“It should be the thing never to mention unfairness of judging when defeated in a contest.” Sir Robert Baden-Powell
Ok, I admit it I wrote todays title with the voice of a game show host.Because it’s the second contest I wrote about this week but it’s a fun one I ran across and if you’re reading this blog I’m guessing you write or just love writers…anyhoo. The prizes are $150. worth of writing books and the contest is inventing a word or words and submitting them by September 14th. Read more about it at Writer Unboxed. And no entry fee!
Today, I wanted to write about writing contests, specifically should you enter them and are they fair? I think writing contests are a great way to get your name out there even if the prizes are low. I use contests as marketing tools if they allow winners to post a biography on their website. I also use contests to push myself, if you need a deadline what better motivation than to have someone tell you your entry must be in by a certain date. But here’s what I don’t enter.
*Contests where everyone wins but you must pay huge amounts of money to get the book where your “winning poem or story” is listed. i.e. Vanity Contests. I still see so many writers falling for this one, I thought I needed to mention it again. I think Winning Writers does a great job of weeding out contests for you, and they even list free poetry contests with real money prizes. So I have subscribed to this newsletter for years.
*Contests where the winning prize is low. $100. But the entry fees are high. $25.
*Contests that never end because the company has set extremely high goals. Contest ends when we receive 20,000 entries at $10 per entry.
*Contests at new websites that have no history.
Today, look for a contest that could motivate you in your daily writing. I’m working on 2 this week. Now get back to work! And good luck.
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag
Do you think that sometimes ideas are just out in the ether? I was just thinking this morning that I’d like to do a special contest issue of the NewsMag. Not about the PPW contest, but about writing contests in general. Good information, Pat.
yes, I do! I think a special contest issue would be fantastic.