Limecello’s Ridiculously Onerous and Excessively Laborious Giveaway (+ Winners)

Hi everyone! So, as you’ve gathered from the previous posts… I’m behind. So I’m kinda a liar I guess, but it’s winners to follow. But here’s a giveaway for y’all. I’ve noticed some seriously … I don’t even know ones on the internet lately. And being a brat, I’m going to poke fun at them. So here we go.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I also have this thing about timing so… I wanted to make sure this post went up while it is still April. I’ll be posting the February winners – and emailing them. But March winners will only be posted. Here. (I expect) – so keep an eye out for this space. I’ll also be updating site information too.

Thanks all! ;D

Tell me – what is the most ridiculous (or even offensive) contest you’ve seen out there? Are you willing to jump through hoops? Did you know a number of author contests are illegal? Does that bother you?

25 thoughts on “Limecello’s Ridiculously Onerous and Excessively Laborious Giveaway (+ Winners)

  1. Mary Preston

    Illegal you say!! So, does the flaming hoop come under this category?

    Boring comps are a no-no. I must say yours made me laugh. So, kudos.

    Reply
    1. Limecello Post author

      LOL thanks Mary – I wish I could have made the flaming hoop one worth more. Like, 1,000. I swear I’d like … consider buying the person a kindle if they did it and took a video.

      Reply
  2. booksaver

    I’ve entered a lot of contests where you had hundreds of entries and frankly I hate having to follow 50 different people on Facebook and Twitter just to enter a contest. Then there’s Instagram, Pinterest, Google +, GFC (although I don’t know why anymore), Networked blogs and 50 other things and why do I need to follow someone that many ways? I’ve never understood that. It takes forever to enter one contest that way. I don’t bother on most of those anymore, I don’t have the time it takes to do them. I’m on disability so I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on books and things so if I can win some it’s great for me so I appreciate anything I’ve ever won online. I just wish the contests were simplier.

    Reply
  3. evejeann

    I can tell that you are a tad upset at all the rules for entering a contest. I think if they could have a way to ask for your blood they would too lol

    Reply
  4. jeannemiro

    Lime –

    I think the only contest that would be offensive to me would be if I had to fill in what I actually weigh!

    Author contests that are illegal? Who decided to make up that rule? Probably someone who is trying not to pay them what they should be getting! What exactly do you have to do to make it illegal? After all they’re probably only trying to promote their books not sell their first born son,

    On the other hand if it hurts someone else then I would think it was wrong..

    I hope everything is going okay for you and I love your new site!

    Reply
    1. Limecello Post author

      Hi Jeanne,

      No – more it’s just like… lotteries. Authors running lotteries is one of my biggest pet peeves. Or just some shady dealings. Bleh.

      Reply
  5. Timitra

    I laughed my way through that rafflecopter…thanks Lime you are too funny. I hate having to follow 20,000 people on Facebook and twitter I usually just close the window cause I’m not going through all that….tell me more of thes illegal author contests, in what way are they illegal?

    Reply
  6. Bobbie Baynard (@mamaboo7907)

    I’m with booksaver. The never ending hoops one must jump through piss me off. When I do contests, I try to make them simple and as fair as possible. If it will take me a bit to gets prizes out (as I am the one footing the cost most of the time), I make it clear to the winner/s. What contests are illegal??! Do tell oh snarky one!!!

    Reply
  7. Shannon Nicole

    Hello Everyone! Lime you made me laugh with that rafflecopter.
    I tend to close the window, too, when it feels like a bunch of hoops.

    Reply
  8. Jo (@kindlejo_jo)

    I honestly don’t like the ones where you have to go from the page the post is on to another so that you can like or follow something completely different.
    I did not know that some giveaways are illegal, and it does bother me. Tell me more! I need to know.
    Thank you for such a funny giveaway.

    Reply
  9. June M.

    I am with everyone else…..hundreds of entries, following dozens of people on FB, twitter, instagram, etc just make me close the window most of the time. I did enjoy your contest though…and I was honest through it all, even telling you when I could not do something 🙂

    Reply
  10. TrishJ

    This was funny. hubby wanted to know why I was laughing. I told him, but he didn’t see the humor. I generally dont enter contests if I have to follow an unknown author just to enter the contest. I mostly stick to my favorite blogs, and if there is a contest, then yay. if not, well, I just read the post. thanks for the laugh.

    Reply
  11. Readsalot81

    Lime – Have you seen Courtney Milan’s excellent write up on contests? Link – http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2010/12/20/how-to-run-a-website-contest-without-going-to-jail/ (If you have, my apologies for being redundant)

    My attitude towards contests that have 800 different rules is just to click off the site and wander around the internet elsewhere. I have a special hate for those that make you “buy” the book for entries. *shakes head* I don’t throw around $$ willy nilly on unknown authors.. (or frankly, even those that I like, but don’t love).. so to buy a book just to *possibly* win a prize seems pretty dumb.

    Reply
  12. Maureen

    Some of the contests out there do have a crazy number of entries possible but I usually just see it and don’t bother with them. This one was fun though so thanks for that. I didn’t know any of the contests were illegal. I would think there wasn’t a problem as long as you don’t charge money.

    Reply
  13. ki pha

    LOL This is the best contest entry ever! Some that I have seen were just like this one. I’m not sure if I have ever encountered any strange and outrageously weird entry contests, as of yet. But there are many 100+ entries I’ve seen. Never done all of them because I don’t use some of the “requirements” (twitter and such..). But yea, I didn’t know some of the contests were illegal! Am I in trouble then?

    Reply
  14. Sharlene Wegner

    I’m with booksaver also. I don’t want to enter a contest for 1 particular book or author by having to click through on 10 authors to like them on FB. I don’t necessarily want to have additional people on FB if I don’t care for the type of books they write. That being said, it is very nice of authors and blog hosts to donate books or gift cards for us readers. I love following the blogs to find new authors or new books by authors I already know. Thanks for all you do!

    Reply
  15. Barbara E.

    I saw a contest recently that had all kinds of ridiculously hard questions to complete, and you had to find the answers on several blogs. I gave up after two or three of the questions. I just lose interest if there are too many hoops to jump through.

    Reply
  16. Tina B

    Your contest is closed, so I didn’t get to see what everyone is talking about, though I have no doubt that it was amusing. 🙂
    I have to agree with the ladies above. I get irritated it I have to follow a bunch of people/pages/blogs/etc several different ways. I decided that if I am not willing to get posts/emails from those people or sites, I just don’t enter the contest. It takes too much time to manage my email and try to sort through social networks for people that I actually want to see and hear from. Lol.
    I don’t really understand the illegal author contests. How do they do that? Do they pretend to be the author?
    Thanks for sharing. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Limecello!

    Reply
    1. Limecello Post author

      I didn’t think of that, Tina :X I’ve “reopened” it just so people can see the hoops. 😀

      Reply
  17. Limecello Post author

    I totally dropped the ball on responses; my apologies everyone. 🙁

    But yes- basically authors running lotteries as contests which is questionable, and I’ve discussed iffy contest practices with Courtney Milan and others numerous times.

    Of course in the long run I guess it “doesn’t matter” because nobody will report the author. And/or even if someone does, the agencies in charge I imagine would hardly go after author running contest.

    Reply
  18. Limecello Post author

    Oh and? I hope you can tell by the “contest length” … it’s not a contest anymore. The winner was already drawn etc – but – as Tina said – you can’t see everything unless the contest is open. So there you go. It’s set to “end” in some ridiculous time about a year or whatever from now.

    Reply

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