Bagging 50 Signatures: Easy as Saying "I Do"

By Wayne Kramer
August 18, 2007

    As of the date of this article, Operation Ultimate Victory (CTNP's designated petition effort) is in full swing with its Novel & Demo Chapter Survey Contest, which has an end date of September 23. 2007.  The prize?  A brand new Nintendo Wii (in addition to the prizes already offered through OpUV's standard prize effort).  The requirements for entry?  Read the Demo Chapters, take an online survey, and collect 50 signatures.  The latter of the three sounds tough--very tough--but think again.  It might not actually be so bad.

    Of course, everyone has heard of the age-old tactics for getting petition signatures.  Activities such as setting up tables in shopping malls, standing outside of the local GameStop, and erecting a booth at the nearest gaming convention are terrific and often successful, but these high-overhead and arduous tasks are not necessary to bag a mere 50 signatures.

    Many people are automatically exasperated when they first see this requirement and thus give up on their initial hope of nailing their very own Wii gaming system.  Perhaps ghastly visions of treading up and down the street, knocking on strangers' doors, penetrate the mind and cause many to shy away.  At the thought of having to gather 50 signatures by any means may by nature feel like simply too daunting a task to undertake, even for a Wii.

    But, then again, maybe not.

    Think of all the activities that take place for you throughout the duration of summer.  How many places have you already gone to that had 50 or more people bustling or lingering about, perhaps even bored out of their minds?  Perhaps it was a friend's wedding reception, an uncle's 50th birthday party, a family reunion, a party, or an open house.  Students are at a particular advantage with the ability to take their petitions to class or even post them on a bulletin board or hallway (with permission, of course).  Wherever you may be going in the course of your regular life, chances are you'll find a group of people willing to sign a petition to publish a novel.  Any responsible parent or gamer would, of course!

    Just pass around the petition cover letter of your liking with the empty forms, and you'll start collecting signatures instantly.  Tell them you might get a Wii out of it, and that should help even more (and offering to let them come over to play it wouldn't hurt, either).  Of course, the mere goal of the project to publish a novel based on a video game and bring reading and gaming together should be enough.

    So, if you think getting those 50 required signatures is next to impossible, think again.  You might just find it harder to get less than 100.