Are you the proud owner of the greatest Office template ever? Whether it's a PowerPoint slide design that keeps audiences riveted, a handy personal budget spreadsheet, or a sure-to-be-hired resume layout, now is your chance to share your genius with the rest of the world by way of Microsoft Office Online.

From July 11 through August 10, 2005, Office Online will collect Word, PowerPoint, and Excel templates submitted by Office users. We'll review all submissions for creativity, design, and usefulness. A few lucky winners will be selected for each program, and those winners will have their template and name (if desired) published on Office Online so that everyone can appreciate their template skills.

If you need a little inspiration, take a look at some of the many contest entries we've already received:

Bible environment	Internet media plan	Lesson plan	Bluetooth presentation

"Surely," you're thinking, "there must be a lot of rules and restrictions to get published on a Microsoft Web site?" Not really. Here's what you have to do:

• Submit templates that you create in any version of Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel.
• Protect your privacy: Remove all personal information (such as names, addresses, and phone numbers) before you submit your templates.
• Accept the short Submission Agreement, as explained in the submission process.
• Respect the copyright rights of others and the boundaries of good taste.

That's all. Easy, isn't it?

You can send as many templates as you like, so what should you submit first? To get your creative juices flowing, take a look at a few of the great templates we already provide on Office Online:

• 2005 calendars
• Invoices and purchase orders
• Holiday cards and projects
• Basic resumes
• Diet and exercise trackers

 

• All Microsoft Word templates
• All Microsoft Excel templates
• All Microsoft PowerPoint templates

You can submit your templates either as normal files or in official template format for each of the applications. If you need help saving your work as a template, here are some good places to start:

• Create a document template in Microsoft Word
• Create a template in Microsoft Excel
• Save a presentation as a Microsoft PowerPoint template

We'll announce the winners in a special article on the Office Online home page in September, so keep checking back to see if your template is chosen. Good luck!