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Writing competitions - make a new start in 2013

doradora
edited December 2012 in - Resources
If you're looking to make a new start with your writing in 2013, you can find details of a free-entry competition (and other competitions) at Erewash Writers' Group competition website through this link:


http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/2013-start-flash-fiction-competition---dan-purdue.html

Comments

  • doradora
    :)
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    ;)
  • danfangodanfango
    I've written a blog post about this contest, and suggested a few of the things I'll be looking for when I come to do the judging:

    http://lies-ink.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-free-flash-fiction-competition.html

    Please dive in with any comments or questions!
  • doradora
    A reminder for those of you who may not have heard about this competition yet :)
  • danfangodanfango
    Only a couple of weeks to go on this one! Don't miss out!
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    Okay - what am I missing here?
    I decided to give this one a go, so I wrote a story.
    I've just been to the website to check the online entry conditions.
    The rules require me to fill in an Entry Form - but it has to be printed off and filled in. Bit of a pain, but, okay - I can do that.
    The rules require me to send the Entry Form 'in the body of an e-mail.' ??
    And now I'm stuck!
    How do I copy a scanned document into the body of an e-mail please?
    I've tried every which way, and my scanned (PDF) will not copy and paste into the body of an e-mail - it will only load as an attachment.
    But the rules of this comp says 'BODY OF AN EMAIL PLEASE (ATTACHMENTS WILL NOT BE OPENED).'
    I presume I'm missing something here - but blowed if I can figure it out.
    Not a happy bunny.
  • C2C2
    edited March 2013
    When I scanned documents a while back, I sent them to my picture gallery and then popped them in the body of the email
    I didn't need to keep them so no need to file them as a document. I'm sure there is another and more professional
    way but it worked for me.
    All the best with your entry.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    Thanks for the suggestion, Maro.
    I copied the form into Pictures and tried to copy and paste into the body of an e-mail - still nothing.
    I wonder if it would work if I did it via photobucket? But surely the organisers don't expect entrants to have to faff about like this? Rapidly losing patience with this to be honest.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    [quote=claudia] it has to be printed off and filled in[/quote] I didn't see anything about printing it in the rules. It's much easier just to complete it electronically and copy it into the email.
  • SilverLiningsSilverLinings
    Your entry can either be sent in the same email as your entry form or you can send it in the body of a second email with the subject title: START COMP ENTRY (and your name).


    (Taken from the site.)

    So I am to take from this that the form should be "Interactive" and you can fill it in on your machine. OR
    that your entry form can also be copy pasted?
    (Ctrl & A = highlight all text on screen. Then Ctrl &C copies highlighted text. Finally Crtl &V to paste it onto a new doc/screen.) A lot easier than dragging the mouse down over long pages for those that didn't know.
  • heatherheather
    As PM said, you can fill it in on screen, by copying and pasting the form details into an email and then filling your details in afterwards. (or via a Word document if you like)

    I had to think about that for a bit, though, so it would maybe be helpful for that to be included in the comp instructions for future comps.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    I thought it was fairly standard for competitions that can be entered online to have entry forms which you complete on your computer. Maybe I'm entering different competitions to other TBers?
  • CarolCarol
    I suspect it's just that until the last year or two most competitions have required a print copy, so it's never been an issue before.
    Have to say I would have needed to ask how to do it too.
  • heatherheather
    I've had online ones that you complete on the webpage and submit from there, or ones that you download, complete, save and attach to an email but I don't think I've ever had one that had to be downloaded, completed, then pasted into an email.

    It's not that hard, I agree, just one more think to think about if you're not used to it.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    [quote=Phots Moll]It's much easier just to complete it electronically[/quote]

    And that's exactly what I tried to do the first time I started this fiasco - but it wouldn't let me.
    I'm not a complete novice when it comes to entering competitions online and I’ve come across entry forms on many occasions. However, they have always entailed simply filling in the details there and then. I’ve never come across a system where I’ve had to copy and paste the form into a word document first!

    I have now copied and pasted the form into a document – now I only have to remove all the dotted lines… and I guess I just ignore the bit that requires a tick.
  • snailmalesnailmale
    I copied my entry form for the Christmas chiller in to the body of the email, and it worked fine.
  • doradora
    [quote=claudia]Okay - what am I missing here?[/quote]

    You could always contact the organisers and ask them? :)


    [quote=claudia] But surely the organisers don't expect entrants to have to faff about like this?
    [/quote]

    No, we don't expect entrants to have to faff about at all. I wouldn't think any competition organisers would expect entrants to faff about. If anyone is experiencing difficulties please contact us and we'll help all we can.

    The information is required to be sent in the body of an email. Yes, that's correct. As long as the information that is required is sent in the body of an email, it doesn't matter if you send the actual original form or type the details again or find a completely new way of sending it.

    Personally if it was me, and I'd entered in reasonably good time before the close date, and I hadn't had confirmation of receipt of my entry then I would contact the organisers to check my entry form had been received okay. Or, when I sent my entry I would add a note explaining my difficulties and ask then if they could confirm it had been received satisfactorily.


    [quote=heather]I had to think about that for a bit, though, so it would maybe be helpful for that to be included in the comp instructions for future comps.[/quote]

    Thanks heather, I may put something in next year's comps information now that you've pointed that out to me.


    I apologise to anyone who has experienced difficulties in submitting their entries although this is the first time I've been alerted to any problems. If I had more know-how of how to organise completing an entry form for a competition then I daresay Claudia would not have needed to raise the point. Unfortunately I don't, so this is how it is at the moment and until I change the way it's done, that's how it'll stay.

    I suppose I could always ask someone else to organise all the techy mastery for me but that I'm afraid would possibly come at a price and then I'd have to put a fee for entry to ALL the EWG competitions which is something I am trying very hard not to to.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    [quote=dora] it doesn't matter if you send the actual original form or type the details again or find a completely new way of sending it. [/quote]

    But it doesn't say in the rules that you can re-type the information not using the official entry form.

    [quote=dora]Personally if it was me, and I'd entered in reasonably good time before the close date, [/quote]

    Meow
  • doradora
    "sigh"

    Claudia, that 'meow' comment of yours was not necessary to this conversation although I understand from your earlier comments the entry form procedure has stressed you out somewhat. Thus I will take your 'meow' comment as a venting of your frustration at that, and not a personal insult to me.


    [quote=claudia]But it doesn't say in the rules that you can re-type the information not using the official entry form.[/quote]

    No, it doesn't, and further to Heather's constructive comment above I will consider including more information about the entry form in the competitions for next year.
  • pbwpbw
    I had some trouble to start with and then I realised what they wanted to say was, they want all information in the body of an email - or in two emails if you prefer - and to avoid attachments because of the risk associated with malware in attachments.

    Once I understood that, I completed the entry form online and copied and pasted it into the body of an email. I did the same for my competition entry. (At least I think I did, a lot of writing has gone under the bridge since that one).

    I've had an ack. so I'm happy with that.

    Good luck, everyone.
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