I'm going to have to set things up differently next time. I've realized that some of you rely on your email subscription to receive information on contests and critiques.
For future reference: I have the email subscription set to go out between 11 am and 1 pm EST. Contests always post in the morning. So you must -- you simply MUST -- check the blog.
So here's what I need from all of you, as quickly as possible.
I've got 6 to 8 submissions sitting in my inbox, waiting for an "I'm sorry" message. Because I didn't set the limit ahead of time, I'm inclined to bend and let them all in.
You are the critique group. You tell me. Can you effectively critique an extra six to eight entries?
Mind you, if this were a Secret Agent contest, I would not be asking. The "I'm sorries" would have already been sent.
I purposely left the submissions window open-ended this time because I didn't know what to expect, considering the influx of new readership. Well, now I know. And next time, the submissions process will be much tighter. As in, no room for mercy.
Because the blog just keeps growing. Not a bad thing! It is, in fact, a very good thing -- a thing that blows me away.
So. Rambling aside, please cast your vote in the comment box (one vote each, please). Should I include the final few stragglers? Or should I stand firm at 75?
And remember. This is not a precedent. Next time I'm morphing into Ms. Nastypants.
Miss Snark's First Victim
If this were a Secret Agent contest, I'd say no, because agents are super busy already, but because it's just us (happy, helpful community), I say, let the stragglers play!
ReplyDeleteChristine
christinewritesabook.blogspot.com
Stop at 75, no need to turn it from fun to over whelming.
ReplyDeletePut them in. We're not obligated to critique every single submission, after all. There's enough of us everyone will get feedback.
ReplyDeletePut them in. This time. :)
ReplyDeleteI still remember that other SA contest where you had like 100+. There were people who tried to comment on all of those - me included.
Next time people need to be a bit more neurotic like the rest of us and checking in at 9AM EST sharp. :p
I say put them in...but maybe give them a little heads up that they shouldn't feel bad if they get less crits. I plan on reading as many as I can...but honestly, I'm not 100% sure I could get past 50, let alone 80. And I plan on starting at number 1 and moving my way up the list.
ReplyDeleteI vote yes.
ReplyDeleteI vote to include them.
ReplyDeleteAt 75, 6 more aren't going to make a difference. I'm not sure I'll be able to crit and leave feedback for all 75 (or whatever the number ends up being), but I try to hit at least half.
ReplyDeleteSo, in this case. Yes.
I say yes too--this time.
ReplyDeleteI am new and I have never done this, but I say (drum roll) let them in.
ReplyDeleteI say yes...because I am one of them. :-) I promise to read lots and lots of submissions and give great advice. I am an English teacher...so pretty please with cherries on top! :-D
ReplyDeleteI had a hard enough time to go through the last 60 entries from the Secret Agent contest. Took me three days to read all of them, and that was after the winners had been posted.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem critting a few more. I planned to read and crit a good majority of them anyway!
ReplyDeleteBut in the end, you're also doing extra work here, so go with what you feel like. :O)
If it's not adding too much work for you, I say why not - this time. :)
ReplyDeleteI would be fine with letting them in, but I think then, the requirement should be that everyone has to critique at least 8 or something to make sure everybody gets critiques. Undoubtedly, most people will crit more than the required 5 times, but what the heck. Might as well make it official.
ReplyDeleteOK, I give in...let them in...lol.
ReplyDeleteI'll do ten! LOL ;-)
ReplyDeleteSure let them in, but I've only been here 2 days so...
ReplyDeleteWhy not. I'm planning to crit all the YA (maybe a few others as well, time permitting), so I have no problems with a few more . . . especially if they are YA.
ReplyDeleteOops. I couldn't log in from work so I just sent off my entry. Next time I'll know not to wait just because there is a 24 hour window.
ReplyDeleteBetter luck next time right?
Thanks anyway.
Cassidy
It's only 2000 more words to read. I say yes!
ReplyDeleteI say let them in as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the "let them in" club!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'd also like to ask if there's any way those handy email alerts can be sent earlier in the day? I'm unable to access the blog at work (stupid firewalls!), so getting the day's posts earlier than post-1:00 would be wonderful!
It would also give some of us more critting time. I do my best to crit each submission in all these contests, and when it appears in my email box, I can copy and paste the entries into a Word doc and work on it at work, then copy and paste my comments onto the blog when I get home (which is, usually, after 10:00 p.m.).
And, I'm off my whining box now.....
:D
I would stop at 75. You have lots of chances for submissions.
ReplyDeleteEh, why not? As someone who lives by RSS feeds instead of actual websites, I feel their pain.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the "ayes" have it.
ReplyDeleteWe'll consider this the "round of grace." Because from now on we're going to have to stick to a 50-submission limit.
I like the idea of each submitter doing more than 5 crits, too.
Thanks, all, for your votes!
I don't mind doing more than 5 at all. I am used to grading my college students' essays. More than 5 will be no problem! ;-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe if some of us started at the end and worked our way back to the start, it would ensure that those who are last are not overlooked.
ReplyDeletewriteaholic, it isn't the ones at either end that miss out on the crits, or even the ones dead in the middle (since some people start there). It's those who fall in the middle of these three points who receive the fewest crits. At least that's what happened last time.
ReplyDeleteI just saw this, so I know I am late.
ReplyDeleteI'm working at home on Wednesday, so I can do many critiques all day.
I say let em in :)
ReplyDeleteI say yes. I didn't get to even try b/c spent day at funeral, but I'll read as many as I can. They'll at least get some feed back. ;)
ReplyDeletePerhaps what we should do is commit to critting the two entries before and after our own, plus whatever other ones we can get to. That way everyone would get at least 4 crits.
ReplyDeleteBe aware that the entries in the middle will suffer the most from extra numbers -- critters, try to give those middle entries some love!
ReplyDeleteHey, I got up at the crack of noon (your time) to get my submission in, why should the slackers be rewarded?!
ReplyDeleteI was planning on only doing ten critical responses (twice the minimum!), but because you under-estimated your drawing power, I'll help take up some of the slack. I'll do twenty. You owe me a scotch with two small ice cubes (payable when hell freezes over, but I love the karmic loan).
I say do it.
I was too late. Easy as that. It's your show to run, and we abide by your rules. You're in threat of becoming a victim of your own success, and it's up to you to manage things.
ReplyDeleteI had my piece finally ready for submitting when I saw your submissions are closed-post. I didn't press send, because I knew I was too late. If you're going to allow these stragglers in, what will stop me from ignoring your instructions the next time?
You're the boss. It's nice to interact with your followers, but sometime you've got to take control. Maybe we will love you less (i doubt it) but we will surely respect you more for it.
If anyone gripes later on when you do close the gates then you've a reason not to in the future, but for now, lets have at 'em.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Luc2. If the disenchanted look at the history of your blog, they will clearly see another "Call for Submission" is coming. In the meantime, it gives us the opportunity to polish our work.
ReplyDeleteI was sick yesterday so I didnt even try. Make the check the blog rule hard and fast. It didn't kill me last month to miss the secret agent contest when I blondly sent to the wrong address. Close the gate. You need time for your own writing too.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of subs, and it's not even a contest. It used to be that the window would open for 3 days and we'd only get a whopping 16 subs for our crit games here. Times they are a changin'.
ReplyDeleteAs a newbie, I am so grateful for this blog and for the events and your hard work making this such a great place for aspiring writers like me. I look forward to critting as many entries as I can manage tomorrow. especially those in the middle of the pack. :D
ReplyDelete