I am a storyteller, building worlds, creating characters who cry and laugh. I cut words, agonize over punctuation, and labor for hours to find just the right (optimum, perfect) word. Until finally, I triumphantly type “The End,” only to file my story away, afraid to share it with anyone.

I needed to get my stories out into the world and decided to send them to writing contests. Sometimes I would stumble upon a contest announcement in a newsletter or a writing-friend would mention a contest that they have seen or entered. 

Some had a theme or specific subject and I would say to myself, “Self, that story you wrote about ‘the person with the thing in the place,’ could work for this contest.” If it was a contest that provided a specific prompt I created new characters and places, a whole new story.

I needed to “get used to” nonacceptance letters, also known as NALs. (I refuse to use the word rejection ) I needed to “get used to” my writing being not quite ready, not quite right for that publication, or not quite [insert your own word here….but be positive].

I have sent stories to many, many contests and magazines over the past couple of years and I have received many, many NALs. To my dismay, I have not become “used to” receiving the NALs. They still sting; they will always sting. But I have learned a few things.

1. Writing contests come with deadlines

Be prepared to concentrate all your efforts on that story. You may have to set aside your other writing, especially 1-2 weeks/days/hours before the deadline. 

For one of my first contest submissions, I rushed to finish a story, submitting just minutes before the deadline. But alas, I clicked on the wrong file. I didn’t just send them the wrong version of the correct story, I sent the first draft of a different, unfinished manuscript. 

When I realized what I had done a few weeks later, it was too late to make any changes. (I am sure they appreciated my $$ donation to their association.)

I learned I needed a personal deadline, 1 or 2 days before the actual submission date. If there is time, I set the completed story aside for a few days and then come back and read it with fresh eyes. Some contests are not conducive to this, such as the NYC Midnight Challenges. They give you a prompt and a brisk turnaround time.

(FYI: Deadlines also apply to articles. For instance, I did not have enough time to submit this article to my support group. I know it would have been a much better article if they could have reviewed it with me. Which leads me to item #2…)

2. Support/Critique Groups

Use them! Let them know you have a deadline coming up. Ask them to read your story. Be sure that you give them ample time to provide proper feedback that you can implement.

During the last NYC Challenge I entered, I met with three other participants two days after we had received our prompts. We spent 15 minutes brainstorming each other’s ideas. Then, I submitted a draft of the “finished” story to my critique group, revised it from their feedback, then resubmitted, twice, to ONE person (from the same critique group), revised from the feedback, and FINALLY submitted to the contest. 

I did this over an eight-day time frame. It was extremely stressful and very rewarding. (I am still awaiting the results.) I cannot say enough about creating a great support system.

3. Read the formatting requirements carefully

Contest judges read many, many stories. No matter how good your story may be if they must squint or reformat your story, you are already at a disadvantage. Make sure that they can relax and enjoy your story. If you send it incorrectly spaced, with spelling errors or incorrect fonts, it could quickly be tossed into the digital trash can. 

Make sure your tenses are correct and you don’t slip out of the correct POV. One of the members of my support system is excellent at noticing this.

Watch the word count, maximum and minimum. I keep the number at the top of my manuscript. It is okay to be over the word count in the first couple of drafts. In fact, I recommend it. I find it way easier to reduce words than add them in. But for the final version, stick to the word count.

4. Enter writing contests that give feedback

It is very important to have a good critique group, but they know you and love you. They have read a lot of your stories and sometimes it is hard for them to be unbiased.

Some writing contests will give small critiques as an included perk. Other contests offer the service for a small reading fee. I have found feedback from someone who does not know my writing to be very insightful and eye-opening. 

A word to the wise: With all critiques, keep an open mind and use what works for you and your story.

5. Do not give up when you don’t win

I wrote a short story during a DIY MFA program and had it critiqued through the program, eventually filing it away and working on other projects. Then I stumbled upon a contest. “Self,” I said, “that story you wrote about Clara and the Savoy and a cat would work for this contest.” 

I opened the file, blew the virtual dust motes off, and rewrote it. I sent it to my critique group. We spent uncountable hours cutting and adding words, deleting characters, and changing locations.

I submitted the story to twelve writing contests and magazines. Some said, “no thank-you,” others told me they liked the story, but it was not a fit “at this time.” (What does that even mean?!) 

I got wonderful feedback from the contests. I paid for some; some were unsolicited. I received 11 NALs and they all stung. (Obviously something you never “get used to”) 

Never, ever give up.

One contest that I entered was the Writer’s Digest Short Story contest. It received an honorable mention. They did not wad my story into a tiny little ball and toss it in the trash. Someone liked it, maybe they didn’t love it, but they liked it.

Now what?!? I’m glad you asked. Carol Van Den Hende wrote a wonderful article that helps answer this very question.

Brenda loves writing short fiction and is working on her first novel. 2023 is the third year of her monthly newsletter – Thru the Window.

All her life she wanted to be a veterinarian and took all the right science classes in high school. But, her favorite class was English 300. The teacher was a poet, who loved Shakespeare, and gave funky, fun assignments for creative writing. She struggled through first-year university, her grades in organic chemistry were less than stellar, but her marks in Canadian Lit were awesome. It was suggested that she pursue an English degree and be a teacher. She quit university.

Fast forward. She signed up for a snail-mail writing course and wrote on and off, mostly stories about pets that had crossed the rainbow bridge. She got married, had two children and ran a successful consulting business with her husband.

Fast forward again. During a monster house move she wrote a blog with photos to send to people who wanted to know how the relocation was going. She found a Canadian self-directed writing course and then signed up for their mentored course.

Fast forward some more. She found DIY MFA 101 run by the awesome Gabriela Pereria and her team. She finished the self-directed course DIY MFA 101, signed up for P2P, and completed two sessions of the Small Group Coaching. She is a loyal “Word Nerd.”

Find more info on her website, or check out her newsletter.

The post #5onFri: Five Things I Learned by Entering Writing Contests appeared first on DIY MFA.

In the last few articles, we’ve discussed author brand, how to spark great book cover design, and creating professional, valued posts on LinkedIn. Now, we’ll discuss the role of writing contests in marketing your work.

Why Participate in Writing Contests?

Have you wondered how to break through among hundreds of thousands of books that are published every year?

As a debut author, it’s important to overcome readers’ natural tendency to be skeptical about a new writer’s work. One way is to build credibility with authoritative sources, such as blurbs, reviews, testimonials, and awards.

Today, we’ll focus on writing contests, so that you can pursue the claim of being an “award-winning author.” Or even better, “multi-award-winning author!”

Awards don’t only matter to new authors. Best-selling romance writer Nancy Herkness believes “a mention of a contest win on a book’s detail page or a retail site can often reassure a first-time customer and validate their desire to purchase the book.” In addition, she’s found that contest judges are avid readers who talk about books they love. “Several booksellers who judged my books in the early days of my career are still handselling my new work to customers and book groups.”

She also values the power of awards as validation for the writer. Nancy says “Publishing careers are rollercoaster rides, the ups, and downs influenced by many factors that are totally out of the writer’s control. One thing we have within our grasp is producing high quality work. Being a finalist or a winner in a contest is proof that we have done our job well.”

Myriad Writing Contests

During the busy period leading up to launch, authors have limited time to investigate contests. There are, of course, the most famous literary recognitions, like Man Booker Prize, Pulitzer, PEN/Faulkner, National Book Award, and genre-specific awards like the Hugo for the best in science-fiction and fantasy. If you’re in the running for these, congratulations and good luck!

You’ll quickly find that there are many other writing contests, too. Some are run by writing organizations and their chapters. Writer’s Digest runs a well-known set of competitions. Other contests are geography-specific, like ones in Ireland, where I’d enjoyed being part of writing groups when I lived in Dublin for a short-term assignment.

Each one has specific qualification rules, varying deadlines, and entry fees (if applicable). Prioritize contests with relevant categories, and responses before key milestones (like your publication date). If you only have Advanced Reader Copies (ARC), you may also need to narrow contests to those that would accept ARCs.

It’s helpful to prioritize the contests that best suit your needs, as costs can add up. Publishers may enter your work into some contests. If there are other writing contests that you want to enter on your own, submission fees can range from free to several hundred dollars per entry.

Helpful Resources!

The sheer number and scope of available contests can be overwhelming. For instance, each website houses information in different places. You can use a spreadsheet to track viable ones.

There are also compilations of contests, like those at Poets & Writers (pw.org).

Or, take advantage of technology! I paid for a service called Book Award Pro, which automates searches to identify the awards you qualify for, tracks deadlines, and can even enter your book for consideration. (Full disclosure: I don’t get anything for this endorsement. I simply love the service, and have come to know and respect Book Award Pro’s founder, Hannah Jacobson!)

Results and Best Practices

Debut author Jon Hinderliter found that contests played a role in driving sales. In the weeks following the announcement of his book awards, Amazon sales rank spiked 705%! “Data tells a story, and I’m finding that award contests influence book sales,” said Hinderliter about the positive results on his book The Death of Content as King: How a Data Democracy has Revolutionized Marketing.

Six weeks before my publication date, I received the good news that Goodbye, Orchid had won recognition as the 2020 American Fiction Award winner for urban fiction, and Pinnacle Achievement Award winner for multicultural fiction. My book had achieved the status of “multi-award-winning!”  

These wins boosted my spirits in the busy time before launch, and gave me a concrete reason to engage readers. The congratulations poured in, as friends and supporters were genuinely excited for Goodbye, Orchid’s success. 

Since then, the book has been recognized sixteen times. Some of the awards include the Independent Author Network Outstanding Fiction Award, Royal Dragonfly Award, Book Excellence Award, Kops-Fetherling International Award, Chanticleer International Book Award, National Indie Book Excellence Award, and more.

These best practices helped along the way:

• It sounds obvious, but follow instructions precisely, so you don’t give any reason for your entry to be invalidated
• Select contests that highlight your genre—for instance, I didn’t apply to mystery or thriller contests, as that doesn’t match my work 
• Choose categories that suit your work. For example, Goodbye, Orchid won for best first novel, multicultural fiction, urban fiction, cover design, disability awareness, audiobook quality, and other categories.

You’ve won! Now what?

If your book wins an award, congratulations! 

Let readers know, through places such as:

• Your author newsletter
• Social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc)
• Goodreads (create a blog post, and update your author profile)
• Your website (I house all the awards on my media kit page, and update my bio with them)

I enjoy sharing contest wins with my publisher, editor, or book cover designer, as a way to recognize their part in the book’s success. It’s also important to inform your publicist so they can publicize the news. As my book won one, two and then many awards, Koehler Books published an article about me on their homepage, Women Who Write featured my work on their website, and multiple media outlets wrote articles about Goodbye, Orchid.

Another option is to tag fellow authors who’ve also been recognized in that contest, as well as the contest organization. You can get creative and sponsor a promotion with other authors who’ve won. Here’s an example of Book Excellence award winners creating a giveaway to celebrate our win, and at the same time, be able to gather reader email addresses:

You can also update your social media header banners to showcase awards. Here’s an example of mine:

Tell us in the comments below: What are your experiences with writing contests?

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of Goodbye, Orchid, a public speaker, and MBA with 20+ years’ experience in marketing, strategy, and insights. Carol is passionate about simplifying marketing concepts into actionable steps that authors need for publishing success. Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at https://carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

The post Why You Should Enter Writing Contests appeared first on DIY MFA.

1) Set-in-Stone Guidelines and a Concrete Deadline

In many ways, creatives are set free from indecision when we are given limitations. It’s so easy to jot down fifteen (or more) different story ideas, but never complete a single draft while we procrastinate, considering which idea is worth pursuit.

A contest brings this kind of indecision to a screeching halt, since it enforces specific submission guidelines and a concrete deadline.

2) The Opportunity to Expand Your Writing Repertoire

Maybe you typically write literary fiction, but you’d like to try your hand at a creative nonfiction contest. Or, perhaps you typically write science fiction or fantasy, but you have your eye on a love/romance contest.

Entering your work into various writing contests is a fantastic way to experiment and expand your writing repertoire. There is typically a cap on word-count anyway, so you’re likely to be able to dabble in a range of styles/genres without taking too much time from what you ordinarily write.

3) Potential Publication and Prize Money

I’d be remiss to discuss the benefits of entering your work into a writing contest without mentioning the possibility of publication and prize money. These things are certainly not guaranteed when you enter your work, but knowing they are a possible outcome is exciting!

If you win a contest, seeing your byline on a website and/or in print is an exciting milestone for your work.  And contest prizes range greatly in dollar amount, but are frequently around $1,000.

4) Resume Boost if Selected

If your essay, story or poetry is selected as a winning contest piece, you’ll want to be certain and update your resume accordingly to reflect your accomplishment! Also, when you write future cover letters when submitting short form literature, or if you eventually query an agent you’ll be able to include the achievement in the body of the letter.

It’s important to point out that if you’ve not won a contest, it’s in no way a deterrent to an editor or agent reading your cover letter/query. However, having a win to report can only serve to help you.

5) Submitting Your Work is an Accomplishment in and of Itself

I still remember the feeling I had years ago, when I submitted a short story into a contest for the very first time. It was a Writer’s Digest contest, and though I did not win, I gained so much from that simple act of sending my work out into the world.

I vividly recall calling my mother (who is also a writer) and telling her that I somehow felt my work was validated now that I was no longer keeping it to myself. It was a sense of pride, and it propelled me forward, inspiring me to write more consistently and to continue to hone my craft.

Are you ready to submit your work into a writing contest?

An excellent place to begin perusing your options is through the Poets & Writers database. It’s a free resource, and it gets updated regularly. If you haven’t already, in time you’ll find the magazines/journals that best suit your work. You’ll want to check their websites once in a while to be sure and stay up-to-date on their contests as well.

At 2 Elizabeths, we’d love for you to check out our Love & Romance Writing Contest, with a grand prize of $1,000, and a deadline of November 1, 2017. You can get the details here.

Elise Holland is co-founder and editor of 2 Elizabeths, a short fiction and poetry publication. Her work has appeared in various publications, most recently in Story a Day, and at JaneFriedman.com.  Through 2 Elizabeths, Elise strives to create value and visibility for writers, through writing contests, events, and more!

The post #5onFri: Five Reasons to Enter Writing Contests appeared first on DIY MFA.