Uncategorized | April 08, 2004

So what if you entered a fiction contest, paid a $25 entry fee, then became informed that the contest would be discontinued? You might expect a refund, right?

A reader sent word that entrants of Zoo Press’s recent contest got a nice email telling them there would be no winner, no refunds, and that they could get consolation poetry books if they sent an additional $1.42 for postage.

It seems the $8750 in entry fees all went towards promotion and advertising. Now I may only be a managing editor at a small-time outfit, but you should probably have a budget for promotion instead of counting on the windfall of profit from your contest. In this case, the writers were forced to shoulder the burden and consequently got the shaft. Zoo Press might be legally covered by the line “reserves the right to withhold the Award in any given year” but can someone explain how this could possibly be fair to the contest entrants?

Here are some places where you can get more details and opinions.

Update: Unfortunately, one of our own editors has been bitten by this. Read Scott’s editorial.