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The Winner? Me me me
A couple of years back I ran a contest called “What Kind of Contest Do You Like to Enter Contest?” I had a lot of answers—over 200—which I decided meant that the meta-contest was a success.
Almost everyone who answered said they preferred to enter contests that depended on chance, rather than talent. Yeah, me too.
On the other hand, I like holding contests that give me something fun to read. Long ago (thousands of years in Internet time) I held 55 word story contests, mostly because I love reading flash fiction. Oh, and then there were the write the cover copy contests. I just finished a contest rather like that in my new blog.
I lined Valerie Parv up as my judge because she’s famous and funny and said yes. I ran those contests a bunch of times and loved reading them. Once I moved blogsites though, they just didn’t translate.
OH! I completely forgot about my “Making the Readers Do My Research For Me Contest.:“http://www.katerothwell.com/contestover.html It was great and I loved the entries so much, I keep them attached to the main page of my Kate Rothwell page.
A publicist pointed out that as a tool of promoting my own work, this collection of contests are fairly useless. The promotional contest tool that works best with that is a “read the excerpt and answer the questions.” Those are fun, and I’m holding one of those too.
But I get to read my own stuff all the time, especially at my blog where it’s all about me me me. I love it when visitors come into my blog, start talking and maybe even take over the conversation. Then I feel like a hostess at a successful party. I can just sit back and be entertained by the guests. Comments are what make blogs so very cool. This particular Samhain blog is doing nicely with that. Carry on. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be circulating. May I offer you a pig-in-a-blanket? Charli made them and they’re delish.
And maybe once you’ve had enough cyber-champagne you might tell me about contests you HATE. Contests that you avoid and maybe even get you so annoyed, you won’t pick up that author’s book even if it was served on a platter of male cover models.
That’s a fun topic. Angie? If I get enough people entering, can I pick a winner—using chance, naturally—and send her. . .ummm… socks?
Uh oh, I have to go to work.
I’ll be back later to put in links and play around and change my egregious errors. Blogs. Works of art in continual process of change.
UPDATED TO ADD A GAZILLION LINKS, mostly to ancient blogs.
I always wanted to win a pair of Kate Rothwell socks. No really, I did. So I just have to tell you what kind of contests I hate and I’ll win? I could close the comments so no one else can enter ;)
Hmm…I can’t think of any that I really, really hate, but I’m not too fond of those find the itty bitty graphic on a bazillion author’s websites contests. It makes my head hurt ;)
Well, I’m a big fan of the flash fiction, deleting every extraneous word and polishing to perfection, so I’d say flash fiction contests are my favorite to enter. And like Angela, I’d say anything that involves more than one simple stop is too much trouble. Scavenger hunts aren’t for me.
It’s a Kate post. Shiiny.
And my first comment on the Samhain blog. I figured I’d stop hiding and come say hello.
Oh, answer the question? Hm. I’m not much of a contest person, to tell the truth. Now and then I’ll toss my name into a hat, but it’s not a regular thing for me. I don’t mind answer the question contests. I think it’s a good way to get people to read the excerpt and maybe pick up the book. Contests where you simply have to send an email are, of course, my favorite. No work for me, la la la.
I’m with Angie. I don’t much like scavenger hunts. I never find all the wild whatsits I’m supposed to find.
I’m not big on author contests overall (been burned a couple of times by not getting prizes so I don’t bother entering anymore unless it’s something I’d really really like to get – like an ARC of a book I’m dying to read).
The flash fiction kind of contest would never interest me because I would never feel creative enough to even attempt it.
I don’t mind scavenger hunt type if it’s the kind where I just have to find the answers in the author’s newsletter that I just read or the answers are easily found on their website. If I have to visit 18 different sites – not happening. Or where I have to go buy a couple of the author’s backlist to answer a question to win the new book – that’s not happening either. If I can’t get the answer from an excerpt I’m not going to try.
I don’t mind contests that require that I read an excerpt and answer a question; or the ones that require that I find a particular piece of information (like the one I’m currently running on my blog) – that’s what Google is for. I’m really not fond of the ones that require that I write something original – I do enough of that and, if contests are to entice readers, why are we asking them to write something?
This holiday season I did I contest where I had to visit about 25 different author sites to find a particular little logo.
It as awful. I started it just for fun but soon I was getting annoyed by authors who put it very very small in the middle of an excerpt for a book that came out ages ago so I had already clicked through all the other books.
If I’m looking for a graphic I’m not stopping to read, so what was the point? I will admit that it worked for those people who had cool websites because I book marked some to go back and poke around, but for the most part I was irritated by then end AND I didn’t win. grrrr.
Yeah, I don’t particularly like entering those creative contests either, Denise. I just love to read them.
I did have fun at this contest
I particularly like Dean’s entry over there.
Generally speaking the easier it is to enter, the more likely people are going to spend a couple of minutes bothering with it. I’ve found some great writers reading those excerpt contest things. So yeah, for promotion and for getting a good list of names, those contests beat all the others.
A word of warning: I don’t usually save the names of entrants for a mailing list—but if you’re an author who does, be sure to make it clear. A couple of times I’ve ended up on mailing lists when I didn’t know that would happen. Way annoying.
Grr Lila! Did you at least find any interesting excerpts?
And . . .Angie? The socks are for sale. Heh. But I’ll make this a contest.
glances over at huge box o’ soxKeep watching this space. On January 14, I’ll make my kids randomly pick a winner and maybe make an effort to clear out that ^%$&# box of sox.
I’ll echo the dislike of scavenger hunt contests. I just don’t have the time. I don’t enter too many contests any way. I just don’t have the time. But I know contests are an important promotional tool, so I’m paying attention to the comments here for the time I hold my first contest.
Great post, Kate.
I think I did this same contest although I don’t think it was 25 authors it was a lot. And yes, there was one site I went everywhere looking for that damn little picture and found it finally in a really obscure place. I didn’t read a thing there because I was just so annoyed and went page by page trying to find it. The author authors had it in easy to find places where I actually went on to read some of the stuff.
I like contests where there are quick answers, which can be found easily on the site right in front of me, or maybe that are slightly different but dont’ cause the reader to become annoyed. I though the scavenger hunt sounded like fun until I did it. Be creative but don’t annoy your readers.
As a new author, I’m soaking this up. I have to admit I don’t do many contests as a reader. Not unless they’re easy, as in type your name and email address and click button. My kind of contest.
I went to one author’s site. The contest was easy but her blog was only set to accept Bloggers to comment. No Blogger account, too bad. I gave up, took my toys and went home. ;-) Seriously, I think creative contests or ones with a free book or other cool prize do catch a reader’s eye, but the entry should be as painless and head-banging free as possible.
Now I just have to see if I can practice what I preach when I have my first contest up.
WOW! I know who I’m coming to next for my contest ideas! Those are things I have a hard time trying to think of — I just want people to visit my blog, read my books, say hello now and then. Is that too much to ask? LOL!
Love the flash fiction contest — that must have been great fun!
I really hate those first to answer. Cause is your on dial up like my dial up you have absolutely no chance cause even if by some chance I knew the answer it would take longer to do and send the email lol.
LOL, Kate, at Dean’s entry. You’re right, it was a hoot!
And, as a newbie at all this, I’m wondering now if my contest is too much. shrugs Oh, well, if people don’t want to enter, they don’t have to, but it gives me a reason to post each day on my blog – something I probably wouldn’t bother to do otherwise. <grin>
I tend to enjoy the scavenger hunts, just give me enough time please, and oh, yeah, I also need the special little logo big enough to see at first glance, not the 10th. Really long excerpt contests, not so fun. One contest I hated was finding a different logo every week, and making the logo something that might have been just a pretty picture the author added to a page. I don’t want to have to guess, I need it to be obvious. I’m old, and not that patient, and, oh yeah, this is suppossed to be fun. I am big into the fun factor. Haven’t checked out your contest yet, Denise. Will go take a peek.
I HATE the contest where I have to write something. If I could write I’ld be a writer rather than a reader.
And the ones you have to answer first suck. I belong to around 500 groups and am on digest. I can’t keep up with all of it.
So theres my 2 cents
I generally don’t enter contests because I have rotten luck. Well, all that’s changing, apparently. I have won 2 contests this year. I find that is the type of contests I like – the ones I win. I won 2 books and I can’t wait ‘til they get to my house. YAH! Thanks Doug and Kate.
I’m just impressed that you know Valerie Parv LOL!
Hey, I won one of those contests and I Have a Pair of Socks!!!
whoo whoo whoo! (thanks Kate!) Love the socks – they are toasty warm, and they don’t match anything I have but that’s OK – I wear them with jeans.
:-)
This was also the only contest I ever won – LOL!