Challenge Corner discussion

Maybe we could do something like this.

For each challenge entered (monthly or quarterly) you earn a point. For each book of the month you participate in you earn a point.
And you earn 1/5 of the points you have a the end of a given challenge. Then at the end of a three month period, we pick a winner.
And maybe every six months (so twice a year) we pick a random winner from those who have accrued points during the quarters leading up to it but were not the winner.

For example, for January-March of this year, if I participated in:
Quarterly Challenge: 1 point
Two Monthly Challenges: 2 points
One book of the month: 1
Quarterly challenge points: 7.14 (saying I had 35.69 points at the end of the challenge)
Monthly Challenge #1 points: 9.64 (with 48.2 points in the challenge)
Monthly Challenge #2 points: 2.86 (with 14.3 points in the challenge)
So my total for the Prize Pool would be: 23.6 points

And I'd say we take all of us mods out of it. If we want we can exchange books between ourselves or something, haha.

Maybe this is more complicated than it needs to be, but it could work.

I was typing that as you made your last comment.

C.P. wrote: "I was typing that as you made your last comment."

Haha. I see! I think that is a good idea! And the bi-annual choosing a winner for the members that didn't win in the quarters where we picked a winner. That is good. I like that.

And then we'd have to figure out how we'd pay for it, right?

Yes. So whoever is able to contribute funds would do so. If we set a $10 limit that would only be around $60 a year with six giveaways.

I think the $10 limit is good. Then we'd have to add the shipping costs as well. Which is fine.

How would we all (who can contribute) get the money to one another?

With book depository the shipping is free! Which is why I like using them. :D We could probably just take turns buying the book. So no one would need to exchange money. Whoever is in charge of buying that prize would use their own account and get the address and book selection from the winner.

Ahhhh! I see. I've never used them before. Free shipping is great!

How many mods do we have? If we have 6 prizes throughout the year if at least six of us will do this then we'll have it covered. Or I mean I could always take on more than one buy if it's needed.

Well, active mods there have only been three to four of us lately. I can take more than one if needed as well.

Okay, well as soon as everyone lets us know if they can help out or not then we can figure out if we need to take on extra prize costs.

I like this idea! :)

And then having the physical books or ebooks for the real challenges and such is great! There is a lot of prizes oing on in this group! :D

And I do like the idea of having a cutoff of when we need to be notified if they want the prize or not. Maybe give a few days for them to respond to a message or something.

If you want to do a message to them. Then maybe when we post winners on the 1st of the next month we'll give them until the 5th with just a comment on the thread telling them to pick a prize and if they don't by the 5th then we'll message them and give them until the 7th to respond to our message? Then they still only have that 7 day time frame?

And if they don't respond to the message then they'll be SOL. Lol.

Or we could just say that everyone needs to check the thread on the first of each month and if they are listed they need to respond by the 7th. That would cut out having to send people messages.

True. We can put what the winner needs to do to get their prize right in with the rules. So that everyone who joins the challenge reads that. Then it's in the sign up thread and then again at the beginning of the review threads.

Yes. Exactly. So maybe have one of us be the person they send a message to once they see they have won (I'm fine with them messaging me) and that person can pass the info along to whoever needs it.

Yeah, you could be the designated one. Maybe when we announce the winners whoever is the winner for book depisitory we could just announce that they have to message the mod who is buying that time. And then the normal winners can just message you and then whatever book they pick from the list you can message me or whoever has the book they picked and we can send it out.

Yep. That sounds like a good plan.

So I've noticed that some members when posting reviews for points in the release date challenge that they are not using the original published date. They are using dates for new covers and editions that came out to get the extra point for the challenge.

Are we allowing that?

I think they should have to use the original publish date or the publish date for the edition with the highest page count that they are using.

How does everyone feel about that?

Did the category say "originally published in..." or something along those lines?

Nope. Just says the book has to be published in January through March of any year.

Not sure then, if it didn't say it had to be the first publication. Maybe someone else will chime in with thoughts. It makes sense to me that it would need to be the original date, but not sure based on how it was listed.

Also, in a group I am in where we are doing a year long challenge, we are using the page count for the most rated edition of a book (usually the first that comes up) instead of the highest in order to keep it simpler. Do you think switching to that would be good or just leave it the longest?

I think if we switched it to that we would have much more to do when checking links and such. And what if a book has like 50 editions. Lol.

It actually should make it easier (mostly on the person who needs the pages) because it's the first edition that's listed when you go to "all editions."

I say we keep it as it is. I mean if we already counted points for someone using a 2017 edition or whatever we might as well let it slide and just be more specific on the rules next time.

C.P. wrote: "It actually should make it easier (mostly on the person who needs the pages) because it's the first edition that's listed when you go to "all editions.""

Ahhhh. I didn't know that. Ya learn something new everyday. Lol. I think that'd be fine. I always wondered about the highest page count. Because like if I read a book and only actually read 300 pages but the Italian edition is 800. That's a shit ton of pages that I didn't actually read. Ya know.

Alaina wrote: "I say we keep it as it is. I mean if we already counted points for someone using a 2017 edition or whatever we might as well let it slide and just be more specific on the rules next time."

Okay, sounds good. :D

Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it can go the other way (which isn't fun) but at least if we did pages that way it would be esier to verify.

C.P. wrote: "Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it can go the other way (which isn't fun) but at least if we did pages that way it would be esier to verify."

are we going to implement that change into the next challenge? or are we changing it now?

I think switching it to the most rated version might be a bit better for both us and the person doing to the review.

So if we're gonna take votes, my vote is to switch. :) I think it might make it more fair as well.

Alaina wrote: "C.P. wrote: "Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it can go the other way (which isn't fun) but at least if we did pages that way it would be esier to verify."

are we going to implement that chan..."

I think we should the next challenge. But what about the quarterly one?

i'd say change it for the next quarter one then.

Maybe we should make the change as of April? So people aren't mixing anything up with have two different types of rules for challenges going at the same time? Cause we'd be changing the monthly one as of February but the quarterly one as of April.

I’m down with that

Yes, I say let's implement the page count change in April.

C.P. wrote: "Yes, I say let's implement the page count change in April."

Are we gonna remember to change it? Or should you edit the April challenge you have typed up on Google Docs so we remember? :D Lol.

I will try and go in and update them tomorrow. :D

Anyone going to post the review threads today? If not, I can.

If you're on and have time, feel free. I will be on in just a bit and can get to it as well.

C.P. wrote: "If you're on and have time, feel free. I will be on in just a bit and can get to it as well."

I just have some reviews to type beforehand but if you sign on and see that I haven't done them yet - you can do it.

Sounds good.

Just posted the review threads.

C.P. wrote: "Just posted the review threads."

okay - sorry I didn't realize I had so many reviews :( plus I have to add some on NetGalley.

Not a problem! I had some time. I listened to an audiobook while doing some things that I don't really have to think about that much, haha.

C.P. wrote: "Not a problem! I had some time. I listened to an audiobook while doing some things that I don't really have to think about that much, haha."

So jealous! I don't have any physical or audio books with me today. Just my kindle - which I'm not bad about having today of all days. Because I can see out of my right eye this morning - which is a fantastic thing!

Maybe I should explain what I mean by that..

This week I was working overtime for my job (which I'm a biller) and I was walking down the stairs and slipped (I guess I missed a step or something) but I wasn't paying attention to where I was stepping basically. I fell and hit my head pretty hard. So I basically have a black right eye, a busted lip, my right cheek is pretty bruised too, my right eyebrow is super puffy, and my left wrist is bruised because I tried to catch myself from falling.

So I basically scared my family this morning when I woke up with a bruised face - and I was laughing so hard at the whole situation because it's completely laughable right now.

Oh no! That spunds painful. I hope it doesn't stay swollen and bruised for long.

Does anyone know of a way to send (physical) books to people anonymously? If so I can maybe add some books to the prizes. :)

Are they books you own? You could always not put a return address. I've had people do that. So the only identifying thing would be the postal stamp, but those cover a rather broad area in general, so it's not like anyone would have your address.

C.P. wrote: "Are they books you own? You could always not put a return address. I've had people do that. So the only identifying thing would be the postal stamp, but those cover a rather broad area in general, ..."

Yes.

Thanks! I'll see if my mom will allow it and if so what books I can give. ^-^

Sweet. No worries if not. I used to be kind of paranoid about that, so understand the hesitancy.