Contests to improve story numbers?

[Get-lost]

I don't know if this is feasible or legal, but I'd like to suggest creating a contest for TFF that the winner or top 3 winners of would be given a prize. Which would be funded by donations from site members. I'd be willing to donate to this fund in money or items.

This could, hopefully, get the numbers of stories on the site to increase again. The actual contest particulars could be decided upon later.

Let me know if this even partially feasible, or could be workable in any form.

 

[Shirotsume]

Monetary rewards would be illegal, due to that whole 'copywrite on the things we're writing fanfiction of" thing.

 

[Watashiwa]

Physical prizes are mostly out too; shipping is hell when contest participants are literally in three different countries on the other side of the world.

I've been running the Iron Fic contest for a few years (starting back right before the Great Closure) with the express purpose of boosting storywriting and reviewing here on TFF. It runs in the Summer, usually on Saturdays or Sundays, and the participants have four hours to write a story based on a theme in whatever fandom they want. It's pretty popular, when I don't get lazy and forget to post/do scores/advertise.

 

[ttestagr]

Monetary rewards would be illegal, due to that whole 'copywrite on the things we're writing fanfiction of" thing.

Entirely untrue for pretty much all manga and anime. Doujin are able to be sold for a profit for a reason.

Physical prizes are mostly out too; shipping is hell when contest participants are literally in three different countries on the other side of the world.

I've been running the Iron Fic contest for a few years (starting back right before the Great Closure) with the express purpose of boosting storywriting and reviewing here on TFF. It runs in the Summer, usually on Saturdays or Sundays, and the participants have four hours to write a story based on a theme in whatever fandom they want. It's pretty popular, when I don't get lazy and forget to post/do scores/advertise.

Yet somehow FO and the people over at the Beasts Lair have managed.

 

[Shirotsume]

If you're volunteering for it to be on your head, then feel free.

 

[Watashiwa]

Doujin are legal in Japan due to weak* intellectual property laws. If you tried to sell a comic based on Spider-Man in the States you be in court so fast your neck would crack.

As to the second, that is a highly devoted, relatively tight-knit community of individuals most (MOST) of whom are in the United States. TFF actually has a much broader membership, geographically speaking. And yes, if you'd like to be in charge of buying and shipping prizes you are quite welcome to.

*gross oversimplification

 

[GaelicDragon]

We could do more simple contests like we used to. Such as the one's where one person would post a phrase and a story would be writen around that phrase.

Or what I am currently doing in AnimeSuki forum (Nanoha section) with 10 Truth's.

 

[Fatuous One]

As to the second, that is a highly devoted, relatively tight-knit community of individuals most (MOST) of whom are in the United States.

Uh... Not really. The prizes I've sent via BL members has been pretty even between North America versus some other international waters. Maybe a 1/3rd ratio at the least, which is still far from most. Which says that even if the general membership on BL really is mostly made up of US citizens, it doesn't mean the writers within it are.

Honestly though, I have to wonder what you would be planning on sending people if you're balking on the price of shipping overseas. I've easily spent 1000-2000 dollars on the contests I've hosted, but the majority of that was from the prizes themselves. (Not to say that shipping was cheap, because it wasn't, but it was never more than $100 for any contest, even with over 12 winners [including many based outside of the US].)

Now, granted, that's because figurines are always insanely priced (any real nice one is usually going to be in the $80+ range), but that was more for general appeal since I felt that they were something pretty much any fan of the series wouldn't mind owning. Regardless, any decent prize is still going to cost around $60 unless you're planning on skimping, which is less than a fourth of what it last cost me to send an item internationally.

Ignoring all that, there are some things you could send electronically as a prize. Steam (or GOG/Origin/whatever) games, or perhaps an art commission (which would not likely be cheap, but still) for example.

 

[Watashiwa]

Yeah, uh, I'm not drawing a paycheck and almost certainly won't be drawing a substantial one for at least a year or two which is why shipping is a concern. Steam gifts are a better option, one I haven't considered, and I've got a fair catalogue of stuff I can use as gifts. I suppose we could do that.

 

[Shirotsume]

I can post a few numbers for TFF.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND- the board's numbers are fluctuating dramatically at the moment- do not take this as the actual board's composition, we haven't been running on nTFF long enough to determine anything- this is just three day's worth of data.

Country        Visits	% Visits
1. US			878	  63.17%
2. Canada		110	   7.91%
3. UK			74		5.32%
4. Australia	 65		4.68%
5. Brazil		34		2.45%
6. Mexico		23		1.65%
7. Croatia	   19		1.37%
8. Finland	   18		1.29%
9. India		 16		1.15%
10. Sweden	   16		1.15%

Visits are by unique persons- so there's 878 US members, 110 Canadian members, so on.

Keep in mind, again, that we're still fluctuating wildly.

 

[bigbabidi]

We could do more simple contests like we used to. Such as the one's where one person would post a phrase and a story would be writen around that phrase.

Those were fun. I wouldn't mind seeing them return.

 

[Hardcore Heathen]

I like the Steam gift idea. I'd be willing to chip in for prize support.

And we can give everybody who participates in anything a billion DOTA 2 keys, because Jesus Christ they hand those out like candy.

 

[Get-lost]

Like I said I'd chip in, Steam games or whatever. I would definitely not run the contests though. I'd just overcomplicate things, probably make too many rules and restrictions and shit.

 

[SotF]

There are some rather free ways to have rewards for things as well, a semi-rank type boost could work there. Not necessarily much of one, but a custom rank or similar

 

[foreverzero]

That would actually be pretty cool, if possible. o.0

 

[zerohour]

I like the idea of custom titles earned through participation/winning contests. If we have people willing to donate their time, offering commissioned fanfics or art is another option.

And since Iron Fic was mentioned, don't forget the abysmal failure of my Iron Man Fic, which was meant to encourage people to try and write longer stories. I think I maintained a 100% non participation rating on that.

 

[Shirotsume]

We could do a custom name color or custom pips. You guys already have personalizable member titles.

EDIT: We could change the pips of the winner to something like this:

Normal pips are currently stars.

 

[foreverzero]

And maybe change the pips depending on how many times someone has won? Giving an incentive to keep coming back for more. We'd only be able to change it so many times, but it might give a nice sense of accomplishment for those who keep it up and win more than once.