GWA Awards program

**J* L* <h*@yahoo.com>**

Hi everyone,

Since I'm this year's chair of the GWA awards program, a member of the listserv alerted me that questions had come up about the program -- and I hadn't responded. Apologies for the slowness. Since I get the digest, those messages haven't arrived for me yet. I did read them online at the archive and will respond in general. Then, this evening, after the digest has arrived, will respond more specifically.

1. As to Graham's original question, there are 4 categories for individuals to enter electronic entries -- writing and photography, graphic design and illustration -- depending on what the individual contributed. These are judged individually in the first stage. Then those that win for writing, for instance, will eventually compete for best writing against the winners for newspaper and magazine writing. That seems fair to me. I wouldn't want to say that electronic writing is in any way disadvantaged against print. (Almost the opposite these days.)

2. The entry fee for individual award categories is $45 if you enter on time. (By Dec. 31.) The "overall product" awards -- those that consider an entire website, magazine, etc., are more expensive, it's true. But they're generally more commercial and they're judged by 4 different teams, not just one.

3. Previously, we haven't had a large number of electronic entries. That's why the category for overall product -- the entire website or blog site -- may seem to be more geared to a company. If we start getting more entries, there can be more categories. 

4. The program does NOT make money. It's expensive to produce, requires hundreds of hours of time, and is geared to publicize members' work. GWA hopes to break even each year. With all respect to Scot Aker, he was mistaken. I have been involved with chairing or co-chairing the awards program twice (4 years)  -- once getting it set up in its current form -- and tell you that its purpose is to publicize GWA members, garden writing as a profession, and, indirectly, GWA. And that's it.

5. The committee and the GWA board consider new ideas and ways of doing the program each year. If you have ideas, e-mail me off-list. We're always open to good ideas and better ways of doing things.

6. As to writers for smaller newspapers competing against larger ones, the issue has arisen several times and the feeling among judges is that excellent writing can be found at all different levels of publications. A larger paper can afford better presentation, but if you've entered the writing category,  only the writing is judged. With the squeeze on today's newspapers, it's a myth that any but the very largest have more resources than an individual. (I work for a newspaper and speak from experience.)

Are the awards relevant today? Generally, more than 1,000 people think so, because they enter. Certainly, the occasional "best blog" listings and contests online generate huge interest and publicity. And the winning books are often mentioned by PW (and publishers tout their winners).

I'm writing this at 5 in the morning and so may not be as coherent as I should be. I probably sound more strident than I would in person -- or later in the day. I was just trying to answer the questions/issues I remembered. In no way do I feel "this is the way it is, live with it." The program will only get better if members suggest new ideas to improve it. 

Judy Lowe

http://twitter.com/JudyDigginit

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