  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Sarah Rae  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
The contests and activities on this site are constantly changing! Almost every day there is something new and exciting to view and participate in. The ideas are endless. Some succeed, some manage to get along, while others, unfortunately, are left behind and forgotten. My goal as your Contest & Activity newsletter editor is to provide each of you with the tools it takes to create a great success.
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| ASIN: 0910355479 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 13.99
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Picking Prizes
Once upon a time there was a novel-writing contest. It had a catchy banner image. It was tastefully laid out without too much WritingML or alternating colors. The rules were clear. The prompt was somewhat interesting, not altogether original, but interesting nonetheless. It was vague enough that writers of all genres might be drawn to it, but specific enough that the novel would have to be written new for the contest.
All in all, it wasn't a bad contest. The reader was vaguely interested, but they weren't going to commit until they saw what prizes were offered.
Now you, as a reader, think about this: would you be willing to crank out several chapteres of a new novel for only a 5,000 GP prize? What about 10,000 GP? Or would you not even touch such a demanding contest without a larger amount offered?
When creating a contest, the prize must match the amount of work expected from the entrant. You might luck out, as a host, and get one or two authors to try if you spark their interest enough. But you won't get a good turn out unless the prize is enough to keep their interest. There are dozens of active contests at any given moment on Writing.Com. You don't need to offer 200,000 GP prizes, but you do need to make sure your prize offering is fair to the work your contestants will do.
Don't have enough GPs to host that awesome contest you've got brewing in your head? There are several ways to earn gift points. You might luck out and find a donator willing to contribute, but don't rely on that. Earn the gift points yourself. Do reviews (auto-rewards are great if you're willing to give good, honest feedback), enter raffles/contests yourself, look for surveys that offer a GP reward, host a small auction, start a c-note collection, get creative and find ways to earn those GPs (Warning: Getting creative does NOT mean spamming Writing.Com members to beg for donations).
Just make sure, when you set GPs aside for rewards, you keep in mind what the contestant will have to do in order to earn that prize. |
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B004PICKDS |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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| ASIN: B07NPKP5BF |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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Contests & Activities: May 09, 2007 Issue [#1699]
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