Are writing contests really worth the time and effort, not to mention the fee that is often required for entering?
Many writers seem to think so.
Yet a hefty cash prize and the promise of publication are not the only, or even the main, reason many writers enter writing contests.
There are other, not so obvious, incentives for entering writing competitions.
Stepping Stones
Lila Guzman is an accomplished author with many books to her credit.
When she was just starting out, writing contests were very helpful.
She says, “Winning my first short story contest for my story ‘Star Apples’ gave me a huge ego boost. More important, my husband realized that this writing thing was bearing fruit and actually putting money in our pockets. For both of us, writing moved from hobby to profession with this win. It’s psychological value was priceless.”
Other writers also find that contests are invaluable for helping build confidence in themselves and their work.
Mary Ann Moore is another children’s writer.
For many years she entered the annual short story contest sponsored by the Highlights Foundation, treating it mostly as a yearly writing assignment.
She did not really expect to win.
But the third year she entered this contest she won a full scholarship to the Chautauqua workshop.
This was in 1997, and that win “inspired me for years,” she says. “Plus, knowing the Highlights Foundation people had backed me with cash helped me fight through discouragement many times.”
Moore has entered other contests since then.
In March 2007, she won a Midwest Writers Fellowship.
The price was a weekend spent working on her novel with a professional writer.
She also received an award certificate and “posted it at my computer desk as a reminder that someone liked my book.”
Contests also provide writers with the incentive to hone their skills.
Dorit Sasson is an educator who also writes for both children and adults.
“One of the main reasons I enter writing contests is that they motivate me to polish a manuscript until it is the best I can make it,” says Sasson. “I’ve noticed that with each entry, my writing gets better and better, which also boosts my confidence in my writing skills. Another thing that’s great about writing contests is that even if you don’t win, you can send your manuscripts to another contest or market.”
A Road to Publication
Winning a writing contests can do more than boost a writer’s confidence.
It can also mean immediate publication or lead to publication down the road.
Children’s author Donna McDine placed twelfth out of 1,417 entries in the Children’s/Young Adult Category of the Seventh-seventh Writers Digest Writing Competition a few years ago.
Donna credits this contest with helping her later land a publishing contract for her entry. “I mentioned placing in the Writer’s Digest contest in my cover letter to Guardian Angel Publishing when I submitted my manuscript ‘The Golden Pathway.’ I believe this afforded me the credibility of a well-written manuscript, since the competition is fierce for Writer’s Digest contests. Guardian Angel accepted my story and released it as a children’s storybook in 2010.”
McDine also earned two honorable mentions in the seventy-eighth competition for two short stories, “The Hockey Agony” and “Images of the Past.”
Guardian Angel published The Hockey Agony in 2014.
Guzman’s winning short story “Star Apples” also achieved publication.
The prize included $35, but the story was later published in a a speed reading textbook, which earned Guzman an additional $250.
“The story also appeared in other publications for various amounts of money over the years,” says Guzman.
Recognition
Whether or not winning a contest results in publication, winning can help writers in other ways.
“I think contests are a great way to gain recognition,” says Renee Gray-Wilburn, a freelance writer who writes for magazines and other publications. “Many writers may discount contests because they may not always lead directly to publishing experience, but if you don’t have a lot of credits yet, it looks really good on a resume to say you’ve won a major (or even somewhat major) contest. And your work will definitely be exposed to the right people if you do well.”
Mayra Calvani is a writer in Belgium who has won awards for her nonfiction book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing. She points out that winning award contests for books that have already been published can be another big boost to a writer’s career. “Winning awards for my book gave me bait to add to my promotional materials. It also allowed me to include the term award-winning author to my bio and byline,” she explains.
As you can tell, contests can help any writer further a writing career.
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