  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Elisa: Snowman Stik  
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| You see it all the time. While reading through information on a contest, there's a little blurb about judges and the occassional plea for additional judges. Judges can make a big difference in deciding the outcome of a ontest yet is considered an unenviable task. Having been a judge for someone else's contest before, I'd like to share some tips on what can make you a better and more confident judge. |
| ASIN: 197380364X |
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Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
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I recently wrapped up my annual contest for disturbing writings, "Troublesome Musings" [18+]. Since I started dabbling in the hosting and judging aspects of contests three years ago, I've found out some interesting things about the role judges play. Most people consider judging to be an unenviable task. I'm one of those weirdos thinks opposite; I believe that judging is one of the most rewarding aspects of a contest. You have an opportunity to read great works written by your fellow site members. Plus, you play a big role in making someone's day when it comes time to award prizes. Sure, it is time consuming and kind of a big responsibility, but it is worth it in the end. You can learn a lot of ways to boost your own writing skills by reading the entries, and if nothing else, you get to be entertained free of charge. So now you're probably wondering what it takes to be a judge. That's a question that lacks one correct, succint answer. It all boils down to volunteering, and I'd like to offer some suggestions for making the most of your volunteer efforts. Between being a contest host and a judge for numerous contests, I have found that certain actions can make all the differene for you as well as the contest host. That said, on with the tips!
 DO YOUR RESEARCH: When you are thinking about judging a contest, find out what types of works will be entered in it. In most cases, it's as simple as reading the body of the contest forum. Browsing any entries already submitted can also be useful at this stage. Once you complete this stage, I recommend e-mailing the host to find out if there are any other specifics about the entries to be judged. That way, you go into judging a contest not only what qualifies as a valid entry but also what you'll be spending your time reading. After all, there's nothing worse than having the judge's reading preference clash with the content of the entries. This is why I ask all of my potential judges if they're willing to sit through long items of any content rating. If you take the initiative and ask these sorts of questions, you'll save the host and yourself from unnecessary aggravation.
UNDERSTAND THE JUDGING CRITERIA: Once you're signed on as a judge, it's time to start thinking about what makes an award winning entry. Don't get too far ahead of yourself, though. Your idea of a winning entry might differ from that of the host or even your fellow judges. I helped judge a poetry contest here four years ago, and the entries I found to be the weakest both in structure and the use of the prompt ended up winning. Can we say incongruency? The moral of the story is to get an idea of what the judge is looking for in quality entries. This doesn't mean everyone's choices will be the same. When some guidelines are given in regards to what makes a winning entry, a couple pieces will be on nearly everyone's list. Still, there's room for individual judges to select a variety pieces for their lists. Why's that? Individuals will interpret the guidelines a little differently, and personal taste always affects the selection. Nonetheless, having an idea of what makes a worthwhile entry according to the host can prevent potential disagreements like I encountered.
BUDGET TIME FOR READING: I admit this can be the hardest part about judging. This is probably the biggest responsibility of a judge, but I see it neglected all the time. I'm guilty of it myself, too. When you sign on to be a judge, you agree to evaluate all of the entries to help determine a winner. That said, you should allow yourself adequate time to read all the entries and be able to evaluate them according to any guidelines given beforehand. If you don't allot enough time, you'll be scrambling to throw a list together, and if you're not careful, you can miss the deadline. This is very frustrating, especially for the hosts.
I remember the judging blitz I decided to take on a couple years ago. I signed up to judge one contest being held in May and one in late July. On top of that, I was hosting the second run of Troublesome Musings, which netted the usual 60+ entries. That in itself seems like a lot, but it gets better (or worse, depending on your point of view). The host of the May contest had to push the contest back two months due to real life conflicts, so I had three judging committments during july and August. Budgeting my time was almost impossible, but I was not about to drop any of my committments, especially since I was the only judge to evaluate all five parts of the May contest. I pulled many late-nighters to get all the reading done; otherwise, complete results for any of the contests would have never materialized. In fact, I received an e-mail who was judging my contest and the May contest. She asked about turning in half completed results, and I had to ask which contest she was asking me about. 
In any case, when you decide to judge a contest, see both how many entries there are and the length limits on the entries. Then try to anticipate what will be going on in your life outside of Writing.com for at least a month after you sign up. Though the total amount of time spent reading the entries might equal a week or less, spending a week in front of the computer will not happen. Between school, work, family, vacation plans and unexpected crises, there will be plenty of potential reason to be away from the site for chunks of time. If you can only get a certain amount of time on your computer, consider printing out the entries to read over. With good time management, you can take a lot of the stress out of judging.
HELP OUT THE HOST: While this doesn't pertain strictly to judging, it certainly can't hurt. What do I mean by helping out the host? that's simple. Help promote the contest. You can donate, plug the contest or even sponsor it, if you like. This can increase the amount of entries (especially if the contest has only five or so entries), and it eases some of the host's burden of keeping the contest running. Hosting a contest is a pretty big deal that requires quite a bit of time and effort. By helping out your host, you reap the reward of the host's gratitude and hopefully a bounty of entries to read. On top of that, it shows that you are truly vested in the contest and are willing to bolster it.
I hope this newsletter has shed some light on the role of a judge in a contest. It's a misunderstood and underappreciated role on the site. However, it can be very rewarding and open your eyes to some authors you might not have seen before. Judging is a win-win situation, and utilizing these tips can make it a much less intimidating process.
Until next time,
(sig by me) |
We all like contests, right? I've chosen some unique contests that go beyond prompts and the usual forms (poetry and short stories). Some do not ask for help with judging while others do. You might be interested in entering these contests...or help judging the entries. 
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Not up for judging or writing for a contest? Here are some other diversions that might tickle your fancy!
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| ASIN: B000FC0SIM |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.99
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I actually stepped in for a previous issue during the past holiday season, and I did receive some comments for it. Let's have a look at these blast-from-the-past notes.
From Waltz Invictus  : Great newsletter, Stik! While I sometimes think people with low-priced cNotes and sigs may be selling themselves short, it's certainly good for bargain-hunters!
Especially when you consider inflation! Just kidding. Yeah, cNotes take a lot of work, but having a variety of price ranges helps Writing.com members with a wide variety of budgets send out thank you notes, pass along messages of sympathy or even just hello in a unique way. If I have another chance to guest edit another edition of this newsletter, I'll try to find some more cNote collections with plenty of bang for the buck (or gift point, for that matter).
From panthera: Thank you for a very interesting newsletter with good ideas indeed!
You're welcome, Chat! For those of you who missed my previous edition of this newsletter, you can get caught up here "Contests & Activities Newsletter (December 20, 2006)" . Though the holidays are still a few months away, this newsletter offers tips on how to have fun on the site no matter your gift point balance any time of year.
From Tehanu  : Holy linkage, Elisa! And great topic - there are loads of rewards on this site that members should know about...you did a nice job schooling them.  
Thank you, Tehanu! Yeah, those were quite a few links to absorb, but it's always nice to give people options. Besides, there are so many activities and what not hiding in the many nooks and crannies of the site. If it's cool but not seen much on a random perusal of the site, I figure a little free advertising can't hurt. I just hope people take the opportunity to explore the perhaps lesser known goodies I've managed to track down.
From johnmcc: This was a delightful newsletter with lots of ideas for a 'quick' lift to the gps wallet. :) Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thank you for the wishes, even though I'm getting to them almost in time for this Christmas!  I had a great holiday season, by the way. In any case, I'm glad you found my newsletter helpful, and I hope you picked up some gift points from the suggested activities.
From Poetic ~ Luck ~ Charm : Thank you for using my poll in the newsletter. I didn't get the responses I was hoping out of it but it was still a lot of fun to do!
Thanks again
Sorry to hear the responses were not what you expected, but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed running the poll. Polls and surveys are fun in that you can specify the type of information you're trying to find. Plus, polls are also easy to make and can be hosted by any level member of the site. So if you get a kick out of making polls, go ahead and churn out some more! |
| ASIN: B083RZ2C5F |
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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Contests & Activities: August 29, 2007 Issue [#1917]
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