Periodically, I revisit the question, “What business is Creative Byline really in?” Over the summer I realized that our real asset is the technology (patent-pending) that allows a large number of documents (or any type of files, really) to be sorted, winnowed, and routed automatically—all based on the rules that the user specifies. And, yes, we could provide publishers with tools to help manage the flow of incoming manuscripts more efficiently, but we can also apply the technology to solve other types of problems.
Today we are launching a new service that allows writing contests, competitions, and festivals to use our technology to filter, sort, route, and display entrants’ submissions to judges or reviewers. No more copying and mailing writing samples – Creative Byline manages the whole thing. So, whether your contest judges are all in one place or halfway across the globe, we’ve got you covered. You can find more about how it works here.
I’m very pleased that our first client for the new service is the 2010 Festival of Faith and Writing (press release). Writers attending the festival are provided with the option of submitting a manuscript to attending editors, and this year we’ll be managing their process online. We’ve worked closely with the Festival to mimic a process that works for them, but we know that we haven’t covered all the varieties of contests and festivals. Are you responsible for managing a flow of manuscripts or writing samples? Would an online system to manage the entire process be helpful? Let us know.
