Over the past few months, I've tried a new format with the two contests I currently run (The "Sinister Stories Contest"  and the "Paradise Cove Writing Challenge-On Hold" ). Each contest used to run on a monthly format, and I changed them to a seasonal/quarterly format (four rounds per year). The decision was made because there are already so many horror and erotica contests that are monthly or shorter, and not many allow writers the time to really sit down and develop short fiction that's longer than a couple thousand words. I figured we'd up the prizes, extend the round duration, and give people the chance to write longer pieces that don't often qualify for contests because they exceed the word limit.

Since the change, though, participation in both contests has plummeted. Each contest is lucky to see 2-3 entries during a good round, and most of the entries come from the same recurring participants. I worry that I might have misjudged the situation and adapted my contests into a format that writers just aren't all that interested in.

With that in mind, I'm hoping you'll take a few moments to fill out this quick survey so I can get a better idea of what most people are looking for in a short story contest. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!