I think this should be pinned at the top of the page too........it's very useful!

Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

It occurred to me that it could help some folks. A simple step by step might alleviate the first time dread of running a contest as I suspect this fear might keep some folks from entering.

I agree with California Peggy that this should be pinned. The more information about how to host a photo contest, the better.

I will say that the part that is the scariest for me is how the heck one gets photos from the submission thread to the voting threads. But I don't have to worry about that.

right click on the photo as it arrives in the submission thread, and copy the image location.
Then keep a list of them as they come in for later.

Before I start making the voting threads I select all of them, copy, and paste them into an empty (dummy) window in DU and see if they all come in properly by clicking on "preview".

Then, as you make the voting threads for the poll just paste the location link underneath the title.
As I make these threads I check them very carefully for spelling of the title, if the title is with the correct photograph etc. by exactly that method. I'm sure there are better ways, but this works for me. As long as you have no title in the empty DU window there is no danger of accidental posting.

I hope this makes sense,
and thank you for your response. I will pin it in a day or so. I think one has to be on a specific mission to go look at pinned threads and it could therefore get lost without folks knowing about it.

Having recently hosted my first contest without such a guide, I resorted to looking up past threads for each step of the way.

I also found it easy to set up the polling threads alongside each other, so I could enter titles and photos just by switching
back and forth. Made it easy to post them at the same time and then get the links to each other posted right away.

The preview function is definitely an asset when setting up the polling threads!

This is very helpful.

We have more newcomers entering these days, and more new winners who at times express being nervous about their first hosting event.
We all will be available to you here on the board or in private messages. I can't speak for all, but feel sure I'm right. I am certain though about my own offering of help.
I look forward to your February contest, whatever it will be.

now and have been reading all those threads pinned to the top of our page.

I've been contemplating a theme for which I may run a poll, it will also help generate interest though that doesn't seem to be a problem. I guess I have another day or two to get started on thinking about the time frame. I think it will be fun and I'll certainly learn a good deal.

I find all these thread helpful and that's comforting in itself.

Thank you for doing this.

I am here to give testimony that I had no idea how to host a photo contest and following these directions I was able to manage it without a great deal of stress, none in fact. So if anyone reads this as they begin to host a photo contest for the first time, that's how to do it.

Thanks, Mira and everyone else for helping me through it too, timing is important.

it's nice to read that it helped. You did beautifully.

the polls are posted. That info is in the contest info but not here.

They should be posted in GD and the Lounge and cross referenced in the Photo group.

Right?

We generally have been putting announcements when submissions are open in both GD and The Lounge just to generate interest in getting people to submit entries, and posting a notice about those announcements with links in the Photography thread just so members of the group can keep the threads kicked for visibility while submissions are being requested.

The polls--both preliminary and Final--are run only in GD.

It's a good idea for anyone hosting to become familiar with the rules thread https://www.democraticunderground.com/103614595

Am already feeling overwhelmed...

An honored to get to do this next time

For the finals, does are the finalists taken from the top vote received in each poll, or the top votes across all the polls.

Example: In poll #1 photos get 22, 20, 18 and 16 votes

In poll #2 photos get 20, 15 and 14 votes.

Is the photo with 16 votes excluded because there were three photos in that poll with more votes, even though it had more than two of the top three in the other poll?

Is there a set number of photos in the finals?

Divide the entries into three posts. Or two is there are few entries.
In the prelims take the top three in each post and the final 10th highest vote getter from all the posts.

In the finals take those photos and run them.

I like to take one third (or thereabouts) of the entries and run those in the finals, from there I determine the top three.

In other words, if you only have 18 entries, there should not be 10 finalists.....

I hope this makes sense to you. It does to me, but I have a headache

I think it should be the top across all three polls.
That way a photo isn't hampered because it happens to be placed with other strong photos and another photo doesn't just get in because it is paired with weaker photos.

And quite possible correct.

The winner determines the voting rules?

That's fine, it's all fun anyway.

Adult + youngster (i.e., cat vs. kitten) would be the, perhaps, too obvious version. But there are so many other unrelated yet potentially interesting contrasts that could be seen.