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Announcing the first annual Pinellas Genealogist

Family History Writing Competition

     The Pinellas Genealogist, quarterly journal of Pinellas Genealogy Society (PGS), announces the first annual Family History Writing Competition. The competition is open to both members and non-members of the Society. Entries should be based on the author’s research of a family history or a genealogical account of family lines and lives, discussing the steps followed and the conclusions that resulted from the research. Entries must be original, unpublished papers of the submitter.

PRIZES!   PRIZES!   PRIZES!

     Selection of the winning entries will be done by a blind judging process, and the winner will be announced in the winter issue of The Pinellas Genealogist. All entries must be received no later than 31 July 2009.
     See the completion rules below, or on page 26 of The Pinellas Genealogist, volume 32, number 1 (Spring 2009).

First Annual Pinellas Genealogist

Family History Writing Competition

Rules of the Competition

1. The competition is open to both members and non-members of PGS.
2. Entries should be based on the author’s personal research of a family history or genealogical account of family lines and lives, discussing the steps followed and the conclusions that resulted from the research.
3. Entries must be original, unpublished papers of the submitter.
4. Entries may be submitted as either electronic file (readable by Microsoft Word) or printed hardcopy, but electronic file form is preferred. Hardcopy entries should not be fastened.
5. Entries should be 1,500-3,000 words (exclusive of the bibliography), single-spaced, formatted with 1” margins all around. If the paper is submitted in hardcopy, it should be printed one-sided.
6. The first line of all paragraphs should be indented, and there should be no blank lines between paragraphs.
7. he font should be 12 point Times Roman (or similar).
8. Entries should have a cover sheet with the title of the paper and the author’s name, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
9. All pages except the cover sheet should have the title of the paper in a header at the top with the page number in the top right corner.
10. All sources should be cited in endnotes with complete bibliographical information. Guidelines for endnote citations (same style as for footnotes) can be found in Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian and in Family History Documentation Guidelines, 2ed. The National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) is also a good model for citations.
11. Selection of the winning entries will be done by a blind judging process, and the winner will be announced in the winter issue of The Pinellas Genealogist, volume 32, number 4 (2009). The prizes will be presented at Pinellas Genealogy Society’s annual Educational Seminar in February, or, if the writers are unable to attend, the awards will be mailed after the Seminar. The author of the winning entry will be a guest of PGS at the seminar.
12. The author retains copyright of the paper, but by submitting the paper to the Family History Writing Competition, the author grants Pinellas Genealogy Society the right to print the article in whole or in part and without time limits.

All entries must be received no later than July 31, 2009.