NonFiction/Article/Creative NonFiction Judging Page

    JUDGES- Enter your name & email here...in the event of questions

    PLEASE CHOOSE ONE ANSWER FOR EACH QUESTION
    Opening/Pacing:
    Question 1
    Is the opening compelling? Does it make you want to continue reading?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 2
    Is the pacing appropriate for the unfolding article or story? Does it move rapidly enough to sustain interest?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Construction/Organization/Development:
    Question 3
    Does the writer use interesting facts, examples, opinions, anecdotes and/or explanations to develop the piece? 
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 4
    Is the necessary background information presented in a concise and well-balanced manner? 
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 5
    Is the piece organized effectively, with strong transitions and a conclusion that ties it all together? If it is the beginning of a book-length work, does it provide the reader with a strong sense of the protagonist's character and the conflict he/she faces?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 6
    Is there a satisfying tie between the opening of the piece and its resolution? If it is the beginning of a book-length work, does each scene have a clear and necessary relationship with the scenes that precede and follow it?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 7
    Does the author provide a sufficient amount of information (or narration) to hold the reader’s attention and to answer any questions that may arise from reading the entry? 
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 8
    Does the opening section provide the reader with confidence that the author knows this topic well? 
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 9
    Does the piece inspire the reader to think or feel strongly about the subject matter? 
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 10
    Is the writing free of extraneous details that do not contribute to the overall effectiveness of the piece?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 11
    Is the writing fresh, clear, and focused?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Mechanics:
    Question 12 
    Is the entry presented professionally and following the format required by the contest?    
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 13
    Are the writing style and vocabulary appropriate for the intended audience?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 14
    Is the work without errors in grammar or logic?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 15
    Does the author use a variety of sentence structures and sentence lengths?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 16
    Is the manuscript free of typographical, spelling, and punctuation errors?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential
    Question 17
    Is the writing clear and focused without an annoying overuse of adjectives, adverbs, or passive verbs?
    Use these Guidelines:
    5- Excellent-Ready for publication as is
    4- Very Good-Could still use a bit of polish
    3- Solid- Could benefit from refinement
    2- In Process-Needs work to meet its potential.
    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential

    Effectiveness/Reader Response:

    Question 18
    Candidly assess the total impact of this nonfiction entry.  Realistically evaluate its likelihood of enticing a successful editor to consider publishing it.
    Use these Guidelines:
    Use this section to give the piece a holistic assessment, with 10 being incredible, evocation, spectacularly skillfully done, ranging down through 1 being that the entry did not work at all and made no impression (or a bad impression for the wrong reasons).

    10- Excellent-Had a strong impact

    1- Starting Point- Concept is there, needs substantial work to meet its potential

    Instructions for Returning the Entry File:

    Save the entrant's file by performing a "File... Save As..." then click on the beginning of the file name and add the word REV_ in front of the file name then click SAVE.  Next... click on the upload file to send back their file with your comments/suggestions in it. Remember...our entrants paid to see your comments. Don't hesitate to comment on the good as well as on what needs work.  And, while all comments are welcome, please take care to differentiate if you have any comments based on taste instead of quality. Your comments are the entire reason the entrant entered the contest... to receive a qualified industry critique.

    Thank you
    Max file size: 20MB