You should put the prize money in escrow, not that I don't trust you...
Would be pretty silly for people to put time and effort into this and not receiving a prize.
You can check our trust comments, we have always paid. ALWAYS for any work that is done, articles that are published, or anything else which payment is due. We will not be placing funds in escrow for a contest in which we have received 1 viable entry for thus far.
Its part of the publication agreement. We cannot publish it until you have signed it, you dont sign it until your article is chosen as the winner and payment is made. Its the way the legal system works with publishing.
Don't believe what this person says, it is not true at all. They scammed me out of $20 (a meager amount, yes, but it is the principal of the matter) for an article I wrote.
I was asked to sign the publishing agreement and provide a payment address so they could pay me the next day, which I did, and then I got the run around for a month until they finally said they were not going to pay me.
Regardless of whether or not they use the piece I wrote, I was promised payment and did not receive it. "The Bitcoin Society" has shown that their word is good for absolutely nothing. Just another scam artist who will make up excuses and drag their feet and ultimately not deliver what they promised.
And yes, it's still completely virgin (unindexed).