Would it be possible to have a space on a template for a little note to the editor?
I know we can always send notes to the editors in a particular category, but it would be good sometimes to be able to have the note with the quiz, then whichever editor looks at it would see it right there. Sometimes I think that sending a note to a random editor in the category saying "I have submitted X Quiz and could you do XYZ" is a bit "look at my quiz NOW" :S whereas a note in with the template wouldn't do that, it would just provide the necessary info.
Putting something in the title, or introduction/conclusion would be seen by the editor, but then they would have to delete it before the quiz went online and it would be more for them to do, and if they forgot the quiz would be a bit strange until someone realised what had happened. It would just be nice to have a place to put a short note to the editor, that wouldn't show up online, but would be with the quiz all the time through the editing process, no matter which editor looked at the quiz.

If this could be done without too much trouble, it would indeed be useful.

I think this is a really good idea - I've had the need for it a few times myself!

It occurred to me today because of the specific quiz I've started writing, (it's the third similar one and I could have really really used the "note thingy" with the previous one) but I had a feeling I wouldn't be alone

I'd vote for this, too. I often wish I could add an explanatory note for the editor's attention. It would be great if it could be done.

I too think this is a good idea. Could have used it for on one of my teams quizzes.

I could have used this plenty of times before, even if just to send a note to the ed thanking them in advance for taking the time to look at my quiz.
I like to let an ed know when I have resubmitted after doing corrections and thank them for their input. To me, as well, it seems a bit 'forward' in telling them to look at it NOW when that's not really what I mean.

Indeed something I would have wanted a few times as well

Wes

I think a new field in the template is a great idea- hopefully Terry can make it happen without too much fuss.

As a stopgap measure, you can put a sentence or two in the Intro, or even in Q1 field. Just add a note to remind the Editor to delete it before the quiz is released.

Good job Row! I would love to see a space for a note to the editors in the templates. It's ok to send a note to one or other of the eds in a particular category, but if it's a quiz about a speciality, the ed you ask may not be the most qualified in that particular subject.

If the editor you contact doesn't know, they do know how to contact the other editors and get feedback for you. Still, I agree that a message space on the template would often be useful.

At first I wondered what would be in these notes. Shouldn't a quiz be self evident enough to not require special hints only the author and the editor knew, leaving the takers without some info that may have helped get the correct answer?
But I just realized that in the back and forth, some bouncing could be eliminated if the space was being used to cite sources to an editor not as familiar with the subject as the author. In that use as another communication avenue, I would think it would be beneficial. There might need to be rules of use that don't allow that first instance I thought of.

Mehaul, it's not only for things like hints. For example, I recently submitted an anagrams quiz on scientists, so it couldn't be too obscure as Average Joe should be able to take a quiz in Brain Teasers without much specific knowledge. I had to change a more obscure scientist and was worried about hint length, and it would have been easier to make the note I wrote on the actual template instead of via the mail system. So it's not just to "enlighten" the editor on an obscure topic.

Another reason would be some comments about the rate of submission - say you have 12 quizzes about the 12 days of Christmas that you want to release one a day, from Dec 25 to Jan 6. All kinds of issues could arise with series quizzes.

Even if the space were only used to let other editors in that category know that you've discussed the quiz with a specific editor, it would be useful.

My specific reason for thinking of this now is for the quiz I was writing. It's the third one I have done on a similar format, and the first two (there was quite a gap between them time-wise) came back and forth twice with an issue over which category they should be in. With this third one, a note in there to tell the editor about this, and mention that the previous two are already in a particular category would save it happening this time. It's in General so there are five possible editors, one of whom wasn't an editor when the previosus two went online, so you can see how a note would be handy. There must be lots of other situations where it would be useful

(So general editors take note lol, when my "musical" quiz pops up to the top of the queue, it's the one I'm wittering about here :D)

Don't forget that in some instances, such a note can also save you and the editor quite some time. If you want to do something cool but you're not 100% sure whether it's allowed by FT rules, you could use the box to say "if question X doesn't fly because of this rule, please use this text instead" and save both yourself and the editor a resubmit if everything else is okay. There are ample legitimate uses for an editor message.

I think this could be a smart idea to implement.

Not really meaning to dig up an ages old thread, but I had no idea this had been suggested before, and wanted to drop in saying thanks for it.

The notes are really helpful.

Well found, Mariamir. Rowena deserves the credit for the original idea, which Terry implemented recently via an Author Lounge thread on the other side of the site. I knew it had been suggested before, but couldn't remember where, when or by whom, so it's good to know. I hope the editors are finding the box as useful as I am as an author!

Definitely useful, and occasionally amusing.

Amusing? How?

Just in the way one would expect some of the notes to be extremely useful and some of the notes to be the opposite.

I see.

There's a box there. I'm sure some people think they HAVE to put something in it, whether it's needed or not.

I've wondered what would happen if I tried to bribe the editor with Kit Kats and chocolate in that box (jokingly of course!) It could make for a shorter queue time!