by Kimberly Davis Basso
Trying to get your work to stand out is a daunting prospect, what with more than four thousand books published daily. And there seem to be an equal number of writing contests – why does everyone else have a shiny sticker and you don’t? Unfortunately, not every contest is legit, and even a win from a legit contest is useless if you don’t take advantage of it. I used to read nearly 300 scripts each year as a judge in a play writing contest, and I’ve entered a fair share of writing competitions since I published my first nonfiction, so you’re going to get both sides of the process.
If You Lose
I’m putting this first because it is most important, not because I think you’re going to lose. Clearly you are going to win. Personally, I’ve done an excellent job at losing, and by excellent, I mean I’m often a Finalist. Given that you are likely to pay some kind of entry fee (see below) it’s best to get something in return. And what is that something? Judge’s notes or feedback. I’m not saying I’ve never entered a contest that didn’t have that option – I’m saying even among the contests where I did well, the ones that offered feedback proved most valuable to me. Think quotes for the editorial section of your book description on the positive end and things to consider on the negative end. It’s competitive, I’ve gotten five out of five stars in all categories and glowing feedback but not the win, so think about what they can give you even if it isn’t a shiny sticker for your cover.
Guidelines
Like querying an agent, follow the guidelines to the letter. You are not going to alter a contests goal because your literary novel is so good they’ll change their cookbook award to accommodate you. The guidelines are there to help you weed out contests that are not a good fit, as much as they help judges weed out writers unable to follow simple directions. Of the scripts I read each year, at least a third of them were not appropriate for our contest. No matter how great that opera was, we weren’t going to produce it, because we didn’t produce opera. Something clearly stated in the guidelines. Deadlines are also critical, which has to be the reason I didn’t pull off that Pulitzer Prize with my debut. The deadline is October prior to the year in which the book is published in case you wondered.
Consider the Source
Is this a first time for the contest? What do past winners have to say about them? It’s entirely possible for you not to recognize every organization that runs a contest, in fact it’s highly likely. But what kind of work does the organization do? Are they a writing or publishing group? Are they a source of reviews? A magazine? Does the organization do something other than run contests? Who is their audience, writers or readers? This is not to say you shouldn’t trust a small group, my theater company was quite small but we did produce a full season of theater every year, we ran an acting studio, we knew what we were about and we felt happy to tell entrants.
Check out the Past Winners
I’ve opted not to enter contests based on previous winners and based on the samples given as “what they’re looking for.” If they aren’t up to your standards, there’s really no point in asking them to judge you.
Judges
Who are they and why are they so judgmental? Seriously it’s worth figuring out who the judges are and if you feel they are qualified. Not every contest divulges their judging panel, but they should at least offer a description of the process (first to a reader or series of readers, then to a panel and so forth). Many of them tell you upfront, so you can check out the credentials and presumably buy their books. If you like that sort of thing.
The Prize
Is the prize publication? Tread carefully and read the fine print before entering. Publication in what by whom publishing when exactly? Consider a copyright on your work before you send it. I know this isn’t always feasible but if you are sending off the three hundred page passion project you’ve been working on since before you were born, well, consider it. Yes, there are people in the world who are that underhanded and would be happy to take advantage of you. If it’s a major magazine you’re probably OK. I am old so I consider major magazines those that still offer print copies. I’m also a bit of a luddite so take that with a grain of salt.
Send Your Best Work
This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised. Even if the contest allows multiple entries only send your absolutely best work. First, why would you compete against yourself? And second, know that the judges will see your personal writing traits far more clearly after reading the second piece and that may not be a good thing. During my time as a judge for the play writing contest, we changed the rules to allow only one entry per playwright per year. True, we were inundated with scripts, but primarily because reading the first play about an arguing divorced couple was interesting and dramatic and occasionally poignant but reading the seventh from the same playwright on the same topic felt more like being a therapist.
Assuming You Win
First, well done you. And second, prepare to work that win with everything you’ve got. Press releases, social media, on your website, out in your monthly newsletter. What, you thought that the win would do all that for you? Most likely the contest will feature you on their home page, which is excellent. But remember, many organizations are simply using the contest as a way to gain publicity for their organization – so before you drive all that traffic to their website, consider instead a link on your website page talking about the win. You can drive all that traffic to your website, and have people link from there to the contests’ page. That’s a win/win for your win.
And Finally, the Money
Before we get to the contests that cost money, there are free contests. Many of them are online and include flash fiction. A few of my favorites aren’t exactly contests, but they are fun to enter and they do help you to increase visibility and build that all important author platform. Twitter is a great source of these short and sweet tests of your ability. Look up #vss365, which is a prompt a day contest where you have to include a particular word in your story, and your story has to fit into one tweet. #sixwordstory is just what it sounds like – you’re given a photo prompt, often involving animals, often hilarious and you write a six word story in response.
Contest entry usually costs money – this could be because the judges are paid, it could be because the readers are getting a fee, it could be a fundraiser for the organization, it could a scam. You’re probably familiar with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) a great resource for writers and publishers, but you may not have explored their awards and contests review page which offers an overview and a rating of Recommended, Mixed or Caution for hundreds of contests. I don’t agree with every assessment, but it is an excellent place to start.
Best of luck to you and Happy Writing! Please feel free to contact me about any aspect of writing I’m happy to help.
Kimberly Davis Basso is the author of I’m a Little Brain Dead and Birth and Other Surprises and has shiny stickers from INDIES/Foreword Reviews and Writer’s Digest among others.