This is only the avatar contest thread I've read. What are the general rules for the new contest? A week to enter? 5 days? Are there any topics that are out?
Well, a quick search in this forum for the word "avatar" in the thread title field can give you an idea of the themes have been covered before. I can't think of anything exact offhand, but themes that are very broad and all-inclusive, allowing for a variety of entries, have been very popular in the past. (And they also allow for some creative and lateral, off-the-wall entries in crowded and oversubscribed contests.

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Examples for this forum might include a colour, a place or country, people of a certain name, groups of objects, and other general or miscellaneous things.
New contests are usually open for entries over 5-7 days. When starting a contest, I usually set a deadline for the following Saturday or the following Monday depending on which day is closest to the 5-7 day limit.
When starting the voting thread, a good rule is to announce that, posters can vote for 1 entry for every 4 to 5 entries total in the contest (e.g. 1 for 4-5 entries, 2 for 8-10, 3 for 12-15, etc.).
Just ask one of us if you're stuck.
Oh, and congratulations on the win,
tsq!

(I would have voted, but I forgot this week - it's been a busy week.

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