ATTN: Copywriters...

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strictlytopsecret

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I signed up and whipped out an entry for the iphone case contest. Interesting set up. I hope something comes of it. Thanks for the heads up!
 

Lavern08

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I joined as well and entered 3 contests - Got 4 stars (out of 5) in one contest and the others are still pending.

It's fun and it keeps my creative juices flowing (sorry for the cliche') :D
 

strictlytopsecret

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Congrats! Sounds like it's going well.

I didn't look closely enough to see who does the ratings. Is it the client? CopyShoppy admin? Other entrants?

I only see 4 contests listed - is that what you're seeing, as well, or do you gain access to more contests based on a level system or something?
 

Lavern08

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The clients rate the entries (some are quicker to respond than others), and they settle on a winner eventually.

I get an email when a new contest is posted.

Win or lose, I'm having fun. :)
 

Gale Haut

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I really hope that people don't jump onboard with this. You all deserve to know you'll be paid for your creative juices. It's really not reward enough to simply enjoy doing the work.

Even worse, have you considered how participating in that kind of forum contributes to job instability within the entire industry?
 

strictlytopsecret

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Win or lose, I'm having fun. :)

Ditto.

I doubt the odds will stay this good for long. The past 5 contests have averaged 56 entries. Since individuals can post up to 3 entries per contest, the minute investment of time and talent can actually pay off pretty handsomely. Heck, it would take me longer to walk into a store and purchase a lottery ticket than it does to whip off a contest entry. And my odds for winning a CS contest are much better than my odds at scratching off a winning lottery ticket.

And the real kicker: it's fun!

Bottom line: I'll take those odds any day of the week. And at $100 ish or more per contest, I don't see myself dropping this potential gold mine anytime soon. I just wish there were more contests to enter. Hopefully there will be soon.

To each, her own.
 

Lavern08

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... Heck, it would take me longer to walk into a store and purchase a lottery ticket than it does to whip off a contest entry. And my odds for winning a CS contest are much better than my odds at scratching off a winning lottery ticket.

And the real kicker: it's fun!

I totally agree! ;)
 

Cathy C

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I really hope that people don't jump onboard with this. You all deserve to know you'll be paid for your creative juices. It's really not reward enough to simply enjoy doing the work.

Even worse, have you considered how participating in that kind of forum contributes to job instability within the entire industry?

Actually, I see it as a clever idea for small business owners looking for ways to get new customers. It's like doing a focus group where ideas are tossed around. The client business picks the idea that best suits their vision. Because the business is paying for the copyright transfer, they're buying all rights from the one winner and the other entries are free to use that same entry for other purposes.

Everyone considers their time worth something different, so for those who excel at business or advertising, it could be a nice income stream. The bigger payers will get more entries, which will encourage lower payers to bump up their prices.

If I was still doing full-time freelance, I'd probably join. I joined eLance just to check it out. Not really my thing just because of the low prices. This one could work, though.
 

Gale Haut

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People in focus groups tend to get paid or at least receive a perk for participating.

Everyone considers their time worth something different, so for those who excel at business or advertising, it could be a nice income stream. The bigger payers will get more entries, which will encourage lower payers to bump up their prices.

I understand how it works. I'll acknowledge that these sites could be helpful for someone who needs to develop their portfolio or learn to engage in the creative process. Someone who already excels at business or advertising would be a lot better off finding a solid income with benefits over participating in crowdsourcing their ideas for cherry picking.

There are some red flags in this kind of business model that make my eye twitch. People who like to take these risks will continue to participate. Suum cuique.
 
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mellimello

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I really hope that people don't jump onboard with this. You all deserve to know you'll be paid for your creative juices. It's really not reward enough to simply enjoy doing the work.

Even worse, have you considered how participating in that kind of forum contributes to job instability within the entire industry?
I have to agree with Gale: I don't work for free, ever. It devalues the work of writers.
 

stormie

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Thanks for posting this, laverne. I find it's good for someone like me who writes just about anything--flash, shorts, essays, light verse, and wants to work on something different during a break from my WIPs. It took me only five minutes to think of a product name and submit it. For this product, I'm now ranked 8th out of 72 entries. It's fun, and that's all I'm looking for. If I win, it's a few dollars in my pocket for five minutes of my time.
 

Lavern08

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FYI

:snoopy: Wanted to let you guys know that I just won a slogan writing competition. :D

Oops, I need to clarify:

I won a slogan contest at the other site I told you guys about: GetaSlogan.com ;)
 
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EMaree

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Congrats, Lavern08!

Question about this website's set-up: Do you at least retain the rights for "losing" pieces?
 

strictlytopsecret

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You are kicking tail and taking names, Lavern!

I'm so happy for you!!

@Emaree - if you've not sold the rights, they're still yours. Winners, if I recall correctly, go through a process whereby they officially hand over the rights. Lavern, please correct me if I've erred.
 

EMaree

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Ah, that's good. I imagine the pieces have limited use afterwards because they're specialized, but I'm glad the website doesn't try to do a rights grab.
 

strictlytopsecret

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Ah, that's good. I imagine the pieces have limited use afterwards because they're specialized, but I'm glad the website doesn't try to do a rights grab.

From the help section on CS:

How do you handle copyright?
Copywriters who enter your contest with copywriting work retain ownership of their work. Once a winner for your contest is selected, the winning copywriter will be prompted to sign the Copyright Transfer Agreement which transfers the ownership of the winning copywriting work to you. Once the winning copywriter signs the Copyright Transfer Agreement, you will own the rights to the winning entry.

At CopyShoppy, we take copyright very seriously - it is very important to note that you may not use any of the copywriting work submitted to your contest that was not selected as the winner.
 

Manuel Royal

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Not impressed so far. I signed up, but can't enter contests. Got an autoreply from tech support.

ETA: Okay, now it seems to be working. In fact, I think the problem was that all the contests listed were actually closed, even though they were described as open. A new one showed up, and I was able to enter it. It would be amusing if five minutes' work therein earned me $99.
 
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veinglory

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If it is quick work like slogans I can see this being okay. But I would note that I do focus groups and they do pay :) I am about to age out of the consumer gold zone which will put an end to that particular perk....
 

mellimello

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I agree. How much money are you guys actually making doing this?
@andiwrite: how much are we making freelance writing? Depends on what you're asked to write. It varies.
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I'm not really familiar with how the site works and I thought I had email notifications on... if that's an option! Is it?
 
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