1. Perthshire Writers members will determine the competitions to be listed on the annual syllabus by vote at the Annual General Meeting, or as otherwise agreed.  The rules of entry are the same for each competition unless otherwise indicated.
2. Entry to competitions is limited to Perthshire Writers members, except as expressly agreed by a vote of the membership.
3. Members are limited to one entry for each competition.
4. Perthshire Writers members will determine whether or not a fee should be paid for entering competitions by vote at the Annual General Meeting, or as otherwise agreed. Any entry fees will be advertised on the Perthshire Writers web site (www.perthshirewriters.co.uk) and, as appropriate, in other communications with members.
5. Competition entries should be submitted via email, which should be sent to the Competition Secretary at the email address indicated on the Perthshire Writers web site.  In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Perthshire Writers Committee, other methods of entry may be permitted.
6. Competition entries should be in the hands of the Competition Secretary by the end of the stipulated closing date.  In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Perthshire Writers Committee, an extension may be granted. 
7. Entries should be the work of the individual entering the competition.  We will not, therefore, accept entries where the creativity of the written work submitted is entirely or substantially generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).  However, there is no bar on the use of established AI tools such as (but not limited to) Spellcheckers, Grammarly, and ProWriting Aid, which add nothing on the creative side but assist entrants with proofreading and error-checking.
8. The method of entry is loosely based on that laid down by the Scottish Association of Writers, but modified to suit our local needs.
9. Prose entries should be in Word, or a format readable in Word, double spaced with pages numbered. 
10. Poetry entries should be single, one-and-a-half or double spaced with pages numbered.
11. To ensure consistency, and indirectly the anonymity of competitors, entries should be submitted in one of the following fonts: Arial, Georgia, Helvetica or Times New Roman.  Any exceptions to this will require the agreement of the Competition Secretary.
12. A font size of 12 is preferred, in line with the norm for submissions to publishers.  To ensure consistency, entries should not be submitted with font sizes significantly larger or smaller than this.
13. All entries should have an initial sheet showing the title, a one-word pseudonym and the approximate length, but NOT the entrant’s name or any other indicators of identity.  This sheet, together with the rest of the entry, will go to the Adjudicator.
14. Entries should be included as an attachment to an email sent to the Competition Secretary.
15. In the body of the email to the Competition Secretary, entrants should make a note of their real name and the pseudonym they are using.  The Competition Secretary will retain this information to enable the linking of the writer’s name with the pseudonym.
16. The adjudicator will be instructed to award a minimum of a first, a second and a third place.  At the adjudicator’s discretion, a single Highly Commended and a single Commended place may also be awarded.  Any departure from this, including (but not limited to) joint placings or additional Highly Commended or Commended places, will require the agreement of the Perthshire Writers Committee.
17. All Perthshire Writers competitions listed on the syllabus will normally be eligible for Writer of the Year points, with the exception of any competition which one or more members are barred by the nature of the competition from entering. 
18. The above exception does not include competitions other than the President’s Prize which an individual member has voluntarily agreed to adjudicate in a given year.  These will remain eligible for Writer of the Year points.
19. The trophy for Writer of the Year will be awarded to the member who accumulates the greatest number of points from eligible competitions and readings on Club and Critique Nights. 
20. The Committee may from time to time include ‘ad hoc’ competitions on the annual syllabus.  These will not ordinarily count towards Writer of the Year points.
21. Writer of the Year points will be earned as follows:

Each competition entry                –             1 point  

First Place                                       –             9 additional points

Second Place                                  –             6 additional points

Third Place                                      –             4 additional points

Highly Commended                      –             2 additional points 

Commended                                  –             1 additional point                           

In addition:

• One point will be awarded for work prepared and read at a Club Night where the syllabus invites contributions, irrespective of whether it is on the topic suggested in the syllabus. 
• One point will be awarded to each writer who presents at least one piece for a Critique Night during the year.  Critique Night pieces subsequently presented during the year will not earn additional points.

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