[This post has been updated] The Early-Bird submissions deadline for the 2012 National Magazine Awards is Friday, January 11, 2013 at 5pm MIDNIGHT Eastern Time — in other words, very soon.
If you’re just getting started or worried that you won’t get everything in on time, here are a couple of quick tips:
1. Submit low- or medium-resolution PDFs. All entries require PDFs, but if you’re submitting a host of entries and trying to upload hi-res PDFs for each, it will take longer for you to complete steps 1 and 2 of the 4-step submissions process. Save valuable time by preparing PDFs with a smaller file size. Don’t worry about what to name your PDF file, as our system will automatically rename your file to match your Entry Form number.
2. Verify your Paypal account. If you choose to pay by credit card in Step 2, you will be forwarded to the Paypal site to enter your credit card information. Occasionally for payments larger than $1000 Paypal will hold the payment for verification if you don’t already have a pre-verified Paypal account associated with your credit card. If Paypal won’t process your payment due to an unverified account, you may return to Step 2 and select the option to pay by cheque.
3. Estimate the transit time. Your hard copies do not have to reach us by Friday to be eligible for the Early-Bird rate, but don’t delay. All required hard copies must reach our office by the final deadline of Wednesday, January 16 or your entries will not be accepted.
4. Don’t forget our new address. We’ve moved since last year. All hard-copy material should be couriered to our new address at:
National Magazine Awards Foundation
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 3500
Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8
5. Send your cheque next week. If you’ve elected to pay by cheque but your company can’t issue it in time, you should still submit all your hard-copy material by the deadline, with a note on your Master Form stating that the cheque will follow. When you send your cheque next week please staple it to an extra copy of your Master Form. Payment must be received by January 25 or your entries may be disqualified.
6. Relax. If you’ve done everything right, completed the online forms and sent your hard-copy material in, don’t worry about a thing. We cannot verify that we’ve received your submission until after the deadline. Rest assured, if you don’t hear from us by the week following the deadline then you did a perfect job and your submission was received in good order.
