semis (depending on the number of entries) 2 running simultaneously, 1 weekly from Friday night til Thursday midday, the other from Monday night til Sunday midday, with qualifiers revealed after the semis are over.
• The top 5 from each semi qualify for the final.
• The final will run for 1 week, from Sunday night to the next Sunday midday, and then the results will be given starting from that night.

Voting

• It is compulsory to vote in the semi or final if you have an entry in it, otherwise it is allowed, but optional. If you fail to vote in your semi, then your song will not qualify, whether it finishes in the qualifying places or not.
• Those who didn't submit any entries in ALC 2007 may still vote in any round, and all the non-participating votes will be compiled and then given as a block vote, in ESC style.
• In the final, the non-qualifier votes will be given first, then the finalist's votes, and finally the non-participant votes.

Entering

• Each writer may enter 3 entries each, which will be spread evenly across the semis, or the semis and the final.
• Only ESC Nation Messageboarders will be allowed to enter ALC. This will be a decision made by the Host and the Producer jointly, and all cases will be carefully discussed, but our decision is final. This is due to the sheer number of entries ALC attracts, and its increased popularity has led to attention from other places. If you are a 'lurker', it is up to you to raise your profile before the ALC submission period ends, as this is when the decision will be made.
• There will be no limit imposed on multiple entries based on the same song, but once 3 ALs of the same song have been submitted, there will be a warning placed on the angel-chiara page to inform others, so there is less chance of getting 6 of the same entry. Remember, based on previous results, it is an advantage to you to look for a more original choice for your entry. You have over 1,000 songs to choose from!
• The submission period will run for 3 weeks, from May 18th til June 8th. Reminders will be posted on the ESC Nation Message Board, and no entry will be accepted after that period ends.
• Joint-entries are allowed, but they count as 1 entry for each writer (so a person can enter 2 individual entries and 1 joint etc.). Votes will be given jointly too, unless one/both of the joint-artists have another entry in that semi/the final, then both must vote separately.
• All entries must remain anonymous until the revelation shows. Please respect this rule and remember even if you think you know who wrote a certain entry, it may be someone 'fishing' for someone else's douze! This year we are implementing a change to the proceedings so the non-qualifiers' writers will be revealed after the semi qualifiers have been announced, and also a list of those who have at least 1 entry making the final will be published, to allow those who are happy or sad to publicly declare so on the MB without the participants revealing too much. The qualifying writers will only be revealed after all 4 semis' results have been announced, so you may have to contain your excitement for 2 or 3 hours.
• ALC will run from the 15th June until mid-July (It will finish on July 21st at the very latest). If you are away from internet access for any period over that time, please inform me when you submit an entry, so arrangements can be made.

More

• However many writers that have a song placed in the top 10 in the final will win an automatic place in the 2008 contest final, this technically could be any number between 4 and 10 writers.
• The draw for which entry is in which semi, and the running orders for the semis and the final will be held in early July.
• The following writers have an automatic place in the 2007 final:

Jonas' Tips

angel-chiara

What Is ALC?