The 2010 Excellence in Writing Competition

The 2010 Excellence in Writing Competition is starting today! If you’re a writer and an ISFHWE member, you might want to give it a shot. The following news release was written by ISFHWE staff:

The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors is sponsoring its annual “Excellence in Writing” competition to recognize excellence in genealogical columns and articles. The contest is open to all members of ISFHWE, both published and unpublished authors.

Contest entrants must be members of ISFHWE. (Entrants may join ISFHWE at the time they submit their competition entries.)

The contest is judged by professionals in the fields of genealogy and journalism. The contest has four categories:

• Category I – Newspaper Columns. This is for newspaper columns published on a regular basis, published in 2009. Entries must be shorter than 1,000 words.
• Category II – Articles. These articles must have been published in 2009 in a journal, magazine, newsletter, or web site. Entries cannot exceed 5,000 words.
• Category III – Genealogy Research Story. This category is for original, unpublished articles between 1,000 and 3,000 words. The articles should focus on the telling the story of genealogical research using one of these topics: “The Search for ,” “Sorting Out the Entangled Roots of.,” or ” Encounters with a Family
  Skeleton.”
• Category IV – Want-to-be Writer/Columnist. Entrants in this category aspire to be writers or columnists in the field of genealogy/family or local history. The submissions in this category are original and unpublished, between 500 and 1,000 words.

Winners in each category will be awarded a cash prize and a certificate. The awards presentation will take place at the Gala ISFHWE Awards Banquet to be held at the National Genealogical Society conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 28 April 2010. (Those unable to attend will receive their awards after the conference.) The entry form may be found at: http://isfhwe.org. This year’s contest coordinator and judges are ineligible, as are last year’s first-place winners in their winning category.

The contest will begin 1 October 2009. There is a discount on the entry fee for submission before 30 November 2009. Entries must be received by the coordinator no later than 31 December 2009. Entries must be mailed in time to make this deadline.

Send entries, along with your check for the appropriate entry fee(s) and membership dues, to:
Yolanda Campbell Lifter
ISFHWE Contest Coordinator
1920 Eva Lane
Malabar, FL 32950-3219

Questions? Contact Yolanda at ylifter@ohiofamilyresearch.com.