Our backlog of “Out of the Woodwork” articles (the last editorial page of the magazine), is running dangerously low; it’s time to restock the file, and we need your help. So, we’re running a contest for “OOW” submissions. The writer of the best submission (in the editors’ collective opinion) will not only get paid for the article ($250), but also win a 24” Leigh Superjig and matching vacuum and router support. We’ll buy all the runners-up, too ($250), and they’ll be published in future issues of Popular Woodworking.

In case you’re not familiar with the column, it’s a one-page article (600 words or so) that reflects on the writer’s thoughts about woodworking as a profession or hobby. The article can be either humorous or serious, and ideally should be on a unique topic – or present a ubiquitous topic from a fresh viewpoint. We get a lot of “grandpa was a woodworker,” “my first toolbox” and “my dad and I bonded in the shop” submissions; we don’t buy many of them. That’s not to say they’re not good – most of them just aren’t new. We want new. We want fresh. Because we know that’s what you want to read.

So, if you’ve got a great story, write it up and e-mail it to me (Megan Fitzpatrick) via e-mail. You could win a Leigh Superjig, and/or publication (and, OOW column is a great way for new writers to “break in” to the magazine!). The deadline is October 10, 2008. We’ll choose the winners by October 17.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

p.s. Below, we’ve posted pdfs of a few of our favorite OOWs from the past as examples, and for your reading enjoyment.