Did you remember to include a word count in the body of your item? If you exceed the word count limit, forget to include a word count altogether, or post the word count elsewhere (like the title or intro description fields), your entry will be disqualified.

Did you appropriately rate your item? Most official contests require an 18+ rating or lower. If your rating exceeds the rating restriction posted in the contest rules, your entry will be disqualified.

Did you properly classify your item type? If the contest requires a short story and you submit an item that's labeled as "Non-Fiction" or "Poetry," your entry will be disqualified.

Was your entry newly written for the contest and not edited after the deadline? If your item's Created date is prior to the beginning of the contest round, or its Modified date is after the close of the contest round, your entry will be disqualified.

Is your paid membership current through the end of the contest round? If your membership reverts to a free account, your entry will be disqualified.

Is your item Public? If your item is marked private or otherwise restricts the judges from viewing it, your entry will be disqualified. IMPORTANT: Remember that changing your item from Private to Public will change the "Modified" date of your item, so you need to make it Public before the end of the contest round!

Did you properly submit your item when completing the contest survey? Remember to use {b-item:} WritingML format and submit an actual link to your story rather than just the item number itself. This will help ensure you don't accidentally key the wrong item number, which happens more often than you might think!

EXAMPLE: if your item number is 123456, don't just put "123456" in the survey field. Enter it as {b-item:123456}. This will make it appear as a link instead of a string of numbers.

PROTIP: If you ever want to double check and make sure you submitted your survey correctly, use the left-column navigation menu and click on My Account, then select Survey Responses under "My Activity." That will take you to a list of all surveys you've submitted, and allow you to click "View" to actually see what your contest entry submission looks like.



If you discover that you've submitted your survey incorrectly, contact the contest organizer (Jeff for the official writing contests) who can delete your submitted survey and allow you to re-enter!