Essay contests should have a purpose.
An essay contest may occur for several reasons: to promote literacy, award a good writer with money or a scholarship or as a part of a literary journal. Whatever the reason, running a good essay contest will be fun and engaging. Those planning an essay contest will need to create a contest topic, promote the contest and find a way to let writers submit their essays.
Instructions
1. Decide what the contest will be about and how the winners will be awarded. Create the essay's instructions by thinking about the topic and any sub-topics that writers are allowed to cover. Also think about topics that the writers should not write about. Create a statement that describes the contest, what the mission or purpose of the contest is and how the winners will be awarded. Also mention any people who are not allowed to enter the contest. The contest could be age-specific, for example. Mention any reasons why a writer's work would be eliminated from the running due to, for example, poor spelling or offensive ideas. Be sure to type the statement out in a clear and understandable way for all essay contest applicants.
Calling it a 'contest' suggests there will be a winner---and in most cases, a prize. Select what the prize will be, whether it is money or a simple accolade. Let the applicants know.
2. Create a website for the essay contest if there is no website for it. While a fancy website is not necessary, it is a good idea to have a website that writers can access to find details about the contest. Visit Weebly.com or Webs.com to create an easy-to-build website for free. These websites allow site creators to simply choose a template and place content on a pre-built website. Weebly.com offers a drag-and-drop tool that allows users to drag a text or photo box onto the page where they'd like to place text or images. Webs.com allows users to click a button to create content. Design the site so that you introduce the essay contest and provide its details.
3. Create an email address for the contest. The email address should be one that the essay contest manager will check regularly for submissions. Select a professional, appropriate name. Register for a free email address at Gmail.com, Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com.
4. Promote the contest. According to Instigator Blog, an essay should be promoted on literary sites, through email, on flyers and by using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
5. Make sure to keep up with the submissions. Make an open-for-submissions and closed-for-submissions date. Decide judge the winning essay in a fair and appropriate way. Create a staff that will read and rate the essays, whether one person or a few. Make sure to come up with a criteria for rating each essay so that each essay is judged fairly. The criteria may include good grammar and spelling, specificity to topic, new perspective or ability to provide new information.
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