Announcing HomeStation’s Second Writing Contest!
Unscrew the locks from the doors!
Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!
–Walt Whitman
Whatever spark was ignited at HomeStation’s birth has grown into a mighty blaze indeed. From the hundreds upon hundreds of articles written about PlayStation Home and Sony gaming, to the astonishing quality of the magazine issues, the expertly-crafted machinima, and the polished yet uproarious podcasts, HSM has become a platform for mature and literate talent within the Home community.
HomeStation’s growth is an amazing success story. Yet if there was one moment when its trajectory truly took a ballistic arc towards the sun, it was when HSM opened its doors and announced its first writing contest. Suddenly, anyone from the Home community could — with the proper work — find themselves on HomeStation’s front page and the winner of a PSN card.
The stories flooded into HSM’s queue. Many hitherto unknown guest contributors and team members were first published during that contest. Their voices added to the richness of HomeStation’s chorus, and the audience numbers grew in anticipation of whom the winners might be. The stories that actually made it onto the front page were visible to thousands of people. And, for a lucky few, they even earned PSN cards to spend as they wished.
So now then. Time to reopen the doors. Or, perhaps, kick them down completely.
As HSM’s publisher, it gives me great pleasure to announce HomeStation Magazine’s second writing contest — and like all good sequels, it’s bigger and badder than the original!
This time around, we’re going to completely separate the team writers from the guest contributors and the previously unpublished; there will be separate prizes for both groups. And, to increase the odds of winning, we’re going to have different categories to compete in. Here’s what it’ll look like:
- Best PS3/PSN game review
- Best Home public space or private estate review
- Best Home social issue article
- Best Home interview (club or individual)
- Editor’s Choice awards
And remember that each category (except the Editor’s Choice Awards) has TWO winners: one from the pool of HSM team writers, and the other from the current guest contributors and the general public at large!
How long will the contest run?
The submissions period will end on September 30, 2011 at midnight GMT. Visitor numbers will be tabulated until October 14, 2011. The winners will be announced on the HSM website (and e-mailed privately) on or about October 15, 2011.
How does HSM determine the “winner” of each category?
Just like last time. We take a look at the Google Analytics report, which measures precisely how many unique visitors read each page on HSM. Whomever has the most number of unique visitors by midnight GMT on October 14th is the winner of that category. So if you get a contest entry published to HSM’s front page, you’d best e-mail all your friends and tell them to go check it out!
Can I win more than one category?
No. But you can enter more than one category, which we recommend. The more categories you enter, the wider you spread your odds of winning.
What are the Editor’s Choice awards?
Sometimes a really great article doesn’t get the attention it deserves. So, an Editor’s Choice award will be given to two articles which didn’t win any of the categories, but are nonetheless superlative in quality. If it wins another category, it is automatically ineligible for an Editor’s Choice award.
What constitutes an acceptable entry?
HomeStation maintains a minimum word count of 900 words per article; anything less than that may be summarily disqualified (or it might still be published, if the HSM editorial team decides in its sole authority that the work merits it). You also increase your odds of being published if you include original in-Home photographs that you’ve taken (or PR images from developers), as that lessens the amount of work HSM’s photography department has to do.
Tonally, remember that the content of your article should fit HomeStation’s editorial standards. HSM is a Sony-positive and Home-positive publication; this means that while we don’t refrain from constructive criticism of Home, we also don’t slam or bash. We also don’t indulge in profanity or anything above what a reasonable person would deem to be a PG-13 rating. Just as Home is a playground for teenage audiences and up, so HSM is a publication suitable for the same demographics.
Keep in mind that HomeStation retains the right to refuse to publish anyone on any grounds, without any notice or justification. We also retain the right to edit submissions as needed in order to meet our standards. This is a private publication, not a democracy. For a full list of contest rules, visit the HSM forum here on the website and take a look at the stickied thread on this topic.
Enough with the rules. What are the prizes!?!?
Oh baby. Are you ready for this?
Each category, as discussed, will have two winners. So, for instance, there will be the best game review from the team writers, and the best game review by a guest contributor (current or new). Same goes for the other categories.
Each winner will receive a $20 PSN card!
So, in total, that’s $200 in prize money up for grabs!
ARE YOU FRAKKING KIDDING ME?
No.
How the hell are you bankrolled?
Scarface.
How do I enter?
See the “Submissions” tab in the upper-right-hand corner of the website? There ya go.
Why does HSM run these contests?
Simple. We’re a magazine by the community and for the community. We’ve grown into a very prominent source of Home community media, but we know we’ve only scratched the surface. We know, just from looking at our audience numbers, that there are a lot of people who read HomeStation — many of whom have entertained the notion of possibly guest contributing to it, but are intimidated by the thought of it. So what better way to overcome that trepidation than by throwing in some PSN cards?
If you feel you’ve got what it takes to appear on HSM’s front page, and you like the idea of having a little extra spending money in Home, then go ahead and submit your article! Let’s see your byline and headshot in the HomeStation!
September 13th, 2011 by NorseGamer | 10 comments
NorseGamer is the product manager for LOOT Entertainment at Sony Pictures, as well as the founder and publisher of HomeStation Magazine. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and presently lives in Los Angeles. All opinions expressed in HSM are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sony DADC.
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Very cool guys! Love this idea and wish everyone good luck in their endeavors!
Good luck to all who enter! I can’t wait to read your submissions!
This was so cool last time. I am ready to be dazzled buy the fresh insights and ideas.Good luck and have fun, it is a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.
I’m not going to submit any articles for HomeStation Magazine because that is not my want. At one time years ago I wanted to be a write, sci-fi, and was even encouraged to do so by a famed sci-fi writer based on a paragraph I wrote. Any writing I was going to do though was going to be in music, writing songs.
In part through his encouragement, I learned to write songs. No riches or fame but at the very least they’re good enough to satisfy me. Ironically, on a lark I enter the poem contest here and wrote a wacky out of time out of meter poem that I left untitled. I did it for me and it only took about ten minutes I guess. To my surprise, I won $20 for my poem. I though that was cool. Twenty bucks to spend and a little recognition… and hopefully some enjoyment for others.
So based on my experiences, for anyone who has ever thought of writing and think they might have something to say, give this thing a shot. There’s many styles of writing one can use. If I can earn $20 for an out of meter sometimes out of rhyme poem, maybe you can too.
Some people write like people talk.
The worst that could happen is rejection and fear of rejection stops a lot of people from doing things whether writing or other things in life.
The editor is your friend. Part of the reason an editor is your friend because they like their job and they know if they say something hurtful to too many people they might be long gone quicker than they though or their magazine could go under. Do however, if you’re lucky, expect honest criticism which is meant to guide you, not hurt you.
Good luck whatever you decide.:)
No thanks, I’ve seen the editing on this site…
lol, I hurd that.
I guess you guys missed out on the secret video some of the HSM writers made and posted on YouTube about the HSM editors: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV_7IMSm1fQ
Suck it, Geo.
LOL everywhere i turn, someone always tellin Geo to suck it. What a catch phrase this has become lol
Awww…. da poor baby! I shall send him a lifetime supply of lollipops (that IS what you meant, right?)