Contest and Challenge Rules and Guidelines

Below you will find the updated rules and guidelines for this forum. If you have any questions, feel free to post here before you start your thread, or send a message to an admin or board mod.

A contest on Mibba is where a host creates a thread and stipulates the type of writing works they are looking for, and participants join and share their qualifying works in hopes of winning prizes that are given here on Mibba.

General

No Bumping: Bumping a thread, in any forum, is considered spam. It's especially bad in this forum. If a contest receives no replies it's because there is no interest (not that the contest is bad or anything) and the thread is back pages for a reason. Bumping it up so that the same people can read it again won't generate much more interest. Meaningless comments like "nobody?" or "Anyone wanna join?" to get the thread to the top of the forum are also not allowed. Bumping of threads in any forum will result in a temporary banning from Mibba for a first offense, just like any other kind of spamming.

There are constructive ways on putting your contest on the first page without spamming, such as quoting a participant's post and thanking them for joining, or politely reminding the participants that the deadline for submissions is a week away.

If you see someone bumping threads, don't confront them or make comments. Simply report them via PM to a board mod or admin and we'll deal with it.

Proper Spelling, Capitalization, and Grammar: As in any other part of the forum, the rules which state that you must use proper spelling, grammar, and capitalization DO apply here as well. Please keep this in mind as you create your contest threads and when you reply to other contests.



Tips

Please note that these are not rules. These are simply tips that may help you when setting up your contest. These tips were formed using some of the feedback (your pet peeves) we receive about writing contests.

Your first post: most contests' first post include:

• Subject/Purpose: a short clear paragraph that explains the subjects topic and what each participant must do.
• Rules: a list of rules that each participant must follow. This usually includes limits on rating, genre, content, word-count, chapters, and story layouts. Basically any stipulations you have for the participants should be included in the contest's rules.
• Deadline: please include the end date of your contests so that all participants know when their pieces are due.
• Prizes: if you're giving out prizes, be sure to list what they are.
• Participants: to keep track, most contest owners will have a list of participant included in their first post. This can come in handy if you ever need to contact participants about upcoming deadlines or changes in the contest.

For contest starters: here are some helpful tips!

• If there is anything you won't read, be sure to include that in your rules. For example, if you don't read slash, simply put “no slash” in your contest rules. If you only want stories rated PG-13 and over, be sure to add that to your contest rules as well. If the look of the story layouts factor into your judging, be sure to make your participants aware of that fact.
• Be sure to post a deadline reminder for your participants as the deadline approaches.
• Feel free to advertise your contest by posting a blog or putting a link in your signature, etc.
• If you won't be able to judge your contest (or if there will be a delay), please be courteous and let your participants know. No one likes waiting around for the results of a contest not knowing when they will come. If you'd like, you can submit your contest to the Contest Revival.
• If you'd like to cancel your contest, again let your participants know. You can also report the thread and ask a board mod to lock the thread that is no longer in use.

For participants: here are some helpful tips!

• If you must drop out of a contest, be courteous and let the host know.
• If you're forgetful, remember to either bookmark the contest or subscribe to the thread. This will help you keep track of what contests you're in.
• Please read the contest rules carefully. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask the contest host. Remember: if you submit a piece that doesn't fit the contest's qualification, it's your own fault.

A challenge on Mibba is where a Mibbian creates a thread to host a challenge that can be completed right here on Mibba. The challenge can be related to pretty much everything, and does not necessarily have to be about writing: for example, it could be a scavenger hunt, riddles, a write or read-a-thon, comment monsters, a month-long writing challenge, etc. Prizes are not necessary for challenges.

General

No Bumping: Bumping a thread, in any forum, is considered spam. It's especially bad in this forum. If a contest receives no replies it's because there is no interest (not that the contest is bad or anything) and the thread is back pages for a reason. Bumping it up so that the same people can read it again won't generate much more interest. Meaningless comments like "nobody?" or "Anyone wanna join?" to get the thread to the top of the forum are also not allowed. Bumping of threads in any forum will result in a temporary banning from Mibba for a first offense, just like any other kind of spamming.

There are constructive ways on putting your contest on the first page without spamming, such as quoting a participant's post and thanking them for joining, or politely reminding the participants that the deadline for submissions is a week away.

If you see someone bumping threads, don't confront them or make comments. Simply report them via PM to a board mod or admin and we'll deal with it.

Proper Spelling, Capitalization, and Grammar: As in any other part of the forum, the rules which state that you must use proper spelling, grammar, and capitalization DO apply here as well. Please keep this in mind as you create your contest threads and when you reply to other contests.



Tips

Please note that these are not rules. These are simply tips that may help you when setting up your challenge.

Your first post: most challenges' first post include:

• Subject/Purpose: a short clear paragraph that explains the subjects topic and what each participant must do.
• Rules: a list of rules that each participant must follow. For writing-themed challenges, this usually includes limits on rating, genre, word-count, etc. Basically any stipulations you have for the participants should be included in the challenge's rules.
• Deadline: please include the end date of your challenge so that all participants know when the challenge will finish. This is particularly important if they need to update their posts or submit a piece of writing to Mibba.
• Prizes: if you're giving out prizes, be sure to list what they are. Prizes are not necessary for challenges.
• Participants: to keep track, most challenge owners will have a list of participant included in their first post. This can come in handy if you ever need to contact participants about upcoming deadlines or changes in the challenge.

For challenge starters: here are some helpful tips!

• If there is a particular type of entry you won't accept, be sure to include that in your rules. For example, if you are hosting a writing contest and you don't read NC-17 stories, add that in your challenge rules.
• Make sure you state and explain all of your rules and instructions clearly. For example, if you are hosting a commenting challenge and you will only count constructive criticism comments that are at least 100 words, include that in your rules. If you are hosting a read-a-thon and require participants to leave a comment on the pieces they read to prove they have read them, then add that to your rules.
• You can ask participants to create a master post. This is a place where they can go throughout the challenge to update you on their progress without spamming your thread. These are particularly good for read-a-thons and other challenges where participants accumulate a growing list of items.
• Try to make your challenge fun and rewarding so people are encouraged to participate.
• Be sure to post a deadline reminder for your participants as the deadline approaches.
• Feel free to advertise your challenge by posting a blog or putting a link in your signature, etc.
• If your challenge requires judging but you won't be able to judge it (or if there will be a delay), please be courteous and let your participants know.
• If you'd like to cancel your challenge, again let your participants know. You can also report the thread and ask a board mod to lock the thread that is no longer in use.

For participants: here are some helpful tips!

• If you must drop out of a challenge, be courteous and let the host know.
• If you're forgetful, remember to either bookmark the challenge or subscribe to the thread. This will help you keep track of what challenges you're participating in.
• If you're using a master post, be sure to update it regularly so you don't forget to include any information.
• Please read the challenge rules carefully. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask the host. Remember: if you fail to meet the stipulations, it's your own fault.

To be updated as required.