  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Tigger thinks of Prancer  
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Contests and activities are all over Writing.Com.
Whether you use them for fundraisers, a break from writing, writing challenges, socialization, other reasons, or a combination of the above, this newsletter is for you. |
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It's All About Timing!
There are many factors to plan when hosting or posting anything on Writing.Com, from figuring out what to post and where to put it (for any items, even static items)... to how many gift points to award or charge. And, for every item, timing also plays a roll. (It plays a much smaller roll in static items than more interactive things, but still can have some impact.) Being the Contests and Activities newsletter, though, I'll focus on that realm of items from now on.
How long should it run?
Whether you're seeking donations for an auction, hosting a novel-writing contest, starting up a creative campfire and looking for participants, or anything else requiring others to join in, you need to make sure the amount of work required to participate can be completed in the time frame you have set.
While one day can be enough time to write a 40-line poem (as in "The Writer's Cramp" [13+]), it wouldn't necessarily be enough time to gather donations for a new auction.
On the flip side, providing too much time can cause people to just put it off... and maybe never get to them. (Who wants to wait nine months to see the outcome of a raffle that needed to be paid for up front??)
When should it start (or end)?
Look around the site to see what other contests and activities are being hosted. Some times of the year have more going on around here... and so it might cause your item to get lost in the shuffle if you're not careful.
Also consider the days of the week. For an auction, you probably want to choose and ending day where most people are actually available to stop by. This seems to be weekdays instead of weekends. As a bidder, it tends to really stink to miss out on the last-minute bidding war because I was asleep or at work or school.
When should I advertise?
This can depend on the size of your event. I've seen large events advertised for months before they began to build them up and get people interested. But, I've also seen very successful events advertised most strongly after they were running for a while.
Sponsoring an item on BidClick can get expensive (or can stay relatively cheap, depending on how you use it and how much exposure you get out of it.) So, you probably would want to save that for when you want people to stop by the most.
With free avenues: "Writing Contests @ Writing.Com" [E], "Activities @ Writing.Com" [E], or "The Marketplace" [13+], or using your handle, bioblock, signature, or billboard, you can be much less selective in timings.
 If you have any other suggestions or questions on this topic (or others), feel free to send them in. |
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
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Responses to "Contests & Activities Newsletter (May 7, 2008)" :
Nobody wrote in or entered the contest I posted in last month's newsletter.
Questions? Comments? Praise? Suggestions?:
I always love to hear what my readers have to say in response to my newsletters, so write in. 
Or, if you have any suggestions for future issues, feel free to post that as well.
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Contests & Activities: June 04, 2008 Issue [#2431]
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