Literary Magazine contests (NSMC 19-22)

NSMC 19 to 22: Literary Magazine contests

See full breakdowns and requirements for each contest below.

Policies for NSMC 19

  • One student per school may enter each contest.
  • NSMC 19 is an online contest, which means that after the student registers, they will need to create an entry that follows the provided prompt, and submit it online through the contest system before the listed deadline.
  • Students are also required to attend this contest’s in-person critique session during the convention, from 4-6 p.m. Friday. Attendance is mandatory to maintain award eligibility.
  • The day NSMC registration opens, online contest prompts and materials will be made available here. Contestants should closely adhere to all instructions on the provided prompt for NSMC 19. Be careful not to download the material for the prior convention.
  • Late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances, so please plan ahead and submit online entries early to avoid potential delays due to things like internet issues, power outages, illness or emergencies.
  • Learn how to prepare your online layout entry here.

Policies for NSMC 20-22

  • One student per school may enter each contest.
  • Students are required to bring all the supplies listed for their on-site contest.
  • NSMC 20-22 will compete on-site during the convention from 4-6 p.m. Friday. Consult the convention program book for specific room assignments. Late entry to the room is not allowed, so students should plan to arrive early with required supplies.

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19: LITERARY MAGAZINE: LAYOUT (ONLINE SUBMISSION)

This is a general overview of Contest 19 – full details are included on the current contest prompt. Read all of the instructions and rules on the prompt carefully.

After registering, prepare materials that adhere to the provided prompt, and upload a two-page facing spread in ONE PDF to the National Student Media Contest site before the listed deadline for online submissions. The day NSMC registration opens, the contest prompt and materials, including downloadable art, for the contest will be available. Be careful not to download the material for the prior convention.

Although Contest 19 requires an online submission before the convention, students must also attend this contest’s mandatory, in-person critique session at the convention (4-6 p.m. Friday) or the entry will be disqualified. Find the room assignment in the convention program book.

Use any software you choose to create a two-page spread for the literary magazine pages assigned on the prompt. You may design in color or black-and-white. The spread must be submitted as a two-page facing spread in ONE PDF file. Each page should be 8 1/2-by-11-inches.

Design the spread using only the material provided. Give credit on all poems and art. You do not need to include all of the items.

Choose your own design format. Create folios with page numbers. Choose any fonts and sizes that you deem appropriate. Place the titles directly on the layout. Align poems any way you choose, but do not change the poem’s line breaks from the way the author wrote it.

Crop, size and place art as you wish. You may use Photoshop or a similar program to ethically alter the images.

Remember your work is being evaluated on design and layout but proofread carefully.

REMINDERS:

  • Entries that use images or material other than what JEA provides will be disqualified.
  • Do not include your name or school name on the design.

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR: Clean layout and design relating to selected copy; impact, action or emotion in design; instructions followed; positioning of copy, title, art, photos and captions in relation to each other; use of current graphic trends.

HELPFUL LINK: Preparing online layout entries

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20: LITERARY MAGAZINE: POETRY (ON-SITE)

You will write an original poem of 10-30 lines for a literary magazine using the theme provided. Title your poem and clearly indicate your lines through indentation and use of margins. You are to exhibit your understanding of poetry, its conventions, punctuation and potential to create a setting, convey a tone, connect to feelings and to delve beyond the surface.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Pen (erasable ink acceptable), 8.5-by-11-inch lined paper. Optional: correction fluid, eraser, electronic spell checkers, dictionary, thesaurus, Associated Press Stylebook. If you will be using a reference application on your cellphone (dictionary, thesaurus AP Stylebook only) you must ask for permission and set your phone on the table where the moderators can see it. Online sources may be used on a cellphone to access a dictionary, thesaurus or AP Stylebook, but contestants may ONLY access specific apps designated for those purposes, not general search engines like Google or Safari.

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR: Originality and creativity in developing theme, concise writing and word choice. Judges will consider use of concrete language, figurative language and imagery; use of literary devices (simile, metaphor, repetition); cadence, verb tense, and development of tone and mood to create an emotional impact. Few convention errors.

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21: LITERARY MAGAZINE: ILLUSTRATION (ON-SITE)

You will prepare a piece of horizontal art to accompany a poem provided on the prompt for a literary magazine. You will have two hours to sketch and hand draw your final entry, which must be submitted on your own blank 8.5-by-11-inch paper. Contestants must supply their own drawing supplies and may use any medium they choose, including, but not limited to, pencil, pen, charcoal, markers, pastels, watercolors, etc.

You may use color and/or black and white. Size of art and place in relation to the copy should be considered. You may not use professional materials like art tape, screens, letters or construction paper. Entries that do not follow contest directions will not be eligible for awards.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Plain 8.5-by-11-inch paper, scratch paper, eraser, correction fluid, any art supplies including, but not limited to, pens, charcoal, markers or pencils. Color and/or black and white is fine.

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR: Adaptation of the art to the copy; originality in interpretation that captures the spirit of the poem prompt. Students will exhibit their control of the medium, design and artistic techniques. The work is a simple, accurate design to illustrate the context of the copy.

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22: LITERARY MAGAZINE: PHOTOGRAPHY (ON-SITE)

You will shoot a photograph to accompany the poem provided on the prompt for a literary magazine. You will have approximately an hour and a half to shoot and submit one image for the contest. After shooting, select ONE image to submit. Return to the contest room between 5:15-5:45 p.m. to submit the image to the lead judge or one of the other contest supervisors. You will name your image with your Contestant ID Number.

The photo can be either vertical or horizontal. This is NOT a photo illustration. DO NOT manipulate the original image. No in-camera editing of the image will be allowed, so capture a proper exposure and the crop you need when you take the picture. Photos must be taken with a traditional camera, not a cellphone. The contest focuses on your ability as a photographer. Use standard lenses and filters. Creative filters or specialty lenses should not be used.

The entry must be a single JPG (no RAW files) viewable through any standard image-browsing program. Entries will be downloaded for judging in the contest room from your camera’s SD card. If you have a different type of storage media, bring an appropriate card reader etc. so the judges can save it on their computer.

Contestants need to make sure their camera is set to the proper local time and date. Images that do not show a timestamp within the time of the contests will not be considered for an award.

Due to the nature of this contest, students are not required to stay within the convention hotel; however, students need to adhere to policies and directives from their advisers or chaperones regarding leaving the property.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: Camera with SD card or another size card with a card reader/cables to transfer the image to a laptop. Photos MUST be taken with a standard camera, not a cellphone. Contestants must set their camera to the proper local time and date. Images that do not show a timestamp within the time of the contests will not be considered for an award.

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR: Photos that demonstrate original interpretation; photograph is framed in an interesting and visually striking way; photograph demonstrates good use of composition techniques and lighting to effectively communicate the interpretation of the poem; photograph offers effective contrast, depth-of-field and tone; the subject is not cliche. The work is a simple, accurate design to illustrate the context of the copy. Photograph will be judged based on the subject composition and technical quality.