Here are a few things to help get your quiz put online faster:

1. Don't click not an error when the correction notice obviously is (like 'check your spelling'). That only makes us think that you can't figure out what a correction is.

2. Don't yell at us because your quiz is taking a while to get on - this is the busy summer season and the editors are VERY backed up. Have patience!

3. Only submit ONE quiz at a time to a category (like music, tv, movies...) Why? Because if we have to spend half an hour going through your 10 quizzes, it's not fair to the other 50 people who only have one quiz waiting to go online. Wait for your quiz to be put online and THEN submit your next one.

4. Do us a favour and put titles of movies, tv shows, books, cds, comics, games, songs and musicals in quotations (as well as lyrics and quotes). 75% of all quizzes are rejected for this problem.

5. Submit your quiz to the correct category - movies, books and tv shows do NOT belong in entertainment! Please go through the site to find the PERFECT category for your quiz.

6. Please go through and make sure you use the words its, it's, whose, who's, your, you're, to, too, and two correctly. This can save your quiz being rejected and get it online faster. If you're not sure, there are a bunch of quizzes online that can help or you can always use the little-known book called a dictionary.

7. Capitalise the word 'I' as well as titles of things.

8. '4' is not a word. Also, don't use 'u' when you mean 'you' and other forms of slang. This isn't instant messanger - pretend you're writing this for your English teacher.

9. Don't talk back to the editors - it only makes them mad and less likely to edit your quiz when there are others they can be looking at.

10. If you don't understand a correction, send a reply! If you keep submitting your quiz without correcitons, it will be deleted. We don't know if you don't understand what we mean unless you tell us.

11. PLEASE learn to use apostrophes! Quick rule: use an apostrophe if the word is OWNED by someone or something, do NOT use apostrophes otherwise. (Except for the word its.) I've seen a LOT of quizzes that are writing the word plays like this: play's

12. Do NOT capitalise words that don't need to be like 'quiz' and 'luck'.

[ 08-09-2001: Message edited by: ladymacb29 ]

Here's a little addendum. Right now...the entertainment categories are extremely backed up. Your quiz is much more likely to get on quickly if it is a well-written and interesting quiz that regards subjects such as science, history, people, culture, art, literature, animals and a number of other less well-represented categories.

Thus...think about one of your favorite non-entertainment related subjects and start writing a quiz on that subject!

Ditto on what my co-editors said. The major reason that things are really backed up in music for example, is that the quizzes submitted are redundant and need major work. Just remember, put yourself in the quiztaker's place when you create one.
If I were to pass every quiz without looking at it closely, then the fans would send you notes and it would get taken offline and the problem would resurface.
If you're submitting something in music right now, it had better be a new approach to an artist, an artist or subject that has not been covered, it has to follow the guidelines listed above, and shouldn't involve more than a quick check from the editors.
I probably took 300 quizzes before submitting my first ones so that's another good way to get inspiration.
Another tip, you don't want to totally stump your quiztaker, what good does that do? You want a good mixture of questions, give the person a chance!
good luck.

Well said all. Its good 2 no u guy's r looking out for Us.

(Kidding!)

Another important point. Look to see if your quiz is wanted. There are a lot of sub-categories that are no longer accepting quizzes. In most cases this is only temporary. A well written quiz, giving some interesting information will always be accepted. DO NOT send quizzes that contain duplication. Have a look at the other quizzes about the topic you are making a quiz on. If there are lots of quizzes on that topic make sure you have something NEW.

[ 08-10-2001: Message edited by: minch ]

justawful - don't scare us like that!

btw, can I say im...LOL???

sorry, had to get in my 2 cents...
what can I say? somebody out there thinks I'm funny

Hi, I'm bringing this up to the top. I kind of doubt that if you're reading this message, you actually need any reminders, but I wanted to stress one of the points mentioned in the first note.
I wanted to remind you that we are all volunteers here and that we do this because we like the place. (hope I am speaking for my co-editors). Some of us do it because we like making quizzes and taking them and therefore it seems natural to want to help keep it a good place. That's my case. My quizzes don't get accepted because I work here though! They go through the same process as any of yours do.
However, lately some of us have been noticing that when we go about our editing tasks, people have forgotten that we have no obligation to put their work online, and that if they do not respect the guidelines, or change their quizzes accordingly, they will not be accepted. I am beating around the bush here, I've had a few people lately who have literally "demanded" I put their work online, regardless of its lack of respect for guidelines. All caps, exclamation points, accusations of unfairness, you name it!
It's like submitting a drawing or a poster to a contest and then demanding yours be chosen despite the fact you've used the wrong format or didn't make the deadline.

I think the reason I am posting this here is that if you occasionally hear echoes of how unfair or picky we are from time to time, most of the eds are about the fairest people you can imagine. I'd love to work with people that fair in real life! So if you're reading me now, please bear in mind that we are all pretty patient but that when people yell and rant and rave at us, we have a tendency to react courteously and swiftly and refuse to put their work online. If they go over the line and disobey the rules they'll be escorted out.

We remain as objective as humanly possible. I do and I know the others do too.
If we didn't take the time to correct things, then the quiztakers would submit correction notices. Even the most experienced quizmakers get them. But these will slow down the process if they're for typos or something.
You might think I am exagerating, but believe me, some people seem to feel that being anonymous behind a screen gives them the right to act the way they wish, and one of the good things about this place is that there are rules.
Of course we are sympathetic towards some of the younger quizmakers if they show us they are making an effort and many of them thank us for the help.
But people should not lose sight of the fact that there is no obligation to print your material. This isn't a wall on which you scrawl graffitti or something. It's like a private building on which the owner says, "that's neat, can you do that mural on my wall?"
I wanted to say that none of us is on a big power trip either! Except that when I see a neat quiz I am happy, when I see one that needs work but has potential I don't mind, just roll up my sleeves, and when I see one that is hopeless and says, "U WON PASS THIS CUZ YOUR DUMB" or something...need I say more?
Just wanted to let people get the feel of the behind the scenes atmosphere with the sour note that fortunately reflects a very small percentage of submissions.
Keep up the good work.

Sincerely, bruyere.

I'm sure many of those for which this thread is intended, unfortunately won't be reading it, but I would like to say that I appreciate the efforts of our volunteer editors.
I believe this is the reason we have so many good quizwriters and good quizzes at this site.

hear, here...

can I please help and maybe be one of the Junior editors just to be doing something im bored!

Have you made any quizzes? You'd have to send a message to Gunslinger and let him know you're interested.

LadyM, this is a very good post. I totally agree with every single word of it. Everyone has to have patience and not get angry because a correction notice was sent. Five to one, if you actually correct you're errors, your quiz will get online faster.

I just had to get my 5 cents worth in ( it went up because of inflation)!

Hello all, just wanted to tell you that I've been seeing quite a few folks who clicked the corrected button, without actually correcting. I know it's a royal pain to convert your fill in the blanks to multiple choices, but believe me, it's going to slow down the process in the long run.
If you write on a subject you love, and most of us do, then the people who take the quiz love it too. So if they get it wrong for not typing exactly the right thing into the blank, they're not happy campers.
They'll click on the correction notice and say, "hey, how come I got it wrong because I didn't put a the on it?"
And you'll have to answer them. And we'll have to correct it.
They'd much rather say, "I didn't know Ringo's middle name, learn something every day."
Believe me!
If you have "what is Britney's birthday?" and the person types in a different date format, and gets it wrong? You're going to say "oops I did it again" big time.
I am speaking from personal experience after painstakingly doing a Beatles' quiz and getting flamed by someone for a punctuation mark that is only on the album and not the sheet music.
Some people want to do those to stump people, not a good idea either. I want to be stumped by something that teaches me something, not by forgetting to type in a comma.
So when we ask you to change them over, we're not being royal pains in the neck.
A good detractor is hard to find, you'll find it makes a good quiz though.

You're right bruyere. I've done a few fitb quizzes. I've gotten some nice comments on them. I've also gotten some from people who were upset they got an answer wrong because of spelling or spacing or something. I can understand their frustration, as that has happened to me. The last fitb I made was rejected with note from the editor asking me to make it a multiple choice. My feeling at the time was that it would be too easy as a multiple choice, so I just deleted it. Lately though, I've been thinking of how I could have it be MC and not be too easy. I just have to use my brain a little.

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: tcmom ]

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: tcmom ]

Thanks for your comments, I can tell you've thought over the problem.
I do word quizzes so they have to be fill in the blanks, but when I do those, I have to be pretty darn sure they're valid, and even then people will suggest alternative answers.
Or how about British and American variations?
The song and lyrics as a fill in the blank are not effective. I'm telling you this as a quizmaker and as a quiz editor.
They have to be really unambiguous, like Get Back for the Beatles.
ANd even then, what if the person puts an exclamation mark or something and claims it was that way in the printed version in 1967?
(I'm just making this up, so don't send me a note anyone!)

Well, it's a fact that nobody likes to be corrected.

I recently had a category editor ask me to change the very first quiz I ever made at FunTrivia; it's been up now for 7 months with no previous correction notices. The editor thought some of my fill-in-the-blanks were too hard, and I thought, "How can you tell? it's only been played 12 times!"

But, had I argued, undoubtedly my quiz would still be offline as we speak. Is it such a hardship, or an insult, to be asked to do so? I don't think so. The new, or revised, question is as much my own as its predecessor

Editors will never change a question on your quiz, aside from fixing a typo or occasional spelling error. We will urge, suggest, prompt, or stubbornly refuse to OK it until something is fixed, but everything that goes online is, and will be, unique to you. The questions are yours; the thought and effort that goes into them are yours. And you should all be very proud of the quality quizzes that you are capable of producing. We are!

It's not a bad thing to have a quiz rejected a few times. We all have, every one of us! (And if you say you haven't, you're lying!) But just read the notice, correct your quiz accordingly, and learn from it; there is never a bad side to improving one's writing skills, no matter how good you already are. And if you don't understand what you're being asked to do, tell us! We're here for you.

That's all I can think of to say. That, and ignore flamers; they're not worth your time.

This is a good thread that might need to be brought up periodically for any new members we have here.

May I ask?

As Lady Macbeth said, only one quiz can be submitted at a time, by category. Let's say that I had two quizzes submitted in a week and I want to submit a third the week after...
Let's say... if my quizzes were submitted and I try to submit another JUST after the other went online, will I get on the editors's nerves?

Because, if I keep submitting quiz after quiz after any go online, the editors will hate me!

Soon, half of the quizzes on this category will be mine's, that feels weird in the end...

Two pet peeves of mine are:-

1) Lack of interesting information. A question like "Who won the Superbowl in 1996?" is so simple to add info to.. eg. Who lost?, what was the score?, did someone do something extraordinary to win (or lose) the game? A few minutes research can do wonders for the way a quiz looks, and it will stop me rejecting it, too..

and 2) Date-related questions. "Who is the current record holder for the 1,500 metres freestyle?" will guarantee rejection. Use something like "Who broke Fred Fish's 1,500 metres freestyle record at the 1998 World championships?".

Hopefully new quiz authors will read this thread, although I doubt it.

deleting double entry

[ 03-15-2002: Message edited by: ozzz2002 ]

absallin: As long as you have one quiz at a time that says 'waiting to be put online' for each of TV, movies or music, you should be fine (or 3 for Entertainment). If your quiz that you had waiting was put online, you can submit your next quiz. All we ask is that you have one that says 'waiting to go online' at one time.

ozzz: Good news! Both of these are REQUIREMENTS now. If you see a quiz that is time dependant ('who is the current') please send a correction notice so the editors know what quizzes still have these questions. As for interesting info, ALL new quizzes must have at LEAST half of their questions with interesting info (unless it's 5 quesitons - then all must be filled). For (I think) Movies and Music quotes - all questions must have interesting info.

Thanks Lady Macbeth.
Now, I know some editors who will get bored of me as I will submit many quizzes! Not all at the same time of course, I understand the rules!