Insurance Company Owner Responds To My Writing Contest Warning Post

In response to my post, Writing Contests: Always Read The Fine Print, one of the owners of the insurance website wrote:

Hello Debbie,

My name is Mike Kim and I am one of the owners of Affordable Insurance Options Online. I am writing this comment in response to the "warning" you posted regarding the essay contest we are currently holding.

First of all, I greatly admire the sense of duty you displayed to your visitors by creating this post, and the time and energy you put into it. It's obvious that you care greatly for your visitors and are going above and beyond to look out for their best interest.

I do, however, have to take issue with the negative attention you are bringing to what we believe is a legitimate and well intentioned writing contest. You discuss three major points why you believe our contest should serve as a cautionary tale.

1) We assume the rights to the content submitted. The main reason for this contest is to better inform our visitors on the importance of adequate insurance coverage, and to do so in a fun and entertaining way. There is no way that we could accomplish this without publishing the submitted entries and allowing our visitors to read the true life stories. We are in no way, shape or form trying to conceal the fact that we will be publishing the content, as many other writing contests do. That fact is disclosed in plain view, in the section above the area in which they submit their essay. Those who don't want their essays published can simply choose to not enter the contest.

2) People who enter our contest are put on our mailing list. Actually, they gain access to our online newsletter that offers valuable information on insurance related topics, and other financial matters. Not only are people made aware of this in the contest guidelines, they are also again made aware of this when they submit an entry. In fact, they have to click a confirmation link that tells us it's ok to send them the newsletter. Of course, the newsletter is free and if they don't want it, they can cancel at any time.

3) If we are not able to contact the winners in five days, alternate winners will be chosen. We do not want to delay notifying the winners and publicly congratulating them for their accomplishment. In this technologically advanced day and age, contacting the winners should not take more than a few days. If it does, chances are the contact information provided is invalid. In this case, we want to make sure to offer the cash prize to the next worthy applicant who would surely be thrilled to be named a winner. We strongly believe that all applicants will not only see this as fair and ethical, but they will actually appreciate not having to wait weeks or months to be notified if they win, just because we are having trouble contacting someone else.

Because of the reasons detailed above, and the fact that it is totally free to enter our contest, I ask you to please reconsider your stance. We here at AIOO take great pride in our site, this contest, and our general moral and ethical business practices. I would like to reiiterate that your dedication to your visitors is commendable and I don't fault you one bit for creating this post. Even if I am unable to change your mind, I have great respect for you and your website. Having the freedom to disagree is one of the many things that makes this country so great!!! Thank you very much for your time, Mike

While I appreciate the prompt and courteous response, I still can't recommend that writers enter this contest. You may win a cash prize, it's true. But whether or not you win, you are giving up all your rights to work you have created.

If you're hazy on the issue of rights and copyright, you should read Understanding Rights and Copyright by Moira Allen. An excerpt from that article:

All Rights. This term, loathed by writers, is often used by publishers who want to avoid the need to buy additional rights later. By acquiring all rights, for example, a publisher acquires electronic rights as well.

Once you've sold "all rights" to a piece, you can never sell that piece again. All you retain is the right to claim authorship. You may even be precluded from selling revisions or rewrites of the same material.

That doesn't mean that you should never sell "all rights." In some cases, the benefits of a such sale may outweigh the lost potential for resale, especially if there is a limited market for that particular work. If you do sell "all rights," however, be sure that you are being adequately compensated. (For more information on this topic, see Selling All Rights: Right or Wrong?

Wouldn't your time and energy be better spent working on your other writing projects? Or at least entering writing contests which let you keep the rights to your work so you can use it elsewhere? This contest also requires that the content be unique, which means you'd be writing content specifically for this site and this site only.

In the end, of course, the choice is yours. As Mike points out, the company is very upfront about its submission guidelines.

Helpful resources for writers about writing contests:

Writer Beware Guide To Writing Contests and Awards

Finding Legitimate Writing Markets and Contests - Canadian Authors Association

Writing Contests: When Winners Are Losers - by Moira Allen

Finding the balance between the feel of a real book & the digital world

From Christopher Herz at The Huffington Post:

As the publishing industry struggles to find that balance between the digital world and the feel of actually handling a book, perhaps a look towards the emotional connection is the bridge.

Right now, while we all follow twitter feeds and become fans on Facebook, what might be getting lost is the fact that reading a book is an extremely intimate and personal experience. To give travel notes of the journey is a benefit to both writer and reader, and might just promise a relationship that can only grow with each trip taken together.



Please help me with my book proposal!

The bulk of my Squarespace move is finished, though I still have quite a few tweaks to go. Still, it's SO GOOD to finally get back to my own writing! Also a relief to Google my name & Inkygirl pages and NOT get pharmaceutical hacked info. But back to my own writing...

More and more people have been inquiring about where they can buy a print collection of my comics, so I've (finally) written a nonfiction book proposal featuring compilation of my best Inkygirl and Will Write For Chocolate comics. I plan to send it out soon, but obviously I want to include samples of my work.

Do you recall a favourite comic of mine you think I should include in the proposal? If so, please describe it below.

For those who missed my earlier post, by the way, I've started a separate blog feed for just my Inkygirl comics and am gradually uploading the archives, one comic at a time. The goal of this separate blog is to make it easier for people to find comics on a particular topic for posting in their blogs, using in their presentations, etc. I'm tagging and categorizing as I go.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Writing Contests: Always Read The Fine Print!

I was recently encouraged to promote this "Affordable Insurance Options Essay Contest" to my readers. The website name was already setting off alarm bells in my head, but I decided to check out the rules out of curiosity.

At first glance, it may attract some writers: there's no entry fee, and the site offers cash prizes of $50, $100 and $200. However, if you read ALL the submission guidelines, it becomes clear that even if your entry about the importance of insurance coverage doesn't win, the site can use it without paying you:

All entries become the property of Affordable Insurance Options Online and we reserve the right to publish and/or distribute them as we see fit.

And you're also putting yourself on their mailing list:

Submitting an entry will also allow every applicant access to the AIOO Insurance and Investing online newsletter, which contains valuable information and tips on how to save money on insurance premiums, ensure adequate coverage, make sound investments and help your portfolio grow, and much more.

So I am going to post about their contest...as a warning to writers everywhere to ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT. Yes, there's a small chance that you may win one of the cash prizes. But if you don't, you've just handed over your writing to someone else for free. Even if your essay IS chosen as a winner, the company has to be able to reach you within 5 days, or you lose the prize (but they can still use your writing):

Accurate contact information is required for all prize winners to be notified.  If we are unable to contact any applicant within 5 days of the review process being completed, their entry will be voided and a different entry will be chosen.

It may seem obvious that serious writers should stay away from this contest, but I've already seen it recommended on at least one writing-related site.

Wordcount Challenge Check-In: 250, 500, 1000 wds/day

Haven't heard of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge? The goal of this challenge is to help provide goal-oriented inspiration, with flexibility to avoid giving up in frustration. Please click on any of the buttons above for more info.

Every Monday, I'll post a Wordcount Challenge Check-in to see how you're all doing with your challenges. You don't have to post, of course, but I find that encouraging and receiving encouragement from others is inspiring to me as a writer.

So how did you all do this past week?



You're never too old to start writing

From Robert McCrum in Guardian.co.uk:

...The ruthless cut-off of 40 does not address the complex trajectory of creative growth: for every novelist or poet who explodes skywards with a first or second book, there are many who only achieve mastery as they reach the shady side of the slope. The onset of middle age, or the approach of oblivion, is perhaps as sharp a spur to literary effort as the intoxicating self-belief of youth.

Writers: avoid these clichés like the plague!

(Update: link fixed -- sorry about that!)

If you want to keep your writing from sounding too predictable, read this post by Delia Cabe from Boston.com about over-used pet words, phrases and devices.

How do YOU avoid getting distracted by the Internet?

Some writers are able to switch off their computers and stay off e-mail and the Web all day. Freelance writers who rely at least partly on client work for income, however, sometimes don't have this luxury. The Internet can be a wonderful resource for writers but it can also be a major timesuck.

To those who DO have to go online at least a few times a day: How do you manage your time online? Do you limit the amount of time you spend on social networking sites? What tricks and tips can you offer others? What -doesn't- work for you?

Cartoon Caption Challenge

Wordcount Challenge Check-In: 250, 500, 1000 wds/day

Haven't heard of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge? The goal of this challenge is to help provide goal-oriented inspiration, with flexibility to avoid giving up in frustration. Please click on any of the buttons above for more info.

Every Monday, I'll post a Wordcount Challenge Check-in to see how you're all doing with your challenges. You don't have to post, of course, but I find that encouraging and receiving encouragement from others is inspiring to me as a writer.

So how did you all do this past week?

Cartoon Caption Contest Winner: John Hewitt

Thanks to those who entered my cartoon caption contest. The winner: John Hewitt of Poewar fame. I've been a fan of John's Poewar: Writing Career Center  since its early days.

Switching my blogs from Wordpress to Squarespace

Because some of you have been asking, I've started to post about my experience with switching from Wordpress to Squarespace.

Still fiddling with Squarespace security settings...

Apologies if some of you encountered odd security warnings when trying to access Inkygirl lately. I'm still learning more about Squarespace settings. :-)

Versatile Blogger Award

Thanks to Lydia LeRoy-Williams for giving me The Versatile Blogger Award!

Here are the rules:

• Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
• Share 7 things about yourself.
• Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
• Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Here are seven of the most random things about myself I could come up with:

1. I have a love-hate relationship with the squirrels in my garden.

2. I painted a tree on my office wall.

3. My first writing mentor: Lee Wardlaw Jaffurs (Lee Wardlaw back then). I will always be grateful to Lee for her encouragement and advice.

4. I don't mind spiders but despise centipedes.

5. I dislike clothes shopping.

6. I attend virtual writing sessions on Second Life (I'm "Inkygirl Omizu" on SL).

7. I have Ray Bradbury's autograph.

Next, here is my list of the fifteen outstanding blogs YOU should visit:

1. Cheryl Rainfield

2. Claudia Osmond

3. Adrienne Kress

4. Nelsa Roberto

5. Megan Crewe

6. Christina Farley

7. Jo Swartz

8. Hélène Boudreau

9. Mahtab Narsimhan

10. Marina Cohen

11. Patricia Storms

12. Author2Author

13. Okay I cheated because #12 actually has

14. five authors contributing to it

15. which is one over my limit. :-)

Blog Highlight: Ink Gleanings

The subtitle of Ink Gleanings is "Harvesting Tips For The Writer's Life." In each post, Katie writes about what she's reading, writing, and a thought about the writing process. You can also find Katie on Twitter at @katiereads.

Cartoon Caption Contest

No prizes, sorry. This is just for fun. :-)

Inkygirl moved to Squarespace

Hurray, Inkygirl has been successfully moved to Squarespace! If you're reading this post in your old feed, then all is well  - I'd appreciate it if you'd post below to let me know. You can find a list of my updated feeds in the top right corner of this page.

I'm actually going to be displaying two blogs on the Inkygirl page: my regular Inkygirl info plus a separate comics blog. I decided to keep my comics separate to make it easier for people to find the comic they want since I'm tagging/categorizing as I upload my archives.

In addition to Inkygirl, I've moved over Blatherings, Will Write For Chocolate, My Life In A Nutshell, Filking.net and my Filk FAQ, iPadGirl and DebbieOhi.com. I have about half a dozen other blogs to go, but when I have the basic infrastructures in place, I'll go back and do finetuning and link-fixing.

If you notice anything amiss or would like me to fix certain pages sooner than later, please do let me know! And thanks for sticking with me through this transition period. I'm hoping not to have to move again for a very long time.

Wordcount Challenge Check-In: 250, 500, 1000 wds/day

Haven't heard of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge? The goal of this challenge is to help provide goal-oriented inspiration, with flexibility to avoid giving up in frustration. Please click on any of the buttons above for more info.

Every Monday, I'll post a Wordcount Challenge Check-in to see how you're all doing with your challenges. You don't have to post, of course, but I find that encouraging and receiving encouragement from others is inspiring to me as a writer.

Good luck!

Please help me test out the revamped Inkygirl

Inkygirl.com is now pointing to my Squarespace account, although it may take a few days for the change to propagate through all the name servers.

I still have a fair amount of tweaking and content moving before I'm ready to start up regular posting again, but would very much appreciate it if some of you could try posting comments.

If you are unable to post, could you please e-mail me?

Thanks so much!

Moving To Squarespace...and thank you!

Just letting you all know that I've decided to move Inkygirl to Squarespace. I appreciate all your suggestions, info and feedback. While I'm moving some of my sites to Squarespace, some will be moved to other services some of you have mentioned (still researching the latter). No need to change your bookmarks; I'll just redirect Inkygirl.com to the new site when it's ready. The main reason I'm moving Inkygirl is because I want to cut down on the amount of tweaking, admin and security issues I have to deal with, so I can focus on the content. Wordpress is a great blogging platform, as some of you have pointed out, but I lack the time to keep up with the version updates for all the blogs that I currently have, plus other admin. I want to be able to post more often, including more writing-related comics. I have half a dozen interviews with amazingly talented and knowledgeable authors lined up, but haven't had time to work on editing/posting them because of the Wordpress admin / repairs I've had to do lately. No blogging platform is 100% secure, but on Squarespace I know I'll be able to have someone ELSE deal with fixing the code/admin. I've sent their customer support half a dozen questions so far and each time, I've gotten back a response within a few minutes; I've been really impressed! Many thanks to literary agent Elana Roth for all the info/help. And again, thank you all SO MUCH for sticking with Inkygirl through all this. :-)

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