CONTEST
CLOSED!!
Something neat came in the mail yesterday:
Before we get to the contest, just a note: we finally put together a full picture guide to the notebooks we’ve reviewed. We’ll hope to add helpful features such as arranging by price, hardest cover to softest cover, etc.
For those of you who are new to Black Cover, this blog is dedicated to the search for the perfect little black notebook. The folks at Piccadilly, manufacturers of a fantastic, low-priced moleskine-style notebook we recently reviewed, were extremely generous in donating a ton of notebooks for our second Black Cover contest, and we’re going to give them away to you – FREE!
Piccadilly makes three different size notebooks, which come lined (orange) or unlined (green). You can buy them in Borders stores everywhere (usually found in the discount section, NOT the stationery area), or online here. They have generously offered our readers a 15% discount on online orders with the sales code blackcover. Borders prices below are based on reader input, and seem to vary a bit. The sizes are:
Small (3.5″x5.5″) – $3.99 @ Borders / $4.99 Online
Medium (5″x8.25″) – $4.99 @ Borders / $6.99 Online
Big (7.5″x10″) – $7.99 @ Borders / $8.99 Online
We’re going to be giving away FIVE sets of notebooks to FIVE lucky readers. Each prize set will contain (1) small notebook, (1) medium notebook, and (1) large notebook! Lined vs. unlined will be decided by random.
Last time we had a contest, you could only enter by posting about us on your blog. In retrospect, this wasn’t entirely fair to the numerous readers we have without blogs. So we’re going to make things a bit different this time.
The contest is only open to residents of the USA. The deadline to enter is on or by Thursday, October 30, 2008.
There are four ways to enter. You can only enter ONCE under one of the following four options.
1) No blog or website? No problem! Just send an email with your name and mailing address to (contest closed). This counts as one entry.
2) Got a blog? Post an entry about our site with something concerning our search for “Moleskine alternatives” in the link text. You are welcome to state that the only reason you are doing this is for a contest. For example: “Check out this site which is dedicated to finding Moleskine alternatives. I’m shilling to win a contest, so please check them out!” The entry HAS to be dated today (October 14, 2008) or after. Send an email with your name, mailing address, and a link to the blog entry to (contest closed). This counts as two entrys.
3) Got a blog or website? Put a permanent link to Black Cover on your Links page or blog roll. Send your name, mailing address, and a link to your site to (contest closed). This counts as two entries.
4) Do #2 & #3 – Make an entry about Black Cover AND put a link to us on your blog roll/links page, and send us your name, mailing address, and a link to both at (contest closed). This gets you the maximum of three entries. Don’t feel dirty! If you really hate us that much, you can just delete it all after this contest is over!
SPECIAL REWARD! When we go to tally votes, the person whose website or blog has generated the MOST number of hits to our site will be rewarded with one additional entry.
THE DEADLINE IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3O. We will announce the winners on Halloween day. Your personal information will NOT be given out to anyone, and you will not wind up on any mailing list including our own, in part because we do not have one.
Questions
But BC, I posted an entry about Black Cover a few days/weeks/months ago. Can I submit this as a blog entry?
Unfortunately, we’re only counting blog entries from the date of this post on.
But BC, I already have a permanent link to your site on my links list/blogroll. Does this count?
Yes it does. Submit it now!
But BC, I don’t understand! These entry options seem complicated! What do you mean, one entry or two entries or…
It’s really quite simple. Joe Everyman doesn’t have a blog or website, so he simply sends an email with his name and address. We put ONE Joe Everyman ticket into our enormous top hat from which we will pull the winners.
Sarah Drog has a blog, and writes an entry about us. She sends us the link, and we put TWO Sarah Drog entries into our enormous top hat.
Billy Blight has a website, and puts up a permanent link to Black Cover in his Links section. We put TWO Billy Blight entries into our big hat.
Finally, John Q Public has a blog, and makes an entry about Black Cover AND puts a link to us in his permanent blog roll. We put THREE John Q Public entries in the hat.
When we go to tally the votes in the end, we see that Sarah Drog’s blog has generated more site hits than Billy Blight or John Q Public. Thus, we give her the SPECIAL REWARD, and she gets THREE ENTRIES instead of two.
Black Cover reserves the right to clarify rules as we see fit. This contest is JUST FOR FUN, so no legal mumbo jumbo. We reserve the right to call it off if things go horribly and devise a new, less-headache-inducing way to win the notebooks.
Finally, GOOD LUCK!!
27 responses so far ↓
1 Proving Moleskine Is Just A Style: The Piccadilly Notebook // Oct 14, 2008 at 12:10 pm
[...] WIN THE NEW PICCADILLY NOTEBOOK IN BC’S CONTEST! CLICK HERE! [...]
2 Black Cover’s Contest: Win Picadilly Notebooks! | Notebook Stories // Oct 14, 2008 at 1:18 pm
[...] Head on over to Black Cover to enter the contest to win some samples of the Picadilly notebooks, a l… [...]
3 Lanzman // Oct 14, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Email away! Unfortunately I can’t make blog entries from work, but I’ll put one up as soon as I get home. Great idea!
4 David // Oct 14, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Thanks for running this contest.
I enjoy the reviews!
5 Aaron // Oct 14, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I picked up a notebook at my local Borders after the initial post.
I am happy to report that the paper receives FOUNTAIN PEN INK quite well; very little feathering when used with my Mont Blanc green ink from an extra fine nib. Less feathering and bleed for me than with Moleskine.
6 John // Oct 14, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Contests only open to US residents make me sad.
7 Moleskine Alternative? « Coffee Blog // Oct 14, 2008 at 7:14 pm
[...] October 14, 2008 Moleskine Alternative? Posted by javajeb under Life, the Universe and Everything | Tags: blackcover, moleskine, notebook, Picadilly | Is there one? For the hype and style, it’s hard to find a true alternative. That’s what the blog Black Cover is dedicated to: finding the perfect alternative. Why look to ‘fix’ the seeming ultimate notebook? For me, it’s largely a question of financial responsibility. With everything going as high as they are, $10-$15 for a notebook, pocket-sized at that, is a bit much. Factor in the familial responsibility, and I can’t justify plunking anything down for one for myself. My wife? Most certainly. But me, no. That’s why I also use the Lee Valley LogBook and a Miquelrius notebook. Both are quite affordable, and actually a steal in comparison. But neither are the exact replacement. What may be? Perhaps this. [...]
8 Moleskine alternatives.. « Creating ftw! // Oct 14, 2008 at 7:41 pm
[...] 15, 2008 by ninox “Check out this site which is dedicated to finding Moleskine alternatives. I’m shilling to win a contest, so please check them [...]
9 Manuel // Oct 14, 2008 at 8:02 pm
How about showing Canada some love, eh? We do use notebooks, even when it’s snowing.
10 slywy // Oct 14, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Especially when it’s snowing.
11 Jim // Oct 14, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Thanks for alerting the world to this. I’m stoked!
12 Word Miner » Blog Archive » Little Black Notebooks // Oct 14, 2008 at 9:59 pm
[...] to finding Moleskine Alternatives.” (I put it on my blogroll recently as part of a contest it’s having, but I did not break my unwritten blogroll policy of never linking to a site [...]
13 Vivian // Oct 15, 2008 at 1:02 am
Another Canadian who is disappointed!
14 Ted // Oct 15, 2008 at 2:00 am
I’m in!
15 wantingseed.com » Blog Archive » Too tempting to pass up // Oct 15, 2008 at 4:06 pm
[...] I’m likewise hooked on little black notebooks of all sorts, so I just had to enter the contest. Check it out if you’re similarly [...]
16 Ru // Oct 15, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I get mine from the art supply which is atleast 5 bucks more than these.
17 robotguy.net/Blog » Blog Archive » Want to find your ideas in a year? Write them down! // Oct 15, 2008 at 7:11 pm
[...] of pocket-sized notebooks, preferably with black covers. My favorite kind! Right now they are even having a contest and giving away Piccadilly notebooks. Want something more official (and expensive)? Try one from Scientific Notebook [...]
18 Darin // Oct 16, 2008 at 11:37 am
Thanks for the pointer to these Moleskine replacements.
I just ordered a set.
19 The Hackenblog » Moleskine alternatives // Oct 18, 2008 at 1:27 pm
[...] End the tyranny of Moleskine notebooks. Reviews of Moleskine Alternatives and the search for the perfect little black [...]
20 Alberto // Oct 18, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Thanks for the info. I was not aware that Piccadilly also released unlined notebooks, for I had only spotted the orange-banded notebooks at my Borders so far. My interest in the line is more for sketchbooks since their “Create” wire ring-bound sketchbook is already one of my favorites.
21 Keld // Oct 19, 2008 at 4:58 am
I´m also dissapointed – live in denmark.
22 slywy // Oct 23, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I found one lined and about six blanks at a Borders in Chicago. Got the lined and a couple of the blanks. $4.99.
23 I have measured out my life with moleskine notebooks . . . « Floating Ink // Oct 24, 2008 at 10:18 pm
[...] meaning to write about my notebooks for a long time, I was finally goaded to do so by reading about this contest at Black Cover, a wonderful blog about notebooks–Moleskine alternative type notebooks in [...]
24 The Moleskine Knock-Off: The Markings Notebook // Oct 29, 2008 at 2:11 pm
[...] REMEMBER! THURSDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER OUR PICCADILLY GIVE-AWAY CONTEST! CLICK FOR DETAILS! [...]
25 Friday Blog Roundup - October 31 « Scott Cheatham’s Weblog // Oct 31, 2008 at 7:34 am
[...] look-alike book by Piccadilly. The blog that pointed me to them, “Black Cover” is giving some away. I’ve recently found these at my local Borders Books and am well pleased with their [...]
26 Treet // Oct 23, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Picked up a Picadilly today at Border’s, couldn’t resist $3.99 to try it and compare with Moleskine. Seems fine- I used a Sensa with a Parker refill. I did notice a difference in the backs of the paper, but not enough to make a difference.
27 Shauna Lee Eddy-Sanders // Feb 3, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Dear Picadilly Staff,
I was on chemo (still am) in 2008 (from 2007-2008, it was an every-day dose; it is now just once very six weeks). I am wondering if you are going to have another contest like this in the future. I have an obsessive love of books, paper, notebooks, and pens. My two favorite fountain pens are my Waterford and my Aurora Ipsilillon Sea Green pen. If you do have a contest coming up in the future, would you mind e-mailing me and letting me know?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shauna Lee Eddy-Sanders
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