Calling all champions — it's time to enter the Plain English Awards (Image by Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0))

You definitely don’t want to miss out! Now’s the time to enter the 2017 Plain English Awards. Because who wouldn’t want to be in the running at these prestigious awards?

There’s no need to be shy about entering. Are you worried your content might not be plain enough? That’s a very good sign, because it shows that you care enough to be concerned. You care enough to want to do the best for your reader. You care about clear communication. It shows that you’re a perfectionist — and perfectionists like you are the closet champions we’re looking for.

If you truly care, enter your own or somebody else’s content in this year’s Plain English Awards. The Awards honour those who write plain English.

10 facts about New Zealand’s Plain English Awards

1. Entries close in 3 weeks, on 31 August 2017.
2. Most people don’t think they are good enough to enter — so seize the advantage!
3. No entry has ever been perfect — perfection is not possible.
4. The judges are impressed by effort, and delighted by every clear document.
5. The only documents publicly criticised are those in the Brainstrain Award.
6. You can enter a document, a website — or just a single sentence.
7. You can enter other people’s work in the People’s Choice category.
8. The premier prize is worth $5,000.
9. The Awards have been running for 12 years.
10. The awards are a not-for-profit event hosted by the WriteMark Plain English Awards Trust.

Enter the Awards here