FAQ’s on Contests –
Q. How
do you keep the judges from knowing who the authors are?
A. This is why you send a cover sheet.
Our method is to number the cover sheets ( which contain the authors’ names and addresses) and the entries (
which don’t have any identification on them) as they come in, then separate the cover sheets from the entries.
The cover sheets are kept by the awards committee, and the entries go on to the judges. When the
judges make their decisions, they simply tell the awards committee the numbers of the winning entries in their contest.
The awards committee finds the corresponding cover sheets, which have the names of the authors, and voila! We have
a winner!
Q.
Why don’t you read, publish on your site, or make copies available of the winners’ pieces?
A. When
you enter a contest, you are not giving up any of your publication/distribution ‘rights’. This means that WE have
no right to distribute it. Many of our entrants are 1) trying to sell their work; 2) entering it in other
competitions and/or 3) publishing it themselves. If we publish it on our site, or distribute copies, we
are infringing on the copyrights of the authors
It
has been suggested that we ask authors to indicate on their cover sheet if we may distribute their work if they win or relay
a contact number to anyone interested in reading it. The logistics of this are not feasible at this time.
You are welcome to contact the winners yourself.
Q. Why don’t you tell how many entries there were in each
contest?
A.
Isn’t it absolutely wonderful when you find out there were 75 entries, and you got first place? Isn’t
it equally mortifying to find out there were 4 entries and you won 1st Honorable Mention? After
all, you DID enter!
Q. Isn’t the contest fee just a money-making gimmick?
A. No.
While our contests are, for the most part, sponsored, W.C.C.W. does have expenses in getting the entries to the judges,
printing the certificates, and of course, the contests we sponsor ourselves. The fees also help support
the conference. We try to keep both the contest fees and the conference fees as low as possible, and try
to break even on expenses. Every few years we do make adjustments.
Q.
WHAT IS MANUSCRIPT FORMAT?
A. Publications and contests require submissions to be in Manuscript
Format. This is a form that is a consistent way of presenting your work. Editors and judges know where to look
for certain information and find this form makes it easy to edit and qualify your work. Contests are a
great way to polish your skills in following these instructions, so you will be ready to send your work out for publication.
See our page on Formatting and Other Tips.
Q.
Why don't you just list all these details in the regulations?
A. For the same reason
that we don't explain a Sonnet or a Western. If you want to write, you must investigate to learn the specifics.
When something calls for Standard Manuscript Format, it is telling you that you must follow accepted publishing practices.
