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WRITING CONTESTS: ONE FOOT IN THE DOOR
As
a writer, do you lack discipline in completing and mailing out stories and
articles to publishers? When you finally
do submit, do you receive rejection after rejection, and become frustrated and
disappointed?
Discover
the wonderful world of writing contests, and your life just might miraculously
change. Mine did. Now, I am a published author in both print
and electronic publications. I conduct
writer workshops, teach creative writing at a local college, and I’m an editor
for Gotta Write Network.
Did
writing competitions accomplish all that?
No. My writing did. But contests opened a door that had
previously been locked, and got my manuscript into professional hands without a
writing résumé or publishing credentials.
Preparing
for contests has forced me into a strict writing schedule in order to complete
a project. I would’ve never written many of my short stories if I hadn’t been
writing for a specific contest. You don’t
have to win. Even an Honorable Mention becomes
an award to proudly include in your résumé.
There
are hundreds of writing competitions, but, as in everything, there are the
good, the bad, and the ugly. Be
wise. Choose contests carefully, and
enter based on the awards, reputation, how long a contest has been in
existence, and what rights they claim.
If your entry is to be published, they may claim CERTAIN rights, but
never relinquish ALL rights. As the
author, you should retain the rights to your hard earned work.
Here
are some tips on researching contests:
1. Read competition announcements in e-zines,
magazines, books, and on websites. Save
potentials in a "Competition File." Choose competitions that are
offered by well-known magazines, publishers, or organizations. After entering, jot down the story you
entered, where you entered it, and file the information in a "Contests
Entered" file. Maintain a tracking sheet for the individual manuscript, as
well as a master-tracking sheet for all pieces out for consideration. On your
calendar, mark the date that results are due in so you can follow up.
2. A few of my favorite websites regarding
contests are:
www.chopeclark.com
www.klockepresents.com
www.inscriptionsmagazine.com
www.wordweaving.com
www.bylinemag.com
www.coffeehouse4writers.com
www.scbeginnings.com
·
www.writingworld.com
You’ll be amazed at the
number of the reputable contests waiting for your submission.
2. Always compare entry fees to the prize. If a
prize is worth $50.00, but it costs $10.00 to enter, forget it. I usually don’t
enter contests that have a prize less than $100.00, or an entry fee over
$10.00, unless it includes a membership or subscription to a popular literary
magazine, organization, or is a well-known publication like By-Line
Magazine. Competitions should offer a
monetary prize, not just publication. Of
course, the bigger the prize, the stiffer the competition will be. Contact past winners (there should be a list of
winners and honorable mentions) and feel free to ask questions about the
competition before you enter.
3. Many popular literary publications have
writing competitions that not only offer cash prizes, but publication in the
magazine as well, an awesome opportunity for new writers. Every entry is read and considered regardless
of past publishing credits. Visit some of these websites for information.
a. www.glimmertrain.com
(Glimmertrain)
b. www.all-story.com (Zoetrope)
c. http://www.interhop.net/~amethyst/
(The Amethyst Review)
d. www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/ (Mid-American Review)
e. www.sa.ua.edu/osm/bwr (Black Warrior Review)
f. www.siu.edu/~crborchd
(Crab Orchard Review)
g. www.writersdigest.com
(Writer’s Digest)
There
are many more. Excellent books that list
contests and are updated yearly are Writer’s Market (www.writersmarket.com) published by
Writer’s Digest Books, Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market published by
Writer’s Digest Books, The Best of the Magazine Markets published by Longridge
Writing Group, and, for those young adult and children writers, The Ultimate
Guide to Student Contests, Grades 7-12, by Scott Pendleton.
4. Enter every free competition you can. You have nothing to lose.
5. Check "Writer’s Beware"
sections on the Internet for contest scams. A few good ones are:
6. Study guidelines. Many good stories
are tossed aside and disqualified because of failure to follow guidelines. Make a checklist and before mailing your entry,
check off each item.
6. Some guidelines read, "No work is
eligible for submission if AT THE TIME OF ENTRY, it has won an award or been
published or accepted for publication." Key phrase is "If at the time
of entry." However, some competitions, like the Writer’s Digest Short
Short Story Competition, set out: "All entries must be original,
unpublished, and NOT SUBMITTED ELSEWHERE UNTIL THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED."
Every competition is different. Again, STUDY guidelines very carefully and don’t
disqualify yourself.
7. Be bold.
Don’t be afraid that your writing isn’t good enough. How will you ever
discover your literary potential if you don’t release it to the world?
8. Request contest results. If winning entries are published on a
website, in a magazine, or anthology, read and analyze winning entries. Determine what stood out and why they might
have won. I have learned so much doing
this.
Okay, so
you didn’t win or place. Now what? Evaluate your piece. Was there something lacking? Were the characters memorable? Did the story flow? Was it original? Did you show instead of narrate? Judges look for good opening lines, active
verbs, strong believable characters, and flowing dialogue. But if spelling, grammar, and sentence
structure are poorly done, your manuscript will likely be rejected regardless
of how good it is. Be as professional as
you would in business. Revise your piece
and enter it into another competition. A
large percentage of contest entries are from fairly new writers and unpublished
writers—just like you.
I read an
article by a writer who refused to enter contests because winners were based on
“one judge’s” opinion. On the same note,
publication is often based on “one editor’s” opinion. Again, what have you got to lose?
All
writers start somewhere. Competitions are a great place to begin.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
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by
WRITING CONTESTS: A FOOT IN THE DOOR
As a writer, do you lack discipline in completing and mailing out stories and
articles to publishers? When you finally do submit, do you receive
rejection after rejection and become frustrated and disappointed?
Discover the wonderful world of writing contests and your life might change the
way mine did. After years of struggling, I am now a published author in
both print and electronic publications. I conduct writing workshops,
teach creative writing at a local college, and work as an editor for Gotta
Write Network
Did writing competitions accomplish all that? No, my writing did.
But contests opened a door that had previously been locked and got my
manuscript into professional hands without a long writing-related résumé or
extensive publishing credentials.
Preparing for contests has forced me into a strict writing schedule in order to
meet deadlines. I would never have written many of my short stories if I
hadn't had specific contests in mind. One nice thing--you don't have to
win to achieve victory. Finishing a story is a reward in itself. If
you should win or place, so much the better. Even an honorable mention
becomes an addition to your résumé.
There are hundreds of writing competitions. As in other areas of life,
there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. Choose contests carefully and
enter based on the awards, the reputation, the length of time a contest (or
publication) has been in existence, and the rights they request. If your
entry is to be published, the contest sponsor may claim specific rights
("First North American Serial Rights" and the option to include your
piece in an anthology are among the most common), but it's rarely wise to
relinquish everything. If you give all rights to someone else,
understand that they--not you--now own that particular piece and you cannot
touch it again without their permission.
Here are some tips on researching contests:
1. Look for competition announcements on websites and in ezines, magazines, and
books. Save potential targets in a "Competition File." Choose
contests that are offered by well-known magazines, publishers, or
organizations. After entering, jot down the story name and where you sent
it. Keep track of the information in a "Contests Entered" file.
Maintain a tracking sheet for the individual manuscript as well as a master
tracking sheet for all pieces out for consideration. On your calendar, mark the
dates that results will be announced so you can follow up.
2. Compare entry fees to the prize. A contest with a $50 prize should not have
a $10 entry fee. I don't usually enter contests that have a prize less
than $100 or an entry fee over $10, unless it includes a membership or
subscription or is a well-known publication like By-Line Magazine. Prizes can
be cash, publication, or both. Of course, the bigger the prize, the
stiffer the competition. Feel free to ask questions (via email or snail mail)
about the competition before you enter.
3. Put contests that include publication at the top of the list. Many
literary magazines have writing competitions that offer not only cash prizes
but publication as well. This can be a great way for writers without
credits or credentials to get valuable exposure and start building a
resume.
4. Enter every free competition you can. What do you have to lose?
(Again, do keep an eye on what rights they acquire if you win.)
5. Study guidelines. Many good stories are discarded because of failure to
follow the rules. Make a list and check off each item before mailing your
entry. Some guidelines read, "No work is eligible for submission if AT THE
TIME OF ENTRY, it has won an award or been published or accepted for
publication." Key phrase: "at the time of entry." Some
competitions, like the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition, have
stricter standards and say, "All entries must be original, unpublished,
and NOT SUBMITTED ELSEWHERE UNTIL THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED." Every
competition is different. Make sure you know what each contest requires and
you'll reduce the chances of your story being disqualified.
6. Be bold. Don't be afraid that your writing isn't good enough. How will
you ever discover your literary potential if you don't release it to the
world? At the same time, send your best work. Polish your story
till it shines. Proofread it yourself and pass it on to others with good
grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills. When you're sure it's the best you
can make it, send it off and start looking for the next contest to enter.
7. Request contest results. If winning entries are published on a
website, in a magazine, or in an anthology, read and analyze those entries.
Look at the different elements of fiction (subject, voice, dialog, etc.) and
determine how their use made the story stand out.
8. If you enter a contest and don't win or even make the honorable mention
list, evaluate your piece. Judges look for good opening lines, active
verbs, strong believable characters, and flowing dialog. They also expect a
professional-looking manuscript. If you slipped up in any of these areas, study
writing books and magazines to see how you can improve. Then revise your
piece and enter another competition.
I once read an article by a writer who refused to enter contests because
winners were based on one judge's opinion. That may be so, but
publication is often based on one editor's opinion.
Entering contests can train you to set and meet goals, to develop a disciplined
writing schedule, and to constantly strive to improve the quality of your
work.
WEBSITES THAT OFFER CONTESTS:
- chopeclark.com
- klockepresents.com
- inscriptionsmagazine.com
- wordweaving.com
- bylinemag.com
- coffeehouseforwriters.com
- scbeginnings.com
- writingcorner.com
- writingworld.com
WEBSITES THAT OFFER CONTESTS WITH PUBLICATION:
- - glimmertrain.com (Glimmertrain)
- all-story.com (Zoetrope)
- interhop.net/~amethyst/ (The Amethyst Review)
- bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/ (Mid-American Review)
- writersdigest.com (Writer's Digest)
BOOKS THAT LIST CONTESTS (UPDATED ANNUALLY):
- Writer's Market (www.writersmarket.com)
(Writer's Digest Books)
- Novel & Short Story Writer's Market (Writer's Digest Books)
- The Best of the Magazine Markets (Longridge Writing Group)
WEBSITES THAT LIST SCAMS AND CAUTIONS:
- sfwa.org/beware
- sfwa.org/prededitors
***ABOUT THE AUTHOR***