Peeps FAQ 2011

1. What is this contest exactly?

You remember: Create a sculpture, diorama, tableau or art project of your liking that is made (mostly) of marshmallow Peeps.

2. How and where do I submit my Peeps entry?

First take a picture of your masterPeep. Then upload the photo of your entry here. You can also find the link on the seattletimes.com/living section.

3. What is the theme this year?

You choose the theme or topic. You might take inspiration from current movies or TV shows, the arts, news events or Seattle-area icons. (Remember last year's "Seafair Peeps" and "Salvador Peepli"?) See a gallery of last year's winners and finalists here.

4. Are there rules?

Yes. Your finished artwork must be suitable for publication in a family newspaper. For additional rules and guidelines see our "Official Rules."

5. May I submit my entry via e-mail or regular mail instead of uploading it online? May I drop it off at your office?

No. We regret we do not have the staff to handle alternate ways of submitting images.

6. When is the deadline for submitting entries?

Submit your entry by April 5 at noon to compete for prizes.

7. What size should my photo be?

For best results your image should be no larger than 200KB with dimensions not exceeding 600 pixels wide x 425 pixels tall. If your image is too small, it will not look as nice or fill the space in the slide show. Please be sure to keep a higher-resolution version of your image (at least 1MB) in case your image becomes a finalist and we wish to consider it for publication in the newspaper.

8. Which formats do you accept?

Your image must be a .jpeg. We cannot accept other formats.

9. What if I make a mistake on my entry? May I call or e-mail and ask you to fix it?

Once again, we regret that we do not have the staff to assist in this way. Please be sure your entry is exactly the way you want it before you upload it and your title and description free of errors before you submit your entry.

10. May I submit more than one entry in the contest?

No, our rule is one entry per person and one entry per e-mail address. If you have more than one family member entering the contest you will need to use two separate e-mail addresses.

11. I'm having trouble registering on the Upickem page. What should I do?

First you might want to check the Upickem Help link. If you still have questions, please contact our Webmaster at webmaster@seattletimes.com for assistance.

12. Why isn't my entry showing up in the contest page slide show?

Submissions are monitored, and your photo will not display until it has been approved by a member of our staff. Images in the wrong format or size or that are difficult to see will not be displayed. Images that violate our terms of service, are off topic or unsuitable for a family newspaper will also not be approved.

13. How does the judging work?

Seattle Times judges will review all of the entries and select a group of semifinalists on April 6. Judges will then determine two winners (Grand Prize, First Place) in both the adults and children's categories. Readers select a Peeple's Choice winner in both categories by voting for their favorite.

14. How does the voting work?

Each registered user may vote once a day during the voting period from April 6 at noon to April 13 at noon.

15. How will I know if my entry is being considered for publication in the newspaper?

Our staff will contact you at the e-mail address or phone number you submitted during registration. At that time, we will ask you for a high-resolution version of your photo and confirmation of your name and city in case we choose to publish your entry in the paper.

16. Will my user name show in the slide show?

Yes, your user name will appear under your submission along with the title and description of your project that you submit. You cannot change it later, so pick one you are comfortable with.

17. When will the winners be announced?

We will announce the winners and publish some of entries in the April 24, Easter Sunday edition of NW Arts & Life section of the newspaper. The selected entries will also appear online.

18. What will the prizes be?

We'll have three winners in a children's category and three winners in an adults' contest:

For the adults' contest:

Grand Prize: A $500 Bartell Drugs gift card

First place: A $200 Bartell Drugs gift card

"Peeple's Choice" winner: A $50 Bartell Drugs gift card

For the children's contest:

Grand Prize: A $200 Bartell Drugs gift card

First place: A $100 Bartell Drugs gift card

"Peeple's Choice" winner: A $50 Bartell Drugs gift card

— Seattetimes.com staff