  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Sarah Rae  
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The contests and activities on this site are constantly changing! Almost every day there is something new and exciting to view and participate in. The ideas are endless. Some succeed, some manage to get along, while others, unfortunately, are left behind and forgotten. My goal as your Contest & Activity newsletter editor is to provide each of you with the tools it takes to create a great success.
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| ASIN: B00KN0JEYA |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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Reviews of Contests/Activities
When one runs a search for "Reviewing How-Tos" there are certainly more than a handful of items to glance over. A brief glance reveals that most, if not all, are focused on how to review static items and other creative writings. My article today is going to focus on reviewing contests and activities. In truth, they are not much different from reviewing any other piece of work here at Writing.Com.
First and foremost, the rating. If you look through the contests and activities that are hosted at Writing.Com today, you will find a wide variety of them. Taking a closer look, you will find that most of them are fairly average when it comes to a contest or activity. A simple poetry contest, a quick raffle, a fun little auction that has some reviews and signatures for sale. Totally average. But isn't average 3-stars? So why do all these contests have 5-star averages? Why do they all rank equally with "that other contest"? The one that is really original, never been done at Writing.Com before. The one that everyone is talking about, everyone is eager for it to begin, excited for the chance to participate because it's so well done? It has a 5-star rating as well, but does that mean it's no better than the simple little auction?
We are discourage from rating every item we read a 5-star, so why do we do so with every contest or activity we see? So many people agree: when you rate every creative writing piece at a 5-star, it takes away from the pieces that truly are 5-star deserving. Shouldn't we apply the same logic to rating contests? Shouldn't we save those 5-stars for the contests or activities that are truly exceptional?
While you ponder on that, let's look at how to review a contest. Most contests and activities take up only temporary space in someone's portfolio. Some might think "why bother? in a few months it will be gone and I won't have any credit for reviewing it". Just think of how your review could help. While the reviewing credit might be temporary, your comments might not be. By reviewing a contest as thoroughly as you would a short story or a piece of poetry, you are enabling the host to become a better host, to present a more polished piece. Perhaps the next time they create a contest, they will remember that you, though they may not know you by name, had urged them to keep their rules simple and clear or had encouraged the use of colors to make the contest or activity more attractive.
Some points you can focus on when reviewing include, but are not limited to: spelling/grammar, clarity of rules, realistic deadlines, inconsistencies, originality, and presentation. Remember to offer helpful advice and always be polite. Rating and reviewing a contest or activity should not be any different than rating and reviewing a piece of poetry or any static item.
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Take some time to look at the following contests. Don't be shy to review them as I discussed above. When you're done looking at them, scroll down a bit farther for this month's "I Ask, You Answer"!
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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
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| ASIN: B07P4NVL51 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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 No members submitted any answers this month. We'll try an easier question. Allow me to remind you all that by answering this question, you could earn yourself a spot in next month's newsletter. It's free advertisement for your portfolio! |
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Contests & Activities: March 01, 2006 Issue [#907]
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