Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: Check website; grand prize in February
Guidelines: http://www.fieldreport.com
Genre: Personal Essay
Fieldreport.com is offering a first of its kind true story writing contest. The website states that they give away $1,000 to a series of winning entries each month. In February, a grand prize winner will receive $250,000.
No, I didn’t accidentally add a few zeroes. I wasn’t able to find the source of their funding. If you can, please comment on it.
Fieldreport.com has been under close observation by web denizens, news reporters, and others who find this award package too good to be true. You can read some of the news articles from Time, San Francisco Chronicle, and The London Telegraph.
First, writers enter a story, which goes live on the web. Thus, even though the writer retains all rights, the story has been published, and cannot be offered as new material elsewhere.
Second, once a story is live on their website, other writers and readers review it and rank it. Fieldreport.com insists that they have controls in place to prevent it becoming a popularity contest. They use a software system called the Objectivity Ranking System.
Third, the highest ranked authors are awarded prizes.
The thing that I find most surprising about this contest is that the people running it are shocked that the web community thinks it may be a scam. Who wouldn’t think it’s too good to be true? I’ll let you be the judge.
Enter if you dare.
Hello Teacherwriter,
FieldReport’s funding comes from investors in the US and Honk Kong. Our business thesis is that by creating a large community based on true life stories, we can find revenue opportunities in offering people self-publishing services and the ability to permanently archive their true-life stories. The site is also great entertainment and can become a sort of YouTube/American Idol for the written word.
Thanks for your post,
Will Petty, CEO
FieldReport
How many words must be submitted?
You should check the website for guidelines, because they may have changed. Fieldreport.com has gone through some recent changes.
Is your contest still running as of Sept 2009?
I just clicked on the guidelines link, and it appears to be still operating. Just check the fieldreport.com website. Thanks for asking!