ELIGIBILITY: All WRWA members, regardless of residency, are eligible to enter the contest when it opens on March 15, 2008. (If you are not a member, please submit dues to Membership Chair, noting same on your cover letter. DO NOT send membership dues with contest entry fees.) A previous First Place winner is not eligible to submit work in the category in which he or she won for the next three (3) calendar years.

CATEGORIES: Enter as many of the six (6) categories listed below as you wish.

• Essay (non-fiction) - Opinion piece (which often stems from a personal experience) or review: One (1) entry not to exceed 1,500 words.
  
  
• Article - Information, historical, personal experience (as in the kind of articles found in Sunday supplements), interview, travel, how-to: One (1) entry not to exceed 2,500 words.
  
  
• Nostalgia: One (1) entry not to exceed 1,500 words.
  
  
• Adult Short Story: One (1) entry not to exceed 5,000 words.
  
  
• Juvenile Short Story - For ages 4-15: One (1) entry not to exceed 2,000 words.
  
  
• Poetry:
  SERIOUS: Up to four (4) poems, total lines not to exceed 75 for all entries.
  
  HUMOROUS: Up to four (4) poems, total lines not to exceed 75 for all entries.

MANUSCRIPT RULES: Entries may be on any subject and must be ORIGINAL and UNPUBLISHED at the time of submission. Authors retain all publishing rights.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: Entries must be typed on one (1) side only of 8 1/2 by 11 white paper, DOUBLE SPACED (poems may either be double or single spaced), with standard (1") margins and in a readable font and size (i.e. Times New Roman, 12). Only ribbon copies, printed copies (no dot matrix) or good photocopies accepted; NO carbons. Each number, and, a, I, an, the, etc. counts as a word. Each page of the manuscript must contain Title and Page Number. DO NOT put your name or any other identifying information on the manuscript itself. That will disqualify your entry.

COVER SHEET: Submit one (1) cover sheet for each category entered (so if you enter both the adult fiction and poetry categories, for example, you would submit two (2) cover sheets). Cover sheets must contain NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER (E-mail if applicable), NUMERICAL RING SIZE, CATEGORY including Sub-Category, if applicable, (example: Ficiton/Adult) ENTERED, TITLE, and WORD COUNT (Poetry: number of lines), TOTAL FEES ENCLOSED, and the NAME and ADDRESS OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER. Your entry will be given a tracking number; cover sheets stay with the Contest Chair. Judges select winners by number only.

DEADLINE: Entries must be postmarked by June 15, 2008. Include SAS postcard if you wish acknowlegdment of your entry. Do not send entries Certified Mail. Manuscripts will not be returned. Manuscripts may be retrieved after awards have been presented at the Jade Ring Banquet. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

ENTRY FEES: $8.00 per category (poetry requires $8 for Serious, and $8 for Humorous—NOT per poem) - Please make one check for the full amount to cover all entries payable to Wisconsing Regional Writers' Assn., Inc. or WRWA, Inc. Entries without fees will be disqualified. Please, DO NOT staple checks to cover sheets, a simple paperclip will do. Again, DO NOT send membership dues with entry fees. Send membership dues to Membership Chair.

PRIZES: For each category:

• First Place = $50, Certificate of Achievement and Jade Ring for first-time winners.
  
  
• Second Place = $30 and Certificate of Achievement.
  
  
• Third Place = $20 and Certificate of Achievement.

The judge may name up to two (2) Honorable Mentions in each category for which a Certificate of Achievement will be awarded.

No one shall win First Prize in any category more than twice.

Only one (1) Jade Ring will be awarded to any single person.

WRWA, Inc. will not replace lost or destroyed rings.

WRWA, Inc. and the judges reserve the right not to award prizes when quality work is not presented.

Twelve (12) or more entries must be received or the category will not be judged; manuscripts and fees will be returned.

WRWA, Inc. is not responsible for lost manuscripts. Postage-due manuscripts will be refused.

SUBMISSION: Send all entries at once to:

NOTIFICATION: First, second, third place, and honorable mention winners will be notified by mail that they are in “the winner's circle” (but not how they placed) before the Fall Conference and will be asked not to divulge that prior to the Jade Ring Banquet. WRWA encourages all honorees to be in attendance at the award ceremony.