Finding a Writing Contest Online
Run an online search for writing contents and prizes. Start by searching broadly, including keywords for the genre and theme that best describe your writing. Contests are sometimes called prizes, so include this term in your search, too. Next, visit the websites of your favorite organizations for current or upcoming contests. Try looking at universities, publishing houses, literary magazines, local businesses, authors’ estates, and niche membership organizations for opportunities. Just a few of the many organizations that publish their contest details online include: Poetry International, the University of Arkansas Press, and the Southwest Review.
Subscribe to e-newsletters announcing contests. If you know of organizations that host contests, subscribe to their free e-newsletters to get the latest updates sent to your inbox. Membership organizations, publishing houses, blogs, literary magazines, and other leaders in the writing community distribute newsletters as well. Sign up to receive them and keep an eye out for the occasional contest announcement.
Scan social media for announcements. Many organizations announce new writing contests through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms. Follow their accounts and look at specific hashtags, like #writingcontest, to broaden your search. Some writing bloggers publish lists of writing competitions as well.
Seek recommendations from fellow writers. Up-and-coming and established writers alike are often willing to help their peers and share resources. Ask around, send email inquiries, and refer to message boards and online writing communities. Take a look at the websites and bios of writers you admire as well. If they’ve won specific awards in the past, consider following their footsteps.
Reviewing Contest Details
Review the guidelines for each contest. In order to have a chance of winning, your submission will need to meet the contest’s guidelines. This includes broader categories like genre, theme, and word count as well as finer formatting points such as typeface and margin size. For instance, if a contest is looking for personal essays under 700 words, don’t send in a 1,000-word personal essay. Consider editing it down, or sending in a shorter piece instead. A 680-word poem would also be an unsuitable choice for this contest. Contests may require that entrants meet other criteria as well, like age or level of education. For example, some only accept student work. Double-check any restrictions before crafting your submission.
Research the judges, organizers, and sponsors. If the judges are listed, research them to familiarize yourself with their work and consider appealing to their interests when crafting your submission. A list of sponsors (or lack thereof) will tell you about a contest’s reputation. Many different types of organizations hold writing contests, so consider how each endorsement would impact you. For example, if you want to gain prominence as a writer within your community, winning a super-niche themed contest might not attract much attention. But recognition from a local or regional contest could give you the right amount of exposure.
Assess any prizes and fees carefully. Many legitimate writing contests require a nominal entry fee, typically in the range of $10 to $30. There are a number of free entry contests as well. However, not all contests distribute cash prizes. Some offer a ribbon or trophy as an award, while others may offer publication – whether it’s free or at your own expense. Make sure you understand the terms of these prizes, such as how winners will receive cash prizes, to avoid paying unanticipated fees and feeling scammed. If you notice a fee far beyond $30, thoroughly research the contest organizer to make sure it’s not a scam. You’ll also need to decide whether the investment will be worth your money, even if you don’t win. Similarly, if the contest has no entry fee, pay special attention to the fine print. A scam situation might involve trading away all your rights for an easy-entry (and minimally rewarding) contest. Avoid contests that require you to purchase a copy of your own winning piece. Most legitimate contest organizers will send their winners a print or digital copy of the outlet their work appears in. Also be wary of prizes that depend on the number of entries. An enormous grand prize may be offered if 500 people submit, but smaller organizations often struggle to meet those quotas. As a result, the promised prize may not be distributed.
Review all copyright-related language in contest agreements. Most writing contests will want first publication rights for winning entries. But beyond this, carefully review the fine print to understand what other rights you may be forfeiting by submitting your work. Steer clear of contests that claim any rights to non-winning entries, as well as those that claim full copyright to your work if you win or not. A contest stating that the winner agrees to transfer all rights to the publisher, exclusively, irrevocably, and free of royalty or expiration is not designed to benefit you in the long run.
Preparing Your Entry
Choose a piece of writing to submit. When considering what to submit, make sure the piece of writing you choose reflects your best work. It should be well-organized, error-free, and engaging to readers. Equally important, you should only pick a piece of writing that fits the genre, theme, and requirements of the writing contest you’re about to enter. Your submission should be focused enough to meet the brief but original enough to stand out against the competition. For instance, your investigative journalism may be phenomenal, but your supernatural teen adventure story is probably a better fit if you’re entering a young adult fantasy fiction contest.
Follow a schedule that enables you to submit before the final deadline. Missing the deadline is a guaranteed way to lose a writing contest! To avoid making this mistake, set yourself up for success with a detailed plan of action. Draft up a submission checklist and aim to upload your materials far in advance of the deadline. With online applications, you might be required to create a username and password, utilize specific file types, or upload information you weren’t aware of before such as a cover letter or CV. Check out the application portal as soon as possible to see what it entails. With some contests, the judges will begin reviewing submissions immediately. After all your hard work, your writing may land in front of tired eyes if you wait too long.
Revise or edit your writing. There’s a chance you’ll need to make substantial edits to your written work to meet the requirements and guidelines of the contest. Whether you need to eliminate 1,500 words from your short story or you’d like to emphasize the theme of nostalgia in your personal essay, give yourself plenty of time to make multiple rounds of revisions. Share your writing with one or two peers who can give you additional feedback and catch tiny errors you overlooked. Keep the contest details close at hand while revising so you don’t veer off from the guidelines.
Follow the contest’s formatting guidelines. Once the content of your submission is polished and ready to go, you’ll need to package it in the appropriate format. Some writing contests offer templates, but most will simply explain the requirements for the cover page, typeface, font size, margin size, header, footer, pagination, and file type that they expect to see. If the contest involves a blind judging process, you might be asked to send in an anonymous manuscript along with a separate cover page identifying yourself as the author.
Generate supplementary application materials as needed. As if writing your perfectly crafted and sure-to-impress piece of writing wasn’t enough, some contests ask that you include a brief statement or cover letter along with your entry. Approach this as yet another way to set yourself apart from the other entries and impress the judges. You may also be asked to provide references, school transcripts, a resume, or additional documentation depending on the contests’ guidelines.
Submitting Your Entry
Complete an application online. Set up an online account if necessary. Input your contact details, upload your writing submission, and attach any additional documentation required. You’ll likely be asked to agree to the terms and conditions of the contest, so be sure you’ve read these carefully before clicking “submit.” If a contest requires that you submit your materials by email, prepare the documents and perfect your email message before sending.
Pay the entry fee online or by mail, if applicable. Typically, you can pay the entry fee for most writing contests by entering your credit or debit card details. You may also be able to use Paypal. Some contests may only have the option of a mailed-in check so prepare your payment accordingly, and be sure to get it in before the deadline. Some contests charge more for online entries than for mail entries. You may want to consider mailing in your submission if it will save some money.
Repeat the whole process with more contest entries. To increase your chances of winning, submit your work to as many writing contests as possible. Keep writing, researching contests, polishing off your work, and sending in submissions. Stay positive and set a goal for how many contests you want to enter each month or year. One day you might get some very good news from the judges! A goal like “win 4 contests this year” will leave you feeling disappointed since you can’t control the outcome. However, a goal like “enter 1 contest per month” is completely achievable and you can celebrate your accomplishments regardless of the outcome. Some contests will only accept submissions that aren’t under consideration elsewhere. Check the submission guidelines to make sure you’re in the clear.
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