We editors receive no shortage of feedback these days. Between the comments sections that accompany our online articles, postings on LinkedIn and Facebook, tweets, e-mails, and even old-fashioned phone calls, it sometimes can seem like our readers spend more time reacting to our words than we spent writing and editing them.

How uplifting it is, then, to receive feedback of a different kind — feedback that lets you know that not only are you fulfilling your publication’s or Web site’s mission of informing, showcasing, and entertaining your readers, but also your goal to remain at the forefront of your own profession, the profession of journalism.

Independent editorial and design competitions, like those sponsored by ASBPE and others, offer an important opportunity for that kind of feedback — an opportunity we ought not to squander, for many reasons.

Just the act of assembling the entries for such competitions is an uplifting experience. Many times we begin the process wondering if, in the course of our ever-more hurried workweeks, we really have managed to produce anything outstanding this past year, anything that we could objectively deem award-worthy. But the act of paging through our past issues and Web postings reassures us that we have, in fact, produced some amazing work.

Whether we win an award or not, the act of assembling the entries and writing the descriptions of the enterprise that went into creating them reminds us that we really did perform some minor miracles. Even if we never win an award, it is more than worthwhile to take a few minutes to revel in the year’s accomplishments.

Reassurance. Of course, it’s great to win. When we do, we are reassured that our work is meeting not only the standards we set for ourselves, but the standards set by the profession at large as well. It signifies that our editorial staffs are producing content that other editors would deem to be outstanding, and this is critical to ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of the profession.

Awards also serve as important tools for reiterating to our employer organizations that we are doing an outstanding job. As many ASBPE Webinar speakers have noted recently, finding ways to quantify and therefore measure what we do as B2B editors can sometimes be a challenge; enumerating our awards to our employers can be a concrete way to demonstrate the service that we provide to our readers and value that we add to our organizations.

And though this may seem trivial, it’s important to participate in the awards presentations and the banquets or luncheons that accompany them. In this era of online education courses and Webinars, we rarely have the opportunity to interact with each other face to face anymore. Attending the awards presentations in person gives us the opportunity to renew ties with former colleagues, meet the new faces of the profession, and examine each other’s work.

Sizing Up the Competition. Communications experts tell us that the vast majority of all messages are delivered in nonverbal ways; how can we possibly communicate with each other, learn from each other, and get to know one another without laying eyes on one another? How can we judge our work against others’ if we never see the work produced by others?

The next time “awards season” rolls around, consider taking the time to enter. And if you’re lucky enough to win (and maybe even if you’re not), go to the lunch. It’s worth the effort.

By Laurie Shuster

Laurie Shuster is the managing editor of Civil Engineering magazine in Reston, Virginia.

Labels: Awards, Azbee Awards

By Paul J. Heney

We’ve been hearing about the global economy for years now, and it’s true that for many of our publications, international growth is a reality.

The other side of this is that we have to realize that we’re not the only players in the game. B2B publications have existed for years in far-flung markets, from Singapore to Sweden. And many of them are doing great things for the industries they serve.

That’s really the thrust behind the Tabbie Awards, now entering into its seventh year. As a partner to ASBPE’s venerable Azbee Awards, the Tabbies are somewhat akin to the Golden Globes — the place where all the world’s English-language publications come together and are judged on the same journalistic and design qualities.

Any English-language B2B publications — anywhere in the world — are eligible for the Tabbies. If your publication is in Chicago, but you just cover regional or national events in your industry, that’s fine — just as it is for a publication in Western Canada or on the North Island of New Zealand that’s just a regional b2b.

I think that people are looking back at 2009 as a tough year, but also as a measuring stick of sorts. I hope that someday, when I look back at my own career, I’ll be happy with how hard I worked through those tough months, and proud of the work I did then. I know other publications that also did some exceptional things last year, and I’m excited to see what stories are told in this year’s Tabbie Awards.

I invite you to visit TABPI and download our Call for Entries, which includes all the categories, instructions and the entry form. The deadline for submissions is March 3, which will be here before you know it.

While you’re there, I encourage you to take a look at the awards page, which has links to previous contests. We have PDFs of many of the winning stories and departments (as well as images of the design winners), and I think it’s really quite instructive to look at these brilliant examples of what b2b can be, whether it’s done in Atlanta or Auckland.

Paul is the president of TABPI and past president of the ASBPE.

Labels: Awards, Paul Heney, TABPI

By Steven Roll

ASBPE is looking for a few good judges for the 2010 AZBEE Awards of Excellence.

At this point in the "looking for judges" blog post I usually point out all the good things you're likely to learn from the judging experience. For instance, you'll develop a sense for which entries' mission statements and essays work and don't work.

But after rounding up judges for the 2009 print and digital competitions I've come up with an even more compelling reason: your colleagues in the business press need you to share your editorial and design acumen more than ever.

As you probably are aware, the publishing industry has been particularly hard hit by the current economic crisis. Many of our B2B colleagues have either been laid off or forced to work the same job for less pay.

No matter how rewarding, finding the time to volunteer is hard enough when the economy is firing on all cylinders. But it's almost impossible when there are more pressing concerns such as finding employment.

If you're one of those lucky people out there that is still working in a senior editorial or design position, please consider judging. Judging is also open to successful freelancers.

Besides the warm feelings and practical experience, you'll receive $75 in “ASBPE bucks,” which may be applied toward membership dues, fees for chapter events or the national conference, or ASBPE books.

Of course, not everyone can be a judge. ASBPE is looking for people who have a proven track record of success in the B2B publishing industry. Find out if you have what it takes by e-mailing ASBPE's judging coordinator Katy Tomasulo at ktomasulo @ hanleywood.com.

Labels: Awards, Azbee Awards, Steven Roll

By Warren Hersch
ASBPE President

BusinessWeek: Audience engagement boosts traffic

Digital journalism isn’t just about providing multimedia content. To be effective, that content has to actively engage readers, drawing them into discussions with B2B reporters and editors, and with each other. So said BusinessWeek.com Technology & Science Channel editor Tom Giles during the Web Site of the Year presentation at ASBPE’s Digital Symposium last month.

“Today, context is just as important as content,” said Giles.

At last count:

• Unique monthly visitors stood at 10.2 million, up from 6.4 million in 2006.
• Monthly page-views total 50.4 million, a 20.3 percent rise over the 41.9 million recorded in 2006.
• Most accessed links are video and pod­cast feeds, which nab, respectively more than 500,000 and 820,000 visitors a month.
• Page views driven by search engines are up 45 percent over the last four years.
• BusinessWeek.com's sister site, Business Exchange, now claims more than 32,000 registered users.
• The most active topic, social networking, boasted more than 2,051 new articles and 255 users on Nov. 25.

To encourage reader engagement, Business Exchange sports a “Featured User” box for the individual who has contributed the largest number of posts to a particular topic; and a “What’s Your Idea” section where readers can suggest stories for the magazine.

Note: A longer version of this article appears in the November/December 2009 ASBPE Editor’s Notes member newsletter; it is also available on the ASBPE web site.

Warren Hersch is the ASBPE national president and senior editor for National Underwriter Life & Health.

Labels: Awards, Azbee Awards, Design, Digital, Warren Hersch

Deadline for submissions January 25; fairer competition divisions now to be revenue-based

A change in the basic divisions of the 2010 annual Print Azbees Awards of Excellence contest will make small publications more competitive. Instead of being circulation-based, the awards will be revenue-based to help ensure a fairer and more balanced awards program. The deadline for entries is January 25, 2010.

As before, ASBPE will accept online electronic entries for most categories. But 2010 will be the last year in which the Society will accept hard copy nominations.

Submission process

Entrants for the various print categories will find instructions online on how to make a low-resolution PDF and will be informed of a successful upload. For better entry preparation, a well-written mission statement, geared for judging purposes, will be posted.

Although entrants can still send hard copies, most categories will be available for PDF submission, including design entries. Some categories, such as those needing entire issues, will still require hard copies.

Call for entries

ASBPE will email the entry form to publications nationwide. Reminder postcards will be mailed in December.

Fees

Submitting online will carry a lower entry fee than submitting hard copy:

• Members, $75 for entering online; $105 for entering hard copies.
• Nonmembers, $85 for online; $115 for hard copies.
• Fees for the Magazine of the Year are slightly higher.

Category Changes

The 2010 competition maintains most of the editorial and design categories from last year. Newsletter categories have been combined into two: Newsletter General Excellence and Newsletter Article. Individual/ Company Profile is now two separate categories (“Individual” and “Company”). Additionally, “human interest” has been removed from the Humorous/Fun category.

New Contest Divisions

Two sets of awards will be given in each print magazine editorial and design category, and in the Magazine of the Year competition. However, the 2010 competition divisions will be defined not by circulation, as in prior years, but rather by revenue. This change is being implemented to ensure a more fair and balanced competition.

At the close of the contest deadline, revenue figures will be aggregated from all of the competition entry forms and a median value will be calculated from the data. Entries of publications that fall below the median — one-half of the total number of publications participating in the contest — will be placed in a “Small Publications” division. The balance of entries will be placed in a “Large Publications” division.

Judging

Each entry is read by multiple, experienced judges with background in business publications. Their introduction to each entry is a required one-page cover letter describing the publication’s mission, readership, the enterprising work that went into the entry, and its significance to readers.

The Magazine of the Year judging panel analyzes three consecutive issues of a publication for quality of writing, reporting, and editing; editorial organization; layout and design; value to readers; and interaction with readers.

Print Editorial judging typically is based on quality of writing, reporting, and editing; development of the subject; presentation; and value to readers. Print Design judging typically is based on layout and composition; use of typography, graphics, and photography; content; originality; relevance to the related story or publication; and how easily the entry communicates useful information to the reader.

Award finalists

As always, award finalists will be notified in advance of the national and regional awards banquets. For 2010, all entrants will be notified by e-mail.

Award categories

The Azbees will include gold, silver, and bronze awards nationally and regionally at the judges’ discretion.

Azbee awards banquet

National awards will be presented during the ASBPE annual National Editorial Conference in July 2010 in Chicago. Details for regional awards ceremonies will be announced later.

For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.asbpe.org/ or phone 630-510-4588; e-mail info@asbpe.org.

Labels: Awards, Azbee Awards

$2,500 for Excellence in Online Journalism Award
Deadline: Oct. 5, 2009

The Online Journalism Award carries a $2,500 prize and is presented at the National Press Foundation's Annual Awards Dinner. Finalists will be selected by faculty from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. The winner will be elected by representatives from the Newhouse School and NPF. The deadline for applications will be 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5.

There is no application form. Any online site dealing with journalism is eligible. Applicants should e-mail the following:

1. The URL and a statement about the site and its unique properties

2. Information about journalistic achievements in the period of September 2008 through September 2009

3. Contact information including name, email and direct telephone number

Email applications to npf@nationalpress.org.

Labels: Awards

By Amy Florence Fischbach
2009 Awards Competition Chair

Publications are still meeting their readers’ needs for useful, timely, and in-depth information. The 2009 Print Azbees prove it.

Despite the challenges of working with streamlined staffs and fewer resources, award-winning editors have earned richly deserved props for buckling down, going above and beyond, and still looking out for their readers.

As the editorial standard-bearer and the only U.S. professional society for B2B editors, ASBPE offers a hearty “well done.”

Equally important, each Azbee Award, with its informed and tough criteria, is a valuable marketing tool for publications willing to understand and sell the significance.

ASBPE is proud of our national winners and our numerous regional award winners. They are part of our family as well. You see, there is a lot of good work out there.

Our judges know it. As always, more than 80 “in-the-trenches” editors, artists, academicians, and consultants invested their time and energy into carefully reviewing each entry.

Making a difference

This year, for the first time, ASBPE established a Journalism That Matters Award for editors whose efforts made a tangible change in their industry. Read how HSToday editor David Silverberg beat the National Football League.

Thank you

To all the publications that chose to support us (and yourselves) this year, we sincerely appreciate it. And so does your editorial and art staff. We all value your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence in B2B journalism.

I also want to recognize ASBPE’s members for their continued support. Please, stay involved in your local chapters and with national, and donate to the ASBPE Foundation. Participation has rewards.

Finally, thanks to our staff: Janet Svazas, Holly Lundgren, Robin Sherman, and Martha Spizziri, and all the volunteer national and chapter board members.

The new Digital Azbees

For the first time in the history of the association, ASBPE is dividing the print and digital awards competition.

We’re introducing 15 new digital categories that represent the various activities in which editors are involved.

Of course, we’re still keeping all the other categories, including the top honors, Web Site of the Year and Multi-Platform General Excellence. This will be the premier digital event.

We urge you to enter your best Web sites, e-newsletters, podcasts, microsites, show coverage, and other examples of great digital work. The submission deadline for the Digital Azbees is Sept. 1, 2009. For more information, go to our website at www.asbpe.org.

Labels: Amy Fischbach, Awards, Azbee Awards, Digital, Technology

Who produced the best investigative business journalism in the past year? You tell us. The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is accepting submissions for the annual Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism. The awards, named after Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporters Don Barlett and Jim Steele, highlight the top print and online business journalism.

The deadline for submission is Aug. 3. Entries must have appeared between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009. The $5,000 Gold and $2,000 Silver winners will be announced in the fall.

“We’d like to see journalists who keep the bigger picture in mind. Someone who brings an understanding of complex issues that have not been properly explained. Don and I have an informal motto: Tell the readers something they don’t know about,” Steele says.

Click here to find out how to enter.

For more information about free training and for daily tips on business coverage via Facebook and Twitter visit the Reynolds Center at www.BusinessJournalism.org.

Questions? Contact Kelly Carr at 602-496-5439 or kelly.carr@businessjournalism.org.

Labels: Awards

Last call for nominations for Publishing Executive's third annual Best Magazine Publishing Companies to Work For study.

Submit nominations at: www.BestMAGCompanies.com.

The registration deadline is this Friday, June 26th. Registration and participation in the study are free.

Even nominated companies that don't make the final list of Best Magazine Publishing Companies to Work For benefit from a free "Participation Report."

The report provides the company with anonymous feedback from its employees on 8 data points essential to positive work environments.

Publishing Executive's Best Magazine Publishing Companies to Work For study finds and recognizes the best companies to work for in magazine publishing. Each year, Publishing Executive partners with Best Companies Group, which specializes in identifying and recognizing outstanding workplaces all over the country.

The 2009 list of the Best Magazine Publishing Companies to Work For will be published in the November 2009 issue of Publishing Executive magazine.

See the 2008 list.

Labels: Awards, Work Life

By Paul Heney

It’s not too late to get involved in the 2009 Tabbies, and show the whole world that fantastic work that you and your team did in 2008. The international competition, supported by groups as varied as ASBPE and the Magazine Publishers Association of New Zealand, had more than 700 entries last year, and is open to all English language b2b publications, whether in the U.S. or abroad. Magazines are not required to belong to any specific association or group to be eligible.

I’ve learned so much in the five previous Tabbie competitions, and have been amazed at the talent in the b2b world, both in the U.S. and around the globe. We’ve had smaller magazines from smaller countries win huge awards, and have been able to start some dialogues between regions of the world. Please take a look at some of our past winners on the http://www.tabpi.org/ website, I think you’ll be impressed. For the vast majority of them, you can click on the entry and see a larger jpeg image or a PDF of the winner. So, when you’re thinking of what might be a potential winner in your arsenal of work, you can see how it stacks up to other entrants. This year’s deadline is March 17th.

If you have any questions about the Tabbies, please drop me an email, I’ll be happy to assist.

Paul J. Heney is editorial director for Questex Media's Hotel Group, which includes Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, and Luxury Hotelier. A member of the ASBPE Cleveland Chapter board, Heney served as national president of ASPBE from 1999-2003. He is also president of TABPI, an international b2b think tank that promotes b2b journalism and professionalism. He can be emailed at pheney@questex.com.

Labels: Awards, Paul Heney, Tabbie Awards, TABPI

By Steven Roll
ASBPE President

During tough economic times it's only natural to prepare for the worst. Expenses once taken granted such as contest entry fees or association memberships are given a second look. Plans to expand or introduce a new product are often shelved or deferred to the distant future.

While assuming the crash position might feel right for the short term, it's probably a mistake to remain in it too long. In fact, there's probably never been a better time to work hard to distinguish yourself and your publication. Entering the AZBEE Awards of Excellence is a great way to do just that.

Here are 10 reasons why you can't afford to let the Jan. 30 entry deadline for the AZBEEs pass you by:

• You will probably have a better chance of winning than in previous years. There are typically fewer entries in a down economy. Publications are either going out of business or cutting costs.
  
  
• It's never been more important to achieve the recognition that comes with winning a coveted editorial or design award. Hopefully, your job is secure. But if it isn't, it can't hurt to add the phrase "award winning" to your resume.
  
  
• Your subscribers need to know that they're paying for a quality publication that is worth the cost. Nothing says that like an AZBEE Award.
  
  
• Your advertisers want confirmation that their dollars are going to a top-flight publication.
  
  
• You need to demonstrate to your company's executives that your publication is valuable and should not be placed on the chopping block.
  
  
• It's never been easier to enter the AZBEE Awards. Entries for most categories may be submitted over the Internet. Gone are all of the copies and plastic pages that had to be submitted in the past.
  
  
• New categories such as "Most Humorous" and "Custom Publications" increase the amount of content eligible for entry.
  
  
• The National Awards Banquet will be held in Washington, D.C. An exciting place to be lately.
  
  
• The regional awards banquets are among ASBPE's most popular networking events. There a few better opportunities for receiving recognition and getting to know your colleagues in the trade or business press.
  
  
• It's important to know where your publication stands. Winning is nice. But losing is often more instructive.

Emerge from the fetal position and start preparing and submitting your entries. Come July, you'll be glad you did.

Labels: ASBPE Conference, Awards, Azbee Awards, Steven Roll

By Martha Spizziri
ASBPE Web Editor

Following is information received from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.

Awards

The Nieman Foundation will present two journalism awards early next year:

• The Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism. The Nieman Foundation is the new administrator of the Bingham Prize and will present the award for the first time in March 2009. The cash award has been doubled from last year's amount to $20,000. The deadline for applications is January 9, 2009. The award honors investigative reporting of stories of national significance where the public interest is being ill-served. For more information visit: www.nieman.harvard.edu/worth-bingham-prize/
  
  
• The Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Newspapers encourages fairness in news coverage by daily newspapers in the United States. The application deadline is January 16, 2009. The cash prize is $10,000 for the winner and $1,000 for each of the top two finalists. Full details can be found at www.nieman.harvard.edu/taylor-family-award/

Fellowships

The Nieman Foundation selects at least 12 U.S. and 12 international journalists for Nieman Fellowships each year. The fellowships are awarded to working journalists of accomplishment and promise who come to Harvard University for a paid year of study, seminars and special events. More than 1,300 journalists from 88 countries have received Nieman Fellowships since 1938. The application deadline for the 2009-2010 academic year is December 15, 2008 for international journalists and January 31, 2009 for U.S. journalists. More information about the Nieman Fellowship program is available at www.nieman.harvard.edu/nieman-fellowships/

The Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism – March 20-22, 2009

The theme for this year's conference, the premier annual event for narrative journalists in the U.S., is "Telling True Stories in Turbulent Times." More than 50 star speakers and hundreds of mid-career journalists will gather in Boston to celebrate the art of storytelling in every format and every medium. Online registration begins December 4 and an early-bird rate of $375 will be offered until January 15, 2009. More information can be found online at: www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative2009/

Labels: Awards, Fellowships, Martha Spizziri, Scholarships