Okay, folks, the semi-final round is
officially open!
There are four groups of semi-finalists, with ten stories in each. (The math worked out nicely.) The stories for each group were selected through a randomized Google Sheets sort of all of the semi-finalists, to minimize the chances that an author's work would be competing against the same stories from the previous round.
Once again, you'll be voting for your three favorites from each group.
The semi-final round will be open for ten days, to give you plenty of time to make those tough choices, and to ease the very real risk of voter fatigue.
We continue to encourage comments on the stories -- in fact, the lively conversations in the comment sections have been among the most engaging parts of previous contests. Plus your constructive criticism (and praise) may help others decide which stories to vote for, as well as help the author-contestants hone their craft. As I did at the beginning, I'm recommending checking out
this thread from a previous Escape Pod contest, in which participants talked about what kind of feedback they'd like to get on their stories.
As with Round 1, the top three vote-getters from each group will move on to the final round, and the names of the authors of the stories that don't make it to the finals will be revealed.
If you have any questions about this process, or see an issue that needs to be dealt with, please feel free to message me, Languorous Lass, here in the Forum. I check this board regularly -- this contest feels like my baby, and I want to make sure it's thriving!
To quote Escape Pod founder Serah Eley: "Have fun!"
