Entering contests offers writers an opportunity to gain experience and recognition. Winning prizes is another advantage. There are many such contests available and a quick internet search provides numerous options. Many of them require no entry fees. Entering a free monthly writing contest will cost a writer nothing but time.
The vast range of contests does mean that one has to sift through them to make a selection. Your particular genre and style will help you to narrow down your selection. It may also help to read previous winning entries to find out what sponsors are looking for. It may be better to start with contests offering smaller prizes if you are just starting out as a writer.
Many writers tend to skim over the rules and conditions when applying and this is not a good idea. You need to fully understand what is required from you as the writer to stand the best chance. You also need to understand what will happen to your work once it has been submitted and what kind of rights the sponsors have over it.
When submitting your manuscript, you usually have certain guidelines to follow. One of these is the required length. It is important to follow these guidelines as closely as possible or your entry may be rejected. If your word count is a maximum of 1 500 and you submit an entry of 3 000 words, it is highly likely to be rejected.
You may not regard producing an error free manuscript as being important. However, this does make an impression on the judges. A manuscript full of spelling and grammatical errors that could easily have been corrected does not create a good first impression. Edit, edit and edit again before submission to make sure that any avoidable errors do not detract from your excellent content.
Creativity, originality and your language usage are usually the main considerations for judging. It is also vital to make sure that you have not gone completely digressed and gone right off the theme. No matter how brilliant your content, if you do not stick to the theme, you are highly unlikely to win.
Some contests are held by magazines and they offer subscriptions as prizes for winning entries. They also publish winning entries in the magazine and this can bring recognition. Even if a small prize is offered, this still means that others have read your writing and seen its value. There are several contests that offer very good prizes, including sums of money which can be a great incentive to writers struggling to make a living.
You have nothing to lose from entering such contests where no entry fees are required. What you will gain is the opportunity for others to evaluate your work and sometimes you may receive helpful feedback, even if you do not win a prize. You may also get a chance to be published and start to build up recognition for your work.
The vast range of contests does mean that one has to sift through them to make a selection. Your particular genre and style will help you to narrow down your selection. It may also help to read previous winning entries to find out what sponsors are looking for. It may be better to start with contests offering smaller prizes if you are just starting out as a writer.
Many writers tend to skim over the rules and conditions when applying and this is not a good idea. You need to fully understand what is required from you as the writer to stand the best chance. You also need to understand what will happen to your work once it has been submitted and what kind of rights the sponsors have over it.
When submitting your manuscript, you usually have certain guidelines to follow. One of these is the required length. It is important to follow these guidelines as closely as possible or your entry may be rejected. If your word count is a maximum of 1 500 and you submit an entry of 3 000 words, it is highly likely to be rejected.
You may not regard producing an error free manuscript as being important. However, this does make an impression on the judges. A manuscript full of spelling and grammatical errors that could easily have been corrected does not create a good first impression. Edit, edit and edit again before submission to make sure that any avoidable errors do not detract from your excellent content.
Creativity, originality and your language usage are usually the main considerations for judging. It is also vital to make sure that you have not gone completely digressed and gone right off the theme. No matter how brilliant your content, if you do not stick to the theme, you are highly unlikely to win.
Some contests are held by magazines and they offer subscriptions as prizes for winning entries. They also publish winning entries in the magazine and this can bring recognition. Even if a small prize is offered, this still means that others have read your writing and seen its value. There are several contests that offer very good prizes, including sums of money which can be a great incentive to writers struggling to make a living.
You have nothing to lose from entering such contests where no entry fees are required. What you will gain is the opportunity for others to evaluate your work and sometimes you may receive helpful feedback, even if you do not win a prize. You may also get a chance to be published and start to build up recognition for your work.
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