2010 Story and Photo Contest

American Whitewater is excited to announce the return of our Story and Photo Contest for 2010.

The premise is simple, submit your best story and/or photos to American Whitewater. We'll print the top choices in the final Journal edition of 2010 (the November-December) version. The deadline for submissions to be considered is August 11, 2010.

To submit something, just head on over to our online Submissions Page and fill in the appropriate info and check the "Story and Photo Contest" box under the Article Topics section. That's it!

Full Rules and Details:

1. Eligibility: Entries must be received by midnight, August 11, 2010.
   

2. Format:
   
   • Manuscripts may be no longer than 3000 words
     
   • All material submitted for the contest must not have been previously published and submitters should avoid submitting them elsewhere, if possible, before Nov. 1, 2010
     
   • To ensure anonymity, do not put your name on any page other than the title page
     
   • Photos should also be accompanied by a Microsoft Word document including photographer’s name, contact information, and a short (<50 word) description of the scene
     
   • All entries must be original and the sole work and property of the Entrant
     

3. Submissions: All submissions must be made via the online submission form

4. Categories:

• •  Stories: Entries should tell a story that includes a whitewater river. Entries will be judged on the originality and entertainment value of their story and by the quality of their writing. Entries must be non-fiction and should include photos that enhance the understanding and appreciation of their story.
  • Photos: Entries must include whitewater river-related content in their composition. Photos should tell a story, evoke an emotion, or make viewers think. Hint: if your digital photo is smaller than 2MB, it probably does not meet resolution requirements. Do not submit photos that you have not secured proper permission (legal copyright permission). Limit five (5) photo entries per person. 

5. Judging: Submissions will be judged on the basis of the above guidelines. Decisions of the judges on all matters, including but not limited to the verification of winners, the interpretation of rules or the creation of further rules are final and binding on all parties.

6. Legal: Author/Photographer retains ownership of her/his work. Contest void where prohibited by law. American Whitewater reserves the right to publish any and all entries at any time following close of contest deadline (we're not going to mis-use or re-sell your submissions in the future we just might print them in later versions of the Journal, Annual Report, etc). All entries in the written categories will be edited prior to publication. No authors, photographers or rights holders will be paid for entering or winning this contest, it's strictly a "for fun" (and fame!) contest.
   

7. Suggestions:

• • For Writers: If you want your story to appeal to a broad audience (including, say, contest judges), please refrain from the classic “trip report” format. Few stories can be effective when they simply catalogue everything that happened to an individual or group in a given period of time. Before writing, take the time to ask yourself, “What is my story about.” Organizing your story around its central idea is usually much more appealing than simply linking events with, “and then we…” or “after eddying out I….” Finally, more is not better when writing; if you say it as efficiently as possible, readers and judges will thank you.
  • For Photographers: Winning photos will appeal to aesthetic sensibilities and be thought-provoking. Please do not put yourself or your friends in any unnecessarily compromising or dangerous positions to compose your entry.