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Here are my tips/advice I gathered from hosting several contests. ( about 15 contests so far XD )
1. THE TITLE
Sound logic to start with the title but is often overlooked. Here are the infos that need to be there :
- Contest ( of course )
- Open or Closed
- Theme : Lineart, drawing, coloring, designing, writing ect …
2. THE INTRO
Then is the introduction. There are specific that NEED to be told about in the firsts sentences, that is if it's : pony, furry or an original species.
In the intro, you basically describe the contest; for example :
Hi ! I have a new character /insert ref/ and since I don't have any designs skills, I wanted to organize a design contest for her/him ect …
OR
I haven't been able to draw a lot about my character /insert ref/ and I wanted to give him/her more love and made contest out of it.
See, with this 2 sentences, you immediately know what this contest is about.
3. DEADLINE
Before going more unto the details, the deadline is to be stated : Day & month. No 05/11 but 5th November or 11th June, because a lot of people doesn't live in an "english" country and don't understand this system of Date.
Be clear from the start if there'll possibly be extension or not and if you're following the special hour, for example : Deadline is … FRENCH hour.
I personally wait for the day to be over in the whole World ( France is UTC+1 )
4. RULES
( I can't tell for litterature. )
The basics:
- IF the participants need to be a watcher it has to be written in the Title.
- Making a journal or not ( I don't join contest asking for a journal 'cause it mess up my journals entries. )
- Digital &/or traditional.
- Maximum of entry or no maximum entry per participant.
- must be colored or not, have a background or not.
- Style allowed and not : Pixel, chibi, realist, photomanip ect … and character "length " : portrait, halfbody or fullbody absolute.
- No tracing.
- Base allowed or not.
- mature content ok or not, what kind of mature content.
- Give a link of your entry in the comment section. ( seem evident but a lot of contestant forget to give you a link of their entry if you don't state it in the rules. )
- Give the keyword you'll find somewhere in this journal to make sure you read everything.
Some people like to add here what the entries will be judged on but I don't since I think it's obvious : skill, originality, concept, design, colors ect ...
5. PRIZES
Here is what everyone is really interested about.
Just state the prizes you'll give the winner/s. How many winners there will be.
Don't propose too many prizes if you're afraid not to be able to honor your promise, the basic is points.
I'm reluctant to join contest with real money prizes, I don't know if the host is thrustworthy when it comes to paypal. ( that's 'cause I had previous problem with paypal payments so I'm extra careful )
You can suggest : Don't hesitate to give prizes if you want to participate but can't enter >v0
Here is something I've come to use a lot lately : leveled prizes. For example : Fullbody drawing unlocked at 10participants !
OR another winning place.
6. COMPLEMENTARY INFORMATIONS
About your character or specifities you want to be on the entry.
The basic is a short presentation of the character to de drawn or to design for :
REFERENCES !!!!
Age/looking age :
Height :
Personality :
Quirks :
Like and dislike :
Perfered activity : cooking, reading, walking around her/his rose garden, collecting bones … It gives ideas to participants.
And if needed, universe of the character : elf-fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk ect …
7. ENTRIES
Always give the link of where the entries are grouped ( in your favorite or stash ) or directly line up the thumbs ( if you got premium ). People like to look at what have been done to know if they're or not gonna draw the same thing as someone else.
EXTRAS
If you got question I didn't answer or think about, please ask in the comments and I'll add it here.
