Though our Share and Share a Like contest is still in full swing, I want to let you know that we’ve got a special, two-week contest coming up this August.
Sponsored by Drano, the Clogs to Coins contest is going to be focused entirely in our Plumbing category. We encourage you to document your own plumbing projects and turn them into helpful online guides that can help those who follow in your handy DIY path!
To help you learn how to turn home plumbing projects into useful online articles, we’re going to hold a special HubCamp at HubPages Headquarters on Thursday, August 18th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. In this HubCamp, we’ll share our advice on turning home projects into Hubs, and also help you assemble your contest entries! There will also be food, HubPages swag, and fun schmoozing with HubPages staff. We hope you can make it! To RSVP, send me a message! If you can’t make the San Francisco-based HubCamp, no worries- we will post an online version of it on Friday August 19th.
Though we will roll out the full details of the contest soon, the gist is as follows:
- Join HubPages (if you have not already – it’s free and easy)!
- Write an entry within the Plumbing category (entries in any of the Plumbing subcategories count)- keeping in mind the judging criteria! (maximum five per day)
- Publish your Hub! (BUT NO EARLIER THAN 12:00pm PT on Sunday, August 21st)
Prizes ($2,500 total)
- $500 Grand Prize
- $100 Pro Plumber Prizes for each best entry published in the Clogged Drains, Tubs and Showers, Plumbing How-Tos, Plumbing Fixtures, Sinks, Faucets, and Drains, and Water Heaters and Plumbing categories.
- $50 Staff Pick prize awarded to the best Hub of the Day (determined by HubPages staff members referring to the official contest judging criteria)
- $50 Daily Drawing prize awarded to a randomly selected entry each day
Judging Criteria
We will be judging entries based on…
- The usefulness of the guide
- Original photos and video
- Whether the entry is on a long-tail, niche topic that has not been extensively covered online
- Whether the entry has a search-friendly title (mirrors common search terms)
- Excellent writing (proper use of grammar, capitalization)
- The entry’s uniqueness (not copied or paraphrased from elsewhere online, full of details, examples, names, and figures)
- Attractive formatting (avoidance of excessive link, eBay, or Amazon capsule clutter, excessive bolding or italics, and all-caps)
- Judicious use of relevant capsules (original photos (especially your own), video, maps, tables, links, news, etc.)
Timing
- Entries may first be submitted on Sunday, August 21st 2011 at 12:00pm (PT) (You may find the current Pacific Time here)
- The final deadline for entry submission is Sunday, September 4th at 12:00pm (PT)
- Daily Drawing and Staff Pick winners will be announced every weekday around 4:00pm; winners from the weekend will be announced the following Monday around 4:00pm.
- The Pro Plumber and Grand Prizes will be announced on Wednesday, September 7th.
We hope you enter the contest this August- and in the days that lead up to it, be sure to document any plumbing-related tasks you complete!
HubPages Blog 
The timing doesn’t make sense to me:
Entries may first be submitted on Sunday, August 19th 2011 at 12:00pm
The final deadline is Sunday, August 4th at 12:00pm (PT)
So the deadline is before the contest opens?
Wow melbel! Thanks so much for the comment- I had some serious typos in the timing section. The final deadline is Sunday, SEPTEMBER 4th, my apologies. And entries may first be submitted on Sunday, August 21st. ^_^;;
You still missed another typo:
4. Publish your Hub! (BUT NO EARLIER THAN 12:00pm PT on Sunday, August 19th)
Just getting you straight! 😉
Thanks for that, Christopher! Clearly I’m having trouble with contest dates, hahahaah.
Okay, so I am 2 hours away from San Francisco by automobile, but I am a beginning Hubber. It states on the email (invitation) that your gathering is geared for intermediate/advanced Hubbers.
1) Where’s the location of this meet-up?
2) What’s in it for a Beginning Hubber (5 weeks) like me? Would it be way too over my Hubber head???
Thanks!
Hi Arlene – We will be meeting at HubPages headquarters (95 Minna St, in downtown San Francisco). If you’ve been on the site and have set up your profile and created a Hub, then you should be fine. Beginners who are having trouble getting their first Hub published or who need to set up an account might be too lost in this HubCamp. Hope to see you there! – Jason
Jason, only two hours at HubPages Headquarters in The City??? Come on, now. Can’t this be an all-day affair? You’ve gotta count time in traffic and parking, too! That’s not enough time to schmoooooooze! And the only thing I know about plumbing is using Drano to unplug my drain. So what do you have going on in Sacramento? (hint, hint, wink)
Oh, there will be plenty of schmoozing time afterwards! Funny you should mention Drano…since they are the sponsor! You’ll receive a Drano Snake Plus and see our Hub about how we used it to unclog a drain. 🙂