  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: gailey  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
I'm using this space to wish all the best to Pam . We are definitely going to miss the humor and warmth that you put into each edition of your newsletter. (((Pam)))
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WELCOME!
PLUGGING YOUR PROJECTS
If you've spent time and energy working on a contest or activity, you naturally want people to find it and participate in it. Well, Writing.Com provides an assortment of ways for you to get your item noticed.
Sponsoring
One of the best methods for bringing attention to your contest or activity is to Sponsor it. Sponsoring is helpful no matter what the item might be, but it's an especially great support for a contest or activity. Sponsoring an item in the main Sponsored area gives it the best chance of being seen. And if it is in the top 5 on the list, it will also be rotated and shown in the "Gold Sponsored Items" areas throughout the community. Items in the top ten (10) part of the listing will be shown in the "Sponsored Items" area on every inner page of Writing.Com. You will find the column to the left side of each page.
To sponsor an item, go to your GIFT POINT TOOLS and click on MY BIDS.....
http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/175621/system/1
Sponsoring an item though, is not a guarantee that people will actually click on it and read or participate in your project. However, even if it is seldom clicked on while it's in the Sponsored listing, that simply means you pay less for getting it to the attention of members because, even though some might not have checked it out by clicking on it, they more than likely did notice it and might remember it and check it out later.
Due to the competition though, if placing your item in the main Sponsor area is more than you want to spend, try another Sponsor area. That way, you focus on an area(s) where members who read, write or are at least interested in the genre that your contest or activity is within are likely to visit. Go to the SITE NAVIGATION pull-down menu and go to ITEM JUMPS and search through the list to find the best area(s) to place your item for sponsoring. The top three (3) highest bids for items and links will be shown above any sponsored listing page.
Additional Plugging
Besides making use of the Writing.Com Sponsor areas, you can also, place a link to the item in your sig block, your portfolio's 3-link area, your billboard (if upgraded), and in General Discussion. If the contest or activity is linked in your sig block, you can do even more to entice viewers to click on it by adding a slogan or an inviting sentence for it. It might pique someone's interest enough that they visit the item and perhaps tell others about it. Also, the more active you are in forums, the more likely others will see your sig block and perhaps visit your item.
Another idea is to team up with several more members to form a private sponsoring group. Everyone regularly donate an equal amount to the group fund and each week or month a group member's item is Sponsored (rotating item/member each time).
Need Gift Points?
If you need gift points for your project, there are several ways of possibly obtaining some.
(1) If you make your own images, open a "sig shop" and offfer to create sigs, banners, etc. for other members. (Just be sure to heed copyright restrictions concerning any images you might want to use.)
(2) If you can provide any other writing, reading/reviewing or image-related service, create an item for it and plug it in the http://www.writing.com/main/classifieds.php
(3) Make a request for donations in your contest's intro or on your project's main page.
(4) Visit the "Auto Reward" area: http://www.writing.com/main/list_items/type/autoreward and read/rate/review items from members who are offering gps in exchange for constructive comments and suggestions.
(5) Read/rate/review items from members' portfolios that you haven't visited yet. Every-so-often, Writing.Com surprises members by giving double the regular amount of gps as a reward for this. In fact, that double-reward incentive is in effect now...until July 31. Also, the daily review reward for each item you read in any member's port is triple the amount of gps until July 31. Each constructive review benefits you (with gps), the member you're reviewing (by having their item read and commented on), and Writing.Com (by not only bringing members together, but by continuing the site's "Read/Rate/Review" practice and philosophy. "The Review Mixer"
Of course, these are only a few ideas to bring entries and participants and gift points to your projects. But the concept is to help members find and enjoy your item. Afterall, if it's an ongoing contest or activity, the more it is linked in places viewable by members, the greater number of members there will be who are aware of it.
Till next time, enjoy the items listed here! 
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 "Invalid Item" is a competition for all cases, all genres, and all stories and poems that are 25K and under, with a rating of 18+ or under. THANK YOU to everyone who entered this past round. I always enjoy reading the entries.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following ROUND 10 WINNERS:
GRAND PRIZE POEM
GRAND PRIZE FICTION
Honorable Mention Poem
Honorable Mention Fiction
Round 11 ends Aug. 05, 2005.
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CONTESTS
Deadline: July 20
Deadline: August 20
Deadline: August 31
Deadline: each Saturday
Deadline: last day of each month
Starts: July 15
AUCTIONS
Deadline: July 15 for this round
Deadline: each image is available for bid for 5 days
July 28 - August 03
RAFFLES
Deadline: July 17
Deadline: August 01
Deadline: August 06
ACTIVITIES
MEMBER INITIATIVES
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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
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
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 Thank you to everyone who sent in comments! I appreciate it.
Thanks for featuring my contest. Your Newsletter was once again...very contesty.
billwilcox
Thanks, W.D.! "Contesty" as opposed to "activityty"? 
I intended to give this a quick read this morning and then delete it from my mailbox, but it is so packed with information that I am still sitting here two hours later and am still not done. : ). Thank you for all the info and links in this newsletter.
hdelphyne
I love to read this newsletter! It inspires me to create and be active in the community. Thanks!
Nikola~Thankful Library Lady 
Thanks, Thea and Nikola!! That's exactly what I hope for each time.
What would you say consitutes a good contest? I was considering maybe doing one but I wasn't sure if there were any rules/guidelines or how to go about it. Is there any advice you could give me for creating a contest?
A thinker never sleeps
Well, contests are somewhat "in the eye of the beholder". However, if you follow the basics you give it a very good start. The basic rules for contesting would be: (1) read each entry (2) announce the close of the contest or each round as close to its ending as humanly possible (3) see that the winners are announced and that they receive their prizes.
If you're not sure what your contest is going to be about, try and have it be based on something that you like or a genre you like to read. This should make it more enjoyable to you.
Create a message forum (or In & Out), put the basic info in its intro (explanation details, rules you decided to have, deadline, prizes, judges, etc.) and any other info that might further explain your contest. Use good keywords. Advertise. These also might help: "Invalid Entry" "Invalid Entry" Good luck with it, Teri, and have fun hosting!
Hi. I've only been here 3 days and love it so far, but for the life of me can't figure out how to submit something for the contests. Please explain. I'm blind and use a screenreader, so I may have missed something.
Tresa Martin
Welcome, Tresa! I'm not familiar with screenreaders, but I hope this helps:
If you have an item in your portfolio that you want to enter in a contest's message forum (or any other forum), then make note of the item's six-digit ID number that is near the top right of it's title. Then:
1) click on the link for the forum
2) scroll down to "POST A MESSAGE" and click on it
3) type in the subject of your post (such as "entry")
4) "bitem" link the item from your portfolio to the contest forum message.
To "bitem" link an item from your portfolio, place the item ID# after the word bitem and a colon. Enclose this between two squiggly brackets (no spaces within the brackets).
{bitem:ID#{/c}}
I just checked the first contest in this week's newsletter "Invalid Item" and it is listed as "private." Of what use is a private contest?
revdbob
Thanks, revbob. My apologies. I linked the static item instead of the forum. 
Hello. This comment applies to all newsletters in general. I have found that some of the contests posted are closed. This gets frustrating when looking for new contests to enter. Is there some way the editors could check and make sure the contests they post links to are still open? Ex: A contest closed 6/17 but the link appeared in this newsletter. I have had this problem with most of the newletters advertising contests. Thanks for looking into this matter.
luvccritters2
I can't speak for other editors, but pertaining to the links I place here, at the time I submit the newsletter, all items are viewable. Sometimes, I'll find a contest or raffle, etc. that is nearing closing but won't close until after the newsletter is sent out and I'll link it in order to maybe help the host obtain a few more entries. Or help members looking for a "quick" contest to be made aware of it. Unfortunately, when editors link items, we have no way of knowing what will become of those items afterward. Also, some contests have continuing rounds. If a round has ended when you find the contest, it might be immediately continuing with the next round or just temporarily closed until the next round. Thanks, luvccritters2!)(You and revdbob have given me the idea for this poll "Invalid Item" .
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BTW, have you analyzed your stats lately? "Item Statistics"
Or stopped by here: http://www.writing.com/main/testimonials ?
Help support this amazing community by visiting:
http://www.writing.com/main/list_items/type/sponsored
http://www.writing.com/main/store
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Image is courtesy of Pass it on .
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If you have any questions or comments, please email me or one of the other Contests Newsletter editors:
Pam
laurencia
janie
Listing a contest, raffle and/or auction in this newsletter is not a guarantee of it.
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Contests & Activities: July 13, 2005 Issue [#498]
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