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Duosuma® Duotrope's Submission Manager

Guide to Custom Questions

Basics

What is a custom question?

A Custom Question is a question presented to submitters. Not all submission calls need Custom Questions, but if you require information from your submitters that is outside the normal submission process, you can set up Custom Questions to get that required information.

Important Information: Custom Questions are designed for asking questions that are required and necessary for your team to be able to process the submissions. They are not designed to gather data that is not required to process the submission. Custom Questions are not the right tool to gather demographic data for reporting purposes.
Advice Regarding Number of Questions: We strongly recommend asking no more than a few questions (three or four at most). If you ask too many questions, it's likely that fewer people will complete the submission process.

Are there any questions I should not ask? What is already part of the submission process?

The normal submission process includes Name, Pseudonym, Address (email and/or physical), Cover Letter text field*, Bio, Use of AI (if set up in Account Settings), titles of pieces, submission files, and word count (for fiction/nonfiction) so please do not create custom questions that request any of that information. If you do so, your potential submitters will be asked to answer the same question twice. We highly recommend going through some test submissions so you understand what the submission process entails.

* How to request a Cover Letter as a file instead of text: The Cover Letter setting in Project Settings requests a cover letter in a text box field. If you need to request a Cover Letter in file format, such as Word or PDF, then set Cover Letter to "none" in Project Settings and create a Cover Letter custom question that requests a Cover Letter file. You'll be able to set that question as required and you'll be able to select what file types are permitted. Be sure to apply the question to all projects that need it.

Also, do not collect payment information using custom questions. That is against the Terms of Service. If you need to collect fees or tips, you may only do that by setting up to collect fees/tips.

Who can see the answers to Custom Questions?

If the submission call was set to Anonymous submissions, only members of your team with "Can Reveal Identity" permission will be able to see the answers to custom questions. If the submission call was not set to Anonymous submissions, anyone on your team will be able to see the answers.

Can I compile a report of all the answers to Custom Questions?

No. Custom Questions are not designed for gathering demographic data. They are designed only to facilitate reviewing submissions. Therefore, you can only see the answers on a per-submission basis.

How do I manage my questions?

The Manage Questions page is where you can manage your questions. To access this page, you must be the Account Owner or have "Manage Templates, Tags, and Questions" privileges.

How do I add custom questions?

To add a new question, start by clicking Add a Question. You'll be presented with a short form to set up the question.

Question Settings

Type: (Required.) This determines how the submitter will provide an answer. The options are:

  • Text: The submitter can type their response in a text box.
  • Yes/No: The submitter can select either Yes or No.
  • Single option from list of options: You will provide a preset list of options, and the submitter can select one of them.
  • Link: The submitter can type (or cut/paste) in a link to a website.
  • File: The submitter can upload a file. Examples: You can use this option to request an author photo or a copy of their drivers' license or student ID. (Note that files for questions cannot exceed 5MB.)

Question: (Required. Max. 255 characters.) Enter the text for the question.

Required: If the submitter must provide a response to this question, set it as Required.

Instructions: (Optional.) If you have special instructions for this question, enter that here.

Answer Length: (Applies only to Type: Text.) Set the maximum number of characters you will accept for the response, not exceeding 4,000 characters. (1,000 characters is approximately equivalent to 142 words.)

Answer Options: (Applies only to Type: Single Option. Required.) Provide the preset options that will be presented to the submitter. Type the first option in the box and hit Enter or comma. Then click the box again and type the next option. Repeat until you've added them all. If you need to remove any, use the X to delete them.

File Types: (Applies only to Type: File. Required.) Select the file types that you will accept from: .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpeg, .odt, .pages, .pdf, .png, .rtf, .svg, .tif, .txt.

Acceptable Answers: (Optional. Applies only to Type: Yes/No and Type: Single Option.) If you will only allow people selecting certain option(s) to continue submitting, set which response(s) are allowed. If a submitter selects a non-acceptable answer, they will be unable to continue their submission. (You are never charged for incomplete submissions.)
If you want all submitters to be able to complete their submissions, no matter what option they choose, do not select anything in this section.

Note: If you only allow submissions from a specific demographic, be sure to clearly state that in the Project description and in the Call description. Otherwise, it will frustrate people who don't find that out until they have already started the submission process.

Ask On: (Required.) This is where you set which projects and/or calls will ask this question. The options are:

  • All Projects and Calls: This question will be asked on all your projects and calls, including projects and calls added at a later date.
  • Select Projects and Calls: You will select which specific projects and calls will ask this question. If you add more projects and calls at a later date, you will need to update this setting.

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