Don't make the mistake of taking one month as data enough to draw outlines. 1750 as a topic is being pretty unpopular right now, like some other topics some people found more restraining and contributed less.
'Corpses' is both easy and wide open, we all write in genres that very often features dead bodies. Nothing is there to prove that 1750 would be a hotbed of submissions if it were anonymous right now.
Also, most of Gem's points for anonymity can be solved by applying as anonymous any given month.
As far as I'm aware, no one is making money off our back through these contests. In a normal online competition that doesn't revolve around a community, you would submit your story to the website, and most likely you wouldn't even know the people judging your work, just like submitting to a literary magazine.
I came to this forum
for the community. I enjoy seeing what people write.. I enjoy reading Lanko's submission, Gem's submission, Rukaio's predictably funny submission, Tebakutis' cool sci-fi submissions, etc.
I don't think that anonymous treatment of the contest would give the satisfaction of the normal one. I don't look forward to entire months where we'll have to peruse through pages of threads to match who wrote which anonymous submission to see how their work evolved, or not being quite sure who wrote what.
I think I just don't get the problem everyone is gripping about. I feel like my work improved tremendously through almost two years of submissions, and never felt like I was favoured or disfavoured. If I hadn't done all that work, I probably wouldn't have discovered how much I love writing in present tense, first person, because I just don't "try stuff out" the same way when I write a WIP. The contest is for fun, for improving, for honing skills, not only for some sense of transcendental gratification (though always welcome), and living by your work shouldn't be a problem.
How much more hurt would people be from getting only 1 (or 0) votes when the submission was anonymous? Meaning that people, not knowing it was them, truly didn't care for their piece of writing? Just because it'd be fairer wouldn't make me more reassuring to timid contributors.
Anonymous is an option, I think it should remain one, just like it is now. And then you won't have to be associated with your work, if you truly wish so.
I don't think the brand of being 'new' is such a problem. When I was still quite the beginner, on my second contest, I gleaned 7 votes, made it 3rd place on the podium alongside Jmack who was already an institution.
An
entire year later, my 'nightmare' submission got 2 votes, still beating by one vote regulars like Henry Dale and ArcaneArtsVelho!
Published names had stories here which only got one vote, notably the only month I won (on my 9th submission).
@night_wrtr : I don't mean it in an aggressive way, sorry, it's just when you said :
I like seeing the stories judged by the words on the page, instead of the name attached to it. Especially for the new members to the contest club this month because it puts them on equal footing with old timers.
Seemed to imply that you believe we do indeed vote for the name, instead of the words on the page, which I strongly believe we don't, especially when I browse through vote results from previous months and I see big names with few votes. I mean, the month I won, some guy called ChooChooChoo had double the votes Saraband did... Meaning he had 2 when Saraband had 1. I think if people followed name/fame, you would'nt see such results.
You yourself had a month with zero votes, and in August just crushed everyone with an amazing story. Can't invent it.
I mostly meant by my wild comment that I thought "influence" of the names had been discussed, and this month's anonymous sub was offered as a non permanent game, because most people had agreed we're only mildly influenced by names.
In the end I think when we see something that truly appeals to us, we vote for it, regardless of the name. The one thing I can believe, is people tending to use "fillers" if they have a spare vote. 'kinda liked this and it's from X, I'll give that vote there', instead of really nitpicking about their final choice, which story is most deserving in the ones left, because if all of the same level, then the name can indeed influence?
Don't know if I'm being very clear, I'm a bit sleep deprived, sorry...
