 Contests & Activities: October 24, 2007 Issue [#2028] |
  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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Sometimes contests and activities draw a lot of interest. Sometimes, participation is less than you had hoped for. This week's Contests & Activities Newsletter contains some tips to promote your event and to maximize its appeal.
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Sometimes, when we host a contest, we don’t receive many entries. The same goes for activities – some attract a lot of participation, others don’t. As the host, of course we’d like to see as many people show an interest as possible. Don’t feel discouraged if you draw a smaller crowd than anticipated, though. It could just be that people are busy with other writing projects.
In November, for example, a percentage of W.Com members will no doubt be busy with NaNoWriMo. This takes a lot of work and creativity, and is likely to be their main focus for that month. In December, many people will be busy preparing for the Holidays, and they might not have time for any major contests (however, fun Holiday related events always receive quite a bit of interest).
Though there could be any amount of reasons for an event to only receive limited attention, it might be worth having a look at the following:
How are you promoting your contest/activity?
 Have you placed it on the Contest Listings or Activities Page? If not, you can find these by going to your Site Navigation Menu – Item Jumps – Contest Listings or Activities Page.
Have you placed a link in your blog, to make your readers aware?
Have you placed it in your Favorite Items?
You could also consider sponsoring the event, if you have enough Gift Points, or placing an Auto-Reward on it.
Promoting your event means people will be aware of it, which tends to lead to greater participation.
Research
Have a look at the Contest Listings or the Activities Page.
Are there many other events following the same theme as yours? It is worth checking them out.
How are they similar and how are they different? Could it be that they are so similar that authors writing in that genre are having to choose?
In October, for example, there tends to be a variety of horror contests. With busy schedules, authors who like to write in this genre are unlikely to be able to write for each one. This means they tend to pick and choose which one suits them the most.
By all means, hold your event even though others are holding similar ones around the same time. The more contests for members to choose from, the merrier. It is good to be aware, though, and it could mean that participation will be lower.
Common Activities
Common activities on Writing.Com are auctions and raffles. As people only have so many Gift Points to spend, they will go to those that are the most interesting to them. As a host, you will need to provide them with a reason why they should join in your event. Make the place look inviting. Tell them what the Gift Points will be used for. Be professional and update frequently.
People love variety. If you see there are many raffles or auctions being held already, it may be worthwhile to wait a couple of weeks with yours, unless you have something very unique and different in mind.
Presentation
Spend some time on the presentation of your event.
Are the rules clear?
Is the deadline clearly stated?
Could the place do with a bit of WritingML? You can find the different WritingML options through your Site Navigation Menu – Site Tools – WritingML Help.
Prizes
As has no doubt been mentioned in this Newsletter, always make sure that you have enough Gift Points set aside to cover the prizes you offer. It’s not a good idea to rely on others. It’s your event, after all. Of course, you can always state that donations are welcome and will go to increase the prizes. But it’s handy to have the basic prizes already covered.
Do the prizes seem reasonable compared to what you are asking the writer to submit? If you’re asking for a complex, lengthy piece, it is great if you offer an Awardicon to the winner, or a Merit Badge. People love these types of recognition, because they last. Also, if you are asking for a piece like that, make sure to give the author enough time to write it. A few weeks or a month is a fair time for items like that.
~~~
This may all seem like a lot to look into, but it sure pays off. Organising contests and activities takes a bit of practice, and you’ll probably find yourself learning along the way. Whatever you decide to host, thank you for taking part in the community, and have fun! That’s what it’s all about  .
kittiara
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Seeing as I am a guest editor this week, there are no questions for me to answer. However, please don't hesitate to send in any comments, questions and thoughts to this Newsletter. Your regular Editors will love to hear from you .
Your Contests & Activities Newsletter Editors are:
spidey  , Melissa is fashionably late!  , Tigger thinks of Prancer
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