For folks who won a contest for the first time: Step by Step rundown of the sequences

[Mira]

This discussion thread is pinned.

For a person who wins for the first time, and who then gets the big and weighty prize of running the next contest, it can seem a bit overwhelming to contemplate how this is done.

These are basic guidelines, nothing is etched in stone, I may be forgetting something, but they may nevertheless take the edge of wondering how to proceed, or as I did, panicking.
The host or hostess is in charge, all decisions begin and end there, and so not much is to be feared

Start by choosing the theme.
Either by declaring it, or by soliciting suggestions, then choosing the top suggestions and running a poll.
You can also make a few suggestions of your own, and start by running a poll of your own ideas.
This will give you a practice run on how to poll if necessary, and that’s good for when you make the voting threads.

Announce the theme in the Photo Forum - as well as the schedule for submissions and voting - give at least 1 week between announcing the theme and the start of submissions, for people to go out and shoot.

Start submission thread in photo forum, along with a separate comment thread, link them to each other and caution folks to not make comments or ask questions in the submission thread. If they do anyway, just cope with it , remember, nothing is etched in stone.
Into the header of the submission thread copy and paste the basic rules about photo submissions.
there is a pinned thread at the top to the photo forum, by CC, “Preliminary or the Gathering of Contest Rules”
where you can get the info about all of that

During the submission time host or hostess needs to remain vigilant to questions or problems that arise, and at times remind folks of the timing to submit. One tries to make noise so those who want to enter a photo don’t miss the fact it is happening. Many a host or hostess also post a notice in the Lounge to solicit photographs.

When the time comes to make the polling threads, decide on how many threads are needed based on the number of submissions received. 10 is the maximum per thread. I like to have one third or thereabouts of the submissions in the finals. So for example when it is 21 entries, I like to have 7 finalists, and they will come from 3 polls of 7 each.

I am not going to explain here how to make the polling threads, there may be instructions about that somewhere already, and I am not the best at this anyway. Just gather the links of the submissions as they come in and study old threads. You can always ask along the way.
Make the threads and explain the theme to the voting public, you want them to know what they are looking for, not just have them vote for pretty pictures. Again state the timing involved for how long the voting will be, also tell the photographers how you will chose the finalists, and how many there will be. Post them. Link them to each other so folks can go from one to the next and vote.

Then you are almost home free, the most difficult is behind you.
The next step its to gather the finalists, run a poll if there is a tie, or flip a coin, or make the choice any old way you want. Remember: you are the boss of this.

Run the finalists along with the same explanations of the basic polls about theme and timing.

Announce the winners and pass the baton.

Hope this helps.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Nicely done, my dear Mira!

I think this should be pinned at the top of the page too........it's very useful!

Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[Mira]

2. Thank you CA Peggy - I was glad to do it.

It occurred to me that it could help some folks. A simple step by step might alleviate the first time dread of running a contest as I suspect this fear might keep some folks from entering.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Thanks, Mira.

I agree with California Peggy that this should be pinned. The more information about how to host a photo contest, the better.

I will say that the part that is the scariest for me is how the heck one gets photos from the submission thread to the voting threads. But I don't have to worry about that.

[Mira]

4. That one is easy

right click on the photo as it arrives in the submission thread, and copy the image location.
Then keep a list of them as they come in for later.

Before I start making the voting threads I select all of them, copy, and paste them into an empty (dummy) window in DU and see if they all come in properly by clicking on "preview".

Then, as you make the voting threads for the poll just paste the location link underneath the title.
As I make these threads I check them very carefully for spelling of the title, if the title is with the correct photograph etc. by exactly that method. I'm sure there are better ways, but this works for me. As long as you have no title in the empty DU window there is no danger of accidental posting.

I hope this makes sense,
and thank you for your response. I will pin it in a day or so. I think one has to be on a specific mission to go look at pinned threads and it could therefore get lost without folks knowing about it.

[mnhtnbb]

5. Nice summary, Mira!

Having recently hosted my first contest without such a guide, I resorted to looking up past threads for each step of the way.

I also found it easy to set up the polling threads alongside each other, so I could enter titles and photos just by switching
back and forth. Made it easy to post them at the same time and then get the links to each other posted right away.

The preview function is definitely an asset when setting up the polling threads!

[2naSalit]

6. Thanks, Mira

This is very helpful.

[Mira]

7. You are welcome.

We have more newcomers entering these days, and more new winners who at times express being nervous about their first hosting event.
We all will be available to you here on the board or in private messages. I can't speak for all, but feel sure I'm right. I am certain though about my own offering of help.
I look forward to your February contest, whatever it will be.

[2naSalit]

8. I'm feeling better about it

now and have been reading all those threads pinned to the top of our page.

I've been contemplating a theme for which I may run a poll, it will also help generate interest though that doesn't seem to be a problem. I guess I have another day or two to get started on thinking about the time frame. I think it will be fun and I'll certainly learn a good deal.

I find all these thread helpful and that's comforting in itself.

[CC]

9. You are so good to us Mira.

Thank you for doing this.

[2naSalit]

10. This worked wonderfully!

I am here to give testimony that I had no idea how to host a photo contest and following these directions I was able to manage it without a great deal of stress, none in fact. So if anyone reads this as they begin to host a photo contest for the first time, that's how to do it.

Thanks, Mira and everyone else for helping me through it too, timing is important.

[Mira]

11. Thank you dear friend

it's nice to read that it helped. You did beautifully.

[CurtEastPoint]

12. As was just pointed out by a first time host, this thread should also mention WHERE...

the polls are posted. That info is in the contest info but not here.

They should be posted in GD and the Lounge and cross referenced in the Photo group.

Right?

[mnhtnbb]

13. These two sections from the Rules thread should probably be included in this thread

The Submission & Comment threads will be posted in the Photography Group. The Preliminary polls and Final Contest poll will be posted in GD per Skinner’s permission.

The Host of the Contest may copy and paste these rules into their submission thread or post a link to these rules into the submission thread. The Host WILL copy and paste the CONTEST LICENSE into the submission thread in its entirety. (At end of this post)

We generally have been putting announcements when submissions are open in both GD and The Lounge just to generate interest in getting people to submit entries, and posting a notice about those announcements with links in the Photography thread just so members of the group can keep the threads kicked for visibility while submissions are being requested.

The polls--both preliminary and Final--are run only in GD.

It's a good idea for anyone hosting to become familiar with the rules thread https://www.democraticunderground.com/103614595

[UpInArms]

14. Thank you, mira

Am already feeling overwhelmed...

An honored to get to do this next time

[edhopper]

15. A question on the preliminary polls

For the finals, does are the finalists taken from the top vote received in each poll, or the top votes across all the polls.

Example: In poll #1 photos get 22, 20, 18 and 16 votes

In poll #2 photos get 20, 15 and 14 votes.

Is the photo with 16 votes excluded because there were three photos in that poll with more votes, even though it had more than two of the top three in the other poll?

Is there a set number of photos in the finals?

[Mira]

16. Here is how I do it:

Divide the entries into three posts. Or two is there are few entries.
In the prelims take the top three in each post and the final 10th highest vote getter from all the posts.

In the finals take those photos and run them.

I like to take one third (or thereabouts) of the entries and run those in the finals, from there I determine the top three.

In other words, if you only have 18 entries, there should not be 10 finalists.....

I hope this makes sense to you. It does to me, but I have a headache

[edhopper]

17. Thanks

I think it should be the top across all three polls.
That way a photo isn't hampered because it happens to be placed with other strong photos and another photo doesn't just get in because it is paired with weaker photos.

[Mira]

18. You are in charge!

And quite possible correct.

[edhopper]

19. OK

The winner determines the voting rules?

That's fine, it's all fun anyway.

[tblue37]

20. May I suggest a theme, though I am not a photographer? How about "Little, Big"?

Adult + youngster (i.e., cat vs. kitten) would be the, perhaps, too obvious version. But there are so many other unrelated yet potentially interesting contrasts that could be seen.