I just finished judging an unpublished RWA contest and I was very impressed by the entries I received. Normally I get one or two really fantastic entries and the rest are usually ‘meh’, and I feel bad giving low scores. Don’t know why, that’s just always been my experience. Luckily I got some pretty amazing entries all around, and I’m hoping that in the next couple years I’ll see at least one of these on the bookshelves. Now that I’ve finished that round of judging, I’ve absolutely got to get to a couple of the books I recently received for the RITA contest. It’s my first year judging this contest and I’m pretty excited about it. As a rule I prefer published contests because of the great books I get to keep. Is that wrong, lol? Of course I forgot about this contest though, and bought six new books over the weekend so on top of the 8 that I have to read, there’s a new addition to my tbr pile yelling at me.
On the subject of contests, I recently read something from someone who judges the Golden Heart that disturbed me. She said that if she didn't like an entry, instead of giving it a super low score, she scored in the middle so it lessened the chances of that entry undergoing a 'swing vote' (can’t remember the exact term) in the event the scores were incredibly skewed. I thought that her take on judging was a bit devious. When I judge, I just focus on my opinion of that entry. If I can't stand something, that doesn't mean the other judges won't love it. The truth is, I don't care what anyone else thinks of that entry or where it ends up placing. Reading is so subjective and it makes me think that someone with that opinion is missing the point of well…a lot of things.
Hope everyone is having a great week! It’s hump day so we’re almost to the weekend. Lord knows I'm ready for it to get here :)
6 comments:
I judged for the most recent Touch of Magic contest. I had a great time.
I scored every single thing I read honestly. When I didn't like something, I provided feedback as to why.
I can't imagine judging something based on where you want it to finish as opposed to just stating your opinion or... letting your "judgement" of the piece be known. Why would you care if there was a swing vote?
I was lucky in that all the stories I got to read had potential. Some of them weren't quite "there" yet, but they all could be with the right tweeks. So, it was exciting.
I've never judged a contest, but I agree with you and Saranna. These are supposed to be unbiased contests for writers, and hearing that a judge may be out to get a story...
Bad ju-ju!
My Mind jumped to some rather dodgy entrys I've made, when I was brand new.
They ranked in the middle. At the time, it was a huge ego boost "hey, I'm not as suck tastic as those 3 entries under me!" but now I wonder...
I'm glad that you provide honest feedback. I think as long as the comments are constructive, they are beneficial. Fight the good fight!
I've only judged one contest, and I feel I'm a better author for it. I also learned in talking with other judges after the fact just how varied and subjective our preferences were. It's troublesome that someone would make the assumption that her opinion is somehow entitled to carry more weight than that of another--assuming I understoond properly, of course.
Great post, Katie. Lot of food for thought.
It's also my first year judging the RITAs! So far I've give a low, middle, and high score. I've heard that a really low score (1 out of 9) might be thrown out if the other scores are significantly higher. Sort of like a curve? Not sure how to explain it. So I can understand what that Golden Heart judge was saying. I'd hesitate to give a 1 or 2 in the RITA (unless it was truly awful) because I wouldn't want my score disregarded. Plus, giving a 3 out of 9 score is still a below average, F grade. How much worse can a print published book get? Golden Heart would be different, of course.
Thanks for the interesting topic!
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