Elizabeth Rose
There are tons of writer contests every month, offering us many opportunities to get our work read. But are they really beneficial? If so, which ones are the best to enter so you don’t feel like you are just wasting your time?
I’ve broken it down into two parts. The unpublished author contests and the published author contests, with pros and cons for each.
As struggling writers, we all want to get published. But just take a walk through your local bookstore, or better yet, your local library. On one hand you think―if they can do it, so can I. On the other hand, you say to yourself―how am I ever going to get noticed when there are already so many authors with books in print?
Pro: Well, as an unknown author with no books yet in print, you need to do all you can to get name recognition and get your work ‘out there’. A contest may just be the way to do it. This is a great way to get your work read.
Pro: You can get some feedback on your work, helping you to flesh out any problems, or gain suggestions how to make your characters more believable. Better to hear it from a contest judge than get it back from an editor as a rejection.
Con: But then again, if the person judging isn’t really qualified, they may only frustrate you with their comments. If a judge is very analytical minded and they are judging your far-out paranormal, not to mention they don’t read or like this genre, then you really don’t want them judging your entry. They may not be able to give you the feedback and comments you need. However, you have no control over which judge gets your entry.
Con: Then there’s always the matter of price. Contests can become costly, and by the time you copy off your entries, write out that check and then mail it, you’ve probably spent anywhere from $30-$50 dollars. If you decide to enter more than one contest, this can add up quickly.
Pro: If you are a finalist in a contest, your work often goes to finalist judges which can consist of book sellers, librarians or the one we all want―editors. It is good to get your unpublished work read by any of these, as they’ll hopefully remember you when your book does get bought. If an editor reads it and likes it, she may request to see the whole manuscript. If so, she may want to buy it. Either way, you’ve just gone to the head of the class and cut off about a year of waiting time in the slush pile.
Con: By letting other writers read your unpublished work, you are putting yourself at risk that someone may steal your story idea. I don’t know of anyone this has actually happened to, but there is always the chance.
Pro: Even if someone does steal your idea, most likely they are only reading a few chapters, and will have no idea how the story progresses or ends.
Con: You may have had to submit a synopsis in the contest, therefore telling everything to the judge.
Pro: Since the judges are most likely authors themselves, they worry about this same thing with their work. In this case, they’ll most likely respect you and your work, since they have that unwritten code of loyalty to other writers.
Con: If your judges were too lazy to actually write comments, they have done you an injustice and if you haven’t finaled in the contest, you haven’t really gained much for your time and money.
Pro: If you are a finalist, your title and name will most likely be mentioned online, and as an announcement to the other participants and judges, and hopefully in a magazine like RWR. Getting your name out there as much as possible will help the editors to notice it too. Then when your submission comes across their desk, they’ll hopefully remember you. If you can add to your cover letter that your submission has won contests, they’ll most likely sit up and take notice.
Just when you think all your troubles are over and you’ve made that first sale, you realize your troubles have really just begun. Now that you have a book in print, you need people to buy it if you want your publisher to keep buying books from you. A contest is a good way to get some exposure. But here are some thoughts on this.
Pro: Your book will be read by other writers/readers and you may just gain a fan.
Con: You’re most likely not going to get as much for your money as the unpublished authors entering contests. Since your book has already been published, you will not be receiving any feedback or critiques.
Pro: With no critiques, you will never really know if someone hated your book. Most contests I know of don’t tell you where you ranked in the contest, so you don’t need to know if you came in last place.
Con: By not knowing where you ranked, you have no idea how your book was accepted by the judges. Especially if your book was judged by booksellers or librarians, you’ll never know if they really liked them. (My gripe about entering pub contests is that often, the contest never even notifies me as to who won. I’ve gotten zilch response and had to find out I didn’t win but word of mouth or spotting it on their website. I’d stay away from ones that operate this way.)
Pro: If you final in a contest or win, you get a contest emblem to put on your website or next bookcover. You can add it in your byline and with your quotes. Lots of readers will buy a book of an unknown author just because it says they’ve won an award. This tells them the book is worth reading.
Con: Entering this contest can really add up. Most published author contests charge about $25 for entry. They then ask you to send up to 5 copies of your book (which comes out of your pocket.) The books are usually not returned. If they are, you pay the postage. If you get them returned, they’ve been read and are most likely not in condition to use even in a giveaway. The postage to mail 5 books isn’t small either. Try doing all this for half a dozen contests, and if you write for a small publisher, you’ve probably spent most your advance.
Pro: If you write for a small publisher and want to sell to a big one, a contest win can make those editors take notice of you a bit faster. This can be used as a stepping stone to get to higher places.
Con: Most of the time there are only three prizes in your category. If you’re a new author, it’s tough going up against the more established, best-selling authors and expect to win.
Pro: You may very well get a judge who doesn’t fall in the same mold, and doesn’t necessarily idolize the big name authors. In this case, you have a very good chance of them liking your work and giving you a good score. Either way, you never know unless you try.
It’s always nice to be a finalist or winner of a big name contest. I’m not going to mention any contests by name, so as not to offend anyone. Just look in the Romance Writers Report and you can choose one for yourself.
*If a contest is annual and has been around for a long time, it’s a good sign that they’re doing something right and people are still entering. If it’s a well known contest, it’s always nice to win, as people will recognize the name and it’ll bring credibility to your works.
*However, lots of the larger, well established contests are entered by the bigger named authors as well. That’ll make for tougher competition. You may want to choose a newer, unknown contest and that may give you a better chance.
*Try to enter a contest which will give you something for your money. The best ones in my opinion are the ones where editors judge the final round. If you final, you can benefit the most from this.
*Think of the prizes, also. Some offer money, some plaques or jewelry. What is important to you? Some offer nothing more than a piece of paper.
*If you’re no good at writing synopses, then stay away from the contests that require them.
*Not every contest has all genres, so watch them carefully. And if you write ebooks, not all contests allow them, so your choices will be less. Then there’s always the big bummer of the RITAs (oops, I guess I mentioned one) if you just happen to write for an ‘unrecognized publisher.’
All in all, there are many contests out there, so look for the one that has the most to offer for your own needs. Not every contest is for every writer. And every writer is not right for every contest.
So choose wisely, and you will benefit from entering contests. And just remember, that if you never enter a contest, you’ll never have the chance to win.
Elizabeth Rose
P.S. I couldn’t end this article without mentioning the Windy City’s unpublished author contest, The Four Seasons Awards, as well as our brand new published author contest, The Windy City Choice Award. So please, go to our website at http://scribesworld.com/windycityrwa/ and check it out.
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