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Today’s blog post is about writing contests. I’ll talk about why you should consider entering some writing contests this year, what to expect from writing contests, the top places to go to find reliable contests, and some last-minute warnings to keep in mind before you enter.

Why writing contests matter

Before I start, let me clarify: writing contests are NOT a must for everybody. They are, however, extremely valuable if you’re planning to pursue a career in writing for several reasons.

1. Traditional publishers love winners

But if you hope to pursue a traditional publishing route, writing contests can be a very useful way to showcase your determination and your writing capabilities. If you can show a potential publisher that you’ve already had people show interest in your work, you’ll be one step ahead compared to a lot of similar submissions. The more prestigious the competition, the more interest you’ll be able to gain, assuming, of course, you can win.

2. You can practice meeting deadlines and requirements

Many of the young writers I have spoken to seem to think that writing = absolute freedom. That is true, as long as you genuinely don’t care if you make any money or if anyone reads your books. If, however, you want to become a professional writer, then you’re going to face endless deadlines and requirements.

I am a professional content writer, which means that I write blog posts as well as articles for online publications like Forbes. I’m a ghostwriter, though, so my name is on few of these articles. Even so, I have a lot of experience working with an editor, complying with the requirements of various publications, and marketing and social media.

Trust me when I say, professional writing is difficult to break into these days, and contests can be a good entry point that allows you to build up your skills.

3. You can start to build your audience

I used to believe that all I had to do to get published was to offer a publisher a good story. I’ve done a lot of research since then. Many agents and publishers are more likely to consider your submission if you already have an audience/platform. If you have a social media profile with more than a thousand followers, for example, those followers are potential buyers for your new book.

You can use writing contests as a way to discover what type of audience will be looking for your stories and how you can connect with them.

What to expect from writing contests

So let’s say you’re totally convinced and you want to take a stab at entering some writing contests. Here are the kind of things you should expect.

1. Length

The first is that most contests have some kind of requirement around the length of your writing. While you can find contests that cater to nearly any length, the most common seem to cater towards short stories, which are anywhere between 1k and 10k words. Flash fiction seems to be the second most common. Flash fiction can be as long as 1k or sometimes 1.5k, but no longer. There are also contests for novels, but many of these seem to focus primarily on folks who have already been published.

2. Deadlines

Next, every contest will have a submission deadline of some sort. When entering contests recommended through Scribophile.com (more on this later), deadlines are typically between 15 days and 30 days from the time you learn of the competition.

3. Genres

Most competitions will specify a genre or genres that are acceptable. Some of the most common include romance, fantasy, and nonfiction. Much less common (but still available) are contests that allow or focus on historical fiction or science fiction. Some contests allow any genre, but be aware that this will likely mean the judges will be sorting through a lot more submissions, and you may have trouble getting yours to stand out.

4. Guidelines and expectations

Lastly, almost every competition will have specific guidelines that you’ll need to meet that go beyond the above. These guidelines might include formatting, avoiding 18+ content, stylistic expectations (literary fantasy vs. fantasy in general), and so on. You may also have an opportunity to look at previous winners, or if the contest is held by a magazine, you may want to read a couple previous editions of the magazine to get a feel for what they expect.

Where to submit

Now you know what to expect, so you want to find some contests that best fit your style and genre. Here’s where to look.

1. Scribophile.com

When you sign up at Scribophile, which is a site where you can offer and get critiques for various stories and chapters, you’ll also subscribe to an email list. As a result, you’ll get regular emails at least once a month that run through various writing contests you can enter. The best part is that the email lets you know which ones pay winners.

2. Online magazines

Some online magazines, like the Michigan Quarterly Review, hold regular writing contests. Look for a few of these, as they’re often held on an annual basis.

3. Reddit

Reddit is a great resource for writers in general, but you can also do a basic search for reliable contests. Some of the threads may be outdated, so look for more recent ones.

Warnings for writers

If you’ve decided to go down the road of submitting your story to various contests, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Do your research first. Not every contest you see online is real. Some may try to steal your info or your money. If you have to pay to enter, always look up the site first and make sure it is reliable.
2. Find a proofreader. If you’re on your own as a writer and you don’t have anyone to help you out, take a look at Scribophile or Critique Circle. But don’t waste your time or the time of the judges by submitting a piece with obvious errors.
3. Read the guidelines carefully. Many submissions get rejected simply because they’re in the wrong format. Read the guidelines and follow them.
4. Watch for simultaneous submissions. Some publications allow for simultaneous submissions, meaning that you can send the same story to more than one contest. That’s not true for every competition though, so unless it’s specifically mentioned in the guidelines that it’s allowed, only enter your story into one contest at a time.

If you keep these things in mind, you can make the most of writing competitions this year.

Final thoughts

Entering a writing contest can be challenging. Not only are there specific guidelines you’ll need to meet, but you’re putting your writing out there for others to read. That’s exactly why these can help you grow as a writer.

If you enjoyed the content of this post, subscribe to get notified when my next post on seven ways to improve your writing in just 30 minutes per day goes live. Until then, enjoy Loyalty Fallen!