Bestselling author James Patterson’s annual College Book Bucks essay competition, which will award more than $30,000 in independent bookstore gift certificates, is currently accepting entries at JamesPatterson.com/college-book-bucks [5].

College-bound high school seniors can enter for a chance to win gift certificates ranging from $1,000 to $250 by responding in 500 words or less to the question: “How has your favorite book pushed you towards what you’d like to do in life?” 

Five grand prize winners will win gift certificates of $1,000 to their favorite local independent bookstore. Additional prizes include five gift certificates for $500 and 100 gift certificates for $250.  The College Book Bucks essay competition runs though the end of May.

“College Book Bucks is my longest running Book Bucks program and it’s a program that’s close to my heart.  It turns high school seniors into lifelong independent bookstore shoppers,” said Patterson.

Patterson’s other Book Bucks programs include Summer Book Bucks and Winter Book Bucks.  In addition to his Book Bucks programs, James Patterson has pledged to give one million dollars to independent bookstores around the country [6] in the next year. In February, he announced a first round of more than $265,000 in grants [7].