Now, what you've been waiting for: how is this competition different?
Other competitions so often become a place where you just drop the name of your story and hope it places well. Not here at the Bae Awards. We're working hard to make sure this competition stays exciting and engaging right up to the very end. We want you on the edge of your seats, folks. This is exciting stuff!
The Competition Will Have 3 Stages:
Stage 1: Open Admissions. This is when anyone can enter their story just by filling out the form and following the designated accounts. This phase will continue indefinitely until all slots are filled or we decide we have enough entries to start judging.
During Stage 1, we will also have two events going on: a short series of Icebreakers and a Tag Fest. The Icebreakers will be a chapter where writers answer a few questions about themselves and converse with other writers. The Tag Fest will be a chapter where people comment tagging as many other users as they can. Participation is not mandatory, for either event. However, writers who participate in the Icebreakers will get bonus points for their first round score, and the winner of the Tag Fest will get special recognition.
- First Round of Judging. Half of the stories from each category will be eliminated. -
Stage 2: Friendly Competition. So you survived the first elimination, huh? Well, buckle up, because things are about to get interesting. All people left in the contest will be required to follow their judges at this point. If you didn't survive the first elimination, we thank you for trying and encourage you to stick around. There are still ways for you to participate!
During Stage 2, we will create a chapter called the Bae Page. On this page, all the stories remaining of every category will be listed, and participants will cast votes for their favorite stories (you are allowed one vote for someone in your category and two votes for any two works in other categories, a total of 3 votes). Stories will get small bonuses added to their second round scores depending on how many votes they get. If you are still in the competition, voting on the Bae Page is mandatory. You don't have to read all the other stories in depth, but this is about supporting other writers! If you do not vote, you will be eliminated during the second judging round. Writers eliminated in the first round are also allowed to vote on the Bae Page :) Thank you for supporting your fellow writers!
- Second Round of Judging. Half of the remaining stories will be eliminated. -
Stage 3: Up Close and Personal. Congratulations! If you've made it this far, that means you are in the top 25% of writers in your category! Right now, there should be an almost one-to-one ratio of writers to judges, so let that sink in for a moment. If you didn't quite make the cut last round, that's okay! Kicking back and watching/participating in the events this round might teach you a trick or two to improve your own work!
During Stage 3, the competition will rapidly be reaching its conclusion. However, there's still work for us and the judges to do, so your patience will be much appreciated! While you're waiting, we're going to have a chapter dedicated to a Writing Discussion between the writers and judges. In this chapter, contestants will be able to ask the judges anything - from what their favorite color is to what criteria they personally judge stories on - and also vice versa. This is meant to be a friendly discussion to foster the growth of our writing styles beyond the competition. People eliminated in previous rounds are free to partake in the conversation. It's also a good time to ask the judges why your book might have been eliminated, and what you could do to improve.
- Third Round of Judging. Final Scores will be posted, and the winners announced. Hooray! -
We hope this clarifies everything you need to know about the competition, and encourages you to participate! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in a comment, and we'll be sure to answer! The joining forms are in the next chapter!
YOU ARE READING
The Bae Book Awards
Acak"A neato bae-rrito contest." Exactly what it says in the cover: another nifty contest to bring attention and possible prestige to your story. Every story will be rated fairly by a panel of judges and a top secret algorithm (details inside!). Will y...
