O Pinions!

To run a WDC contest or not.

Contests at WDC
25.august.2022

To huser:glarg1675 re a new flash fiction contest:

"If you do, seriously look at the current daily one that's been around for years and how it's done, maybe ask huser:arakun what she thinks. Trope-based? Ask huser:soledad_moon. Genre based? There are plenty to choose from but folks here don't always leave their comfort zone.

You'll have to decide on word limits, 300, 500? Prompts that are too strict are confining. At times, I just give up. I'm not special in that regard. Consider offering more than one prompt. huser:sharmelle does that.

Awards, gps, ribbons, prizes. Inflation hit WDC just like everywhere else. 500 gps doesn't cut it. And whatever you decide on should be sustainable for 6 months to a year. Handing out 20k/week adds up to over 500k... quickly.

But over-generosity may lead to too many entries. Ask huser:schnujo about that headache. They must also be read and awarded in a timely manner. There are readers here that can read 10 in 10 minutes and make a decision in 15. That said... all judges aren't equal. Do you want nitpickers, uber-grammarians, rule-benders? Novelists and poets? Flash isn't either.

Don't assume that it's easy or that it'll promote itself. Even established contests have had issues the last couple of years. There's a seasonal rhythm as well. Because this website is US based, September (back-to-school), October (pumpkins), November (turkey), December... can become so cliche that it's the screaming-meanies for me! I don't do birthdays... I end up hating September around here. For diversity/cultural issues consult with anyone from India, Australia, Nigeria, NZ, Ireland, etc.

huser:jayne is a good person to ask. As is huser:jeff. Ask huser:lilli_in_fl how she manages a weekly challenge. I don't know whether anyone has written "Advice on running a contest/challenge".

There may very well be room for another contest that doesn't replicate what is already offered. Good luck."