BETTERBNC CONTESTANT INSTRUCTIONS

(For first-time BetterBNC users) This year, entries to the NMPA-APME BNC will be submitted using a web-based program at www.betterbnc.com.

Below are directions for preparing and submitting entries. If you have questions, please contact Philip Lucey at (505) 275-1377, or phil@nmpress.org

IMPORTANT: The contest platform is optimized for Firefox for PC and Macintosh. Please have a recent version downloaded and installed for the best contest experience.

The deadline for all entries is August, 10, 2012

1. Login
a. Go to http://betternewspapercontest.com/beta4/.
b. Click contestant login (upper left).
c. Select the appropriate Contest.
d. Select the appropriate contestant type:
i. If you are the single point of contact for your organization, select Contestant Manager.
ii. If you have received an email authorizing you to submit entries for your organization, select Authorized Entrant.
iii. If you are an individual submitting your own entries, select Open Call. If you haven’t yet created an Open Call account, follow the on-screen instructions.
e. For Contestant Managers and Authorized Entrants, select the appropriate News Organization.
f. See BNC email for temp password. 
2. Submit Entries
a. On the Manage Entries page, click Submit Entry (left side).
b. Select the appropriate Division (a larger grouping of categories).
c. Select the appropriate Category.
d. (If applicable) Read the corresponding Category Note (directly below the Category selection box), describing what is expected for the category’s entry content.
e. Complete the Headline/Title field.
f. Based on the type of entry, add content:
i. To upload digital file attachments (other than audio/video), click Browse, navigate to the desired file, select Open, and click Upload. Allowed file types are PDF, DOC, TXT, JPG, GIF, and PNG. If more than one attachment is desired for this entry, repeat these steps. If you reach a point where you cannot add any more attachments to an entry, you may have reached the attachments limit, set by your contest administrator. Please try to keep file sizes to 5mb or less, to aid judges in accessing entry content. For larger files (between 5-50mb), you may upload your file(s) to www.issuu.com, and copy and paste the URL into the Web URL field.
ii. To add web/audio/video content, copy and paste the content’s web address into the provided Web URL field. To host your content online, either upload it to a free streaming content website (e.g. YouTube) or talk to your IT person about adding it to your station’s website. Make sure the content will be accessible online throughout the contest and awards process. Here are some examples of free streaming content websites where you can upload audio and video content:
Audio: www.kiwi6.com, www.tindeck.com
Video: www.youtube.com, www.vimeo.com
IMPORTANT: Please ensure that items are not behind a paywall or a password-protected area. If they are, you must provide username/password info in the Comments section of your entry. Judges may disqualify your entry if work samples are inaccessible.
iii. To create an entry for a mail-in, hardcopy-only category (e.g. tearsheets), DO NOT UPLOAD A FILE OR ADD WEBSITE URL CONTENT. Simply complete all other content fields. This will apply to Design & Typography and General Excellence.
g. Click Next.
h. Add Credits for those responsible for the entry content.
i. Add Comments (if available), but keep them brief (e.g. 100 words).
j. Click Submit.
k. For hardcopy/mail-in entry categories, print and attach the entry label (which automatically appears after each entry is submitted) to each hardcopy item and follow contest shipping instructions (contact the contest administrator for more info).

3. Payment for Entries
a. When all entries are submitted (but before the Entry Deadline), log in to your account's Manage Entries page.
b. Click Calculate Entry Fee (middle right) and review your list of entries for accuracy.
c. Scroll to the bottom of the list for your Entry Fee Subtotal (lower right).
d. Click the payment link (lower left) to pay for your contest entries, following the instructions on the payment page.
e. Click the Print icon (upper right) to print your list of entries and fees.