Lots of contests for both published and unpublished writers abound. Should a writer enter these contests?
The short answer? Yes!
- Goal: The contest sets a goal. For instance, a contest needing the first ten pages, fifty pages, or the first chapter and a summary all give the writer a deadline. The writer must prepare these materials to enter the contest.
- Statement: For the unpublished writer, the act of entering the contest makes a statement to yourself and to the world: “I am a writer.”
- Feedback: Some contests ask judges for specific feedback. When that happens, the author can use that advice. Comments from busy publishing professionals are otherwise hard to come by. Rarely does a rejection letter offer pointers.
- Connections: Regardless of the outcome, judges will see your work. Sometimes agents and editors ask to see more. This is an opportunity writers otherwise wouldn’t have.
- Recognition: When the author is a finalist or winner, that author’s name is posted for all to see. What great publicity!
The next time you see an opportunity to submit to a contest for your favorite genre, consider entering. You have very little to lose, but much to gain!
(The Christian Writers Market Guide has a section of contests to enter.)
Write a Fan Letter Today
‘Tis a contest I am in,
one that’s worthy of the name,
but result is all win-win:
to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Thus I am daily uplifted,
thus my writing’s daily bread,
thus with grace I have been gifted,
thus I never will be dead,
for thus the Crown of Thorns ensured
the laurel wreath of Love be set
on brow of believer who’s endured,
and in his endurance, met
the Lord who has run by his side
down that shadow’d valley ride.
Amen, Andrew!
Thanks, Pam!
Andrew, thank you for always being such a faithful and thoughtful contributor to the blog comments!
It’s always an honour to be here, Tamela.
Thank you, Tamela! I make myself enter at least one contest a year because it is so good for me as a writer. Yes, for all of the reasons that you mentioned but I’ll add one more. It is so valuable to begin to learn how to filter feedback. Sometimes the feedback is contradictory. “I love your sarcastic heroine.” “I hate your sarcastic heroine.” What to do then? Reading advice that contradicts helps me learn something about my story, my characters, and my audience. I have to pick and choose what advice to listen to which strengthens a very important writing muscle. Can I make my heroine more likable and also keep her sarcastic flare? Should I listen to a bit of both judges advice? Such good things to think about and all for the price of a small entrance fee!
That’s a great point! Conflicting advice can and does occur, and is a great reason not only to discern but to ask a few more readers to look at your work as well. Keep persisting!
I entered a children’s poem in a Writer’s Digest Contest. I received honorable mention. That poem is now a book and is selling well.
Congratulations!
A few months ago I was preparing a piece for a Tulsa magazine contest when we received bad news that a relative was very ill in another state. We had to leave abruptly to travel to be there with family. The Lord called our relative Home a few days after we arrived. We were away from home a week.
The night we returned I remembered the contest and checked the deadline. It was that same day! It was about 7 pm that evening when I realized that time was running out to submit my story!
Then I got focused. I polished, edited, and submitted my ms. that evening by email and received a confirmation it was received.
A few weeks later I received an email from an editor saying my story received a 3rd place award & will be published this Fall!
I’m very excited that I could follow through under difficult circumstances. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite pieces of my recent work since I first published as a senior in college in “Decision” magazine.
Congratulations! Persistence and determination indeed pay off.
“Decision” magazine encouraged me early in my career as well! My short article was about how I read the entire Bible to my baby.
No mention of the costs. I would enter a dozen contests a week if I had the funding. But then if I had the funding, I would not be 7 novels self-published and broke. Just a thought…
Matt, I am sorry to hear you are struggling. Many writers do. Since you have self-published seven novels, perhaps this can work in your favor at tax time so you can free up money to enter contests. This is merely a thought, not legal advice. Please ask your tax advisor.
Perhaps consider applying for scholarships to writers’ conferences. Conferences are another great way to introduce yourself and make friends in the industry.
Thanks Pamela for all the good reasons!
The feedback on my manuscript has certainly been helpful for me, but many contests also require a synopsis or a blurb. I’ve found the feedback and even the limits imposed on those very helpful as it offers a place to practice writing them and learning how to tweak my blurb/synopsis to match various guidelines. A sort of practice run for creating book proposals or inquires to agents (and as you said with pointers to improve or notes which part the judges loved).
Writing demands a lot of hours by myself, writing. A contest helps pull me out into the depths of communicating and I lose that sense that possibly my writing is perfect. Thankfully.
Similar to marriage. When single, I think I’m fairly perfect. Marriage shows me otherwise. I am forced to grow. Thankfully.