This week: Explain Yourself Edited by: NaNoNette  
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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
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Explain Yourself
So you have an idea for an activity or a contest that you want to offer the community. That's great! Writers are constantly looking for new ways to be creative with words and strengthen all of their varied writing skills.
It doesn't matter if you are offering a contest that follows a theme like a season, a technique like limericks, asks for the creation of new worlds, wants to see a certain genre reflected, or demands a response to a specific prompt.
It doesn't matter if you're thinking about a reviewing activity, a writing exercise, a challenge, or a raffle or auction.
Both of these types of community offerings need one thing before they can get started. A concise, precise, and understandable set of rules. Just how you want to read contest entries that spark something in you, you have to ensure that the guidelines on how to use your activity or write for your contest are clear. In order to attract writers, you have to be a writer too.
One way to make sure your rules are clear is to ask for reviews. Once you get reviews, be sure to answer any question that comes up. If someone doesn't know what you want, they can't write for you. Don't ever be offended by any of the questions about a contest or activity description. You want to hear (read) those questions so that you can answer them and fix whatever needs to be made more clear on your page.
As in most places in life, communication is key. No matter what is going on with your contest or activity, never forget to reply to emails, questions, comments, and of course entries.
If you are running a contest and you have asked for a certain rule to be followed, but you notice somebody didn't follow that rule, give them a chance to fix their mistake by alerting them to that fact. It could be that they used the wrong submission link. Or they forgot a word count. These things are an easy fix.
If you are running an activity, be sure to be present in your forum several times a week. Writers who come to you for a writing exercise are relying on timely feedback and the opening of further exercises. Try to get back to anyone who buys raffle tickets or places a bid on an auction package within a day. If that's not possible, at least within the week. Showing that you care about participants is the best way to ensure success for the current round and future rounds.
How much description do you put on your activities and contests? |
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https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Replies to my last Contest & Activities newsletter "The Hub" that asked How often do you check out the Hub to see what's going on?
Shadow Prowler-Spreading Love  wrote: I have it so that as soon as I open WDC it opens to the news feed. As soon as I check the news feed I check the Hub. I'm guilty of checking it several times a day so I don't miss anything! As always, this was an awesome newsletter🍀🌷🍀
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Contests & Activities: March 29, 2023 Issue [#11871]
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