Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some frequently asked questions about how the Gauntlet works. If you can’t find the answers to your questions, feel free to contact us or leave us a question in the Discord server.

HOW OUR SITE WORKS

Q. How do I sign up?
You can sign up here: Register for the Gauntlet. If you want to see how the Gauntlet works before signing up, check out our Guidelines page.

Q. How do I submit my entries for each round?
Instructions and information on how to submit your entries for each round of the Gauntlet can be found in our Discord Server. We take measures to ensure that our Gauntleteers are able to privately and safely submit their work to our judges to minimize impact on future publishing opportunities. This means, your submissions are seen only by Gauntlet organizers and the current year’s judges.

Q. I signed up but didn’t get a confirmation email.
First place you should look is your Spam and Trash folders to make sure our emails aren’t going there. If there’s no email in your Spam/Trash folder, please send us a message and we will sort things out.

Q. I signed up, it’s been days but no Discord invite?
Please check your spam folder first to make sure our invite didn’t accidentally end up in there. It may also be a possibility that you had a typo in your Discord username. Please doublecheck to make sure your username has the correct characters before submitting your entry form. If everything was correct, it’s already been at least 3-4 business days since you signed up, and our invite isn’t in your spam folder, please send us a message and we’ll figure out what happened.

Q. What’s the difference between a Gauntleteer and a Spectator?
Gauntleteers are actually participating in the competition, writing and critiquing for the rounds. They are also in the running for the prizes and to become Gauntlet Champion. Spectators are not participating in the competition directly. Rather, they are on the sidelines, cheering on the Gauntleteers and chatting in our Discord server. Spectators cannot change status to Gauntleteers once the competition has begun. Gauntleteers can remain as spectators once the competition has ended or if their has ended during one of the rounds.

Q. The sign up form doesn’t have a Submit or Sign Up button to send the form.
There are two questions at the end with checkboxes to ensure that you will allow us to email you for Gauntlet-related purposes and that you have read our Guidelines. Once you have checked those boxes, you will be shown the Submit/Sign Up button.

Q. How can I be sure you won’t sell my email address to an evil wizard or something?
We take your privacy very seriously and promise we will not share your email address with anyone or send you annoying and unnecessary emails. The only times we will use your email address are: 1) To contact you informing you that you have won the Gauntlet, 2) Responding to a question you sent using our contact us form, 3) Automated account confirmation when you first register, and 4) To let you know when a new round has begun and who made it past the previous round. We’re also not in the habit (and never will be) of sending you junk email not directly related to your participation in the Gauntlet.

Q. I sent a question using the contact us form. When can I expect a response?
Please give us 1-2 business days to respond. If you need a faster response and if your question or comment isn’t related to your account, try asking in our Discord server where we’ll probably get to it faster.

Q. Can I stay and chat in the Gauntlet server even though the competition is over?
Once the final round results and end credits have been posted, the current year’s Gauntlet channels will be locked and archived after a time. This means you will no longer be able to post or view those channels. However, our public and general banter channels will remain open. So if you’d like to stay on the server and talk during the off-season, you are free to do so.

WHO ARE WE?

Q. What is WYRM?
WYRM is a small speculative fiction writing and reviewing group. We’re basically a bunch of friends who write, read, and review each other’s work. If you’re interested in joining us or learning more about our group, please send us some correspondence and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Q. Who runs the Gauntlet?
Members of WYRM run the contest. The majority of the organization and concept comes from our favorite space rodent, Steven Lugo.

REGISTRATION & PARTICIPATION

Q. Do I have to register before I can participate?
Traditionally, in the past, we ran the contest as a sort of “free for all” where potential Gauntleteers could declare their interest. That was a little hard to keep track of so we decided to go with a more structured approach. Long story short: Yes, you do have to register to become a Gauntleteer and to participate in the contest. You can sign up by going here: Compete in the Gauntlet.

Q. I want to participate, but what or where is the first prompt?
You can check out our challenges/prompts on the Gauntlet’s Discord server. If you haven’t yet received an invite and you registered to participate 3-4 days ago, please reach out to us. We also post short summaries of the current rounds on our Challanges page. Our Gauntlet runs four rounds total (yep, you heard us right). Unlike a traditional writing contest that releases one official prompt for writers to work with, we release our prompts on the date a round is set to begin and not beforehand. We find this approach keeps participants on their toes, forces them to think on the spot and lets them pump out excellent writing and critiques on a steady schedule. Besides, we find it more fun that way.

Q. How do I know when a new round has started?
You should check the Gauntlet Discord server often as well as mark your calendars for the deadline dates. We will announce the new round has started in the server and will update the Challenges page.

Q. Will you publish or post the story/stories I wrote for this contest?
No. We will never publish or share your story/stories you wrote for this contest with anyone but the Gauntlet judges and Gauntlet organizers. None of those people will share, publish or post your work either. The reason we won’t publish or post your work is so you retain the full rights to shop your work around and get it published elsewhere after the Gauntlet is over. We do this to ensure that our Gauntleteers gain maximum exposure from their time with us. In the past, we have had Gauntleteers write stories for our contest, then go on to have them published in literary magazines, anthologies, etc. We want to make sure our present and future Gauntleteers have the same opportunities. However, we would be happy to share a brief sample of your winning work on this site, which would not affect its publication status, but only with your permission.

Q. When I submit my entry for the competition, where does my file go?
Your file is sent to a secure location that is not on this website’s server or on Discord’s servers. We do this to ensure security and to guarantee that only you, our judges and our website administrator (who is a WYRM and occasionally a judge) will see it.

Q. Is my file secure when I submit it?
Yes, we encrypt your submission to ensure that no one can eavesdrop on what you’re sending off. Before you click Submit, check to make sure there’s a padlock in your browser’s address bar. That’s how you’ll know that you’ll be sending the file off encrypted.

Q. How will I know if I won the Gauntlet?
We will send you a very excited email to let you know that you won; we will tweet it and post it on Discord. We also post the winners list on this website and in the Discord server too. Make sure you check to see how things turn out.

Q. How much is the entry fee?
$0.00. Participation in the Gauntlet is completely free! We fund the prizes ourselves and require absolutely no fees from our participants.

Q. What are the prizes?
Our prizes are listed on our prizes page. The top three Gauntleteers will win some cash and an in-depth review. The Gauntlet champion will also receive a championship pin that was specially designed for the Gauntlet. This pin is only awarded to Gauntlet champions. You cannot get it anywhere else or any way else.

Q. How long are sign-ups accepted?
We accept sign-ups up until a day or two before the first round ends. Then we close sign-ups for new Spectators and Gauntleteers. If you wish to sign up as a Spectator, you will be granted access to our Discord server. This will give you an opportunity to interact with the competitors and the judges.