Personally, I think it’s worth entering writing contests. I am a Contest Queen. Or least a Princess. Or…okay, a Duchess. But I do like contests. I don’t enter a huge number of them because the cost can run up. But I did enter the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest for several years running (placing 1st for three years), and also the Maggie Contest, where I’ve placed 1st, 3rd, and Honorable Mention. I need that 2nd place spot for a full house! This year my novel Only a Good Man Will Do placed 1st in the I Heart Indie contest!!
What are the positives of entering contests?
- The sense of affirmation you get if your book is honored. This isn’t a small thing—we all need the pat on the back.
- For winning both the Maggie and the Dixie Kane contests, my work was requested by agents. Having your work read by an agent was the 1st place prize in the Dixie Kane. (Sadly, I took a hiatus from writing for a few years and it looks like the Dixie Kane might not be held any longer.)
- You get (usually) useful feedback about your work. There are always ways to improve and the judges will tell you what they see.
- It gets your name in front of people—sometimes influential people. Judges are readers, too, and if they like what they read of yours they might try a book and tell their friends, who (guess what!) are also readers.
So what’s against entering contests?
- They all require a fee. I’ve paid as little as $15, but the average cost—especially if you are entering a contest sponsored by an RWA chapter to which you don’t belong—is about $30. I looked into a national contest last spring that required $100 to enter!!
- Some contests don’t give feedback. The judges assign a score for story traits but don’t add anything to say what you did well or poorly.
- It takes time to gather the material you need to enter. Every contest is different and they ask for different things.
For me, the benefits outweigh the negatives. I’ve entered four contests this year and when my new book is released (One Woman Only in October), I’ll be entering it in contests. Jump in! Most of the chapters (or other organizations) use contests to make the money they need to offer events to their members, so it helps them and you!
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do