2020 CWA COMMUNICATIONS CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES
(Updated January 2021, by Maggie Marton, Bonnie Koenig, and Paula Gregg)
(Updated October 30, 2020, by wac)
(Updated December 10, 2019, by wac, with input from Deb Barnes and Paula Gregg
We are happy to announce the Rules and Guidelines for our 2020 CWA Communications Contest and ask that you please CAREFULLY read ALL the rules, paying close attention to the Category-Specific Rules that apply to your entries.
METHOD OF ENTRY: All entries should be entered via our easy to use online entry form which allows the supporting document files to be directly uploaded. Or they can be sent via email. For calendars and books, if a digital file is not available, they may be sent via snail mail, following the guidelines for safety due to COVID 19.
SPECIAL NOTATIONS: Our contest rules and guidelines change from year to year, based on revisions to categories and relevancy of the times.
Please review the details below before submitting your entries.
Digital entries: For this year’s 2020 Contest, we have streamlined and improved the entry process even further.
Self-published entries: Our judges evaluate all Entries based on an objective standard of EXCELLENCE, and excellence in Entries is what is of primary importance – NOT exactly where/how they were published.
However, all Entries still MUST be published work, and entrants must specify Publication Venue and Publication Date for each Entry. (The exception to this is the Fine Arts Category, which requires specification of where and when each Entry was offered to the public.)
Please review the details below before submitting your entries.
GOOD LUCK!
GENERAL RULES for the 2020 CWA COMMUNICATIONS CONTEST
1. COMPLIANCE WITH RULES: EVERY ENTRANT MUST COMPLY WITH ALL RULES. Deviation from the Official Rules will result in rejection of the entry and loss of the entry fee. Entrants will be notified of disqualification in as timely a manner as possible. However, CWA is not responsible for disputed entries. Disqualified paper entries will be disposed of or returned to the entrant at their request and expense.
2. CORRECTING ENTRY DEFICIENCIES: Any entry that is missing any required element (for example, required number of copies for paper entries, completed Entry Form, URLs for entries, correct entry fees, etc.) will be considered incomplete.
To the extent practically possible, the Contest Chair will attempt to inform entrants with incomplete entries about any deficiencies so that entrants may remedy these deficiencies. This may not be possible in all cases (especially depending upon when entries arrive) so PLEASE take care that your entries are all CORRECT and COMPLETE to begin with. We do NOT want to reject any entries! However, if an entrant with deficient entry(ies) does not remedy those deficiencies within 72 hours after notification from the contest chair, those entry(ies) will be rejected, and not forwarded to the judges for scoring.
No entry will be logged or acknowledged until the correct entry fees have been received. PLEASE review the type and number of entries you are submitting, and double-check and confirm your math BEFORE you send the fees.
3. ADJUDICATION: JUDGES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL. Situations not specifically addressed in these rules may arise from time to time; these shall be adjudicated by the Contest Chair, the Contest Committee, and the CWA Council.
4. CATEGORY RE-SHUFFLINGS: The Contest Chair has the right to make Category changes as deemed necessary. The Contest Chair may also delete or combine Categories if there are not sufficient entries, or for other suitable reasons as necessary in their judgement. What constitutes “sufficient entries” is decided by the Contest Chair, but there is no absolute minimum number of entries for any category to be judged. The Contest Chair will seek, if at all possible, to avoid shuffling, combining or splitting Categories.
5. SELECTION OF JUDGES: Regular Category judges are chosen by the Contest Chair and the Contest Committee after a Call to Action is submitted (to CWA Professional Members only) for volunteers. Judges are asked to specify which categories they would prefer to judge, as well as to specify any categories that they
prefer not to judge. (Judges will NOT be assigned to any Category they have entered.)
The identity of individual judges will NOT be revealed, and no judges will ever be identified as judging any particular Category(ies).
6. JUDGING – REGULAR CATEGORIES: Entries in the Regular Categories are reviewed and judged independently by three Professional CWA members; the scores awarded by the three judges are used by the Contest Chair to determine the results.
7. JUDGING – SPECIAL AWARDS: Entries for each Special Award are reviewed, judged and selected by a sole, independent judge who is neither a CWA member nor affiliated with the Award’s sponsor. Special Award sponsors may be shown the winning entry before the award is given at the discretion of the Special Awards Chair.
The identities of Special Award judges will not be disclosed until the Awards Banquet, whether held online or in conjunction with the CWA Annual Conference.
8. JUDGING TRANSPARENCY: Judging criteria for each Category will be available to all entrants, and all other interested parties, as a document downloadable from the CWA website, under the “Contest” tab. Judging criteria are used both by the judges in scoring, as well as serving as an important guideline for all entrants to read prior to submitting entries. Entrants would be wise to review the judging criteria before submitting their entries!
All Judging Criteria have been completely reviewed and rewritten for 2020 to accommodate the new/revised Categories, as well as to clarify the Criteria and make judging easier/clearer.
9. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ENTRIES: An individual entrant may submit an unlimited number of entries to the Contest, subject to all the Rules listed in this document, but is limited to a MAXIMUM of three (3) entries in any one Regular Category.
10. CHOOSE THE BEST CATEGORY FOR EACH ENTRY: Each individual entry (such as a book, article, blogsite/website, etc.) may be entered in only ONE Regular Contest Category. In other words, the same individual work may NOT be entered in multiple Categories. Choose the most appropriate Category for each entry.
The only exceptions to this are:
1. All Visual Arts (Image) Category entries (M.1 – M.7), that is, photos and illustrations, may be entered in both the appropriate image Category, and again as an integral part of a writing entry (for example, as part of a print or online article, book, etc.), or as an integral part of a collective work such as a Calendar or Anthology.
For example: The illustrations in a children’s book may be entered in the M.6 Illustration Series category, while the book itself may be simultaneously entered in the F.7 Books: For Children category. If the author is also the illustrator, that person should submit both entries. If the author and illustrator are different people, the illustrator must submit the M.6 Illustration entry, while the author enters the F.7 Books: For Children entry.
2. An article/essay/story/image that appears in a “collective work” such as an Anthology, Collection, Calendar, Yearbook, etc., may be submitted as an individual entity in its appropriate Category, while the editor/producer of the collective work may also enter the collective work containing that article/essay/story/image in its appropriate Category.
3. An article/essay/story/image that appears as part of a blog or website may be submitted as an individual entity in its appropriate Category, while the writer may also enter the complete blog/website in the appropriate Blog (J.1 – J.5) Category.
11. CHOOSE A MAXIMUM OF 2 SPECIAL AWARDS FOR ANY GIVEN WORK. An Entrant may submit as many Entries for Special Awards as they wish, as long as no single work is submitted for more than two (2) Special Awards. That is, any individual work may be entered for a MAXIMUM of two (2) Special Awards.
Remember, to be considered for a Special Award, an
entry does NOT have to be entered in a Regular Category.
12 ENTRANT ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to ANY person, CWA member or non-member, whose work qualifies in any CWA Regular Contest Category, or for any Special Award. Entrants who are not CWA members will pay the higher, non-member entry fees.
13. SUBMITTING ON OTHERS’ BEHALF: Anyone may submit an entry on behalf of an author and/or artist. However, ALL Awards will be presented solely to the actual author and/or artist of the Entry. The actual author and/or artist (not the Submitter) will be considered the winner of any Award(s) the Entry garners. If a submitter (whether a member or non-member) enters an entry on behalf of someone other than the submitter, the fee owed for that entry depends upon the actual entrant’s membership status, not the submitter’s membership status.
(This is consistent with our rule that all awards garnered by any entry submitted on behalf of someone else will be awarded to the actual entrant, not to the submitter.)
14. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – PUBLICATION DATES: ALL entries must have been first published or broadcast (or for the FINE ART Category, created) between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
For Contest purposes, PUBLICATION DATE is the published date cited on the Entry itself. Please make sure that the Publication Date is clearly noted on each Entry, so the judges don’t have to hunt around for it. When there is a question regarding Publication Date, it is the entrant’s responsibility to clarify the issue; that is, to include with the Entry a signed letter from the publication’s editor or publisher clarifying the actual Publication Date.
15. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – ENTRY CONTENTS: All entries in all Regular Categories and Special Awards must devote two-thirds or more space to cats or it will be rejected.
16. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – PUBLISHED WORK: All Contest entries must be published work. All Entries must be newly published or broadcast (or, for Fine Arts, created), between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. (See special requirements for FINE ART Category only, below under “Category-Specific Rules.”)
17. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – PREVIOUSLY-PUBLISHED WORK: All Entries must be newly published or broadcast (or, for Fine Arts, created), between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, and NOT previously published in any medium – UNLESS the work has been substantially rewritten, with at least twenty (20) percent new content. Entrants entering previously-published and updated works MUST provide some kind of documentation that their Entries have been substantially rewritten or redone.
18. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – SELF-PUBLISHED WORK: Quality, self-published professional work is eligible. All entries are judged based on criteria of OBJECTIVE EXCELLENCE.
19. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY – NON-ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ENTRIES: Entries written in languages other than English will be accepted, but they must be accompanied by a complete English translation. (Entries in graphic arts categories are the obvious exception, as they need no translation.) Please remember that the judges cannot judge the quality of the translation; they will base their determinations solely on the content of the translation.
Procedures for submitting translations of non-English entries depend on which entry method the entrant is using:
1) For entrants using the online Entry Forms: Provide the original (non-English) Entry in an uploaded file, specified on the online Entry Form as “Browse to, or supply filename of, the file that contains your ENTRY” plus provide your translated Entry in an uploaded file, specified as “Browse to, or supply filename of any additional file needed Entry.”
2) For entrants using the downloadable/fillable Entry Forms and emailing their entries: Provide the original (non-English) Entry, plus your translated Entry as email attachments along with your Entry Form. (See below for filename specifications.) The more clearly everything is named, the better!
3) For entrants using paper entries (downloadable/printable Entry Forms) and snailmailing their entries: Provide THREE hardcopies of the original published entry in the original language, clearly showing the name of the publication and Publication Date, plus THREE hardcopies of the English translation. Make sure all sheets are clearly labeled, and mail them along with your Entry Form.
20. For the “Written Article” categories (A.1 – A.13), Entrants will be required to specify a “word count” for each Entry, and to submit each Entry in the appropriate subcategory (short, medium, long), based on that word count.
“Word count” includes unique content and content integral to the comprehension and cohesiveness of the entry. Unique content EXCLUDES: titles/headings, sub-headings, photo captions and descriptions, author biographies, sources, text boxes and other elements that summarize or restate the contents of the entry. Text in graphics or pictures is excluded in word count, except where the comprehension and cohesiveness of the entry are affected by such exclusion.
21. For the video and TV categories (G.1 – G.4), Entrants will be required to provide “run time” (in minutes) for each Entry, and to submit that Entry in the correct subcategory (short, medium, long), based on that run time.
22. AWARD CRITERIA – NO “GUARANTEED WINS:” Entrants should be aware that being the only entrant in a category is not a “guaranteed win.” Entries are judged solely against an objective standard of excellence, and awards are granted only when this standard is met or exceeded. Furthermore, if, in the opinion of the judges, no entry in a Category rises to an objective standard of excellence, no MUSE™ medallion will be awarded for that Category.
No numerical scores will ever be revealed to Entrants under any circumstances.
23. AWARD CRITERIA – CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE (FINALIST): To be named a Finalist (winner of a Certificate of Excellence) in a Regular Contest Category, an individual Entry must score an average of 90 or higher based on the scores submitted independently by the three judges for that Category. Regular Category Finalists will be notified as soon as possible after the completion of judging, and will receive a CWA Certificate of Excellence by mail. (Actual timing will depend on the number of Entries and the volume of processing necessary, not to mention how many members volunteer to help with the printing and mailing chores).
24. AWARD CRITERIA – REGULAR CATEGORIES: The Finalist with the highest score in each Regular Category will be awarded the CWA Muse™ Medallion for that Category.
MUSE™ Medallions will be presented at the CWA Annual Awards Banquet. If a winner is not in attendance, their Award(s) will be mailed to them after the Banquet.
If two Finalist entries garner the same score, and that score is the highest among all Finalists for the Category, it’s a tie! – and two Muse™ Medallions will be awarded. (Theoretically, three or more Finalists could tie… and they would ALL get Muse™ Medallions!)
25. AWARD CRITERIA – SPECIAL AWARDS: Special Award winners will not be notified of their win before the CWA Annual Awards Banquet. Special Award winners will receive recognition (cash prizes, mementos) as specified in the Special Awards descriptions (available for download on the CWA website under the “Contest” tab).
Special Awards will be presented at the CWA Annual Awards Banquet. If a winner is not in attendance, their Award(s) will be mailed to them after the Banquet.
26. PUBLICATION OF WINNERS LISTS: Immediately after the Annual Awards Banquet, a list of all winners will be published via the Digital MEWS newsletter (sent to all CWA members) and on the CWA website (www.catwriters.com). Please do not call the Contest Chair or anyone on the Contest Committee to ask if you have won. If you don’t have internet access, you may request a printed copy of the winners list by sending a SASE (marked on the back “CWA Contest Winners”) to the Contest Chair:
Maggie Marton, CWA Contest Chair
P.O. Box 4362
Carmel, IN 46082
27. Paper entries will not be returned.
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DEADLINES and PAYMENTS
1. CONTEST DEADLINE: All Regular Category and Special Award Entries MUST BE either:
1) submitted via online Entry Form; OR
2) emailed to the Contest Chair; OR
3) postmarked for snailmailing
by Friday, April 16, 2021, to qualify for the 2020 Contest. Late entries will not be accepted.
2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: If you submit your Entries with the online Entry Forms, you will receive an automatic confirmation, via email, that your entry has been received. However, be aware that until the Contest Chair has received the correct Entry Fees, no Entry will be officially logged in and actually entered in the Contest.
If you email digital Entries, or snailmail paper Entries, to the Contest Chair, your Entry materials will be reviewed, as soon as possible after receipt, for completeness and correctness. If all is in order, and the correct Entry Fees have been received, the Contest Chair will email you an acknowledgement that your Entry has been logged and entered in the Contest.
Note: IF you have not received an emailed acknowledgement from the Contest Chair within 10 days of submitting your emailed or snailmailed entries, THEN you can inquire (via email) about your entries.
3. CONTEST FEES: No entry will be logged or acknowledged until the correct fees have been received. PLEASE review the type (Regular, Special) and number of your Entries so you send the CORRECT amount on your first try.
Contest fees for 2020 Contest:
Regular category entry, CWA members current on their dues: $15.00
Regular category entry, Non-member: $25.00
Regular category entry, CWA Pro-member volunteering to judge: $8.50
Special Award entry, CWA member: $10.00
Special Award entry, Non-member: $20.00
4. PAYING BY PAYPAL (THE MUCH-PREFERRED METHOD!): Whether you are submitting your entries via the Online Entry Forms, emailing digital entries, or snailmailing paper entries, you may pay your entry fees via PayPal online at the CWA website (www.catwriters.com). Click on the “Contest” tab and scroll down to find the yellow PayPal box. Please endeavor to ensure that your PayPal payment happens either simultaneously with your Entry submission, or very shortly thereafter.
5. PAYING BY CHECK: If you prefer to pay by check (whether you are using the online entry forms or sending paper entries), you can send a check (in US funds, payable to CWA) in the correct amount along with your snailmailed Entry package, or at the same time you submit your Entries online.. The CWA Treasurer will notify the Contest Chair of receipt of checks. Be patient. Mail checks to:
Katherine Kern, CWA Treasurer
10500 Silkwood Court
Saint Louis, MO 63114
6: DISCOUNTS FOR JUDGING: Current CWA Professional members who volunteer to serve as Contest judges, and CWA Associate members who volunteer to assist the Contest Committee, will receive a discount on their Regular Category entry fees, as specified on the Regular Category Entry Form. Please take account of the discount when calculating your total entry fees!
And just a reminder… If you are submitting an Entry on behalf of someone other than yourself, the fee owed for that Entry depends upon the actual entrant’s membership status, not your (submitter’s) membership status. So PLEASE, do not use your “member Entry rate” (or take your “judging discount!”) when calculating the fee you owe on an entry submitted for someone else.
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HOW TO ENTER
1. There are TWO ways to enter the 2020 Contest for most categories. Books and Calendars have a third option:
1. PREFERRED METHOD! Submit Entries with Online Entry Forms:
Go to the CWA website (www.catwriters.com) and click on the “Contest” tab.
Read the information and instructions, and follow the links to the appropriate online form for your Entry(ies). When filling out each Entry Form, use the “file upload” function to specify the file containing your actual Entry.
If you are submitting multiple Regular Category Entries, you must fill out the form separately for EACH entry.
If you are submitting any given individual Entry for two Special Awards (the maximum allowed for any particular Entry), you need only fill out the Special Awards Entry Form once FOR THAT ENTRY. Click both checkboxes for the Awards for which you want your Entry considered.
2. Email your Entries to the Contest Chair:
For each Regular Category Entry: Send ONE EMAIL PER ENTRY (see format for Subject Line, below) including, as attachments: Regular Category Entry Form, PLUS file containing actual Entry (as an attachment).
For each Special Award Entry: Send ONE EMAIL PER ENTRY (see format for Subject Line, below) including, as attachments: Special Award Entry Form, PLUS file containing actual Entry (as an attachment).
When specifying links (URLs) on your digital Entry Forms, please specify shortened, TESTED links. (Please use https://bitly.com/ to shorten long URLs.)
Please TEST all URLs, shortened or not!
The Contest Chair is not responsible for chasing down incorrect links.
3) Snailmail your paper Entries to the Contest Chair:
Only books and calendars will be accepted through snail mail due to the Covid virus. If it is at all possible to send us digital files, this remains the preferred form for submissions. Snail mail items should be wiped down and then placed in individual plastic bags before being sent to the contest judges. All items must be postmarked by April 16, 2021, and sent in such a manner that they can be reasonably expected to arrive within 7 days. We recommend sending Priority Mail so that the sender can track the package. Please be aware that the US Postal Service has been running slower than usual, another reason we are asking for digital files if at all possible. Regardless of delivery method, you MUST specify that the recipient need not be present in person to sign for the material. It is the entrant’s responsibility to package entries carefully so that materials will not be damaged in transit. Books and calendars not in sealed plastic will not be processed. CWA will not assume responsibility for items that arrive damaged or do not arrive at all.
For Regular Category Entries: Mail ONE hardcopy of the Regular Category Entry Form, PLUS THREE hardcopies of the Entry itself.
For Special Award Entries: Mail ONE hardcopy of the Regular Category Entry Form, PLUS ONE hardcopy of the Entry itself.
Provide clean, clear photocopies of each Entry in a large enough format to be easily read. If a judge has difficulty reading an Entry, it may be disqualified.
All paper entries must be collated, and entry forms must be legible. Illegible entries will be disqualified.
If your paper entry is available for viewing online, please include suitably shortened, TESTED, URLs for the judges’ convenience, in case any of the judges want to view your entry online.
TAKE CARE IN SENDING PAPER MATERIALS: All snailmailed entries must be sent in such a manner that they can be reasonably expected to arrive within 7 days of the April 16, 2021, postmark deadline. Regardless of the delivery method you choose, you MUST specify that the recipient need not be present in person to sign for the material. It is the entrant’s responsibility to package entries carefully so that materials will not be damaged in transit. Posters and other large items should be packaged in tubes. CWA will not assume responsibility for items that arrive damaged or do not arrive at all.
Mail all paper entries to:
Maggie Marton, CWA Contest Chair
P.O. Box 4362
Carmel, IN 46082
2. FORMATTING DIGITAL EMAILED ENTRIES (for method #2, above): For digital emailed Entries, please submit each Entry to the Contest Chair in a SEPARATE email. (An Entry will include: downloaded and filled-in Entry Form, plus file of actual Entry. The maximum size of each email MUST NOT exceed 20MB.
Use the following format in the Subject Line of each Entry’s email:
Contest entry <entrant name> entry <x> of <total number of entries for this entrant> <category fully spelled out, as on official Categories list>
CWA Special Award entry <entrant name> entry <x> of <total number of Special Award entries for this entrant> <Special Award title, as on official list)
For example:
Contest entry Maggie Marton entry 2 of 7 F.6 Books: Fiction – Other
CWA Special Award entry Maggie Marton entry 1 of 2 CATalyst Council Connect to Care Award
Each Entry email should include attachments with the following:
1. Downloaded and filled in Entry Form
2. Actual Entry, as a PDF or other file
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CATEGORY-SPECIFIC RULES and NOTES
1. ALL ONLINE ENTRIES MUST BE JUDGE-FRIENDLY: No entry submitted via URL link must require a judge to set up any kind of account to access the entry. If absolutely necessary for the judges to easily view the entry, the entrant is responsible for providing any necessary usernames and/or passwords. Please avoid this if at all possible.
2. WRITTEN ARTICLE – CATEGORIES “A.1 – A.13”: Written articles can derive from either online or printed sources such as blogs, websites, newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. If the same article appears in both print and online media, it can be entered in only one format, so choose either the print OR online version to enter.
3. BLOGS/WEBSITE CATEGORIES “J.1 – J.5” – ENTRY ELIGIBILITY: Qualifying entries may be on a corporate or nonprofit site, or the entrant’s own personal Blog/Website. Judging will take into consideration the overall look and feel of the Blog/Website, in addition to the specified “three best” posts/articles that exemplify the special characteristics and nature of your Blog/Website. To qualify for submission in the Blog/Website categories, the blog must have a two-thirds focus on cats and must have posts a minimum of 2 times a month. A blog can only be submitted in one blog category.
4. BLOG/WEBSITE CATEGORIES “J.1 – J.5” AND
SOCIAL MEDIA EXCELLENCE CATEGORIES “L.1 – L.4”
HOW TO SUBMIT: Any URLs you supply for Blog/Website categories MUST point directly to the material you are actually entering and that you want the judges to review. Include suitably shortened, TESTED URL’s for the judges’ convenience and ease of viewing.
The Publication Date of each Entry should be readily apparent/visible to the judges when they view your Entries online, without them having to hunt around for it.
5. COLUMN or SERIES – CATEGORY “K.1” – ENTRY ELIGIBILITY: A column appears regularly in the same publication[s] with the same column title, byline, slug, URL, and/or artwork. The column can appear in online or print sources, such as magazines, newsletters, newspapers, blogs and websites. If the same column appears in both print and online media, it can be entered in only one format, so choose either the print OR online version to enter.
COLUMNISTS must choose their three best columns and submit them as a single Entry. None of these “three best” may be entered as a single article in any other Category.
6. SOCIAL MEDIA EXCELLENCE CATEGORIES “L.1 – L.4”: For these categories, qualifying entries may either be from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram (or a combination thereof); from social media accounts that represents either a corporate, nonprofit, or the entrants own personal social media page(s).
Social media excellence is judged in its entirety and judges will take into consideration the overall look and feel of the social media account in relation to the specified “six best” submissions (such as tweets, videos, posts, graphics, pictures, etc.), that exemplify the categorical nature of the social media account(s).
Entrants can choose to submit all (6) submissions from one account, such as Facebook, or they may combine the (6) submissions from any combination of their social pages. Shortened, tested links for each submission must be provided.
7. AUDIO/VISUAL – CATEGORIES “G.1 – G.4” and “H.1” and “I.1”: Entries for these Categories must be submitted in their original, audio/visual form. Written transcripts of radio or television programs or videos are NOT acceptable. Actual audio or video recordings must be submitted. Video entries can be submitted on either of two ways:
1) a DVD that plays in a standard DVD player; OR
2) if published online, as a suitably shortened and TESTED URL.
Entries must be submitted in the name of the program host; guests are not eligible to win.
8. BOOKS – CATEGORIES “F.1 – F.12”: In these Categories, digital versions of the submitted book(s) will not only be accepted, they are preferred! Digital books can be submitted in these ways:
1) a pdf file of the entire book; OR
2) some means of enabling judges to read the digital book for free, such as an Amazon.com gift card or a coupon code. It is the entrant’s responsibility to provide adequate information, along with his/her Entry submission for the Contest Chair to easily direct the judges to a copy/version of the book that they can easily, and without cost, access and read.
9. VISUAL ARTS / IMAGE – CATEGORIES “M.1 – M.7”: Entries in these Categories, including photos and illustrations, may be entered simultaneously as an integral part of a writing entry (for example, as part of a print/online magazine article or a book) as well as an image, or series/collection of images, freestanding, in their own right.
All image Entries (photos, illustrations, cartoons, photographic art) will be judged solely in their original PUBLISHED form, whether printed or online. Why? Separately-produced renderings of entered images, such as art prints or photographic prints, may be of higher quality than the published versions, and thereby may not accurately reflect the published image.
If your image Entry was originally published in paper format, such as in a printed book or magazine, you must submit a digital scan of the original printed form of the Entry (so the judges can view it in its originally-published context).
If the image is available for viewing online, include suitably shortened and TESTED URLs the online image, for the judges’ convenience. Provide link(s) both to the image in its originally-published form, as well as link(s) to the image by itself (for example, on the artist’s site).
10. PHOTOGRAPHIC ART – CATEGORY “M.3”: For purposes of the Contest, “Photographic Art” is defined as any photo that has been altered in any way, either digitally or manually. Photographic art pieces should start out on film or digital media and may be altered using various techniques, including photo editing software, apps or mixed media. Photographic art should adhere to the principles of good design and should include cats.
11. FINE ART – CATEGORY “N.1”: This Category differs from all other Categories in several ways. “Fine Art” is defined, for purposes of the Contest, as work, either in two or three dimensions, that is produced/created primarily as a form of personal artistic self-expression, rather than as a supplement or accompaniment to another published work, such as a book or magazine article.
Fine Art pieces stand alone as self-contained works. Fine Art works can be original paintings, sculptures, fiber art pieces, ceramics, handcrafted jewelry, fine-art clothing, and similar works.
Works of Fine Art that qualify for the Contest must be devoted to and feature the CAT (wild or domestic, realistic or abstract!) as primary inspiration and subject matter. Works must have been created during the Contest period (calendar year 2020).
Since Fine Art is generally not “published” in the usual sense, for purposes of the Contest, the requirement for Fine Art entries to be “published work” will be modified by a requirement that such works will have been displayed and/or offered for sale to the public during the Contest period, either in a physical or online gallery, or on a sales site such as Etsy, Ebay or similar site.
Because of the nature of Fine Art, entries should be composed of a set of full-color photographs or scans of the work, clearly showing the overall work as well as close-up details. For 3D work such as sculpture, photos should show the work from several different angles.
Entries must include supporting documentation of the work’s display and/or sales in gallery or shop (physical or online), including relevant links so judges can view the work online if they wish.