Entering contests – Almost An Author

Writers Chat Recap for April Part 1

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

10 Ways to Win at Writers Contests with Julie Lavender

To enter or not to enter? Often writers struggle with this question when it comes to writing contests. Author Julie Lavender joins Writers Chat to share a treasure trove of tips and information on entering contests, especially at conferences. Benefits, costs, guidelines, are just a few of the topics Julie covers. If you’re contemplating entering a contest now in or the future, this episode is for you.

Watch the March 29^th Replay

Julie Lavender is the author of 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories, published by Revell, and Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime, published by a Penguin Random House imprint. She recently spoke on a Focus on the Family Broadcast about showing love to a child and would be honored if you’d check out the interview here: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/epis…. Julie, the author of 1000+ newspaper and magazine articles, has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and is a wife, mom, and grandmommy.

Come Write With Us: Poetry

Poets Rachael M. Colby and Patricia Tiffany Morris share various elements of poetry, introduce unfamiliar forms (such as reverse poetry and blacked-out poetry) and guide us through writing poems with a couple different exercises to try. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a poet, this episode will deepen your understanding of using descriptive language in your writing. Besides, you may be a poet who doesn’t know it!

Watch the April 5^th replay.

Rachael M. Colby, born and raised in Jamaica, an award-winning writer, wife, mom, beach bum, and artist. She writes to glorify God, encourage believers, and reach the lost. She connects culture’s questions with Christianity’s answers, inspires faith, and motivates through articles, devotions, poetry, and interviews. Her work has appeared on Southern Ohio Christian Voice, Inkspirations Online, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog, and the Oak Ridger newspaper. You can connect with Rachael on social media or her website, https://tattooitonyourheart.com.

Patricia Tiffany Morris, writer, artist, and brainstorming creative. Her eclectic awards from 2019-2021 ranged from poetry, short fiction, children’s stories, to suspense and inspirational prose. Earning first place at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (BRMCWC) in 2021 for her split-time novel. Patricia also holds publishing credits at The Ekphrastic Review, Word Weavers Int, Lyrical Iowa, and Guideposts. Now an empty-nester, she’s inspired by her rhyming husband. Connect with Patricia on social media or https://www.patriciatiffanymorris.com.

Co-Authoring – Am I Meant to Work with Another Author? With Hope Bolinger

In this episode of Writers Chat, multi-published acquisitions editor Hope Bolinger, brings a wealth of knowledge to the subject of co-authoring. She’s co-authored eight of her eighteen books. From details on the nuances of co-authoring to its unique challenges and advantages, Hope sheds an exuberant light on the subject. If you’ve ever thought about co-authoring, then this episode will help you decide if working with another author is the right path for you.

Watch the April 12^th replay.

Hope Bolinger is a Managing & Acquisitions Editor at End Game Press. More than 1300 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Find out more about her at hopebolinger.com

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Aspiring authors can benefit in many ways by entering writing contests. In this post, I will talk about contests for unpublished manuscripts.

Participating in writing competitions encourages authors to learn how to format correctly, follow rules, and meet deadlines. Score sheets from the judges often provide valuable information. Anonymous feedback is likely to be honest, and when given by a qualified peer it is priceless.

Contest wins are great to add to your author bio, whether on a website, in a query, or on a book cover. Having a literary award for the bio section of a query shows an agent or publisher that you are serious about your craft and plugged into the writing community. (Just keep in mind that winning a contest gives you something to put in your query letter, but doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to query. Getting a yes takes more than brilliant first chapters and a snazzy synopsis.)

Besides all this, it’s nice to get recognition and validation for your hard work.

Not all contests are created equal.

Sometimes smaller contests offer bigger monetary prizes. Sometimes lesser-known contests have more detailed feedback, or more experienced and qualified judges. Check out a contest before you plunk down your money for all the details such as costs, judging pool, prizes, and so on.

Entering contests can get expensive, or not.

Fees vary widely. I tend to enter contests run by organizations that I would like to support, anyway. Some of the better-known contests may charge higher fees, but they carry more prestige if you place.

The dollar amount of cash prizes, number of prizes, number of entries allowed, and ratio of judges per submissions affect how well each entry places. If an author is trying to break even, those are things to consider. (I’ve never gotten close to breaking even.)

Be cautious about writing competitions that charge large fees or otherwise seem off. Do your homework before jumping in.

Feedback can be confusing.

I learned to expect varied feedback. On more than one occasion, judges directly contradicted each other! This is a common experience, because art is subjective. Contests with detailed score sheets and directions may have more consistent results, but don’t count on it. Just like readers out in the real world, judges have their preferred types of stories and writing.

One time, I entered a contest for feedback only. Because it was a contest geared toward romance and my submission wasn’t quite what they were looking for, I knew my manuscript wouldn’t place. However, the comments about the other elements of my story helped me, and that was my goal. The organizers provided a detailed scoresheet example and were happy to answer all of my questions beforehand. That’s a win for me!

I’ve found that the best feedback came from judges who were widely read. I value the opinions of librarians, editors, and industry professionals. That’s not to say a general reader can’t give excellent feedback, but I like score sheets that let me know the experience level of the judge who is evaluating my submission. This helps me interpret any comments or confusing scores.

Disappointments happen.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of contests. It happens to me all the time!

But with a realistic idea about the different way writers benefit from the experience, the inevitable disappointment will lose some of its sting.

Find the right contest to help you achieve your goals, whether that is financial reward, prestige, or honing your craft.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.