So you want to host an art contest?
Do!
Take plenty of time setting up your thread. Don't just slap something up. Make banners, bold, color, and size-up your text--make the page look interesting. Taking time to format the thread gives it a more professional look. A well organized thread is easier to navigate and understand, and more likely to be read in it's entirety.
Have interesting subjects. Fact of the matter is, no one wants to draw your naked avatar or cookie-cutter character. D: Having an interesting avatar or a truly original OC, will surely bring in more entries.
Post references. Your descriptions may seem clear to you, but why risk entrants having no clue what you're talking about? Don't have any reference pictures? Do a simple search on google images to find something similar to what you have in mind. Make sure you choose good reference though, as you are bound to get a few *cough*lazy*cough* artists who don't bother to read the description and draw straight from the refs. ^_^;
Specify the rules. You may think that some things should be understood, but to many entrants, this may be their first contest. You will have less trouble and have to answer fewer questions if you clearly state all the rules. How to submit, what and who is eligible for which and how many prizes, and art-theft are all good topics to touch on in your rules.
Offer worthwhile prizes. In general, the number of entries and quality of art you receive are directly proportional to the size of your prize pot. Does that mean you can't host a contest with just a few k? Absolutely not! You do want to make your prizes worth-while though. Remember, artists are spending their real time on entries for your contest, they aren't going to do it for just a few hundred gold.
Include a variety of categories. Give entrants more chances to win. If you have enough funds in your prize-pot, consider adding several smaller categories beyond the typical first, second, and third places. Chibi, pixel art, sketch, CG, and natural media are all examples of good subcategories. If you are featuring more than one character/avatar, you might also want to consider having different prizes for each. The more chances there are to win, the more comfortable people are entering.
Specify the ending date/conditions. Specify the ending date/conditions. Whether you choose a date, or close the contest after x number of entries, you are bound to get more entries if there is an end in sight. While an open-ended contest might work best for you, many potential entrants will avoid such a contest as there is always the chance that it may never end, or may end before completion of thier entry. If an artist knows exactly when a contest will end, they can budget thier time and plan accordingly. Also, many people work best under time constraints, if they don't have a deadline, they feel no pressure to actually complete their entry. Additionally, if you fail to complete your contest by your promised end date, or continue to postpone the end date such that it becomes clear you are not holding up your end of the contest, you may be viewed as scamming, which is a ToS violation.
Allow plenty of time. Choosing when to end your contest can be difficult as there are many things to consider. Make sure to allow plenty of time for the quality of submissions you expect to get--typically, the higher quality the art, the longer it takes to produce. Be careful though not to leave your contest open for too long, as artists may loose interest or or simply forget. If you are hosting a large contest, you may also want to consider what is happening in the real world around the time you wish to end. Ending a contest during the first week of school or durring finals will very likely cut down on the number of entries you recieve, while holidays can either help or hinder as school is out of the way, but family time takes precedence. You might also want to check when other large contests are ending to make sure artists who may be racing to meet someone else's deadline, will still have time to meet yours.
Participate in link exchanges. One of the best ways to advertise is to exchange banners with other contest hosts. If someone posts your banner in their thread, you should put theirs in yours. It's a good idea to reserve a post to house the banners.
Stay active. Be a mindful host. Check in on your contest everyday. Answer questions, update as needed, bump your thread. If you start a contest then practically disappear, many might think your contest abandoned and pass it over. Staying active lets potential entrants know you are serious about your contest.
Thank artists for thier submissions. It's very disparaging to an artist when their hard work goes unnoticed. Make it a point to thank each entrant for their submission and if possible, comment on it. A personal 'thank you' lets the artist know that you appreciate the time and effort that went into their piece.
Be prompt with prize delivery. If you need to sell some items to raise the money for your prizes, be sure to finish your sales
before the end of the contest. Prizes should be sent out no more than a few days after the winners are announced or you will likely bombarded with people asking when they will get their prize. If there
is a delay, keeps the winners informed.
Be professional. Artists often put a lot of work into a contest submission, so please be courteous and show a little respect in correspondences. Everyone appreciates a calm, polite demeanor.
Don't!
Charge an entry fee. The artist is giving you art....why should they give you their gold too? If you charge an entry fee, you'll find you get very few people to enter. If you can't afford prizes without charging a fee, perhaps it is best to wait a while and save up before hosting a contest.
Spread your prizes too thin. While it's great to offer a variety of different categories, you need to be careful not to spread your gold too thin. If you prize pot only contains a small amount, it's best to concentrate your gold on just a few categories. The larger your prize pot, the more categories you can have whilst still offering worthy prize amounts.
Get too wordy. Be clear and concise. No one wants to read the 4 page description of your character...a short but detailed outline will ensure people actually read the info.
Bump excessively. The Art Contests forum is pretty slow moving. If you want to keep your thread on the first page during peak hours, you
will have to bump...just not every minute. Overnight (US times), the forum slows to a crawl and just a few bumps will keep you on page 1 'til morning. Too much bumping, and submissions may easily be lost in the flood of posts.
Advertise in the wrong places. Advertising belongs in your signature, or in the promotions forum...not in other people's threads. It is very bad form to go into someone else's contest and try to hijack their entrants....don't do it.
Cancel. It's every entrant's fear--the contest will be canceled and all their hard work will have been for naught. If you
absolutely must cancel, make sure to compensate any artists who've already submitted entries.
Extend the end date [too much]. Sometimes extensions are unavoidable...real life happens, forums crash, etc. If you feel you must extend the contest, try not to make it too long. Everyone has already waited so long, and is eager to find out the results...every extra day can be agony to an anxious artist.
Vote for your friends. Don't play favorites. If you have trouble being impartial, enlist the help of others when judging. If your judging is not based solely on artistic merit, state so beforehand. A lot of anger is bred when a artistically superior piece places low without apparent reason and the host may be attacked as being biased.
