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- There are hundreds of writing contests. Most are real; some are prestigious. But some are fake. While fake contests don’t make up a huge proportion of the total, there are enough of them to warrant caution. And even if a contest is legitimate, winning may not do anything to build your writing resume.
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- By Anne R. Allen.
- Legit Writing Contests Are valuable.
- Testimonials
- High Fees
- Iffy Sponsors
- Rights Grabs
- Small Prizes Compared with Fees
- Hidden Judging Criteria and/or Unknown Judges.
- Advertised Via Unsolicited Emails Or Social Media Spam
- Bad Marks from Writer Beware, Alli, and Other Watchdog Sites.
Recently I’ve been seeing a bunch of ads for writing contests in my Facebook feed. Plus I’ve been getting unsolicited mass emails advertising similar competitions. Some of them look pretty legit, but I couldn’t help asking myself why. If it’s such a great contest, why do they need to use spam to promote them? Why not contact me as an influencer and...
First I want to say I encourage writers to enter legit writing contests. Contest wins have got me through some times of self-doubt as a writer, and they sometimes can pay better than actually selling a book or story to a publisher. Plus they raise your profile and attract new readers. That’s why I always include a few contests in our “Opportunity A...
A real contest doesn’t have to showcase a bunch of unknown writers telling you how happy they are they entered a contest. If all those people had really won $10,000 and a major publishing contract you would have seen a big splash about it in the mainstream press. Those “publishing contracts” these people were awarded are probably with a vanity pres...
There are a whole lot of for-profit contests out there. Be wary of any contest that charges high fees (over $30). If a contest is brand new, be especially careful. They may promise a big money prize, but you have no way of knowing if that prize will actually be awarded. The promoters often take the money and run. Novel contests are more likely to b...
A few years ago, I got an email about a contest that sounded like a good addition to the “Opportunity Alerts.” No entry fee…prizes…and they said the winning piece would be submitted to big name literary agencies. But it sounded a little too good to be true. So I checked out the sponsor of the contest and found this entry in agent Janet Reid’s blog ...
Always read the fine print. Some of these have got by me into the Opportunity Alerts, so do pay attention, even if you see the contest here. A legit contest never asks for exclusive, long term rights unless they’re giving you a whole lot of money for those rights. And even so, think long and hard about what you’re giving up and if it’s worth it to ...
“Exposure” isn’t a prize. When a contest charges a fee, make sure the prize is appropriate—not just a tiny percentage of what they take in. A few hundred dollars and a shiny sticker that says “Booky McBookface Award-Winner” isn’t worth that $95 entry fee. Worse, if the only prize is publication with a vanity press, you’ve been had.
Legit contests tell you the criteria they use for judging: originality, characters, pacing, plotting, setting, etc. Often they have high profile judges. Some writing contests, like the Women on Writing contestsfeature agents as judges. If you’re agent hunting, I don’t have to tell you why this is a good deal. I know of several successful authors wh...
This is what prompted me to write this post. These days, my Facebook feed is filled with more and more ads, especially writer spam, and lots of it is for contests. Some seem legit, but others not so much. Always Google an organization before entering their contest. Use keywords like “scam” and “complaints.” And check with the watchdog websites I li...
Victoria Strauss’s Writer Bewarehas been keeping writers safe from bogus agents, publishers and scammy contests for over a decade. If you haven’t heard of a contest, always check them out with Victoria. You’ll also find up-to date warnings at the fantastic website of Alli, the Alliance for Independent Authors. You don’t have to be a member to acces...
- Are the sponsors on the up-and-up? Look for contests sponsored by nonprofit literary groups, established publications, reputable publishing houses, colleges, and universities.
- Have you read the rules carefully? Make sure the contest rules state the following: deadlines, eligibility, format, fees, prizes, circumstances in which prizes will or won't be awarded, judging, and what rights, if any, you're granting.
- Is the entry fee reasonable? Most contests charge fees, usually ranging from $5 to $25. For one thing, it's time-consuming to administer a contest, but sponsors may also want to make a profit.
- Who's doing the judging? Judges should be published writers, past contest winners, editors at publishing houses, or representatives from known literary organizations.
Jun 8, 2024 · Some people think that any writing contest that requires an entry fee is a scam, and that the only prizes or awards worth winning are the ones that are bestowed without any effort (aside from ...
Dec 17, 2023 · Some are outright scams or ripoffs. A few examples, drawn from Writer Beware’s files: A prestigious organization contacts you to let you know you’ve been nominated for an award. All you need to do is become member of the organization…for $99. But wait!
Scammers have been targeting writers with fake invitations to conferences, purporting to be sponsored by major publishers such as Macmillan. The speaking engagement "contract" tricks writers into sending money or disclosing personal data.
Jan 16, 2020 · But if you’re feeling brave, you can confidently look for contests that do charge fees and know that this list was vetted by the Poets & Writers staff. Always beware of scams.
