Submit an Entry to a Local/Regional STC Competition; Judges Needed, Too

Have you or your company produced technical communication products that you think are worthy of awards? Would you like your work to be recognized by your peers? Participate in one of the regional STC competitions—many welcome entries from anywhere in the world, so don’t let it stop you if your community isn’t holding one! The competitions are open to everyone who produces technical communication, and winning entries can go on to the International Summit Awards. Entrants do not have to be members of STC, and you may enter work as an individual or on behalf of a colleague or subordinate.

Why should you enter?

  • Winners receive awards and tangible recognition of achievement. You can put it on your resume.
  • Winning an award impresses your manager, your manager’s manager, and reflects well on the company.
  • All accepted entries receive detailed evaluations from a panel of judges. This peer evaluation supports continuous improvement, validates your methods, and earns visibility. This alone is worth the entry fee.
  • If your entry goes on to the STC International Summit Awards, you will receive a second round of feedback over the course of the competitions. This is unique to the STC competitions and is in addition to any award you may win for your entry.

Entries must contain sufficient technical, scientific, medical, or similar content to qualify as technical communication. They must have been produced or revised within 24 months preceding 1 September of the current year, and must have been originally prepared for and accepted for publication by a client, employer, or publisher.

See the STC website for a list of communities holding competitions, contact information, and deadlines—many competitions have deadlines in the next couple months, so hurry. Not all competitions are listed, so please contact your community to see if they’re holding one as well.

If you don’t have an entry to submit—or even if you do!—the competitions are always on the lookout for volunteer judges. Judges are the backbone of the competition process and offer a number of professional development benefits, including learning what others in techcomm are doing, diversifying your experience, networking with others, and sharing your expertise. Your decision to be a judge demonstrates dedication to career development. And, the experience looks good on your resume! Contact the competitions or judges manager of your nearest competition for more information.

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