San Antonio Poets Association

The poet accumulating the most points during the contest year (April through March) becomes the Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate may win the honor for two consecutive years, then becomes ineligible for one year. If a poet accumulates the most points, but is ineligible because of the one year ineligibility rule, this poet will receive the Poetic Excellence Award.

The accumulation of points toward the Poet Laureate award will be obtained from three categories of achievements. Part I, the qualifying category, will consist of contests sponsored by SAPA, PST, and NFSPS. You must place in at least one of these contests in order to be eligible to go on to Parts II and III. The first step in the selection process is to identify the five (5) top poets according to point totals from Part I. These 5 poets are the candidates for Poet Laureate. Part II will consist of participation or publication in these three affiliated organizations. Part III is for listing all poetry activity outside our affiliations. Points accumulated in Part II and Part III are then added to their Part I scores. The poet who accumulates the highest total number of combined points from Part I, II, and III becomes the Poet Laureate. The other four poets will be designated first through fourth runners-up. A Poetic Excellence award is also given to the poet winning the most SAPA, PST, & NFSPS contests.

• All speaking, reading, teaching, and publications must be on the subject of poetry.

• No points are awarded for participation in open mic poetry readings.

• A featured reader is one who has been specifically invited in advance to participate in a particular poetry venue or event. To receive credit for featured reader, verification must be provided.

• Points may not be earned for poems printed in any publication published by the poet or in Inkwell Echoes.

• Points may not be earned for publication on your own Website, the Website of a personal friend, or for poems on SAPA's Website.

• Points are awarded upon publication, not upon acceptance.

• Publications not listed in Poet's Market will be accepted subject to verifiction.

• To receive credit for being featured reader, verification must be provided.

• New categories for points will be added as deemed necessary.

 

POINT SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE POET LAUREATE

Achievements are those awarded from April–March of the current contest year. All points must be verified when sheets are turned in. Score sheets will be given out at the last meeting in May and again in September and March. They are also available on the Web site any time throughout the year. The score sheets must be turned in at the April meeting; no late entries will be accepted. The Poet Laureate will be announced in May.

 

Qualifying Category: SAPA, PST, and NFSPS Contests Only

Point Values for San Antonio Poets Association Contests: First=4 points Second=3 points Third=2 points HM=1 point

Point Values for Poetry Society of Texas Contests: First=5 points Second=4 points. Third=3 points *HM=2 points **AC=1 point.

Point Values for National Federation of State Poetry Societies: First=6 points Second=5 points. Third= 4 points *HM=3 points **AC=2 points

*For our scoring purposes, all Honorable Mentions whether 1-7 or 1-10) in PST & NFSPS contests shall have equal value. **AC means Also Cited, a category occasionally used in PST & NFSPS.

 

SAPA Participation

1. Attend all SAPA meetings 2 pts. total, not 2 pts. per meeting) 2 points

2. Enter all SAPA contests (3 pts. total, not 3 pts. per contest) 3 points

3. Current SAPA officer or committee chairman 5 points

4. Current SAPA committee member 2 points

5. Featured reader/speaker/teacher for SAPA 4 points

6. Sponsor a SAPA contest (when relevant) 2 points

7. Judge a SAPA contest (when relevant) 2 points

 

PST & NFSPS Participation

1. Current PST officer or councilor 6 points

2. Current PST member 2 points

3. Current PST committee chairman 4 points

4. Current PST committee member 3 points

5. Sponsor a current PST annual contest (3 pts. per contest) 3 points

6. Judge a self-sponsored PST contest (3 pts. per contest) 3 points

7. Appointed to judge a PST contest (4 pts. per contest) 4 points

8. Attend PST's annual Summer Conference (current year) 4 points

9. Attend PST's annual Awards Banquet (current year) 4 points

10. Published in PST's Book of the Year (each poem) 5 points

11. Published in PST's Bulletin (current year) 4 points

12. Featured reader/speaker/teacher for PST 5 points

13. Current NFSPS officer (Elective or Appointive Board) 7 points

14. Appointed to judge a NFSPS contest (per contest judged) 5 points

15. Attend the NFSPS convention (current year) 4 points

16. Published in Encore (each poem) 6 points

17. Published in Strophies (NFSPS' newsletter) 5 points

 

Poetry Participation Outside SAPA, PST, or NFSPS

1. Attend a poetry conference Local–2 State–3 National–4 points

2. Appointed to judge a contest (list) Local–3 State–5 National–5 points

3. Committee chairman for poetry event Local–4 State–5 National–6 points

4. Committee member for poetry event Local–3 State–4 National–5 points

5. Featured reader/speaker/teacher Local–4 State–5 National–6 points

6. Radio/TV presentation Local–4 State-6 National–10 points

7. Placed in local contest HM–1 3rd–2 2nd–3 1st–4 points

Placed in state/regional contest HM–2 3rd–3 2nd–4 1st–5 points

Placed in national contest HM–3 3rd–4 2nd–5 1st–6 points

8. Design a Website for a poetry organization (pro bono)-6 points

9. Serve as Webmaster for a poetry Website, not yours (pro bono)-5 points

10. Design/typeset/edit a poetry anthology, not yours (pro bono)-6 points

11. Edit or proofread a poetry anthology, not yours (pro bono)-4 points

12. Host a local poetry venue or workshop (list once annually)-4 points

13. Commissioned (paid) to write a poem-3 points

14. Published/on-line magazine not your own)-4 points

15. Published on a Website nor your own or a friend's)-3 points

16. Book commercially published and marketed.*-10 points

17. Book self-published; sold in bookstore(s).*-7 points

18. Book self-published; self-marketed *-4 points

19. Published in a small circulation local publication-3 points (newsletters, church bulletins, local journals)

20. Published in large anthology such as Encore-5 points (Poetry Society of Texas' Book of the Year, The Texas Poetry Calendar, Dreamcatcher, Voices Along the River, Galaxy of Verse, Lucidity, etc.)

21. Published in any journal, newspaper, etc. listed in Poets' Market-4 points

22. Published in a large circulation local publication-5 points (such as Express News, etc.)

23. Published in a well-known national publication or prestigious-6 points (academic journal, newspaper, etc. listed in Poet's Market)

24. Published in a large national/international publication-8 points (one million or more circulation, i.e. Christian Science Monitor, etc.)

25. Serve as guest editor of The San Antonio Express News or equivalent-6 points

26. Other point value to be determined by special Poet Laureate points committee appointed by the President to include the Contest Chairman.

* Books should be listed only once in the year of its publication.