Contests — Poll

I love to receive books as prizes to contests. How about you? I always have and just recently was mentioning this to a friend–I don’t enter contests for other stuff as the prize. I don’t need more ’stuff’. Books on the other hand I love AND I have actually found several new favorite authors through this method. If I like the book I got, I will and have bought more of their books.

Ironically in the past week I’ve come across several articles or conversations that are clearing stating, “Giving away books is not the thing to do anymore. That it’s a ‘dead’ option for contests.” Thus groups and individuals are withdrawing this option from their sites.

That was my reaction. I totally disagree. Point in case, look to my third sentence above–I don’t enter contests for anything else. Maybe I’m the exception, it wouldn’t be the first thing I’m abnormal on, but one of the complaints or reasons given for the claim that giving away books is a ‘dead option’ is that contestants are not claiming the prize. This makes me pause. So? Simple solution would be to–Email the winner! (I want to add ‘ah duh’ but that seems mean) But seriously, ten to one that winner has not been back to that site to realize they’ve won, or if they have, have missed the announcement. This is something I can personally attest to! About a year ago I entered a contest on Allison Kent’s blog. I have approximately 150 blogs I visit–I do not apologize for skimming or for not reading every single solitary post. It also goes without saying, I can forget I entered it. Life does get busy. So here I am, I enter her contest which doesn’t finalize for a week(another thing to consider… time passage does make it easier to forget). Then about three weeks later I receive an email stating I had won and would I please email her with my snail mail addy. ?????

Oh yeah, I was jumping off the walls! It was 6 books! 6!!!! And I’d never read her before.

The really BIG point I’d like to make here was, I’d been to her blog site several times before and after that announcement post and had even commented on several different posts! But I’d missed the posting announcing the winners of that contest AND I’d forgotten I’d entered. If she had not emailed me letting me know I’d won, I’d never had known.

Maybe there’s an even bigger point to be made here besides the fact that people are busy and to assume we are waiting on pins and needles to see if we won is absurd when we all know only one person can win and the likelyhood that its thy self is slim to none… is that I have since become a HUGE fan of Allison Kent’s. I have bought more of her books. I will continue to do so. That contest won her a fan–a paying fan. And isn’t that the whole point to begin with?