Writing Competitions - Are They Worth Entering?
image: should you enter writing competitions?
The short answer is this: whether writing competitions are worth it to you depends on the competition, your writing goals, and how well you handle rejection. A writing contest can be a fun way to flex your muscles, get feedback on your work, and potentially win something.
On the other hand, writing contests uphold the literary world’s existing power structures and faux scarcity model. After all, who decides what’s “good?” Who decides how many entrants can “win?” And who appointed those people to make those decisions? For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus on the worthiness question and not the question of whether writing competitions should exist at all.
I’ve entered my fair share of writing competitions across genres since elementary school. I can’t even estimate the number. Whenever I wrote a good essay, story, or poem, I would hear “you should submit this to a contest!” Adults and peers directed me to competitions since I started putting pen to paper, and I understood it as something writers just...do.
Since 2014, my writing competition gains have included travel opportunities, the publication of my poetry chapbook, and at least $12,000 since 2014.
My losses equate to about $300 in submission fees (over the course of 7 years) and hours spent filling out applications.
So, are writing competitions worth it? Here’s how I decide on a case by case basis.
Types of writing competitions
There are contests for nearly every writing category and age group. There are poetry contests, short story writing contests, screenwriting contests, essay contests, writing contests for kids, etc. These contests have different associated costs and requirements.
I prefer to categorize contests by prize rather than genre since genre can go on forever. So, the types of writing competition rewards include:
Title/ bragging rights. You just get to be the winner. Hooray. You put it on your resume, throw the piece in your portfolio, and move on.
Publication. Depending on the genre, a publisher may accept your manuscript, a journal may accept your piece, or a production company may produce your script. Publishing can also get you more eyes on your work and more opportunities, but not always.
Money. Writing contests can pay anywhere from $10 to $20,000 for winners. Make sure there are no strings attached to those winnings, though.
Opportunity. If you win, you may get to meet with a publisher, book coach, producer, or someone noteworthy in your field. Or, maybe you get to speak at an event, travel, or do an interview.
Products or services. These contests may give winners “exclusive” access to merch or books or a free subscription to their magazine. You may also get a free service such as a manuscript consultation or professional feedback on your work.
Vet the competition
Not all competitions are created equally. More importantly, some writing competitions are scams. You’ll want to carefully vet the writing competition to find out if it’s worth the hassle.
I typically ask myself these questions:
Who is running this contest? Why? How long has this organization existed?
Do this organization’s policies and history align with its mission statement and my own beliefs?
Who is judging this contest? What expertise and experience do they have? (define those words however you want)
If entering costs money, is there transparency about where the money goes?
Is there a list of past winners? Do I know them/ can I find them?
What’s in the fine print of the submission guidelines? Will I retain all rights to my work? (make sure this is a yes)
The vetting process is mostly to make sure the competition is legitimate and not a front to steal your money or your work. However, it can also help you narrow down your options if you’re deciding between multiple contests.
Weigh the pros and cons
Once you’ve pinned down the prize and the legitimacy of the competition, you can weigh your personal pros and cons. Time and money are often two main cons for me.
I prefer to enter free writing contests, but I’ll pay for ones I’m extremely interested in. For example, I greatly admire YesYes Books, so I paid the $15 fee to submit my poetry manuscript there (twice). You can set your own max for a contest entry fee—mine is $25. Unfortunately, some genres (screenwriting) can cost way more.
When it comes to time, an application that takes over an hour to complete is rarely worth it. Unless the prize is huge, I wouldn’t spend more than 20 minutes answering any introductory questions or doing extra writing tasks.
Other important measures that can influence your pros and cons list are:
What are your writing goals?
Do you want to write full time? Do you wish to get paid to write? Do you want more people to engage with your work? Do you believe contests will give you more legitimacy? Are you looking for feedback? Do you just want something to do with the drafts filling up your computer storage space?
Take a moment to brainstorm your short and long-term writing goals. Will this competition help you reach whatever those goals are?
What is the alternative?
On that note, have you considered other ways to reach your goals? Some writers (like teenage me) feel pressured to submit to competitions because that’s what we were told to do or what we see other writers doing. But contests aren’t the end-all-be-all.
In fact, there are other ways to promote your writing.
If you want feedback on your work, you could pay a professional editor outright and skip the contest. If you want a script produced, you could partner with peers and produce it yourself. If you want publication, you could self-publish and put your efforts into different promotional tactics. Almost every avenue has its drawbacks, so do what feels right to you.
Will it be fun?
You don’t have to enter competitions to be a “real writer.” At all. So, why do it if it isn’t fun?
Competitions exist for nearly anything a person can do. You can compete in eating, cup stacking, jumping, telling jokes, reciting monologues, and so much more. When you have a skill and someone says you can get prizes for it, that feels pretty cool. Still, you should have fun doing it.
Not to show how much of a nerd I am, but I’ve done competitive drama and competitive poetry for years. Trophies and prize money are nice, but none of that is guaranteed, so I do it mostly for the sheer enjoyment and adrenaline rush.
Writing competitions can be worth it just for the process of doing them. Maybe you need that push to complete your project, so the competition deadline is a healthy goal. Maybe you’ll learn something from the winners that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Maybe you’ll meet new friends or get introduced to new writers’ work. There’s more to competing than the overall prize.
If you’re dreading entering a writing contest or simply don’t want to, then don’t.
Finding writing contests in 2021
Plenty of websites exist to help you find writing contests. Writer’s Digest, Poets & Writers, and Submittable are just some of many places with long lists of options. I like using Submittable because I can sort by genre and submission fee, but of course, no single site is all-inclusive. Another option is to browse through tags on social media.
I often find writing opportunities in the bios of my favorite writers. By looking at what they’ve entered, I can quickly put together a list of valid writing competitions and vet them from there.
FAQ
Should you pay to enter a writing contest?
Sure, if you can afford it. Many writers will say no, but you should align your answer with your goals and desires. Weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide if it’s worth it. Most importantly, find out where the money from your submission fee goes.
How do you win a writing competition?
There is no sure-fire way to win a writing competition, but there are three things you can do to improve your chances: make sure your submission follows the contest guidelines, edit and proofread your work, and don’t wait until the last minute to submit.
Where can I find writing competitions?
Websites such as Poets&Writers, Writer’s Digest, and Submittable are great places to find worthwhile writing competitions.
Are poetry contests legit?
Many poetry contests provide a monetary prize or the reward of publication. However, contests are not the only way to publish poetry. Use a credible source to find poetry contests and research the organization before sending money or work.
Last words - Is entering a writing contest worth it?
There are some fields where the winner is clear and indisputable. The fastest person wins the race, the team with the highest score wins the game, and so on.
Art competitions are subjective. We hear that all the time, and it’s true. I’ve been a contest judge and I’ve been a contest submitter, so I know that winners win based on a matter of opinion and a little luck. For that reason, I don’t take “losses” personally, and I try not to put too much weight on any individual contest.
I’m disillusioned by the contest model for publishing, but that doesn’t mean all contests are worthless or wastes of time. I’ve had positive results, but only after some years of playing the game. Writing competitions are worth it if you get something out of them (whatever’s important to you) and if you enjoy them. If not, there are plenty of other ways to meet your writing goals.
Jae Nichelle is a professional ghostwriter and editor here to help you tell your story.