  Contests & Activities
This week: Rules, Schmules...who cares? Edited by: Legerdemain  
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The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.
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Rules, Schmules...who cares?
Caesarrupus asked "If a round doesn't receive enough entries, is it ok to relax the rules / prompt?"
I think the key word in your question is "relax". If this is the first contest you've run and you find you're missing some key rules or you've misjudged the time it takes to get entries in, you may need to "relax" the rule. In general, I think it's never a good idea to change rules in the middle of a contest. Clarifying a rule is okay. But consider the lesson learned if you don't get a lot of entries in your first round or contest and move forward. Ask yourself what was missing. Did you advertise before the contest started? Did you give members enough time / too much time to write and enter? Was the contest held during the wrong time of the year?
If you didn't advertise enough, then run the contest and award prizes to the few that entered. Remember for new contests or rounds to put in a clause "If less than X number of entries are submitted, only X number of prizes will be awarded." When saving gift points to award as prizes, set aside more to use for advertising on BidClick. If you're upgraded, a signature banner can help direct people to your contest item.
If you didn't give members enough time to enter, or gave too much time and members forgot about the item, change the running date for the next one. Some parts of the year are a bit slower than others. I find summertime is good for members who might be off of college or home on holiday. Holiday contests should be well-advertised and give members time to enter before the crush of commitments take over at home. Too much time given for a contest can also have an adverse affect. Members may forget the contest or lose interest before you wrap it up. Answering emails and questions on a timely basis is always appreciated.
Auctions should close on the given date at the exact given time. All prizes should be awarded when bids are paid. It is terrible to hold an auction or raffle, collect member's gift points and then award nothing. All that does is create ill will and turn new members against our community. If you don't have gift points / money for the prizes, don't hold a raffle. As an aside, raffles to raise gift points for an upgrade rarely raise enough. Your time is much better spent reviewing and working on your own to raise the needed amount. Or wash cars, walk dogs, and mow lawns to earn enough cash to purchase an upgrade.
The most important thing to do is have fun. If you enjoy the contest and meeting new members, you'll participate more and everyone will have a good time.
This month's question: How do you feel about changing rules in the middle of an activity or contest?
Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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#1150723 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Every month a different writing.com genre will be chosen (Action/Adventure, Activity, Adult, Comedy, etc.) to write a story to, and words will be chosen that you cannot use in that story. You have from the 1st of the month, to the 10th of the month, to get your entries in!
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#1640869 by Not Available. |
Entry fee is a review. Round closes Feb 7, still time to enter!
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#1744558 by Not Available. |
Shadows Express is the Paper Doll Gang's brand-new e-zine.
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A fun way to send review gifts to a friend!
Nominate an author you think is truly talented.
Spread some community love by reviewing members with account anniversaries.
A very active review group!
Do a Good Deed (or five}!
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#1737713 by Not Available. |
Test your knowledge of classic Sci-fi!
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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!
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This month's question: How do you feel about changing rules in the middle of an activity or contest?
Last month's question: How much do you plan to participate on Writing.com this year?
dmastanton says: I want to write more. With the random thoughts that wander in my mind and the adventures of my merry band of animals, the stories are there. I just have to sit and write!!
Jeff  replied: I guess you really can learn something new every day... for some reason, Submission Tracking has totally eluded me so far. Thanks for the great tips!  And to answer your question, I plan to participate heavily in WdC this year... but probably not as heavily as when I was unemployed and had more time than I knew what to do with last year. 
Annette  answered: Thank you so very much for featuring "Anniversary Reviews" and my poll "Invalid Item" . At this point, I have to give eyestar~*  kudos for the review that made me add another option to vote for, it is now the MOST voted for option.  Just proves once again the power of well thought out reviews.
And, to answer your question, I hope to participate more on select activities and give those more of my attention rather than spread myself too thin by trying to have a hand in too many things and botching half of them for lack of time/energy."
Steve adding writing to ntbk. responded: I plan to organize and implement a new group and bolster the standings of another group.
Write, read, review, and learn every step of the way. Copenator out!
JACE  said: Great idea, Leger. Don't forget the NotePad for those who aren't fortunate to have a Premium membership. I've used that since I was a wee tyke on WDC. And it still is full of my submissions.
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Contests & Activities: February 02, 2011 Issue [#4212]
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