Magazine and Writing Awards

Writing - Short feature (less than 1,000 words)
This award honors outstanding writing, on any topic, that is less than 1,000 total words. Judges will only judge text; they will not consider design or layout. Articles may have any direction (news, persuasive/opinion, etc.) and can be from a magazine, blog, newsletter, etc. Submit a PDF of the text of the article. All photos and graphics must be removed. Submit a PDF of the original article, as published, for the awards presentation (this file will not be visible to judges). No mailed copies will be accepted. 

Entries will be judged on:
Compelling Opening
Engagingness of the copy
Thoughtful Conclusion
Style/tone and approach
Relevance to Intended Audience

Writing - Long feature (1,000+ words)
This award honors outstanding writing, on any topic, that is more than 1,000 total words. Judges will only judge text; they will not consider design or layout. Articles may have any direction (news, persuasive/opinion, etc.) and can be from a magazine, blog, newsletter, etc. Submit a PDF of the text of the article. All photos and graphics must be removed. Submit a PDF of the original article, as published, for the awards presentation (this file will not be visible to judges). No mailed copies will be accepted. 

Entries will be judged on:
Compelling Opening
Engagingness of the copy
Thoughtful Conclusion
Style/tone and approach
Relevance to Intended Audience

Design - Feature Article
This award honors outstanding design of a feature article layout in a magazine that is three published pages or longer. The feature layout must be submitted in its entirety. Submit a PDF of the three-or-more-page feature article, as published. 

Entries will be judged on:
Organization
Attractiveness
Relevance to Intended Audience

Story Packaging - Short (2-4 pages)
This award honors the ability to combine outstanding writing and design within a limited page count through creativity, presentation, and organization. The article should include additional graphic, sidebar, or visual elements beyond the main article. Submit a PDF of the entire article, as published.

Entries will be judged on:
Organization & Attractiveness
Combination of Different Elements
Relevance to Intended Audience

Story Packaging - Long (4+ pages)
This award honors the ability to combine outstanding writing and design concepts to tell a story through creativity, presentation, and organization. The article should include additional graphic, sidebar, or visual elements beyond the main article. Submit a PDF of the entire feature article, as published. 

Entries will be judged on:
Organization & Attractiveness
Combination of Different Elements
Relevance to Intended Audience

Publication Improvement - Magazine
This award honors outstanding efforts to improve an existing magazine. The publication must have undergone significant change during the judging timeframe of the 2023 calendar year. Please do not submit if your organization did not do an intentional reorganization or redesign of your publication. Submit a PDF of the most recent previous and most recent updated publication. No mailed copies will be accepted.

Entries will be judged on:
Improvement of Design
Improvement of Copy
Overall Attractiveness of new version
Relevance to Intended Audience

Fred F. Yoder Award for Overall Excellence
This award is given for overall excellence of a total publication as demonstrated in a magazine. Every issue published within the judging timeframe of the 2023 calendar year must be submitted. All magazines will be judged, from cover to cover, on writing, design, readability, and relevance of the publication to its intended audience. Submit a PDF (as all issues combined into one file, or up to 12 individual files, no file size limit.) of all 2023 issues of the publication. No mailed copies will be accepted.

PLEASE NOTE: An organization can only win this award once in a three-year period. The following organizations are not eligible this year:
Alpha Omicron Pi, 2023
Kappa Alpha Order, 2022
Delta Gamma, 2021

Entries will be judged on:
Quality and Consistency of Writing and Design across issues
Readability
Organization & Attractiveness
Relevance to Intended Audience

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