  Contests & Activities
This week: The Big Prize Edited by: Leger~  
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The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.
This week's Contests and Activities Editor
Leger~
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| ASIN: B004PICKDS |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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The Big Prize
Most of the contests and activities I see offer prizes like merit badges and awardicons. And that's cool, but I would like to offer one suggestion. Okay, maybe more than one, but the first one is about the prize. Merit badges are cool and add to your community recognition number, which might be important to you. And awardicons look really spiffy next to the title of your entry, especially the high end trophy ones...so pretty!
But...and there's always a but, isn't there? But, if you're creating a contest or activity for new members, it might be nice to offer the choice of the gift point equivalent of the badge or awardicon, if the winner chooses. I remember as a newbie, I worked hard to earn gift points so I could upgrade my free account. I had little kids back then and our household budget didn't allow for stuff like purchasing things on the internet, so when I could win a pile of gift points, it was awesome.
There's another valuable prize out there with a no-cost, reviews. Sometimes bidding or winning a review is easier than trying to find reviewers with bid-click or request review. If you don't have gift points to offer as a prize for a favorite contest, think about donating your time and sending reviews. If you're recognized by the community as a great reviewer, your offering could be a terrific prize. (Be sure you have the time to review before committing. No one likes being disappointed.)
Another prize of your time could be setting up a web page or contest page for someone. Some members learn the bitem link and don't have the time or inclination to learn more linking to create a stunning contest or activity page. All the tools are right here at WDC for you, but some people don't have the time. I have a service offered in my shop that creates images and sets up a cNote shop , and then transfers it to your portfolio. I also have one for contest pages . You could do this as your prize. It takes time, but if you have the talent for it, the cost is minimal.
A poet could offer an acrostic with the winner's name, or a story teller could create a booklet of fun characters. An artist could create a character sketch from one of your stories. A digital scrapbooker could create some pages the winner could print out and save.
So as my final suggestion, help your friends (and newbies) with their contests and activities, and think about offering something unique as the prize. Write on!
This month's question: What kind of prizes do you like to win or bid on? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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#1973581 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Everyone eats, but have you ever wondered just where your fellow diners' paths might be taking them? Here is a chance to celebrate the diversity of America and our shared experiences through several unique short stories.
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#1817635 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to create a character that I will remember long after your story ends. A character that brings your story to life, and makes it matter.
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#1941376 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Usually, in a contest, you have rules like “you must include these words…” or “it must be about a tadpole trapped in a heat seeking missile” or whatever. I thought it might be fun to do the opposite. In this contest, there are rules against certain things, i.e. “you can’t do this, you can’t include these words.”
Excerpt: Welcome to ACRO*BATICS! As you may know, an acronym is a sequence of letters formed from the initial letters of a group of words. For example, in the case of a SWAT team, SWAT stands for Special Weapons And Tactics. In this game, however, you work in the opposite direction: I will provide a series of letters that will serve as an acronym, and your mission is to offer the most creative answer to the question of what that acronym represents.
Excerpt: A weekly contest for anyone who would like to write a short story with a gay or lesbian main character.
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#1978678 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: This group is for people who have an interest in travel and going on holidays, who would like to meet like minded people to talk about this subject and swap stories and information, who like to write and read about the travel genre and who may like to enter contests and activities about this topic.
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#1971713 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Life isn't all rainbows, unicorns, and happy feelings. There are plenty of poetry groups for this kind of work (and I enjoy them all), but I want to enjoy the dark side as well. Show me the darkest corners of your heart and mind. Scare me, stir me, make me cry.
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#1977162 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: When I first signed up, I was a 13 year old in the midst of a whole load of adults. *Laugh* It took me a while to find anyone else like me. Of course, all of the adults here are friendly, but sometimes, you just want a fellow teen to have a chat with. Don't you?
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| ASIN: B083RZ2C5F |
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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This month's question: What kind of prizes do you like to win or bid on?
Last month's question: Would you consider entering a contest to earn a physical merit badge?
The Run-on King PDG Member  replied: Hey Leger, yes I would love to get one of the physical MB. You did bring up a good point I would love to enter contests that do offer to mail you a badge. Since the cost is rather high and also to offer decent prizes we may not see a lot of this just yet. With all the custom badge donating going on getting funds for contests to do that is going to be slow. But still doable soon I hope!
abcoachnz-Sometimes around answered: The idea of having a physical MB to grace your writing space at home can certainly support keeping you motivated with your writing and reviewing on WDC. I would certainly support such a contest. On the other hand, I would want to ensure that there are more than 1 physical MB gracing my space, so will try and reinforce it with other MB's from my portfolio. Excellent idea though.
dejavu_BIG computerprobs said: I would definitely be tempted to enter a contest offering MB's in the physical sense! What a lovely way to remember and be inspired if you won!
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful  admitted: I wouldn't mind getting one.
dragonwoman  sends: Yes, I would consider entering a contest to earn a physical merit badge.
Quick-Quill  remarks: In answer to your Merit badge awards for contests; I emphatically answer YES! I just awarded a set to the winner of an auction package I donated. I'd love to see a badge made for Contest, Auctions and such instead of having to sort through them all to find one for a person who just bid on a package. Winner, Auction, Bidder Winner or something like that with an assortment of pictures would be great to choose from.
Marci Missing Everyone comments: I would definitely enter a contest to get a physical Merit Badge. I would love to have at least one, but I'd like to get the display books and everything. Maybe one day!  By the way, thanks for featuring "Invalid Item" ! |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
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Contests & Activities: March 26, 2014 Issue [#6234]
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