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"Easy Competitionm sites" now renamed THE COMPETITION SITE !!

edited July 2010 in - Writing Tales
Just so you get interested !! )

Comments

  • lexia 3 hours ago edited

    Having spent half the day looking at competition sites that people have recommended, and getting nowhere except bozz eyed...I have deiced to maker my own competition.

    Have looked at Strictly come writing - cant find any writing just a load of blog stuff that doesnt seem relevant.
    Have looked at Spwellink Ink - that doesnt seem to bad - think u just pays ur money and writes ur story.

    65 social network - not sure if that's even a writers site and many more...
    All too many words for my small brain to take in when am already writing 6 stories in my head.

    Anyway - this is the plan.

    Send me a story £5
    Flash fiction £3
    Poem £3

    I will read them all faithfully and get some of my "normal" friends and family to read them too (who needs so called publishers !)

    The winners will be announced once a week and theres no small print to quibble over. You may have published it in the New York and Hong Kong Times for all I care. That's the best bit of the rules of the competition !

    Email me for address....all monies will be paid out in full to the winners. (so if theres only me I will pay myself one fiver ! lol If there 25 of you - then the winner gets £125
    Easy


    Good luck - I look forward to your entries.
    Jay Mandal 2 hours ago QuotethanksReport Post whisper
    Have you tried Sally Q's site?
    dora 2 hours ago
    Or Prizemagic?

    Liz! 2 hours ago
    That doesn't quite make sense, if the prize money all goes to the winners and you have 25 entries and they were all stories, then you would have £125... but if they were a mixture you'd have less, but more than £25...

    Phot's Moll 1 hour ago edited
    I often put details of competitions on my blog. patsy-collins.blogspot.com
    febes 1 hour ago QuotethanksReport Post whisper
    I like the idea, but is it one big winner? Or one from every category?

    dora 51 minutes ago
    febes, I think lexia was joking.

    Were you lexia?


    Liz! wrote: That doesn't quite make sense, if the prize money all goes to the winners and you have 25 entries and they were all stories, then you would have £125... but if they were a mixture you'd have less, but more than £25...


    Does anything I say make sense Liz ?

    I meant £125 for the winner of the 25 entries to the stories
    erm.. 3 x £25 for the winners of the poetry and the flash fiction

    When we get going I might take 1% profit.

    (No dora - am not really joking. If it worked I would do it ! Be good to boost morals and thigs)
    lexia 25 minutes ago Quoteedit Report Post whisper
    Just thought I'd better add to this for those regulars who remember -

    A while back now I started a TB One Word Challenge Anthology. It was rather a major project but i still love the idea. Lots of TB'ers were sending me stuff and we had lots to be . Unfortunately I was ill a few times during this period and really the work ;load was too much for me. I still want to do it - I offered an ISBN and the hopes of a printer for self publishing.
    However, this didn't work this time round but I didn' t want anyone to think this is just another of my BIG ideas that come to nothing. Health allowing, all my big ideas I carry on with to fruition !!
    Liz! 17 minutes ago
    It sounds good fun Lexia!
  • 6S is indeed a writers' site Lexia. They run occasional comps to be included in an anthology and the winning entry gets $50. They are really encouraging and supportive, but constructive too.
  • Thanks Lily - will check that out
  • Please take this one seriously and broadcast it around. It's not for my benefit it's for all of ours. The more entries the more people are likely to win !
    Already had quite a few interested, so it must be a goer .... :)
  • Can you give us a bit of a clue as to what you will be looking for?
    Before entering a comp I usually look at past winners and/or judges to see what style of comp it is, how literary etc so I can choose a suitable entry.
  • Yeah questions I have are;

    Who are the judges and what are their CVs like?

    If you can't do it one week or more due to illness do you have cover?

    Please explain exactly how the prize money is divided as I can't quite make sense of the above posts. Will there be a fixed top prize every week? I not it may seem unfair fro somebody to win £10 one week then another person to win £50 the next.

    How would this compete with Write Invite? For instance they give the competitors the chance to vote on the short list?

    Is it open to any theme and will the judges be more prone to lean toward one genre or another? In which case are there different genre comps?

    Will the winning and/or runners up be published online on the site? Also an annual anthology of winners?

    Cheers.
  • Dear everyone - I know you all take competition entry very seriously, but try not to overcomplicate a new and wonderful idea. It may take a bit of time for Lexia to work out all the ins and outs of things, but there is no harm in giving it a show and starting from a position of trust. If Lexia is going to get friends and family to read stories - then you need to submit something with wide appeal. Yes if no one enters other than me the prize will only be £5 but at least I'll win ;)
  • I agree Mutley sounds good to me. Nothing ventured and all that.
  • Mutley I think the fact that people are posting questions suggests that we are taking it seriously. Surely asking these things now before she starts is only helpful and I'm sure she'll appreciate the suggestions and queries.
  • I think it's great that a TBer is offering a competition like this, busy thinking what I can send in! Lexia, keep it going!
  • OK here goes :

    Heather, there are no previous judges or entrants as this is the first competition
    Mutley, Kateyanne, dorothy - cheers !

    Tony - The judges are me and other ordinary people who enjoy reading all types of fiction and poetry. If you want to check out my CV take a look at my website, or take a chance on my blog for opinions !

    If I couldnt do it one week I would have cover - or postpone

    The prize money will be divided exactly as it is paid. If 2 people enter a story then one wins £10. If 300 enter then one person wins er... £1500 ! Ditto the poetry and flash fiction (only in multiples of 3)
    It's not a case of "fairness". The more people who enter the more chance of the winner receiving more prize money. It's a competition for ordinary folks - not big publishing business stuff.

    Write-Invite .. not interested. It's nothing to do with this competition


    After discussion with an entrant this morning have decided that there will be a "word" or "theme" a bit like TB OWC.

    The first one is "GIFT"

    Some people don't want things "published" because of not being able to publish anywhere else. And anthologies cost lotsa money ! Open to offers on that one... ;)

    Hope this clarifies a few things
  • edited July 2010
    I have a question.


    Time wise:

    Call a short story 5k, and 2k for flash.

    5 story entries = 25k works, quarter of a standard novel.
    10 flash = 20k
    Then the poems.

    [quote=lexia] If 300 enter then one person wins er... £1500 ![/quote]

    300 * 5,000 words = 15 novels worth per week.

    Can you commit that much time to it each week, and your friends?

    I think it's nice of you to think this up, but sounds infeasible, riddled with problems and like a bit of literary One-Armed Bandit.
  • I agree Lee. Though I think lexia has come up with a good idea I do think more thought needs to go in before launch because I'd hate to see it fall flat for her.


    I asked this:
    [quote=SilentTony]How would this compete with Write Invite? For instance they give the competitors the chance to vote on the short list?[/quote]

    You replied:

    [quote=lexia]Write-Invite .. not interested. It's nothing to do with this competition[/quote]

    While I applaud your determination to stamp a firm foot on the uniqueness of your idea I mentioned it for a very valid reason. As Lee stated the logistics may seem fine now but if you don't have the infrastructure set in place how will it cope if it expands?

    The Model Rob has at Write Invite combats the problems Lee has pointed out in two very important ways. First they only give the writer 25 mins to write their piece. These average out to be about 300-400 words. So there is not too much time taken in reading volumes of work during the week. The second pertinent structure he has in place is the one I was alluding to.

    They pick the short list and then hand over judging to the writers themselves. Not only does this take the majority of the work out of the equation but it gives the writers a sense of involvement in the decision making process. This is also beneficial to understanding the requirements of the competition as well as a great way to include writers of different genres to read and judge on writing different than their own.

    They also feel like they have been judged by their peers, by writers like themselves.
    I also think the fixed prize is very important too. If there is to be no exposure form this then it is merely another writing exercise that we could pocket a few quid from. People need to know they are not wasting there time by getting £5 back because they were the only one who entered that week in the worst case scenario.

    I hope you don't think I'm being critical because I'm supporting you in this and hoping you can find a way to do it. I just think these questions and points are essential to consider to turn your idea into a viable weekly competition. I'm also not suggesting that you copy Write Invite or any other competition. I just think they have something different than most writing comps and that appeals to people. Also it is very simple and I think that's the most important part of making things like this work.

    Also I must say that if you do postpone for even a week here or there you may see people drop away quite quickly.

    Good luck with it and please keep us up to date on this. Thanks.
  • edited July 2010
    [quote=LeeH]Time wise:

    Call a short story 5k, and 2k for flash.

    5 story entries = 25k works, quarter of a standard novel.
    10 flash = 20k
    Then the poems.[/quote]

    oops ! missed this bit out .

    Short stories 2000 word max (no min)
    Flash 250 max (dunno where you got 2000 for flash, Lee !)
    Poetry 40 lines max (like TB!)

    I wont postpone then Tony - every time I go in hospital the first thing I want packed is my laptop !! :)

    Next question ? lol
  • You go girl! :)
  • Well there is a min for short stories isn't there, 251 words. Otherwise it's in the flash category or you are throwing away £2 extra on fees lol.

    YES I HAVE A QUESTION, WHAT FONT ARGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!?????


    Sorry just thought that's what your head must be feeling like right now.

    Oh if you do postpone it could be like a roll-over in the Lotto. I'd be excited about that.
  • [quote=SilentTony]Well there is a min for short stories isn't there, 251 words. Otherwise it's in the flash category or you are throwing away £2 extra on fees lol.
    [/quote]

    DOH ! Who's making the rules here ??? ;)

    Just get it written Tony - and no, no discounts for those who come up with the most questions !!

    ANY FONT YOU FXXXXXX want ! (in the body of the email though please :) )
  • I think it's a great idea Lexia, but as i see you are opening it up to people not only on TB, and having been on poetry forums where people in the competitions submit things on subjects not everyone wants to read, ie cutting stories, abuse stories, stories writTEN LiKe ThIS, you might need a few rules. After all, if you are asking friends and family to read as judges, you will need the stories/poems etc to be within reasonable bounds...
  • [quote=Liz!]stories writTEN LiKe ThIS,[/quote]

    Stories written like that are not judged Liz, unless of course the story is about someone who wriTEs lIKe thIs !!

    (my friends and family are well versed in the "cutting edge" side if life ;) )
  • Oooooh, well then... *Dons thinking cap*
  • Well, the competition has not exactly been a roaring success so far. Only one entry this week and 2 others who said they will enter next week ! (no, I didn't enter myself !!!)

    Seems like I will have to bow down to Write - Invite after all.

    Seemed like a good idea, but perhaps not so.

    Anyway, it's still there if anyone wants to bother with it and the next one starts tomorrow - Friday to Friday. I have asked the "winner" to name the next word or theme.

    (just indulge me a little ... ... I am not deterred ;) )
  • I will start entering soon lexia. I have no pennies for competitions at the moment though. But I am interested, and if I get the job I have gone for, I will put it on my to-do list :D

    Give it time, word of mouth and it will soon be running with many members. Maybe those who attend writing groups could mention it?
  • Lexia what made you do it weekly?

    Have you thought it may generate more entries and be less demanding for you and the other judges to perhaps make it monthly?
  • edited July 2010
    It's bound to take a while to pick up, lexia, and maybe people just didn't fancy the word, or wanted to wait a while to see how it went before they had a go. As febes said, give it time.

    Also, it wasn't clear when the (rolling) closing date was.

    Maybe, rather than letting the winner pick the next word, which eats into the already short writing time, you could list the next four, say, closing dates with their words so that people have a bit more time to think about it, and then add winners chosen words to the bottom of that list.
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