I can understand that it takes a lot to give out a reward other than other people reading it, but honestly.. I don't think that many people read your story if you win. So if we maybe bumped the frequency of the contests down and raised the reward to maybe a 10 dollar gift card or something like that... It'd feel more rewarding, at least I think so. Monthly maybe? Month and a week per short story? Just a suggestion.
We're going to have large quarterly contests for the ezine. The prize will be $100. The first one of these will be around May/June and you'll hear plenty about it beforehand and will have ample time to enter.
The point to my mind of the short story contests is to encourage members to write and also in doing so have fun. If you're referring to the quarterly and rewarded contest then your readership will be limited to those active at voting time in that quarter sadly, likewise if you're referring to the bi-weekly unrewarded contest I run currently then again the readership will be limited to those active during that period. The contests seem not to be a forum for critique and suggested improvement rather a showcase for what you have learnt elsewhere. If you wish a piece critiqued / looked over after a contest has finished then submit in the appropriate part of the forum - that activity I believe is encouraged. I'd recommend you practice in the bi-weekly contests and submit your stories to the forum after that contest for critique and for others who haven't voted to read. Also enter into the quarterly ones and through a wide approach you should gain a large readership. Plus no one's stopping you from posting the same piece on several sites, providing you don't leave us in the process! Happy posting.
