[JUDGING]
Come one, come all to the Astania Community's Harvest Festival! We're in search of some great stories to last us through the chilly winter. No matter how big or small, all are welcome to make this harvest a bountiful one! If you'd like to...
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1. Be kind to fellow participants and judges! We are a hate-free community.
2. No bullying someone for their story or anything else. We want to note that we will accept LGBTQ+ books without hesitation, and we do not require LGBTQ+ stories to be classified as mature solely for being LGBTQ+. We encourage people to submit books depicting their personal struggles. If you have an issue with this, our awards probably aren't for you!
3. You are allowed up to 2 entries. They must be for 2 different stories in 2 different categories.
4. Be patient while waiting for responses or results. We're human too!
5. The password is your favorite autumn activity.
6. Do not try to bribe judges or the host. Doing so will result in immediate disqualification and blacklisting from future awards.
7. Only books in English will be accepted. Most judges can only speak English, so this is just making sure everything can be understood.
8. Do not contest the results with the judge if you do not win. They picked who won fair and square! That being said, please remember that writing, like all forms of art, is subjective. Something one person doesn't prefer may be loved by someone else!
9. To receive the winning stickers, you must join our Discord server, The Writer's Hoard. Without the private messaging system on Wattpad, this is the best way for our staff to communicate effectively.
10. Books must have a minimum of 5 narrative chapters, but do not need to be completed. About 3-5 chapters of your book will be read, depending on the judge's decision. (This requirement does not apply for submissions to the Poetry and Short Story categories.)
11. We do not allow any use of AI. This is anything from the AI actually writing the story to grammar checks, due to the fact that the AI will reassemble paragraphs (unless the only thing changed in the story is punctuation). We value human art and human expression. Even if your writing or grammar isn't perfect, it's far better than a soulless machine regurgitating the same style. Because we don't have the time to vet every story before they're accepted, if your story is found to most likely be assisted with AI in any capacity, you will get an automatic 0 in the writing style category or any other applicable category (including covers).
12. Forms must be submitted by Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 11:59 PM EST.
PAYMENT
1. Follow the community account (AstaniaCommunity). This is how we'll be announcing any updates and important news for these awards.
2. Follow your judge OR read at least 1 narrative chapter of their preferred story and leave at least 5 thoughtful comments to show that you've read. Non-storytelling chapters such as author's notes, content warnings, character lists, glossaries, or similar do not count. Your comments should be more than just "LOL" or multiple emojis. They should show you are actively reading and have opinions and reactions about the narrative. If the judge does not have a preferred story listed in the Judges chapter, you must follow them to complete this payment. If you have already read their preferred story to completion, you may read it again, but the comments must be new (i.e. made after September 18, 2024). For categories with two judges, payment must be made to both judges.
NOTE: For participants who complete the reading payment, there is a chance the category will already be full by the time your form is reviewed. Unfortunately, we cannot accept additional entries out of consideration for our judges, but we appreciate the support for their stories!
3. Promote our awards on your Message Board, and make sure to announce it to your followers. This is to get the word out there!
4. Add this awards book to your library and a public reading list so you receive important updates about the awards, and so we can reach more Wattpad users.
5. [OPTIONAL] Join our Discord server, The Writer's Hoard! Here, we offer supportive writers, writing advice, sprints, fun events, and more! We will also provide updates before they're announced on Wattpad. Please see the link in our bio!
