This sounds like pretty much what Publishers Clearing House and Columbia Record Club do. Everyone knows they are in some way being taken to the cleaners, but they sign up anyway.
I've often thought of doing such a contest myself. Folks could read my stories and enter an illustration. First prize would be a job as a paid illustrator for the series. All other entrants that qualified would have their art in the hard bound version of the series, if and when I publish one, and I've never been quite sure what I could do for those that didn't qualify.
My point is, this would be a legitimate contest, though everyone who entered would be doing so with the knowledge that they probably wouldn't get much return on the effort. That's the way contests are.
It's not all that different from the person at the carnival who puts his dollar down on a number. If the wheel doesn't land on his number and he doesn't win the teddy bear, was he scammed? Or was the fun of playing the game and taking the chance what he paid for?
It's only a scam if you pull up the table cloth and find the man standing on a button that insures the player won't win.
Anyway, I know a lot of artists in the fandom who enter contests. And I don't think they do it because they feel assured of getting anything back from it. They do it for the fun of participation, getting their work shown among others to help attract watchers, or just because they needed ideas for something to draw. For them, participation by itself makes them a winner.
They only lose if the contest isn't handled properly and their art doesn't get shown, or if the prize turns out to be not legitimate, or if the contest is rigged so that a specific person will win regardless of what anyone else turns in. One should always check out the reputation of a contest promoter before entering. But otherwise, a contest is a contest. Everyone puts out, but only one person can walk away with first prize. As long as all participants know that, it's not a scam.
This sounds like pretty much what Publishers Clearing House and Columbia Record Club do. Everyone knows they are in some way being taken to the cleaners, but they sign up anyway.
I've often thought of doing such a contest myself. Folks could read my stories and enter an illustration. First prize would be a job as a paid illustrator for the series. All other entrants that qualified would have their art in the hard bound version of the series, if and when I publish one, and I've never been quite sure what I could do for those that didn't qualify.
My point is, this would be a legitimate contest, though everyone who entered would be doing so with the knowledge that they probably wouldn't get much return on the effort. That's the way contests are.
It's not all that different from the person at the carnival who puts his dollar down on a number. If the wheel doesn't land on his number and he doesn't win the teddy bear, was he scammed? Or was the fun of playing the game and taking the chance what he paid for?
It's only a scam if you pull up the table cloth and find the man standing on a button that insures the player won't win.
Anyway, I know a lot of artists in the fandom who enter contests. And I don't think they do it because they feel assured of getting anything back from it. They do it for the fun of participation, getting their work shown among others to help attract watchers, or just because they needed ideas for something to draw. For them, participation by itself makes them a winner.
They only lose if the contest isn't handled properly and their art doesn't get shown, or if the prize turns out to be not legitimate, or if the contest is rigged so that a specific person will win regardless of what anyone else turns in. One should always check out the reputation of a contest promoter before entering. But otherwise, a contest is a contest. Everyone puts out, but only one person can walk away with first prize. As long as all participants know that, it's not a scam.