poetic republic competition comes round again

Viv

This is the competition I wrote about for Writing Magazine last year, and it is being run again. Here is the link
http://www.poeticrepublic.com/
It's really fun to get involved in as it's the only comp I know where you can read some of the other entries online before you enter, and all entrants get to read and judge the poems over 3 rounds, picking the eventual winner from a final shortlist of 12, and getting their own poem eliminated if they fail to take part in the judging.
Last year's standard was very mixed, but after round 1 and 2 judging got rid of some of the lesser poems, the winning entry and runners up were very good. Some of the entrance fee goes to charity, and the more who enter the bigger the prize. I even get a mention on the home page because I wrote about it all last time!

Liz

Sounds fun. But I know I'd find judging others hard...

Carol

Good luck to any TB's who may enter.

Viv

It's not hard, Liz. You just pick your favourite ones in each round - all anonymous - and the ones with most votes make it to round 2, etc. It IS fun, honest! And so much better than one judge who may not like your style having the all-important say. Majority rule gives everyone a chance of their poem appealing to someone.

Liz

Meh.... maybe... trouble is I do forget to do things on time. I'm hopeless. Didn't like the poem I read about DEATH on it either...

Betsie

Thanks for that info - I'll have a look at it

Nefertari

Thanks I've just entered a poem.

Viv

Well, I have just entered a couple of my poems and took the opportunity to read some of the entries so far - they are freely available to read on the website's 'randomiser'. I have to say that, like last year, I found loads with spelling mistakes, poor scanning, very forced rhyme, etc and some I just didn't rate at all!
Eliminate most of those in round one, and we poets have a good chance of getting through!

Carol

Good luck Viv.

Viv

I am loving looking at the Poetic Republic website every day. You can just keep clicking on the poem randomiser and reading ALL the entries they have in so far. It really shows the standard of entries and helps to decide whether to enter and what sort of thing is being sent in. I have convinced myself my work is as good or better than the stuff I am seeing on there, so I have now sent three entries - at £6 each - so I hope it pays off!

heather

I couldn't find any detail on how long you have for each round of judging and what the timing of the rounds is.
I would like to enter, but will be away for a fortnight during the comp and there's no point entering if I miss a judging round and would be disqualified anyway. Any ideas?

Nefertari

That's a good point Heather I'm away for a week and won't have much internet access but I've entered now.

heather

I've sent them an email and will see what they say before deciding.

heather

Well that was quick!

The organiser says he has noted it down so there won't be a problem if I miss some of the judging.

So if any of you have entered (or are thinking of it) and find you have a timing issue when judging comes around, just let them know and it should be fine.

Viv

Kateyanne, being away for a week wouldn't be a problem, as each round gives you longer than that to read and vote on your list. Glad they sorted things out for you Heather. They do seem a helpful lot. I had computer problems and couldn't log in to the site at all and they phoned me and emailed until it was sorted.

Nefertari

Thanks, Viv that's OK then.

Viv

Their recent emails say this is a record breaking year for entries! As far as I know last year was the first competition, so a rather big boast! It closes this week and judging of round one starts on 5 May. Good luck all who are entering.

amboline

I'm quite looking forward to this - I've entered a couple of my poems and will be interested to see if they progress :)

heather

I've also entered a couple - and why is it that the 'random' ones you see seem so much better AFTER you've entered?
I'm sure mine won't stand a chance but it'll be fun to take part in any case.

Carol

Good luck all who entered.

Viv

Just received my first batch of 12 poems to judge in Round One. A very mixed bunch! One stands out for me as excellent, but all the others have errors in them- spelling, misplaced apostrophes, preachy content, dodgy rhyme, etc etc. Hopefully Round 2 will have whittled them down to the best. This year we get a chance to add a short constuctive comment against any of the poems, but in practice I am having trouble actually doing it - a comments box opens up but then it won't let me write in it! So maybe they don't really want my comments at all.

Nefertari

I've judged my first twelve too. Some interesting entries on a variety of themes.

heather

I can't say I was that keen on any of mine!
A couple were clearly better (IMO) than the others, but third and fourth were hard to choose.
It will be interesting to see if any of them make it through to the second round.

Viv - is a list of 'second round' poems published after the final judging and/or are entrants told at any point how far they got?

Viv

No - if you don't make the last 12, you don't know if you got eliminated at round 1 or at round 2. The chance to add comments against poems wasn't there last year, or I don't remember it anyway - so maybe all the comments made on your poem will be passed on - so you will get a feel for who liked it or not, and why?

Viv

I decided to brave another batch and just judged a further 12. You are allowed to judge up to 3 lots. Sadly, still a lot of bad poems, full of silly errors and in need of a decent edit and some well-thought-out punctuation. One really good one in there again, so I would say only around 10 per cent have a chance. Wonder how my own entries are doing???

heather

It's a pity that they don't let you know after the end of the comp whether you made it to round two or not. Where would be the harm in that?

Viv

I suppose you could always email them and ask.

heather

The final twelve are up now. Did anyone make it? (I didn't.)

Nefertari

Me neither...

Viv

Me neither. Two of the poems I saw in earlier rounds are still there in the last 12. Now we all get to read and judge the same 12. Some lucky person is just a few clicks away from winning the money!

heather

I only recognised one. I put it first last time and did again!

There were a few I thought were a little weak.

Viv

At least they all made sense and were not packed with errors - the early rounds did eliminate the really bad punctuation and the ones that were hopeless! Liked a few of the finalists, hard to choose between 3 of them, but I have now voted.

Nefertari

I have printed them off and am re reading now and then. There are two I really like. One of which I put first before. I have enjoyed the judging.

heather

The winners are up on the website now.

The winner was the same person as last year!
I did choose her poem as top in both the second round and the final stage, so I think it's a good result.

Nefertari

I liked that one but my favourite was Siesta by Sharon Black.

Viv

I voted for Escape to win, and put Honey Trap second. Amazing that of all those entries the same winner emerged as last year! The odds against that are so high. Still, good luck to her.

heather

Interesting to hear the different opinions.
Neither 'Escape' nor 'Siesta' were in my top four.

Nefertari

Is anyone entering this this year ( closing date April 30th) I think I might .

Mutley

I've entered. I must remember to judge this time. It fell at a bad time last year.

Lou Treleaven

This looks fun. I might have a go too!

Nefertari

First round of judging starts today. Anyone else doing this?

Mutley

I've just gone on to do my first round of judging and having read them all through once I feel as though someone has turned the sun off for the day. My entire happy mood has been sucked into a tragic oblivion. It wouldn't be so bad if any of them were any good but none of the 12 deserve to win!

Viv

Oh, dear. I'd better start looking at my 12 and see if they are any better.

Nefertari

I read my 12 this morning and thought I'd have a think about them and go back to read now and again maybe tomorrow before judging. Just gone back and there are now 12 different poems. I am sure last year they were the same poems until I had voted.

Nefertari

I just read on the site that if you leave without voting, which is what I did , then I should have the same set of poems so I don't know what has happened.

Mutley

At one point I clicked to read more (reading for a second time) and got a completely different poem! I went out of it and back in and got the one I was supposed to have. I think they may be having a few problems!

Viv

Mutley, I got that too. One that just wasn't on my list!

Nefertari

The problem seems solved now and I have done another lot of judging.

Viv

Some of my 12 were not very good at all, and littered with errors. But I was lucky enough to find a couple I really liked, and liked even more after several readings. The four I voted for were really the only 4 I liked enough - it would have been a struggle to pick any of the others. But Round 2 eliminates the worst ones and the selection should get better! It's always in the back of my mind to wonder how my own entry is getting along and if anyone has liked it enough to vote for it.

Nefertari

Same here, Viv a lot I read had spelling mistakes. I too am wondering how my poem is getting along.

Mutley

me too :)