January 18th, 2005
Is there a secret reason why most contest judges don’t sign their name to the scoresheets? Today in the mail I received my Gateway to the Rest entries back. Once judge gave me a perfect score, but didn’t sign it. *scratching head*
Also in the mail tonight was my agency contract and my entries to judge for a contest. That’s why I’m wondering about nameless judges. I don’t see any problem with putting my name on the scoresheets, but this is my first time judging. Is there something I should know about why it’s not a good idea to put your name on the scoresheets??
Actually, a lot of people get absolutely hostile. It doesn’t matter if you have good intentions and want to help them. That’s why MOST judges won’t put their names on contests. It’s also why so many people refuse to judge contests. They’ve had bad experiences with the entrants.
Ahhh… see? I never would have thought of any of those scenarios, but they’re all valid reasons for keeping your name off the score sheets.
I did have one judge once who went through and actually critiqued my story. I was grateful and said so in my thank you note. She e-mailed back and said she didn’t want to say who she was in case I took it badly. But I couldn’t ever figure out why. Who in the world would be ungrateful for someone else’s time and generosity? Now I know.
If you say something constructive, those with thin skins often take it as insulting. They haunt you. They stalk your email, your guestbook. They send you hate mail. If you give a perfect score, the entrants want to make you their new best friend. They want you to talk to your agent, your editor. And if you should HAPPEN to have something in a future book that resembles what you judged? Watch out for the flying lawsuits!
A lot of contests for published authors won’t even provide score sheets any more, for fear of being sued. I imagine this is the reason judges don’t put their names on their score sheets, too. It’s a litigious society we live in…:shock:
I think it’s fear…of the 1 in 1000 people who react badly no matter what the judge says.
One of the contests I entered insisted thank you notes had to be sent to the coordinator unsealed. I think it’s because they want to read them before they pass them on. Their insistence suggests to me that they’ve had a bad experience. Maybe more than one.
It’s a crazy world out there.