Has anyone submitted an entry electonically? I just did - my first ever to WOTF. I have never heard anyone mention this as an option before. I wasn't sure if this was something new or if I just seriously screwed up.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
I think someone said that it was starting with this quarter, philocinemas.
Posted by JenniferHicks (Member # 8201) on :
The electronic submissions are new this quarter. Was it an easy process? I'm looking forward to submitting that way instead of going through the hassle of a trip to the post office.
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
It was very easy. In fact it was so easy I thought I had done something wrong - like toss my entry down a virtual garbage chute or something.
Edited to replace "shoot" with "chute" - although the first may have been more accurate.
[This message has been edited by philocinemas (edited August 13, 2010).]
Posted by babooher (Member # 8617) on :
Do you include the title page with the document file then or do you just put that info in the email?
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
It has an area you check stating that the author's name is not included in the document, therefore I removed my cover page. You also are able to save your entry prior to submitting it - I kind of wished I had done that just to make sure I filled everything out right the first time through - my OCD has been in hyperdrive ever since.
I cannot remember being asked for approximate number of words, and now I cannot go back and check. If someone submits electronically in the near future, could you please let me know where that was requested - I don't think they would have allowed me to submit without that, but I just don't remember that question.
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
I'm going to submit through the post office so that I can make a ceremony of the send-off (my first to WOTF) and to avoid glitches that might arise from the contest's first live run with e-subs.
Posted by axeminister (Member # 8991) on :
Kathleen, I posted it elsewhere but it was just a line on a long thread. This was a good idea starting a thread of its own.
quote:I'm going to submit through the post office
It was funny to read this because I had actually dismissed it as an option.
Axe
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
Hey. Does anyone know how they are going to handle the word count issue? Will they just use their computers for the count or will it be the 73 page by proper format rule?
Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
What is the 73 page by proper format rule for us newbies?
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
Here is the short version...
If you format your story correctly (correct font, size, double spacing, and tabs), 17,000 words comes out to 73 printed pages. We had a hatracker whose story came out to be 10 pages more than that. She worked hard to get it under 17k but it came back as exceeding the word count.
But since electronic subs can be checked with a simple computer word count, I wonder if our hatracker story will now be good to go.
Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
Ah I see. I read somewhere that if you have your manuscript in standard submission format, you should have 250 words per page. Using the 17000/73 rule comes out to about 230 words per page though. Yet I format 1 inch margins, 12 pt dark courier, double spaced, and I get an average of 220 words per page. Not sure why the difference. It may be my tab is too big, but I've no idea how to adjust the tab.
[This message has been edited by Osiris (edited August 23, 2010).]
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
Depends on the amount of dialogue in the story.
Posted by NoTimeToThink (Member # 5174) on :
Osiris, Perhaps you are using more expensive words than the rest of us... Posted by genevive42 (Member # 8714) on :
Osiris, you can also turn off 'orphans' on your page break settings. That way the word processor won't force you to have whole paragraphs on the page, it will break them up at the natural page breaks and you'll get more words on the page.
Also, make sure that your spacing is 24pt.(for double) Evidently some programs default a little bigger.
Posted by JenniferHicks (Member # 8201) on :
KDW has shone some light on how to do the electronic submissions. When you upload your story document, it apparently goes straight to her unfiltered, so don't include anything that mentions your name. That means no title page, and make sure you take your name out of the header. (She says Joni blacks out names in headers on print submissions but doesn't process the e-submissions.)
Also, she mentions this bit: "I just had a chance to visit with some of the WOTF judges at the Hollywood Awards. They all agreed that they dislike stories which do not tie everything up."
Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :
That's weird what everyone is saying about the word count. Courier New, double spaced, with one inch margins averages out to 250 words per page or 68 pages for 17,000 words. These other word counts is news to me (big shrug).
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
quote:"I just had a chance to visit with some of the WOTF judges at the Hollywood Awards. They all agreed that they dislike stories which do not tie everything up."
Well, in that case, I'm not submitting the story I thought I was going to...
