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2013 Rules and Guidelines
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM - PRINT ONE FORM FOR EACH ENTRY
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FEBRUARY 28, 2013
Contest Rules
1. All entrants are required to read and adhere to the Contest Rules, and sign entry forms indicating that they have done so.
2. Each entry must have a completed entry form attached to it. Separate entries submitted on the same entry form are not eligible for judging.
3. Entry fees will not be refunded. It is the entrant’s responsibility to submit entries correctly.
4. The fee to submit entries in all categories, except category 21, is $10. Checks are to be made payable to “OWAC”. One check consolidating all paid entries can be submitted by an entrant.
5. There is no fee to submit an entry in category 21. It is the only category that does not require an entry fee.
6. Categories 1 – 20 and 22 – 23 are open to all OWAC Regular members in good standing.
7. Category 21 is open to all Regular and Supporting members in good standing.
8. Entries must have been published, posted or broadcast in the 2012 calendar year.
9. With the exception of categories 9, 10 and 21, only one entry may be submitted per entrant in any given category. Two entries may be submitted in categories 9 and 10 and unlimited entries may be submitted in category 21.
10. There is no limit on total entries.
11. Entries must be postmarked by February 28, 2013. Entries received after that date will not be opened and will be discarded.
12. Entrants must have fully paid their 2013 OWAC membership dues.
13. With the exception of category 21, entrants must have been paid for their work.
14. With the exception of categories 21 and 23, an entry in one category cannot be submitted in another category.
15. OWAC Writer of the Year will be selected from entrants winning in categories 1 - 21.
16. The purpose of this contest is to judge and reward exceptional "outdoor" writing, reporting, broadcasting, photography, and digital communications produced by OWAC members. Entries with clear connection to the outdoors, outdoor recreation, wildlife, wild lands and other outdoor subjects are sought.
17. Members who are co-authors may submit different articles under their joint byline in the same category (one per co-author per category), unless otherwise allowed or denied.
Questions regarding this contest should be e-mailed to OWAC Awards Chairman John Poimiroo at john@poimiroo.com. Questions may be emailed to John or call him at (916) 933-8860. If leaving a message, please leave name, phone number and specifics.
1. All entrants are required to read and adhere to the Contest Rules, and sign entry forms indicating that they have done so.
2. Each entry must have a completed entry form attached to it. Separate entries submitted on the same entry form are not eligible for judging.
3. Entry fees will not be refunded. It is the entrant’s responsibility to submit entries correctly.
4. The fee to submit entries in all categories, except category 21, is $10. Checks are to be made payable to “OWAC”. One check consolidating all paid entries can be submitted by an entrant.
5. There is no fee to submit an entry in category 21. It is the only category that does not require an entry fee.
6. Categories 1 – 20 and 22 – 23 are open to all OWAC Regular members in good standing.
7. Category 21 is open to all Regular and Supporting members in good standing.
8. Entries must have been published, posted or broadcast in the 2012 calendar year.
9. With the exception of categories 9, 10 and 21, only one entry may be submitted per entrant in any given category. Two entries may be submitted in categories 9 and 10 and unlimited entries may be submitted in category 21.
10. There is no limit on total entries.
11. Entries must be postmarked by February 28, 2013. Entries received after that date will not be opened and will be discarded.
12. Entrants must have fully paid their 2013 OWAC membership dues.
13. With the exception of category 21, entrants must have been paid for their work.
14. With the exception of categories 21 and 23, an entry in one category cannot be submitted in another category.
15. OWAC Writer of the Year will be selected from entrants winning in categories 1 - 21.
16. The purpose of this contest is to judge and reward exceptional "outdoor" writing, reporting, broadcasting, photography, and digital communications produced by OWAC members. Entries with clear connection to the outdoors, outdoor recreation, wildlife, wild lands and other outdoor subjects are sought.
17. Members who are co-authors may submit different articles under their joint byline in the same category (one per co-author per category), unless otherwise allowed or denied.
Questions regarding this contest should be e-mailed to OWAC Awards Chairman John Poimiroo at john@poimiroo.com. Questions may be emailed to John or call him at (916) 933-8860. If leaving a message, please leave name, phone number and specifics.
Entry Preparation
Entry Preparation
- Submit a copy of the published, posted or broadcast work showing name of medium, author’s byline and date of publication/broadcast.
- Submit a second “Judge’s Copy” that obscures the name of the author and publication (such as cutting out or covering with piece of paper when copied).
- Printouts from Internet sites are acceptable as the original work. It is not necessary to submit an original or clipping of the published work. Copies suffice.
- All writing entries must be submitted on 8 ½” x 11” paper, unless the format (such as calendars) makes this impossible.
- For Newspaper and Magazine entries, judges will only take the quality of writing into consideration. Judges will not consider layouts and photos.
- For Outdoor Medium, the entire content of outdoor sections of the medium will be judged, not just the writing of the OWAC member. This is an award to the medium (e.g., newspaper, radio station, magazine, TV station, website, or other outdoor medium) for the overall excellence of its outdoor reporting. Therefore, representative samples of the entire medium must be submitted. The OWAC member will be recognized for having submitted the winning entry.
- Photos must be submitted as .jpgs on a CD or flash drive. Each photo must be submitted on separate CD or flash drive with its own entry form. Do not submit collections of photos for different awards on a single CD or flash drive. Before mailing your entry, verify that the .jpg file on the CD or flash drive will open. If the entry does not open, judges are not obliged to contact the entrant to get a version that opens.
- For photo entries, photographs published in any medium (including those taken by lecturers and used in paid presentations) are acceptable.
- For radio entries, submit radio show or features in an audio file on a CD.
- For TV/video entries, submit entries in a video file on a DVD.
- For newsletter entries, entrant should identify their role in publication as editor, writer, photographer, publisher, or multiple skills, as appropriate.
- For book, a revised edition of a previously published book is acceptable, but it must be the first time the book in any edition has been entered in the OWAC contest.
- For website or app, submit URL or link. Recognizing that website content changes regularly, it is not necessary to submit a screen capture of the site at a point in time during the 2012 calendar year, as long as the website was created or updated during that year.
- For web-only stories, submit printouts of entry, with same guidelines as for newspaper feature, as well as URL.
- No entries will be returned, except for DVD videos and books, which will be made available for return at the OWAC conference in which awards are presented.
OWAC Awards
c/o John Poimiroo
1448 Crocker Drive
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762-3789
Categories and Descriptions
1. Best Outdoor News Report - A news report is a straight-forward account, without spin and free of all faction, in which the reporter delivers attributed information that is verifiable, submitted in any medium (print, online or broadcast).
2. Best Outdoor Series - A series of articles is a formal connection of stories, numbered Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc., with thematic unity from start to fish and published consecutively, submitted in any medium (print, online or broadcast).
3. Best Outdoor Newspaper Feature - A newspaper feature is a piece of writing that covers a selected issue, person or event in-depth and usually focuses on the human-interest elements of a situation, event or adventure, published in a newspaper or on a newspaper website.
4. Best Outdoor Newspaper Column - A column is a piece of writing that gives the writer’s perspective or opinion, such as an essay or first-person report, often on an issue of the day, published in a newspaper or on a newspaper website. Three examples must be submitted.
5. Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - A magazine feature is a piece of writing that covers a selected issue, person or event in-depth and usually focuses on the human-interest elements of a situation, event or adventure, published in a magazine.
6. Best Outdoor Magazine Column - A column is a piece of writing that gives the perspective or opinion, such as an essay or first-person report, usually on an issue of the day, published in a magazine. Three examples must be submitted.
7. Best Outdoor Medium – An outdoor medium is the whole or any regularly scheduled section that is devoted to outdoor feature and news reporting, submitted in any medium (print, online or broadcast). Three examples must be submitted.
8. Best Outdoor Newsletter - A newsletter is a report that is published at least three times a year and that contains news or information of interest to a specific group. Three examples must be submitted.
9. Best Outdoor Book - This award is specifically for non-fiction and fiction outdoor books other than guidebooks, such as: memoirs, novels, history, and photography books. Two copies of each entry must be submitted (to be returned by mail).
10. Best Outdoor Guidebook - A guidebook (includes travel and how-to books) provides details of a geographic area or a skill, often both, and is published with the intent to be the ultimate information source for that geographic area or skill. Two copies of each entry must be submitted (to be returned by mail).
11. Best Outdoor Feature Photograph - A feature photo covers a selected issue, person or place, and usually focuses on the human-interest elements of a situation, event or place.
12. Best Outdoor Action Photograph - An action photo captures a moment in time, a real-life event that cannot be duplicated.
13. Best Outdoor Photographic Series - A series is a formal connection of photographs with thematic unity from start to finish and published as a single work. Not less than three, nor more than five photographs in a series can be submitted.
14. Best Outdoor Radio Show - A radio show is any broadcast of one-half hour or longer in length. Three examples (not longer than one hour) must be submitted.
15. Best Outdoor Radio Feature – A radio feature is any broadcast or podcast of one to ten minutes in length.
16. Best Outdoor Fiction - Fiction is a literary work based on imagination and not necessarily on fact. Any form is acceptable: feature, column, radio broadcast, TV/Video or book.
17. Best Outdoor TV Show - A TV show is any broadcast of one-half hour or longer in length. Three examples must be submitted.
18. Best Outdoor Video – A video is any broadcast or Internet feature of one to five minutes in length.
19. Best Outdoor Internet Site – An Internet site is any online website, application software or mobile app, accessible through the World Wide Web. A website is a set of interconnected Internet pages containing text, photographs and/or video.
20. Best Outdoor Internet Article – An Internet article is a feature, column or news report published solely on a website.
21. Best OWAC Conference-related Work - Conference-related work is any work (print, web, photographic, video or broadcast) based on an OWAC conference.
22. Phil Ford Humor Award - The Phil Ford Humor Award is named after OWAC charter member Phil Ford. It honors work that exemplifies Phil’s style of capturing the outdoor world with a wink and a grin.
23. John Reginato Conservation Award - The John Reginato Conservation Award is named after OWAC co-founder John Reginato and exemplifies his life-long passion to restore and conserve fish or wildlife resources damaged from neglect.
OWAC Writer of the Year - Selected by the judges from winners of categories 1-21
Judges reserve the right to move an entry to a category in which the entry is more appropriately suited. Judges may elect not to award in any category, regardless of number of entries. All decisions of the judges are final.