ChloeTzang
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Okay, mission Control, we have a problem. Short is relative but it's not short any more. Another race against the clock is now in progress.....
The Official Authors' Hangout Halloween Contest Thread 2017
- Thread starter oggbashan
- Start date
Okay, mission Control, we have a problem. Short is relative but it's not short any more. Another race against the clock is now in progress.....
TenderBottom
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How do you draw attention to your story?
I would love to have advice on how to draw more attention to my story. It's the first time I wrote here (and it took all the nerve I had). Now I understand for the Halloween Contest it has something to do with reader likes and feedback. I see some anonymous comments... is there a way I can tell if I get any stars or how I am doing?
I would love it whoever reads this note takes a look at my story too. It's HALLOWEEN RED https://www.literotica.com/s/halloween-red
Thank you.
I would love to have advice on how to draw more attention to my story. It's the first time I wrote here (and it took all the nerve I had). Now I understand for the Halloween Contest it has something to do with reader likes and feedback. I see some anonymous comments... is there a way I can tell if I get any stars or how I am doing?I would love it whoever reads this note takes a look at my story too. It's HALLOWEEN RED https://www.literotica.com/s/halloween-red
Thank you.
ChloeTzang
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I would love it whoever reads this note takes a look at my story too. It's HALLOWEEN RED https://www.literotica.com/s/halloween-red
Thank you.
Go to your Literotica User Control Panel and select Works. You'll see a list of stories (or just one if its your first) with story info
Hearts - # of favorites
Then number of views
Then the rating (between 1 and 5) and # of ratings (those are the people that cared enough to select a star rating)
Lastly, # of comments
Voboy
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Get on it! You can do it!
ChloeTzang
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Don't give me a fright Ogg, last day is 23rd - Monday, and it's only the 20th today. We have until midnight on Monday. I almost died just now.
Kethandra
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Weird. I would have sworn it used to say the 20th, like Ogg said. Cool: more procrastination time.
ChloeTzang
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I'm writing like a crazed dervish. Probably up until 11.57 on Monday night. This is going to be another beat the clock race for me. I was trying for two more shorts but one long is what it's going to be.
oggbashan
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Sorry! I have now cleaned my glasses. 23rd it is.
I still won't submit any more Halloween entries.
ChloeTzang
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Well, I'm still working on that second Halloween entry and Saturday coffee in your pajamas can turn into Sunday coffee in your Pajama's quite easily. As it has. ElectricBlue, you can laugh at me all you like. Mission Control. we have a problem. "Save the Last Dance for Me" - well, it ain't short no more.... My third one can wait until next year now, this one needs finishing.....
oggbashan
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From the rules in Laurel's thread on this contest.
- All submissions must be stand-alone stories created for this contest theme. We will not accept individual chapters of a larger work submitted separately. If you have a multi-chaptered contest-themed submission, please submit all chapters together as one story submission.
My interpretation of that would be NO but only Laurel can give the definite answer.
sr71plt
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I'd say no on the basis that it has already been published on Literotica. I don't see why it wouldn't be eligible if it had been published elsewhere but not on Literotica yet. The rule is worded so that it's the "theme" (Halloween) that it must be specific to, not this exact contest. It doesn't say it has to be written to this contest ("contest" used as the noun); it says that it has to be written to this contest (adjective) theme (noun/object). If it is meant to be this specific contest, the rule hasn't been written well.
Yeah, that's why I'm confused. If it said "All submissions must be stand-alone stories created for this contest" then it's clear that it must be new stories particularly for this contest. However, it says "created for this contest theme," which means the theme ideas.
RejectReality
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A story that has been previously submitted to Literotica can't be entered in a themed contest.
However, there is the matter of what degree you mean by the word "modified". If it's changed enough, it could be considered a new story. "Changed enough" would be a story that has some of the same plot threads, locations, etc., ( perhaps many of them ) but has been rewritten from the beginning, with little to none of the text from the other work copy-pasted.
I wrote two versions of my horror story "Home by the Sea" and submitted both on different years to the Halloween contest. They both have very similar starts, reprehensible burglars as main characters, allude to the lyrics of the song of the same name, and end in similar, horrific fashion. They're still very different stories, though. That's the degree of "modified" I'm talking about to qualify as a new story.
The restriction ( to the best of my knowledge ) only applies to stories posted on Literotica, though. Stories posted elsewhere that have never appeared here before should still be eligible.
However, there is the matter of what degree you mean by the word "modified". If it's changed enough, it could be considered a new story. "Changed enough" would be a story that has some of the same plot threads, locations, etc., ( perhaps many of them ) but has been rewritten from the beginning, with little to none of the text from the other work copy-pasted.
I wrote two versions of my horror story "Home by the Sea" and submitted both on different years to the Halloween contest. They both have very similar starts, reprehensible burglars as main characters, allude to the lyrics of the song of the same name, and end in similar, horrific fashion. They're still very different stories, though. That's the degree of "modified" I'm talking about to qualify as a new story.
The restriction ( to the best of my knowledge ) only applies to stories posted on Literotica, though. Stories posted elsewhere that have never appeared here before should still be eligible.
Where is that rule listed or is that the correct interpretation for "All submissions must be stand-alone stories created for this contest theme", i.e., "for this themed contest"?
Voboy
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Submit it and see what happens. That’s the only way you’ll know.
Personally, I think it’s slightly out of bounds. Not because it’s about Halloween, but because it wasn’t written for this contest.
As an example, just last night I finished up a fairly cool story. I like it and want to post it, but I’m sitting on it because it’s a Christmas story and I’m saving it for the holiday contest. If your technique was the norm, I’d post it now and also enter it into the contest, gaining valuable feedback and making improvements based on that feedback, an opportunity most other entrants won’t embrace.
No offense, and no disrespect meant; I just feel it’s not kosher to beta-release contest entries.
Personally, I think it’s slightly out of bounds. Not because it’s about Halloween, but because it wasn’t written for this contest.
As an example, just last night I finished up a fairly cool story. I like it and want to post it, but I’m sitting on it because it’s a Christmas story and I’m saving it for the holiday contest. If your technique was the norm, I’d post it now and also enter it into the contest, gaining valuable feedback and making improvements based on that feedback, an opportunity most other entrants won’t embrace.
No offense, and no disrespect meant; I just feel it’s not kosher to beta-release contest entries.
No offense taken. When I originally published the story here, I just wanted to let others see my work. I don't plan on using contests as some kind of workshopping system.
sr71plt
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Well, again, this is a writing site. Words matter. The action word in this rule is 'theme" not "contest." If it means "contest" the rule needs to be rewritten.
RejectReality
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It's a submissions rule. You can't have two copies of the same story on the site at once.
Technically, you could remove the old story, submit the new one, and get around the multiple submissions restriction. Once you remove an old version of a story, you can resubmit.
I still don't think Laurel would allow it to be in the contest, though. It's also possible that someone would report it as a previously appearing story and it could be removed from the contest after the fact.
The readership doesn't like stories being resubmitted. When they see something they've read before appear in the new stories list, they're harsh in their criticism, scoring, and often will report the story. Some may even incorrectly report it as plagiarism if they remember the story but not who wrote it.
So even if it was allowed, the readership may very well disqualify you by scoring it so poorly it's not worth the effort.
At this late hour, you probably wouldn't have time to submit a remove request, have it come down, and submit the new one anyway.
Only Laurel can tell you for sure, but I'm reasonably certain I've seen her mention that you can't submit a story to a contest that has previously appeared on Lit. I think it was in the Survivor threads, but the restriction was not limited to that contest.
Technically, you could remove the old story, submit the new one, and get around the multiple submissions restriction. Once you remove an old version of a story, you can resubmit.
I still don't think Laurel would allow it to be in the contest, though. It's also possible that someone would report it as a previously appearing story and it could be removed from the contest after the fact.
The readership doesn't like stories being resubmitted. When they see something they've read before appear in the new stories list, they're harsh in their criticism, scoring, and often will report the story. Some may even incorrectly report it as plagiarism if they remember the story but not who wrote it.
So even if it was allowed, the readership may very well disqualify you by scoring it so poorly it's not worth the effort.
At this late hour, you probably wouldn't have time to submit a remove request, have it come down, and submit the new one anyway.
Only Laurel can tell you for sure, but I'm reasonably certain I've seen her mention that you can't submit a story to a contest that has previously appeared on Lit. I think it was in the Survivor threads, but the restriction was not limited to that contest.
Voboy
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Indeed. Words do matter, hence my “slightly out of bounds;” as ambiguous as that phrase is, it’s what I’m thinking. If you read the rest of my post, you’ll find my objection has nothing to do with the letter of the rules. More their intent. I’m not sure what he’s proposing is actually outside the rules.
I also had thoughts along the lines of RejectReality’s, but I didn’t feel comfortable articulating them.
oggbashan
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From Welcome Authors! Please Read
The full rules for the themed contest are in addition to the rules for the monthly contests. This is the first rule:
All stories submitted must be the original work of the person submitting them, and the author must have the legal right to submit the story to Literotica. By submitting the story to the site and/or contest, you are simply granting us the non-exclusive right to publish the story on Literotica. You retain all copyrights to your work. Only new stories which meet all existing Literotica criteria are eligible for the contest.
"Only new stories" seems to cover the situation. Unless the story is substantively different it appears to be ineligible.
The full rules for the themed contest are in addition to the rules for the monthly contests. This is the first rule:
All stories submitted must be the original work of the person submitting them, and the author must have the legal right to submit the story to Literotica. By submitting the story to the site and/or contest, you are simply granting us the non-exclusive right to publish the story on Literotica. You retain all copyrights to your work. Only new stories which meet all existing Literotica criteria are eligible for the contest.
"Only new stories" seems to cover the situation. Unless the story is substantively different it appears to be ineligible.
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NotWise
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I've been told (by Laurel, if I remember right) that a story that has been previously submitted can be withdrawn and resubmitted (in a different category, for instance), but it then can't appear as a new story--'cause it ain't new to Lit.
I'd expect Laurel to want contest material to be new to Lit. I imagine that can be interpreted from the rules one way or another. The same sort of thing should apply to chapters of stories resubmitted as new stand-alone stories, but that could be hard to catch.
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